The Audigy DE, which stands for Digital Entertainment, is the cheapest card in the new Audigy range as it lacks the external connector boxes of the Platinum or the Platinum eX models.

However, the heart of the system --the Audigy PCI card-- is the same in all three models.

With the series, Creative increased the maximum audio sampling rate and signal-to-noise ratio. But what sets the Audigy series apart is the inclusion of an IEEE 1394 (FireWire, or in Creative's parlance, the SB 1394 ) port.

Even if you don' have any FireWire devices such as an external hard disk or camcorder, you can still use the SB 1394 port as a blazing fast 400 Mbps networking interface, using the bundled Firenet software. Typical of Creative software is that toolbars and icons pop up all over your screen, but they are easily banished with a few preference tweaks.

Music playback

Creative is banking on performance-hungry users to want this product. Upping the digital-to-analog conversion rate from 16 bits (in the Live! series) to 24 bits, and moving the signal-to-noise ratio from 96db to 100db are impressive accomplishments on such a small device.

Coupled with the scrubbing of the signal is the overall boost in hardware acceleration for audio processing. The new Audigy chip advances on the EMU 10K1 chip of the Live! series by being able to add more effects to audio streams used in digital entertainment and gaming.

Testing with rock and pop music playback produced no audible difference between the Audigy and the older Live! cards; but then you don't buy the Audigy just for music playback alone. However, it does come several effects modes that use the processor to spice up plain old two-channel stereo, if you like hall or disco reverb effects.

But simple music playback, through Creative's new Inspire 5.1 5300 analog sat-sub speaker system, sounded excellent, with crisp, non-fatiguing trebles and very rhythmic, satisfying bass.

Musicians will also like to myriad of digital-input and -output, MIDI and ASIO-compatible features as well, but they will be better off with the higher-end Audigy models which offer easy-to-reach external boxes for connectors and cables.

DVD performance and games

Using The Matrix as a test disc, we tested the ability of the card to cleanly decode and steer the 5.1 Dolby Digital signal to the correct speakers. We weren't disappointed: In the scene in which Neo first meets Trinity in the techno club, their dialogue was clearly audible at low to medium volume settings despite the thumping ambient music.

Using a demo copy of RealMyst, one of a number of games with EAX sound support, brought about the same great atmospherics as DVD playback. In 5.1 speaker mode, rain-lashed scenes sent shivers down your spine; thunder jolted you.

Creative has also announced an upgrade to the EAX gaming sound mode, called EAX Advanced HD, that takes advantage of the more powerful hardware acceleration of the Audigy chip. For now, there are no games that make use of the new mode, but Creative promises that a few titles will be available soon.

The Audigy line is now the premier series in the Creative audio stable, moving the Live! series to the mid-range. The price adjustments to the Live! line, of course, makes the older series more affordable for those who want need basic 5.1 Dolby and EAX decoding.

*But at a street price of around AU$499, the SB Audigy DE card you want to think carefully before jumping in with the sunrise consumers. You get more powerful sound processing, 5.1 Dolby decoding and EAX, and FireWire --an option which costs around AU$50 by itself. However, compared to Creative's US customers, Australian consumers may find it hard to see the value - they will be punished by exchange rates, paying a premium and then more over and above that.

*Editors Note: The price for the Sound Blaster Audigy DE listed in this review was supplied to ZDNet incorrectly, and reflects the recommended retail price for the platinum edition of the Audigy product series. We apologise for this error and readers should disregard any analysis or comment regarding the value of the Audigy DE that is based on it.

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy DE
Company: Creative Technology
Price: AU$299
Distributor: Creative Australia
Phone: 

Support:  General MIDI, MPC3, Plug-and-Play, EAX, Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding, four speakers, Creative Environments, Creative MultiSpeaker Surround, Microsoft DirectSound, Microsoft DirectSound 3D & Derivatives, EAX Advanced HD, ASIO.
External connectors: SB 1394 (FireWire), joystick in, digital/SPDIF out, headphone, MIDI in/out, line in, mic in, analog out (stereo front), rear channel out. Internal connectors: TAD, CD in, Aux in, CD-SPDIF in OSes supported: Windows 98, ME, 2000, DOS, NT

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