Conclusion:
I have been using onboard audio since an nVidia nForce 2 motherboard had issues with a Creative sound card some years ago. My biggest audio use has just been for playback of MP3 and games, but when I built my home theater system I thought of getting a dedicated sound card and just couldn't justify it as the sound was adequate. The Auzentech X-Plosion has changed that position, as I can clearly hear the difference between the onboard sound and the X-Plosion.
The AuzenTech HDA X-Plosion 7.1 can provide Creative some competition. For gamers, this card support almost all of the current surround sound API's, such as Direct Sound 3D, EnvironmentFX, ZoomFX, MacroFX A3D 1.0 Sensuara 3D, and EAX 1.0 and 2.0 (provided by Sensuara). While Creative Labs has the market cornered on the EAX 3 functionality, the advantage of DDL, DTS Connect, and the support for game surround sound API's will minimize the importance of EAX 3 support. This is especially important if you use your computer for entertainment purposes other than games. The ability to playback any audio source in Dolby Digital or DTS will be the biggest factor for many.
While the card reproduces sound incredibly well, I still have two minor points that I would find helpful if changed. The first is that I would like to see some inputs for the front of my case. While I personally do not use these inputs, others do, and this could be a big factor for some. The second thing I would like to see is the speaker ports to be color coded to the standard colors that are used on motherboards. While this is a very small issue and it is addressed in the manual, it is helpful to those that do not know the difference between the green and black audio ports.
Geeks.com currently has the AuzenTech X-Plosion 7.1 for $109.99, which is lower than listed anywhere else on PriceGrabber. This is a great price for a sound card that provides these capabilities.
Given the performance and overall high-end features, I award the AuzenTech HDA X-Plosion 7.1 DTS Connect sound card the rating of "Highly Recommended".
Pros:
» Convert any audio source to DD or DTS
» 7.1 channel surround sound stereo
» EAX 1 & 2 by Sensuarual, Direct Sound 3d, EnvironmentFX, ZoomFX, MacroFX, A3D 1.0 supported
» Low CPU utilization
Cons:
» No front I/O connectors
» Lack of EAX 3
Special thanks to Geeks.com for providing the Auzentech HDA X-Plosion 7.1 DTS Connect Sound Card to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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