Features

• Audio card for notebook computers
• 24-bit audio
• EAX ADVANCED HD Music Tools
• Built-in Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES decoding
• Easy to install and use

Reviews (9)

Independent Producers & Muscians Rejoice!!
Others have already mentioned the sound quality.I'll add to that by saying that combining this with my newer Sennheiser headphones, nothing sounds better.I'm dead serious.
Why aren't all sound cards this compact?
This thing does EVERYTHING!!!!
Fantastic product, but...
The only reason I'm not giving this card 5 stars is because I've had mine for about 1 1/2 years now, and it is falling apart.The plastic on it seems brittle and doesn't take shocks or being stored with other plastic items very well.The sleeve that you're supposed to keep the card in when you're not using it is very easy to lose as well.
Read more

Features

• Music - Dramatically improve your digital music listening experience
• Movies - Enjoy amazing surround sound with headphones and 5.1 or 7.1 speakers
• Games - Hear sound effects so real, you'll feel like you're actually in the game
• Recordings - Create studio-quality, low-latency recordings with high-fidelity inputs

Reviews (28)

Great for some things, only so-so for others
The analog output was always a little noisy when my laptop was charging.
Great formusicians who want to record their playing
I have bought this card for the purpose of recording my guitar into mp3 files. I have gotten way more than I asked for.
Careful with your slot!
This is a PCMCIA card. New laptops (e.g. Dell Inspiron E1705) have ExpressCard slots. This is a new standard but it is not compatible with PCMCIA slot. Before going for this card make sure you have a PCMCIA slot in your notebook, or else the card won't fit. There is no ExpressCard soundcard yet. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Computer owners who want to beef up their system's audio performance generally opt to install a new sound card. However, laptop owners don't always have that luxury, and installing a new card into desktop computers can be time-consuming and nerve-wracking. Fortunately, Philips has stepped into the void with its PSC805 Aurilium audio processor, which delivers rich 5.1-channel audio through your computer's USB 2.0 interface. The plug-and-play device draws its power from the serial bus, letting you enjoy complex surround sound when watching DVD movies, playing video games, and listening to digital music files. The processor packs a punch thanks to its 24-bit, 96 kHz processing, and it comes ready to decode a wide range of multi-channel digital formats, including Dolby Digital and DTS recordings, and output them via stereo, 2.1-channel, and 5.1-channel speaker systems. The supplied Sound Agent 2 software recognizes the speakers and adjusts the settings immediately, while also letting users make their own manual tweaks, such as adjusting the equalizer, adding 3-D effects, and more. Read more

Features

• Plug-and-play external 5.1-channel audio processor for PC use.
• Connects to computer through USB 2.0 interface; 24-bit, 96 kHz processing
• Dolby Digital and DTS decoding; compatible with stereo, 2.1, or 5.1 outputs
• Runs on Windows 2000 or XP
• 1-year warranty

Reviews (23)

Many problems with optical output, Poor customer support
I use it to connect my PC to a receiver via the optical link, but I find the mute button, the volume control, the headphone all stop working. The PC flashes the message "invalid speaker configuration".
My favorite sound card
Actually, I loved the Philips Acoustic Edge, an earlier and internal sound card, but it did not like my older dual-processor system.Because of that I was a bit skittish about using their current internal card with a processor that uses hyper-threading - which Windows treats as dual processors.I bought the Aurelium instead.I love this thing!I am a bit of an audiophile, and this sound card is just perfect.With my Klipsch computer speakers, it makes a perfect combination.

It's ok
Sound and software is good. Windows XP SP2. In linux i don't probe ... Read more

Features

• Zalman USA
• External USB 5.1 Sound Card

Features

• 2 XLR/TRS combo inputs with phantom power and 2 RCA inputs
• 4 balanced +4dBu outputs
• Optical S/PDIF I/O
• Built-in analog limiter
• ERO-latency direct monitoring

Reviews (3)

Good
This is what I bought next to Tascam US - 122. Good, stable, no %$@^% USB :) and works with vista! 6x6 and a s/pdif i/o was exactly what I needed.
Not as bad as all that!
I've been using this product for about a year now and it has some real strengths in terms of audio fidelity and everything being in the one unit.I shared some of the difficulties of the last user initially, using a Dell Inspiron 8600, but was able to resolve them. The FA-66 does seem to be a bit resource fussy - not much extra needs to be going on with the computer before there is skipping.Maxing out the buffer fixes this, but this is devastating in terms of latency.The Windows that ships with Dells is somewhat less customisable than plain-vanilla Windows, and they do have lots of things running in the background.I eventually identified that the anti-virus software was launching a separate app to check for updates (every 10 minutes!) and that this was causing skipping.Audio programs themselves - despite being resource intensive - don't seem to cause the problem.Once I disabled this app everything was good and I could operate at latencies of about 4ms without any problems.
Amazingly Frustrating
I bought an FA-66 with the hope of recording off my laptop, a dell Inspiron 5150. Recording sounded great and would work fine for about 10 minutes, and then it would start to "skip" and the sound would get distorted. I fussed with my system settings for a week and called tech support. They told me to buy a new firewire card and more RAM (I had 512 mb). So I bought a gig of RAM and a new firewire card and the problem was not fixed. I called again and they told me that maybe it just wouldn't work with my computer and that I should buy a new computer, dedicated to recording. That is to say, their tech support is essentially worthless. If you want something reliable (or something that works), do not buy this product. ... Read more

Features

• Optical S/PDIF In/Out for recording & playback of pure digital audio at resolutions of up to 24 Bits at 96KHz sample rate - allowing for pass-through of Dolby Digital & DTS multi-channel DVD sound to external A/V receivers
• Selectable 2, 4, 6, or 8 analog line output channels with 18 Bit resolution at up to 48 KHz sampling rate
• Converts stereo sound sources to multi-channel format - so you can listen to 2-channel MP3 music or movies with an enhanced multi-speaker surround sound environment
• Supports Game Surround Sound APIs such as EAX 2.0 & A3D
• Inputs - Mic, Stereo Line, S/PDIF, Internal connectors for CD & Aux audio sources

Reviews (4)

bang > buck
My old sound card bit the dust and I found myself scrambling for a replacement.After trying different low-to-medium-priced options, and finding none of them suitable for my needs, I did some reading and bought this card.
Great 7.1 Sound Card
Just to respond - while the Catalina is a *different* card than our older Turtle Beach Santa Cruz, it does have some things the Santa Cruz just didn't have.
Not as many features as the Santa Cruz
I bought this card mainly because of the digital input so I could use it with my digital multi-track recorder. I had already purchased and returned the Sound Blaster Audigy because of some static during playback. When I saw that Turtle Beach offered a card w/ digital inputs I thought it would be great. The sound on this card is excellent but the lack of features has caused me to return it and put my old Santa Cruz card back in. The digital-in works and you can monitor it through your speakers. My problem was that I couldn't record it. For some reason Acid Pro software does not recognize that signal. It could be because of the sampling rate being much higher but I don't know. The Audigy would let me at least record it. If you were watching DVDs and sending the audio to a digital receiver I could see where it would be helpful. Also the lack of the versa jack was also a major drawback. I use the versa jack on the Santa Cruz to monitor with my headphones. I still couldn't get the headphones to work along with the other speakers or to get it to where I could easily switch it back and forth from the software. Anyway, Turtle Beach cards sound great. I use it with the Klipsch Pro Media 2 speakers and the sound is incredible. I took all my other components out and just use the sound card and speakers. My advice would be to stick with the Santa Cruz model if you can find one. I am giving it three stars not because of sound quality but because of a lack of features. ... Read more

Features

• PCI interface
• Crystal 4620 chipset
• Full-duplex playback and recording
• Built-in 16-bit CODEC
• Supporting both DirectSound 3D and A3D interfaces

Reviews (1)

Don't Get This!!!!!
The Santa Cruz From Turtle Beach Systems Uses The Same Crystal 4620 chipset But, has many more features and much better sound than this no good sound card. So if you want better audio search for Turtle Beach Systems. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Midiman/M-Audio has long been in the audio mixer business. The Audio Buddy is their latest-generation mixer, and they have maintained their attention to making a quiet and uniquely configured mixer. This box is made for the MIDI and multimedia musician. The unit has a higher than usual voltage rail across its internal op-amps, giving you more dynamic audio output. Features include: two independent XLR, fully balanced inputs, two alternate, independent quarter inch, high impedance inputs, separate gain controls for both preamps, power switch for both mic preamps, heavy-duty metal construction, and quiet S/N specs. Read more

Features

• Audio Buddy features -
• 2 independent XLR, fully balanced inputs
• 2 alternate, independent 1/4 unbalanced, inputs, high impedance to match typical electric guitars
• Separate gain controls plus signal and clipping LEDs for each of two preamplifiers
• Switchable XLR phantom power for both mike preamps

Reviews (1)

Uncolored sound with very little noise.
This is a great preamp for the price. Small, rugged, looks good too. It comes with two channels, each one taking either XLR or 1/4" instrument inputs. The XLR is low impedance, the 1/4" is high impedance. Sound output is uncolored and quiet. Signal is strong and clear.
Read more

Features

• 4-Channel speaker output (Front/Rear)
• Digital output, AU8810A1 audio chipset
• 32-bit PCI bus master interface
• Supports DirectSound 3D and A3d interfaces
• 44.1 kHz - 48 kHz sample rate

Features

• Supports Dolby Digital Live Real-Time Content Encoder: The World First Dolby Digital Live Certificated PCI Audio Board
• Supports the latest DTS-ES, DD-EX sound (6.1/7.1) playback (also including Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 playback) using a Software Decoding Application such as PowerDVD, WinDVD
• Supports 44.1 kHz/ 48kHz / 96kHz S/PDIF Output through both Coaxial RCA and Optical Toslink
• Onboard COAXIAL RCA output connector, OPTICAL Toslink transmitter for high quality Digital Output
• Supports 44.1 kHz/ 48kHz / 96kHz S/PDIF Input with HDA X-10 Digital Input extension board (Optional) [Digital I/O (SPDIF-IN #2)]

Features

• C-Media CMI8768/PCI-8ch+ Chipset / HRTF-based 3D positional audio (C3DX) for 8-CH output
• PCI Rev. 2.2 compliant with bus mastering modes / Microphone echo and Karaoke ascending/descending k
• Plug and Play / Built-in 32-ohm earphone buffer / Full duplex playback and recording / Supports Dire
• Supports Direct Music / Fully compatible with MPU-401 MIDI UART / Supports Dolby Digital EX and DTS
• Supports real-time DVD Digital Live 7.1 output

Features

• S/PDIF optical output sends digital signals to digital destinations
• Headphone jack for direct monitoring of your computer audio & input signals
• Ideal for use with laptops where audio quality is all but ignored
• Offers superior audio quality, versatility & the last word in portability
• Perfect for archiving audio on your computer, or playing it back from the computer through your home stereo

Reviews (5)

No Mac drivers for dolby pass through
This device works just fine, but if you want to use the digital output for dolby or dts passthrough on mac os x, forget it. It works with system drivers that do not allow for surround sound

Overlooked is the great S/PDIF optical output
I have used the UA-1X connected to several different higher end audio systems. The S/PDIF optical (Toslink) interconnect is highly underrated for isolating the relatively dirty computer power from quality audio equipment = no ground loops, no electronic chatter, squaks or feedback through the optical connections. The Roland Edirol passes better than CD quality audio to and from stereos, amplifiers and mixers = no problem found. Statements by others that the audio line input (audio capture) is not the best are true, but for the cost, the optical output alone is worth it. No software or driver hassels at all, any OS, Apple or WinTel or Linux. A great sound card replacement.

The right tool for the right job.
This unit is perfectly geared for people who use professional recording software on Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. This is *not* a sound card, it is a professional digital audio interface, they're two totally different things! But, anybody that knows computer based music already knows that. I've used it with Cakewalk Home Studio and CoolEdit Pro under Windows 2000, Garage Band on Mac OS X, and Studio To Go (a Linux based MIDI/Audio studio package). Not a single bit of trouble with any program under any operating system that I've tried. The only possible downfall I can find is that there are no MIDI in/out ports on the device. Other than that, this thing is still a bargain at twice the price. ... Read more

Features

• Your Delta card will consistently perform (and perform well)
• Virtually any program you use is supported.
• You will experience exceedingly low latency (as low as 1.5ms in some programs).
• Total control over the applications and platforms you want to use.

Reviews (1)

Great Equipment with Quirks
This is a superb "upper end" "sound card" for PC audio enthusiasts. It produces great sound and works well with other applications. It does, however, have a few unloveable quirks about it.
Read more

Editorial Review

The SoundBlaster Audigy 2 Value internal PCI card provides the perfect sonic upgrade for DVD-ROM-equipped PC computers. The card delivers an impressive 106 dB signal-to-noise so it can reproduce truly cinematic 5.1-, 6.1-, and 7.1-channel surround sound from high-resolution DVD-Audio and Dolby Digital EX movies as well as unparalleled realism from the hundreds of existing DirectSound 3D game titles. Audigy 2 Value also facilitates high-quality 24-bit/96 kHz recording and, using patented CMSS 3D audio technology, can up-mix stereo MP3 and audio-CD music into full 7.1-channel surround sound.Read more

Features

• Internal PCI sound card for high-res PC/CD/DVD playback and recording: 24-bit, 192 kHz stereo playback, 24-bit/96 kHz recording
• Full EAX 4.0 ADVANCED HD effects elevate your gaming experience to new heights; offers full support for Windows Media 9
• Supports DVD-Audio, Dolby Digital EX, and up to 7.1-channel surround sound; converts stereo sources to multichannel surround
• Offers analog and digital inputs and outputs
• Includes tons of software, including Creative's MediaSource Player with MP3/WMA ripping and a fresh, clean interface

Reviews (6)

A good solid sound card
I have had this sound card about a year now, and again I love my soundblasters.My previous card was the soundblaster MP3 card from 2000, and unfortunately the programs were out of date and would not update to windows xp, so I broke down and got a different soundcard. I really liked the software with my first soundblaster, so I mainly bought this card because of it. The programs are easy to use, and if fact have become simpler in the newer editions.Sound quality is excellent, and make sure not to be to cheap on speakers, or you really waste the value of the card.I'm sure there are more expensive models and brand for people who do tons of work/recording etc with their computers, but this is the best value for building most family computers, and it is silly to waste more money on a card if you get everything you need here.Durability and reliability is unmatched for this brand, many of my friends have soundblasters over the years, an no complaints.SO I strongly recommend this card for the overall value and performance.The software is worth the small investment.

amazing sound card
This is a much better sound card over the "SB Live! 24-bit". With EAX 4.0 and CMSS 2 along with the standard graphic equalizer and bass boost options your pc audio will sound loud, powerful and accurate. I hook my pc up to my stereo with a belkin cable splitter so this card plus my hi-fi stereo system equals some really good sounding mp3, cd and video games.

Great Sound Card for Normal Homes
I recently upgraded my computer speaker system to 5.1 and needed to upgrade my sound card to be able to handle new system. This card worked like a magic.
Read more

Features

• Sound Blaster Live! is the top audio solution for seamless integration into the computer for novices and advanced users in gaming, professional music recording and playback,
• Internet audio and DVD/Video playback. At the heart of Sound Blaster Live! is the EMU10K1X audio processor chip. Sound Blaster Live! supports surround-sound audio on the computer with built-in support for two, four or six (5.1) speakers.
• With up to 6 channels of SPDIF output, users would now be able to experience 3D audio with multiple speaker systems. With Sound Blaster Live!, you can apply EAXTM effects to existing games and applications for incredibly true sound.
• Sound Blaster Live! is now capable of producing more than 1000 voices. This remarkable capability goes beyond the quality and performance available in most professional music equipment. With additional voices, Sound Blaster Live! delivers richer MIDI playback, simultaneous playback of more instrument notes and multi-layering of instruments to create better quality sound.
• With EAX Audio Technologies, Creative has made it easier for any developer who wants to incorporate high-quality 3D audio environments into their titles.