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Creative Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum eX



That said, if you're into dabbling with any sort of audio or music creation, the software package offer great value, especially since it has such heavyweights as Steinberg's Cubasis VST and Sonic Foundry's ACID for recording and remixing.

Overall, the Platinum eX would be overkill for anyone into simple gaming and DVD movie watching; they should go for the cheaper Sound Blaster Audigy DE instead, which is the same PCI sound card but without the external box.

PC-Centric Home Cinema?
But where this unit will shine is in the living room. The cool thing about it is that it lets you hide the PC away.

With you on the sofa holding the supplied remote, you can control playback of MP3s and audio CDs, and even options suchs as monitor brightness and contrast. A handy on-screen display gives you feedback on track numbers and such. The SB 1394 port lets you add external CD-RW and DVD drives while still keeping the PC hidden.

A fly in the digital ointment is that the remote only works with Creative's own playback software; too bad if you're a Winamp fan. Another sad oversight is that there's no bundled DVD software that can be controlled by the remote.

Still, the Platinum eX offers a compelling glimpse of a future in which a PC sits in the front room, capable of doing far more than the most sophisticated home AV system. Neat.

 

 Quick Facts
Product: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum eX
Compatible OS: Windows NT, 2000, 98, ME; XP later
Price: US $249.99 (S$469)
Outputs on external drive: S/PDIF (coaxial and optical), line out, headphone out, IEEE-1394, MIDI out
Digital Decoder technology: Dolby Digital
Formats supported: General MIDI, MPC3, Plug-and-Play, EAX, Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding, four speakers, Creative Environments, Creative MultiSpeaker Surround, Microsoft DirectSound, Microsoft DirectSound 3D & Derivatives, EAX Advanced HD, ASIO
Processors: Audigy, 24-bit DAC (digital to analog convertor), 24-bit ADC (analog to digital convertor)
Rear connectors: SB 1394 (FireWire), joystick in, digital/SPDIF out, headphone, MIDI in/out, line in, mic in, analog out (stereo front), rear channel out.
Internal connectors TAD, CD in, Aux in, CD-SPDIF in




 

 
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