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The Week in
Review: October 21-28, 2002
Last week's features at
3DsoundSurge
Last week's sound news
Drivers and bugs VideoLogic SonicXplosion Drivers
VideoLogic has released drivers and control panel files for it's recently announced
SonicXplosion CS4630 based sound card. The version listing on their site is 5.12.1.3057
and for the control panel it's Version 2.1.2.55, both of which appear to be the initial
CD-ROM release.
- SoundSystem DMX 6fire Driver Update
Terratec has released
new (Version 5.0.2000.126) WDM drivers and control panel for their SoundSystem DMX
6fire series (Basic, LT and 24/96) series of soundcards. We currently don't have a list of
what's new but according to one post in our forum (see link below) these drivers did not
add the currently missing headphone 3D audio virtualization mode.
New
games, demos, patches and bugs
Civilization III: Play the World Goes Gold
Infogrames and FIRAXIS Games on Thursday announced that the expansion pack Play the World
for Sid Meier’s Civilization III has gone gold and will reach stores already November
1.
- The Lord of the Rings Demo
Surreal Software's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring demo is now available on Gigex. The demo support 3D sound and EAX. Not clear
if it's EAX AdvancedHD/3.0 and if so if is backwards compatible with older version of EAX.
Reviews
of soundcards, speakers, headphones and MP3 players.
- Audigy 2
GamePC has posted an overall
very positive review of the Sound Blaster Audigy 2. One comment I would make is I
think the reviewer makes too much of the Audigy 2 not having Dolby Digital encoding as a
feature. I don't disagree that it's a great feature for those who use their systems with
hardware decoders, particularly those lacking 6 channel analog inputs. However, contrary
to what is noted in the review, a hardware decoder is not required to play back Dolby
Digital material on the Audigy 2. Just as on the Live 51 and Audigy there's driver level
multichannel decoding support using the multichannel analog connections and just as with
most multichannel analog output cards software decoders such as WinDVD and PowerDVD do an
excellent job handling the Dolby Digital and DTS decoding chores.
- Hercules Gamesurround Fortissimo III 7.1
Hardware Zone has posted an overall positive review
of Hercules Gamesurround Fortissimo III 7.1. Some minor comments follow. First, if the
Fortissimo II now support 6 channel analog output it is a recent addition via a driver
update. Based on the product info and the last time I loaded that card it support 4
channel analog outputs plus a separate amplified headphone output. Digitally, both the
Fortissimo II and III cards offer the same capabilities. Dolby Digital EX is actually only
6 (i.e. 5.1) discrete channels with a mono matrixed center surround carried in the left
and right surround channels.
- Fortissimo 3 and Digifire
Tom's Hardware has posted a nicely done, detailed review of
Hercules' Fortissimo 3 and Digifire 7.1 sound cards including an overview of the
different surround sound formats. Some comments follow. First, a very minor one is I have
not seen Dungeon Siege referred to as one with EAX Advanced HD support before. Certainly
the demo does not display that support nor is it listed as such on Creative's EAX site but
perhaps it was just quietly supported in the final release. I am also not sure why they
got the odd results of poor positioning when EAX is enabled in the game as opposed to all
of the time as is my impression of the positional effects in that game (based on the
demo). Secondly, while the review clearly explains why they get the poor RMAA4.1 measured
results shown for output 3 and 4 I think it's worth noting (based on my GT XP 6.1
experience) that that in cases where the centers are directly supported via a supporting
software DVD player (and movie with a Dolby Digital EX soundtrack in the case of the rear
center) there won't be the same issues with quality. The final comment is with respect to
using these cards with 5.1 speaker systems that have on board bass management capability.
All that's required for optimum performance with these systems is to disable the small
speaker mode in the Hercules control panel.
- Altec Lansing 251 5.1 Speaker System
OnePC has posted an overall very positive review of
Altec Lansing's 251 5.1 Surround Speakers. This $100 system is rated to deliver a
total of 60W RMS shared between each of the five satellite speakers' 3" drivers and
the subwoofer's 5.25" long-throw woofer.
- FrontFX Port Extender
Phase 2 Digital has posted a mixed review of the FrontFX Port Extender with more complaints than I
usually see in reviews of this product. Part of their problems related to the fact that
the port extender was not designed for use with cases that us with special drive rails
such as the Antec case used in their test platform.
- Xitel HiFi-Link
Everything USB has done a very short review of Xitel HiFi-Link. HiFi-Link simply plugs
into any USB port on a computer and into the RCA inputs of a stereo system. Everything USB
was not very impressed considering the price ($50) even though they think it's superior to
most cheap AC97 solutions integrated with motherboards.
Other sound news
- Hercules Announces New 7.1 Channel Sound Cards
We missed this one from the end of September. In a press release issued on September 25
Hercules announce the launch of its new range of 7.1 channel sound cards. The Hercules
CS4624 based Gamesurround Fortissimo III 7.1 is available at a recommended retail price of
US $49.99. Hercules' CS4630 based Game TheaterTM XP 7.1 is available at a recommended
retail price of US $99.99. The CS4624 based Hercules Digifire 7.1 should be available
later this month if it's not already on the shelves. It carries a recommended retail price
of US $79.99. All of the cards bundle a special edition of PowerDVD (Hercules refers to it
as PowerDVD™ PRO EX) that has full Dolby Digital EX support. You can read more
details in the September
25th press release as well as earlier press releases on the Gamesurround
Fortissimo™ III 7.1 and the DIGIFIRE 7.1. One thing worth noting is the September 25th press release puts a lot of
emphasis on the so called "7.1" aspects of Dolby Digital EX and at one point
states that it offers 3 surround channels instead of the single surround channel offered
by 5.1 systems. For this to be a correct statement Hercules must be referring to Dolby Pro
Logic as "5.1". Pro Logic in fact uses a single matrixed (not discrete) surround
channel (even though people use two surround speakers for playback of Pro Logic material)
while Dolby Digital 5.1 has two discrete surround channels (left and right surround) to
which Dolby Digital 5.1 EX adds a matrixed rear center channel. It's also worth noting
that Dolby does not refer to Dolby Digital EX as a 7.1 format. You can read more about
Dolby Digital EX in Dolby's A
Listener's Guide to Dolby Digital EX. For an overview of all the movie surround
formats including Dolby Digital EX and DTS ES you can check out our own Surround Formats on DVDs article.
- Creative Technology Announces Q1 Results
Creative Technology has announced financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year
2003, ended September 30, 2002. All financial results are stated in U.S. dollars. Sales for the first quarter were at the high end of the Company's guidance at
$160.6 million. This compares to sales of $180.4 million for the same quarter of last
year. Creative achieved net income for the first quarter of $1.3 million before
write-downs on listed investments of $6.3 million
In the press release Creative mentions an upcoming announcement of a
"speaker brand with a sleek, new visual ID". No more details are
offered on this upcoming speaker brand but you can find plenty of financial details and
comments from the CEO in the full press release
- Micronas Enhances TV Audio with Dolby Pro Logic
II
Micronas and Dolby Laboratories have that the Dolby Pro Logic® II surround sound decoder
is now available with Micronas' highly popular MAS 352yH range of audio co-processors. You
can find more details in
the full press release.
- Cirrus Logic Reports Results
Cirrus Logic has announced financial results for its second quarter of fiscal 2003, ended
Sept. 28, 2002. Fiscal second quarter revenue was $73.3 million, down 3.6 percent from
$76.0 million reported in the fiscal first quarter. Pro forma loss for the second quarter
was $7.8 million In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP),
second quarter net loss was $18.4 million. You can find more details in the full
press release.
- Creative Announces New MegaWorks Speakers With
THX Certification
Creative has officially announces the Cambridge SoundWorks® MegaWorks® THX® 2.1 250D
and MegaWorks THX 5.1 550 speaker systems. The MegaWorks THX
2.1 250D is a speaker system designed to deliver a high-fidelity digital audio experience
to dedicated music lovers. With up to 300 Watts of burst power, an exceptional 99dB
signal-to-noise ratio, and high-precision 24-bit/96kHz DACs, this system gives an
outstanding response and ultra-real audio delivery with any content. The ported wood
subwoofer has a heavy-duty, long-throw, 8-inch driver that adds subsonic impact to music,
while the magnetically-shielded satellite speakers, which are wall-mountable, have
precision 3.5-inch drivers and extremely high-strength rare-earth magnets to ensure
ultra-smooth hi-fi playback without monitor image disturbance. Dual analogue and S/PDIF
digital inputs support connection to multiple audio sources, while a multifunctional wired
remote adds the final touch of comfort and convenience.
The MegaWorks THX 5.1 550 speaker system offers a high-end,
multi-channel Dolby Digital experience when connected to a 5.1 sound card. It features
6-channel BASH® amplification that pumps out up to 500 Watts of burst power for a truly
immersive experience with games, DVD movies and other multimedia content. The five
wall-mountable, capsule-shielded and tuned satellite speakers have precision 3.5-inch
drivers and rare earth magnets for an ultra-smooth frequency response, while the wood
subwoofer has dual flared ports and a heavy-duty, 8-inch, long-throw driver to deliver the
low frequency effects required for 5.1 impact. The multifunctional wired remote control
manages master, centre, rear, treble, and subwoofer levels and also features a headphone
output for private listening.
For more details you can check out the press
release covering the two systems as well as a separate press release covering the
MegaWorks THX 5.1 550. You can also get some hands on impressions via our coverage from the Creative Europe press event.
- Do it Yourself Subwoofer Article
Monster Hardware has posted
a DIY Subwoofer article where they take you through the basics of putting together a
subwoofer built around the Apex Junior Amp ($90) and Vifa 8" driver ($28). Some minor
comments on this very interesting read. First, and they do skirt it somewhat by adding the
qualifier "to me", is that generalizations around the end quality of sealed
compared ported boxes should be qualified as it really comes down to the overall design
and selection of appropriate components most suitable to each design. Secondly it's worth
noting that the fibre fill material that they add to the box serves a second purpose
beyond resonance reduction and that is it effectively increases the volume of the box so
adding more or less will change other response characteristics. My last comment is a
caution on the crossover. The 120 Hz top end won't be high enough a filter for smaller
multimedia speakers. Monster Hardware does have a DIY solution coming up for that though
in the way of an upcoming companion satellite speaker article, where they build a matching
pair of speakers to go with the subwoofer.
- Archos Jukebox FM Announced
Now you can capture any track you like from the radio while on the move, with the next
generation Archos Jukebox FM Recorder 20 with built-in FM radio. The new Jukebox FM
Recorder 20 contains all the current functionality of the Archos Jukebox Recorder 20,
(easy to use drag & drop file transfer, MP3 real time encode options with capacity of
14 days = 500 CDs of MP3 playback). Plus, Archos has now added a quality FM radio and 30
second retro-capture buffer for recording from the radio. For all the details you can check out the full
press release.
- Philips Introduces World's First DVD+R/+RW
Digital Video Recorder Reference Design
Royal Philips Electronics has announced the launch of the world's first DVD+R/+RW
reference design, which will enable DVD player manufacturers to introduce consumer
electronics DVD+R/+RW recorders against competitive price points, quickly opening up the
large volume market. The design is based upon the Nexperia™ system solutions, and
comprises the pnx7100 MPEG2 Audio Video Graphics CODEC announced in May 2002 and Philips'
VAE8020 DVD+R/+RW video recorder engine. Philips' solution is industry proven and will
comply in every way to the DVD+R/+RW standard. The DVD+RW
software stack is under development together with leading members of the DVD+RW alliance,
guaranteeing compliance to the DVD+R/+RW industry standard. DVD+R/+RW is the de-facto
standard for DVD recording, developed and supported by leading companies in the PC and
consumer electronics industry - including HP, Dell, Microsoft, Sony, Thomson and Philips.
DVD+R/+RW is designed with end-user requirements in mind, offering unique features like
highest picture quality (based upon variable bit rate technology), editing on disk and
instant usability (no formatting or finalization is required). DVD+R/+RW is the
rewriteable format that provides superior compatibility with existing DVD-Video players
and DVD-ROM drives.
For lots more detail and statements you can check out the full
press release.
- Report From Project Bar-B-Que
The Interactive Audio Special Interest
Group has posted a report by Alexander Brandon on the 2002 Project Bar-B-Q. FYI, Project
Bar-B-Q is an intense interactive audio conference held annually on a 360 acre ranch in
Boerne, Texas.
For more news from last week check out our news archive.
Upcoming features at 3DsoundSurgeReviews that we are currently working on:
Updated Santa Cruz/Sonic Fury and GameTheaterXP reviews
Hercules Fortissimo II
Terratec DMX Xfire 1024
CMedia CM8738 Reference Review
Full Audigy Review
Full Philips MMS305 Review
There are several other hardware reviews in the pipeline
including, but not limited to the following:
Guillemot Maxi Sound MUSE
Terratec m3po
DigMedia MusicStore
Philips Seismic Edge
Lots of other stuff on the go in including several guides and major site revisions that we
will soon be releasing more details on.
As always if you have any ideas for products we should review or features we should do,
please let us know.
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