SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum: Solid performer for games, decent for studio recording

Author's Rating:

Pros: Excellent gaming and DVD sound quality

Cons: 24bit process does not work with some third party applications.

The Bottom Line: 
The bottom line recommends reading the entire article :-)

Author's Review
This was the last replacement for my computer from the massive power surge that destroyed my motherboard and several other components. I had planned on writing reviews on these items in the order that I received them, but I still can not find my Thermaltake Pure 680W power supply or my Crucial 1GB DDR2 memory module in the Eps data base. So, I will skip to the last one and write up the other two items when Eps gets with the program and updates their data base with the new technology.


Creative Labs SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum

The Audigy 2 series of sound cards claim 24bit high definition audio recording and playback capabilities. The card is capable of playback and recording in 24-bit audio.
Recording at 16bit/44kHz is equal to CD quality and produces excellent sound quality recordings. I mostly use the card for studio recording but I do play games a lot too and the card performs very well with surround effects. The front panel interface is aesthetically pleasing and makes everything easier when plugging in devices and cables.


Features

* 24bit data channel
* Maximum sample rate 192kHz (stereo) 96kHz (5.1 - 7.1 surround)
* THX Certified
* 108dB SNR (8 channels)
* Wavetable sound synthesis
* EAX 4.0 (online update required)
* Creative CMSS 3D Audio Technology (allows all stereo recordings including MP3/WMA, CDs, VCD and movies to be played back in 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 surround)
* Virtual surround with headphones and stereo widening with stereo desktop speakers
* Hardware DTS-ES and Dolby Digital EX decoding
* Integrated High Speed 1394 FireWire Port (front panel and rear access)
* Creative Media Source v2.0
* Infrared remote control (Windows application support)
* Midi in/out ports
* Optical in/out
* SPDIF in/out
* RCA Line in
* Dual Microphone inputs (front panel and rear)
* Dual line inputs (front panel and rear)
* Front panel ¼” headphone jack


Installation

In order to install the card and the front access panel, you must have 1-PCI slot available and 1- 5 ¾” drive bay available. The card simply slips into the PCI slot on the motherboard and the front panel is installed like a CD drive into the drive bay.

There are two cables that go from the front panel to the card. The first is the control cable. It looks like an IDE cable and connects all the access ports and volume control for line in and headphones. The second is a smaller round cable with rectangular plugs on both ends that connects the 1394 Fire Wire port to the card.

The front panel also needs one floppy drive power connector from the power supply in order to function. Without the power cable, none of the front access features will work.

Total installation time is about 10 minutes on most computers. It took me about 20 because I had to route the cables through the mass of other cables through the system without having some dangle into the processor fan. (Plastic ties are so useful)


Sound Quality

The sound quality of music and games is great. Music is crisp and clear with ample bass response. Games are excellent with full 3D surround effects delivered by the EAX 4.0 hardware/software combination. You must keep in mind that the sound quality is going to be only as good as the speaker system you are using. If you have crappy little 10W desktop speakers, do not expect this card to sound much better than a cheap $20 sound card. To get the full sound performance out of this card you need a good set of fully powered 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 surround speakers with a separate bass cabinet that can handle 108dB.

The Klipsch Promedia Ultra 5.1 would be an excellent speaker system for this card. You can get them for about $350.00. I found them advertised on Pricewatch.com for $329.00 at GameVE.com but the prices change constantly. Also take into account any shipping charges for items you find on Pricewatch. Grant it that this speaker system is almost double the cost of the card itself, but you will find that any good surround system for a computer is going to cost more than this sound card.

You can get all the information on this speaker system at the following URL.

http://www.klipsch.com/product/product.aspx?cid=712


Personal experience

The Audigy 2 ZS Platinum is an excellent card for games and DVD movies in full surround sound. It is a good card for studio quality recording. Using CakeWalk Sonar 5 Studio Edition, I can even record in 32-bit audio. I use it mainly for recording and am happy with the results I get with it. It does extremely well at 16bit/44kHz and as I stated earlier, that is exactly the rate that CD’s are played. As long as I can record CD digital quality or better, I am satisfied.

For games (which I also am into), the card is outstanding. “Doom3” sound effects are amazing and with the EAX 4.0 advanced high definition, realistic. “CounterStrike: Source” is a game that I play almost every day, and I have become attuned to listening for footsteps and rustling of movement since that is a dead giveaway of someone lurking in a hidden area. With the 5.1 surround system, I can hear where they are and make appropriate plans to execute. There is no doubt in my mind that EAX has improved my game by making sounds directional and realistic.

DVD movies in DTS audio are simply a wonderful experience. It is just as entertaining to watch a DVD on my PC now as it is to watch it on my TV with my 5.1 living room system.


Remote Control

The SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum comes with a remote control and software for playing media by the push of a button. The remote works fully with the Media Source 2.0 software and allows you to play media from the library or files from your PC. You can add media to your library from your PC, network or the internet and play them by remote control.

Windows application support
This is a feature that I really like. I can start playing a playlist of my favorite music and then open Internet Explorer, Netscape broswer, Mozilla or any other browser installed and browse the web while listening to music all from the remote. You can add programs to the list of supported applications and any parameters necessary from the options menu in the remote control software.

Right now I have it set up to work with Internet Explorer, PowerDVD 5.0 and Mozilla. It’s nice to play DVDs with the remote and you can use it just like the remote for your stand alone DVD player.

With Internet Explorer and other browsers, you can use the arrow buttons on the remote to navigate the web page and the “enter” button to effectively “click” on a link. It’s a lot slower than using a mouse but you can do it from across the room. I really like this feature a lot.


Conclusion
It is a great sound card for the price range it is in and excellent for gaming and even recording. If you are considering a new sound card, I highly recommend this one for the money.

Thanks for reading,
Gr8ful :-)