That's right,
Creative Labs has announced a new product called the
Sound Blaster Extigy.
So what exactly is the Extigy? It's actually an
external sound card that works with your USB port. It delivers 24-bit 96kHz multi-channel audio playback and 100dB signal-to-noise ratio. It will retail at $149.99 and is expected to ship this month.
What's the big deal? Folks, this is the first EXTERNAL sound card that's not in a speaker system, and it's not something cheesy either. It offers 5.1 channel sound, features EAX Advanced HD technology, and has a great software bundle.
Aside from that, check out this quote from the press release:
Quote:
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In addition to enhancing the audio experience on the desktop and notebook PC, the Sound Blaster Extigy functions completely independent of the PC. It can be used without the PC as a Dolby Digital decoder for a set-top DVD and is an ideal device for providing 5.1 surround sound from a video gaming console such as the X-BOX™ or PlayStation 2™. It also functions without the PC to enhance audio quality and provides CMSS functionality for a number of additional devices such as a digital audio player, compact or mini-disc player or cassette player. All of these devices can easily connect to the Sound Blaster Extigy's front panel, which also has connections for a microphone or headphones.
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Sounds pretty neat huh? It basically gives the full functionality of the Audigy line externally, including the break box (which has all kinds of connectivity options).
This will be a pretty big breakthrough for notebook users as it can really offer a viable audio solution. The only issue I can see is that the break box obviously is to be used with external speakers, so I wouldn't really consider this to be a
mobile solution.
Another positive thing is that it uses USB, which means installation should be a breeze since USB is plug and play. It also has Windows XP support so there should be no issues with a Microsoft operating system.
Based on the press release and some of the product shots, this looks like a very nice product. I am trying to get one in here for testing so that we can give you a in-depth review of the product. I will definitely keep you guys updated on that.