Perfection is close, oh so close...
Written: May 03 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Convenient, Cool look, Remote, Lots of connections.
Cons: USB 1 is a little too slow, not a good Mic input.
The Bottom Line: It ain't perfect, but so far it's my pick for the under $150 segment of the soundcard market.
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| aschuste2's Full Review: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Extigy Sound Card |
I've tried alot of consumer sound cards in search of a solution worth the $150 that I was willing to spend. I've tried some Turtle Beach offerings, and was impressed with the sound, but compatibility issues with my VIA chipset kept me away. I've tried higher quality onboard audio systems, but was not impressed with the quality of the sound in general, and especially of the Analog/Digital converters. I've also tried about every Creative offering since the original Sound Blaster Live, most recently the Audigy, but I never felt I was quite getting perfection.
Finaly I decided to give the Audigy a shot, especially since I intend to do some direct to pc recording with a laptop, and for the most part I'm very impressed. The quality of the sound is incredible, probably aided by the fact that the components are outside of the computer, which can be a source of interference. I was especially pleased with the quality of the converters which allow me to transfer Minidisc recordings to the PC with almost no signal loss. This system has alot going for it. I really like the look of the product, (it looks really nice with Dell systems, or newer Compaq offerings) and the remote is an added benefit. It has just about all the connections anyone would use, including analog 5.1 output, optical digital in/out and the standbys like Mic and line in. The Microphone jack is something of a dissapointment for me because I am more recording oriented, and the quality of the mic amp just isn't sufficient for decent recordings. It's also only mono, which is ok for just one microphone, but I use two to record. The only other complaint I have is that Creative chose to use USB 1 rather than 2, or it's favored Firewire. 90% of the time USB 1 works, but when there's alot going on, such as when watching a DVD movie, there are a few crackles here and there. Nothing major, but enough to be worth a mention here.
All in all, if you're a mobile person who wants decent sound for a Notebook PC (finally) or someone who just likes the idea of having connections easily accesible, this system may be for you. (Did I mention it looks cool?)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 120.00
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Epinions.com ID:
aschuste2
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Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 0 members
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