Amazon.co.uk Review
Using Creative's latest generation of audio technology the Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum offers top-quality sound and advanced features for music enthusiasts and game players alike. Creative originally revolutionised the PC sound world with its Sound Blaster cards and it's promising to do the same again, but this time with its latest Audigy line of sound cards. These new cards offer many technical improvements over Creative's previous range of audio products. To start with, the quality of sound that the Audigy can handle has been upped to 24-bit at 96KHz with an extremely low 100 db signal to noise ratio, meaning you'll get the clearest sounds possible.
In addition Audigy uses a new 32-bit processor that's four times as powerful as the old Live! sound cards. This lets the Audigy create a whole new set of musical and gaming effects called EAX Advanced HD. While playing music real-time environmental effects can be applied, as well as special effects such as audio clean-up, that removes pops and crackles as well as time scaling, which can slow down and speed up music playback.
For games, the new EAX effects can process four separate environments at the same time, while also being able to morph sounds between locations and create realistic reflections letting it generate the most realistic sounding game environments ever.
The Platinum version of the Audigy incorporates a 5 1/4 inch drive bay panel that provides additional ports such as optical and coaxial S/PDIF in and out, an extra SB1394 port, headphone out, microphone in, MIDI in and out plus an infrared port for use with a supplied remote control!
There's also a massive bundle of supplied software that'll help you get the most out of the Audigy's sound covering everything from music sampling, composing and play back. The addition of the drive bay panel, along side the Audigy Sound Blaster Platinum card makes this a highly accomplished combination that's aimed at music buffs and audio enthusiasts, and in terms of quality, features and technology is one of the best sound cards available on the market.--Nick Baxter
Manufacturer's Description
With advanced audio technology, four times more processing power than ever before and SB1394 connectivity, Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum is tailor-made for gamers and audio enthusiasts. Its 24-bit digital/analogue conversion delivers an unprecedented signal-to-noise ratio of 100 dB, setting new performance and quality thresholds. And with new EAX Advanced HD, Audigy can process up to four complex environments simultaneously while also adding new algorithms like Environment Panning and Morphing. Dual SB1394 connectivity allows connection to SB1394 compliant devices--or gamers can link with up to 63 others for network tournaments. With a comprehensive package of software on top, the Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum is the ultimate solution for the demanding user.