Creative Sound Blaster Audigy

Creative Labs set the standard for PC audio with its Sound Blaster in 1989 and its sound cards have been pretty much the definitive choice ever since. The Sound Blaster Live - launched in 1998 - is starting to show its age though, and faces stiff competition from the likes of the VideoLogic SonicFury. What Creative needs is a card that will set a new audio benchmark, and that's just what it hopes Audigy will do.

Audigy is based on a powerful new processor called the E-Mu 10K2. It's twice as powerful as the processor used in the Live card and can perform all manner of complex special effects on sound as it's actually being played, making it ideal for gamers and musicians alike.

Gamers and musicians are also well-served by the various card bundles. The cheapest, Player (£99), contains just the card; Platinum (£179) contains a break-out box of sockets that fits into a 5.25in free drive bay; and the Platinum eX's (£229) socket connects to the card by a long cable, which means the PC doesn't need to be near the audio devices plugged into it.

The box has a range of audio in and out sockets, plus a couple of MIDI ports and a FireWire port, which is duplicated on the back of the card itself. The port obviously allows for digital video capture but it can also be used to network similarly equipped PCs for multiplayer gaming. The next Creative DAP Jukebox is rumoured to connect via FireWire for super-fast MP3 transfers.

Installing the card is straightforward enough, but the break-out box versions do involve more screwdriver work and cable connections than normal.

Performance can be summed up in one word - impressive. On-board Dolby Digital decoding makes the Audigy ideal for DVD movie watchers, and if you're a techno-savvy musician, the ASIO standard drivers with a two millisecond latency will have you smiling.

Finally, gamers will love the new EAX Advanced HD standard. With a game that makes use of it, this gives sophisticated sound effects of astonishing realism, particularly with surround-sound speakers.

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www.sblive.comALSO CONSIDER

VideoLogic SonicFury
A great all-round card for movies and games.
£80 *****
Computeractive, Issue 93.