Audigy 2 Platinum eX

An Additional question.. Any predictions as to what it will have in the bundle? New software? Will it also have Firewire? I know it has the better ASIO drivers for recording.

Kevin

I predict:

LOTS of CPU utilization! why would you want this when you can get the card?

smurf A- I saw you leave with smurfette
smurf B- oh man as soon as we got out of the bar she started smurfing me
smurf A- shut the smurf up
smurf A- right in the smurfing pariking lot?

Lots of CPU utilization? Why more than the card? Forgive my ignorance. THought it just added a breakout box, better ASIO drivers for recording and maybe an updated software package.
I will have a pentium 2.4. Will the slowdown be a problem do you think?
I may indeed just want to get the card.. Just wanted to see if it would be worth waiting.
I would like to play with recording features and will output to home stereo equipment.
Kevin

If I was you I would just buy the audigy 2 platinum, every cpu cycle counts. The Extigy has a higher cpu utilization than the audigy, I imagine that the extigy 2 if indeed they are planning on releasing one, will also have a higher rate of cpu utilization than its card brother. Unless you are out of pci slots and 5 1/4 bays then get the audigy 2 platinum instead

smurf A- I saw you leave with smurfette
smurf B- oh man as soon as we got out of the bar she started smurfing me
smurf A- shut the smurf up
smurf A- right in the smurfing pariking lot?

THe different models are getting confusing here...
I think the Extigy is the purely external version and don't know when that planned release is. I would imagine it would be more of a resource hog.
The platinum EX is like the card version.. it takes a pci slot, but it adds an additional external breakout box with some extra(?) connections and more convenient to plug in stuff, etc. But think it is just an enhancement of the card version.

Kevin

That's correct. It uses the Audigy 2 PCI card plus an external box containing all the IO jacks. (http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2_platinum_e...)

And, to answer part of my original question, Creative Labs has told Falcon Northwest that they will make the cards available to them in February. No word yet on pricing.

Thanks for the link. Seems there are a few changes.The connections between the breakout box and the breakaway unit are longer to facilitate recording and hookups. Didn't see HOW long though. Of course the full ASIO drivers for recording.The breakout box has an additional Firewire port for a total of 2.If I remember correctly the old version had a daughter card in addition to the PCI card and this one doesn't.
I think there might be a better or more updated software bundle, but was not clear on this.
Any idea how the software bundle might be different than the Audigy2 Platinum?
I think the Audigy Platinum EX was about $50 more than the Platinum. Maybe this will be a similar difference?
Looks like we will know within a month.

Kevin

They showcased Platinum eX in the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) this past week. And it doesn't differ from Audigy2 Platinum in any way aside from the external breakout box.

Darn, I was hoping they would beef up the software offerings somewhat. The recording should be better though.

Kevin

There is one more thing. EX model is compatible with ASIO 2,
Allowing REAL 24-bit 96Khz recording with lesser lag.
With Audigy2 Platinum it is only possible to record 16-bit 48khz. It doesn't make any sense for traditional home user tough. Some musicians will like it I think.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by felix_nukem on 01/18/03 08:43 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

Just checked www.soundblaster.com and seems like the new Platinum eX is quite different from previous versions that were almost exactly like Platinum but with the breakout box outside the computer. The new one seems completely overhauled.

Creative lists it at 249.99

http://www.americas.creative.com/shop/shopcategory.asp?...