Home > Consumer Reviews > Creative Sound blaster AUDIGY 2 ZS PLATINUM

Incredible audio for the perfect gaming environment.

The Sound Blaster® Audigy(tm) 2 ZS Platinum is the ultimate 7.1 surround sound solution for gamers. Its hardware-accelerated EAX 4.0 Advanced HD technology ensures maximum audio immersion in over 400 EAX games and its extensive front panel connectivity includes a headphone output with volume control. For the ultimate in home entertainment, it includes Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES decoding plus a unique remote configurable THX Console which calibrates speakers for optimum movie-watching results. Supporting 24-bit Advanced HD audio at 108dB SNR, Advanced Resolution(tm) DVD-Audio at up to 24-bit/192kHz, plus Windows Media 9 it provides comprehensive format compatibility and playback via the included remote. Home Studio hobbyists will appreciate its support for ASIO 2.0 and SoundFont 2.1, and its ability to record up to 6 simultaneous channels at 24-bit/96kHz.

* Ultimate results in PC gaming, with EMU10K2 DSP hardware acceleration of Direct X and EAX Audio for maximum immersion.
* Internal I/O Drive with optical and coaxial SPDIF, 2 analogue inputs (line-in, mic in), headphone output with volume control, full-size MIDI I/O and FireWire.
* THX Certified for movies, with Dolby EX and DTS ES decoding and unique remote configurable THX Console to create the perfect 'sweet-spot'.
* Bundled Creative MediaSource software with remote control for of DVD-Audio, plus support for Windows Media 9, CD Audio and MP3.
* ASIO 2.0 support for high-quality, ultra-low latency recording of up to 6 simultaneous channels with SoundFont 2.1.
* Extensive utilities include Audio Cleanup, for removal of clicks and background hiss; SVM(tm), which equalises playback volume across an album or playlist; Crossfading which auto-fades between tracks; and CMSS 3D, which enables up-mix of stereo content to up to 7.1.

Specifications:
Channels: 7.1
Max Sampling Rate: 192kHz
Signal-Noise Ratio: 108dB
Hardware Decode: Dolby Digital EX
Digital Audio: 24-bit
Hardware Polyphony: 64 Voices
PC Interface: PCI
Connectors: Digital Out for 5.1(6-channel SPDIF Output), Line-Out, Line-In, SB1394/Firewire, Mic-In, Analog/Digital CD Audio In(See Details)
External Box: Yes
Remote Control: Yes
Package included: See pics
Special Features: DVD-Audio, THX Certified, DTS-Extended Surround, EAX 4.0 Advanced HD, DirectSound 3D

The PCI sound card racket is getting tougher by the day. With motherboard-down chipsets constantly including more features, anyone in the add-in sound card business must hear footsteps all the time. Creative Labs, who was instrumental in giving the PC its first voice in 1989, certainly finds itself in this predicament.

With the new Audigy 2 ZS, Creative has added another channel, bringing 7.1 support into the mix. Other sound cards -- including three offerings from Hercules (DigiFire, Game Theater XP and Fortissimo III) -- have supported 7.1 for some time, but Creative has also thrown in two new 7.1 speaker sets: the $150 Inspire T7700s and the $500 GigaWorks S750.

To keep its products enticing, the company has been steadily adding features to its line of Audigy sound cards. While most of these additions -- support for DVD-Audio, THX certification, and newer versions of EAX -- have been evolutionary, they've nonetheless been welcome.


Is there enough to this latest Creative creation to make you want to upgrade? The answer depends partly on how desperate you are for 7.1 surround sound. Based on its other merits, though, Creative's latest endeavor is worth considering.