Big Sound, Low Price: Creative Audigy

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EAX Advanced HD, Continued

The Gold Mine demo that comes with the card gives a glimpse of the possibilities, which are impressive. Now it remains to be seen if the game developers will follow the lead. Programming such sophisticated functions, even with a library that is easy to handle, takes a lot of effort, especially in view of the fact that in the end only one range of soundcards will support these capacities. In addition, the card also allows you to play an active game with 3D sound and a Dolby Digital tape simultaneously with the Open AL library.

We have of course also tested the existing games using Direct Sound or EAX 1 and 2. Alice from Electronic Arts, which uses sounds of all standards, is a good test. The card manages all the norms perfectly on five channels, but the Live 5.1 could do that already. There is, however, one small fly in the ointment. By transposing the 3D sound that in this game was initially intended for four channels in this game onto five satellites, the card distorts the sound normally intended for the central satellite, or the voices in films. The positioning of the sounds at the front is thus more precise with the central voice, and more so when the sound from the rear remains on two channels. In practice, however, it is not a problem, because you concentrate more on the sounds coming from the front. Moreover, there is a new bonus for games or old videos in stereo. This is the inclusion of Creative's CMSS technology. The Audigy card can transpose any audio source, whether mono or stereo, into three dimensions. Although you do not get realistic positioning, you still have the impression of having the sound all around you, which undeniably enhances the sound experience.