Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum EX - Sound card - 24-bit - 192 kHz - 6.1 - PCI - Creative Audigy 2

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Product Details

Product Manual [1.89mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 4.5 pounds
• ASIN: B00008J7P3
• Item model number: 2 Platinum EX
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 4, 2006

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

A new level of audio excellence at your fingertips! Sound Blaster Audigy2 Platinum eX is a dream come true with a studio quality Audigy 2 External I/O Module and the ability to record DVD-Audio-quality music at 24-bit/96 kHz in 5.1 channels with support for ASIO 2.0.

You will also be amazed by the improvement in sonic quality brought about by Sound Blaster 24-bit ADVANCED HD technology, enabling the flawless delivery of Advanced Resolution DVD-Audio up to an amazing 24-bit/192 kHz resolution in stereo. An incredible 106dB SNR rating also means that you will experience stunning audio clarity in music, movies and games that is not possible on 16-bit sound cards. Furthermore, you can even hook up to a 6.1 speaker system and enjoy immersive 6.1 surround sound with the latest Dolby Digital EX movies and DirectSound 3-D games.

Serious about audio? Get Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX now! You know you want one!

• Audigy2 External I/O Module - Studio quality connectivity with three analog stereo connections for six channel input, optical and coaxial digital I/O, MIDI I/O, and two SB1394/Firewire ports
• DVD-Audio - The only PC solution to enable the Advanced Resolution era of 24-bit music fidelity with 192 kHz in stereo and 96 kHz in 5.1
• 106dB SNR - The best Sound Blaster clarity ever, rivaling home theater audio quality for music, games and movies
• 6.1 Surround Sound - Experience superior multi-channel audio from MP3s, CDs, 3-D games and Dolby Digital EX movies with a rear center speaker
• 6 Channel 24-bit/96kHz Recording with ASIO 2.0 - Create multi-channel DVD-Audio-quality music with low latency support and included music creation tools like Cubasis VST Suite, FruityLoops Pro CE, and ACID Style DJ
• Audigy 2 Chip & EAX ADVANCED HD - Unparalleled audio realism from the hottest gaming titles and pure 24-bit/96kHz recording to capture subtle details in your audio creation

Features and Benefits

Comprehensive External Connectivity and Studio Quality Recording

• Work like a true music creation professional with the Audigy 2 External I/O Module. Easily access analog and digital connections with a wide range of recording components like guitars, MIDI keyboards, MiniDisc, DAT, or external AV amps and decoders.
• Support for low latency, 5.1 multi-channel ASIO 2.0 recording at 24-bit/96 kHz
• Equipped with 2 fully integrated SB1394/FireWire ports for high speed audio/video transfer to external devices like audio Jukeboxes, DV camcorders, external hard disks/CD-RWs and more.

Highest Resolution Sound Blaster for Playback and Recording

• With premium quality 24-bit/192kHz DACs and precise audio paths from the Audigy 2 processor, Sound Blaster Audigy2 produces an unparalleled 106dB SNR surpassing most high-end stereo equipment.
• 106 dB SNR - 8x the Quality of Typical 16-bit PC Audio

Sound That's Faithful to The Original
At 24-bit/192kHz, all the subtle elements and the ambience of the original audio recording are accurately captured and reproduced on your PC.

• Full Windows Media Audio 9 Support: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX is the perfect platform for Windows Media Audio 9 content, including full 24-bit/96kHz audio resolution in discrete 5.1 channel surround sound.
• The Only THX Certified Sound Card: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX has received the prestigious THX Multimedia Certification making it the perfect choice for PC audiophiles seeking the very best music and movie experiences.

Unchallenged Powerhouse For Gaming Audio

• Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX can process multiple simultaneous EAX ADVANCED HD effects in hardware. This enables the gripping realism of technologies such as Environment Morphing, Environment Reflections, Environment Panning and more to create a gameplay environment which is unbelievably true-to-life.
• It also supports fast hardware mixing of up to 64 simultaneous 3-D voices, which ensures smooth delivery of audio details without affecting frame-rate.

Advanced Resolution Music

• DVD-Audio Support: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX delivers an exceptional experience with Advanced Resolution DVD-Audio! Delivering playback at up to 24-bit/192 kHz in stereo or 24-bit/96kHz in 5.1 you will experience the most powerful audio clarity, separation and depth in both resolutions.
• "Lossy" compression formats like MP3 and Dolby Digital 5.1 deliver reduced audio fidelity. The "Lossless" (MLP) compression format provides up to 5 times more detail for DVD-Audio. This is fully supported by Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX which ensures that the content is identical to the recording, so that none of the original detail is lost.
• DVD-Audio boasts a dynamic range of 144 dB as opposed to other formats limited to 96dB. This delivers the entire frequency range of the most demanding music, such as a live symphony orchestra, for a true-to-life audio experience.

Rear Center Channel For Precise Surround Sound

• Superior 6.1 Support in Existing DirectSound 3D Games: Multi-channel sound is perfect for gaming and now with a rear center channel, you can better hear fly-bys, fly-arounds, and rear ambient sounds in addition to thunderous special effects that will completely immerse you in your game! Never have an opponent sneak up on you again. 6.1 support along with 24-bit ADVANCED HD gives you the edge!
• Get the True Cinematic Experience in DVD Movies Supporting Dolby Digital EX: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX has a built-in Dolby Digital EX decoder for the most dramatic movie audio. With full support for 7 audio channels, you can enjoy the excitement and power of a movie theater experience on your PC. The rear center channel reproduces important audio cues between the rear left and rear right channels, creating an intensified realism in movies especially during fly-overs and fly-bys. Experience Encompassing 6.1 Audio Quality in Stereo Music
• Experience Encompassing 6.1 Audio Quality in Stereo Music Enjoy a home theater-like ambience with your stereo music files like CDs or MP3s, by playing them back in virtual 6.1 surround with Creative's proprietary CMSS 3-D technology.

Next Generation Digital Music Player

• Manage, create, burn, play, record, search and enhance digital music easily with this new generation digital music player.
• Organize and manage your music and MP3 library with features such as the quick music "Search" engine, automatic music library import and MP3 tag editing.
• Provides single click access to EAX ADVANCED HD MP3 enhancement features such as SVM to automatically match volume across tracks in a playlist, CMSS 3-D for a virtual up-mix of stereo content up to 6.1 or "virtual 3-D" experience over headphones or 2 speakers, Audio Clean-up for hiss removal, and Time Scaling for playback speed control.

Product Description

A new level of audio excellence at your fingertips! Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX is a dream come true with a studio quality Audigy 2 External I/O Module and the ability to record DVD-Audio-quality music at 24-bit/96kHz in 5.1 channels with support for ASIO 2.0.You will also be amazed by the improvement in sonic quality brought about by Sound Blaster 24-bit ADVANCED HD technology, enabling the flawless delivery of Advanced Resolution DVD-Audio up to an amazing 24-bit/192kHz resolution in stereo. An incredible 106dB SNR rating also means that you will experience stunning audio clarity in music, movies and games that is not possible on 16-bit sound cards. Furthermore, you can even hook up to a 6.1 speaker system and enjoy immersive 6.1 surround sound with the latest Dolby Digital EX movies and DirectSound 3D games.Serious about audio? Get Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX now! You know you want one!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, but hardly perfect, May 29, 2003

By A Customer

I bought this sound card to replace my Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 Platinum. I was looking for an external box, plus audio support for the newest games. I had thought the sound quality from my old card was good enough, so I was certainly unprepared for how much better this card sounds. With my speakers, there is almost no audible hiss anymore, and sounds are crisper and cleaner. Whatever shortcomings I encounter in my sound quality now, I am certain have more to do with my speakers than my sound card.

The external control box is quite handy, and very easy to set up. Plus, it looks much nicer than any of Creative Lab's previous breakout boxes. Almost all of the card's inputs and outputs are located on the box. Only analog outs and a game port actually go in the computer, plus connectors to the external box.

Creative Labs has done a good job of cleaing up their act with drivers, but they've still got a long way to go. The new drivers and software are definitely better designed and more stable than the previous ones for my Live!, but if you install any of the additional software, then they're just as intrusive, and require a good bit of tweaking and perhaps uninstalling. Fortunately, there's now a minimal drivers only installation option.

I've had this sound card for more than a month now. I play a lot of games, listen to a good bit of music, and watch DVDs fairly often. I regularly use the ports on the breakout box, so the extra money was well worth it. However, if you have no need for easy access to any of the inputs or outputs, the much cheaper standard Audigy 2 might be a better choice.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Audigy 2 Plat eX - Home Recording Choice No. 1, June 16, 2003

By A Customer

I have been into home recording for a decade now and started out with the earlier versions of Creative's flagships (AWE32/64/Gold/Live 5.1).

In my opinion, the Audigy 2 Plat eX is by far the best sounding, all encompassing home recording solution for amateurs and semi-professionals on the market right now.

Here is what you will NOT get from the competition for the price:
1. Sampler on card (Soundfonts) to create great sounding drums or other instruments (check out sonicimplants.com), download Vienna from Creative (not included)
2. Break out box to hook up external digital sound modules, guitar processors and vocalizers and even video cameras (it does not seem to heat up too much)
3. Stable drivers so far (after clean XP installation at least - check Creative forums for bugs first!), I am looking forward to the day the drivers support more simultaneous audio tracks and make extensive use of routabel onboard effects
4. Great sound - crisp, clear, loud, easy MP3 and CD creation of your compositions

I strongly recommend this for people who have researched the product and are into home recording at an affordable price.

Superb job, Creative!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW, September 23, 2004

By	PeoplePhobic (Jasper, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This thing sounds awesome. Up-mixed mp3s are great. It records well and the software it came with is good for single instrument recording. It has so many inputs and outputs you won't want to live without once you've had them on your comp.

If i were to change it at all it would be to only make the cords to the external box a lot longer and to mount the optical digital input/outputs in the rear.