Sound Blaster, eh? That name sort of rings a bell.

Subject: General Tech | April 23, 2013 - 06:02 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: audio, Creative, Sound Blaster ZxR

Ah the good old days of soundcards and assigning specific IRQs to specific PCI slots; don't you miss them?  Onboard chipsets have come a long way from their roots, with full Dolby 5.1 sound and a minimal impact on CPU load available on almost every motherboard but there is still a market for soundcards, albeit a much reduced market.  Creative have not been releasing a lot of new Sound Blaster models recently, at least until very recently.  The Creative Sound Blaster ZxR is more than just a single card, you have a PCIe card as well as an optional daughterboard to provide optical out and a line in as well as a Audio Control Module which contains an array mic, volume control and both 3.5mm to 1/4″ inputs for a headset with microphone.  Is it $250 better than onboard audio?  Custom PC Review has the answers here.

"That being said, today we’ll be reviewing the Creative Sound Blaster ZxR, which is the flagship soundcard in the Sound Blaster Z series of soundcards. Now a couple months ago, we reviewed the Sound Blaster Z, which is a fantastic soundcard that offered a good balance between sound quality and price, but it’s merely the entry level soundcard in the Sound Blaster Z..."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Audio Corner

• RHA MA450i Earphones Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• AZiO Levetron GH808 USB Gaming Headset @ Benchmark Reviews
• TteSports Shock & Shock One PC Gaming Headset @ eTeknix
• Steelseries Siberia V2 PC Headset Frost Blue Special Edition @ eTeknix
• AIAIAI TMA-1 Studio Headphones With Mic Review @ NikKTech
• Oblanc NC2-3 U.F.O Bluetooth Stereo Headphones Review @ NikKTech
• Plantronics Voyager Legend UC Bluetooth Headset Review @ NikKTech
• RHA SA950i On-ear Headphones @ techPowerUp
• Corsair Obsidian 900D review: taking it to the next level @ Hardware.info
• AZiO Levetron GH808 USB Gaming Headset @ Tweaktown
• How To Set Your Bluetooth Headset As The Default Audio Device @ TechARP
• HMDX Jam Portable Bluetooth Speaker @ Funky Kit

Hot pink audio from Thermaltake, the Chao Dracco

Subject: General Tech | April 9, 2013 - 03:09 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: audio, esports, Chao Dracco, thermaltake

With the obnoxious variety of headphones available companies seem to be struggling to stand out in the crowd.  Audio quality comes a close second to the aesthetics of the headphones, with bright colours and logos dominating the audio section of any retail store.  Thermaltake's eSPORTS Chao Dracco is no exception, though they are very uniquely pink.  That doesn't mean that they neglected the sound as they have used 50mm drivers with a respectable 10Hz to 22K Hz range.  Read Bjorn3D's impression of how that translates into your ear in their full review.

"Tt eSPORTS Chao is about culture, and technology advances this culture to create massive individuality. It’s about fashion. Whether it’s hippies, punk, gothic, or hip-hop, you are Chao.  - Tt eSPORTS. This is a great aggressive catch line from a relativity new company. Let’s find out if they hold up to it."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Audio Corner

• Ozone Rage ST Gaming Headset @ techPowerUp
• SteelSeries Siberia V2 Cross-Platform Headset Review @ Hardware Secrets
• Steelseries Flux In Ear Headset @ LanOC Reviews
• Antec Mobile Products iso Headphones & gain Headphone Amp Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II Review @ TechReviewSource
• Eagle Tech Arion Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review @ NikKTech
• Scythe Kama Bay Amp Pro (SDAR-3000) & Kro Craft Speakers Rev. B Review @ Madshrimps
• Ineo Alienvibes W601 Speaker Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• A.M.P. SP1 review: newcomer in Bluetooth speaker dock @ Hardware.info
• Finis SwiMP3 X18 2GB @ XSReviews

Corsair Adds Dolby Support to Vengeance 2000 Gaming Headset with Free Software Driver

Subject: General Tech | March 27, 2013 - 12:47 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: vengeance 2000, corsair, gaming headset, dolby, audio

Corsair is offering a way to add even more to their Vengeance 2000 wireless gaming headset.  They have a brushed aluminum headband, 50mm drivers and microfiber earcups, plus have the benefit of being completely wireless but now they can also support two new Dolby features thanks to a driver update.  Get more from your headset for free from Corsair, or pick up a pair for $100 if you are in the market for new headphones.

Fremont, California — March 27, 2013 — Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the release of a free software driver update which adds Dolby Headphone 2.0 and Dolby Pro Logic IIx to the Vengeance 2000 wireless gaming headset. The addition of Dolby Headphone to the Vengeance 2000 improves both surround sound quality and game compatibility. The software driver is immediately available for download www.corsair.com.

Vengeance 2000 Wireless 7.1 Gaming Headset: Untethered gaming with amazing audio fidelity
The Vengeance 2000 7.1 Wireless gaming headset uses rock-solid 2.4GHz wireless that frees and untangles gamers with battery life up to ten hours and a range up to 40 feet. Whether it’s a 5.1 or 7.1 audio source, the headset’s optimized HRTF positional audio technology gives gamers an edge with precise information about the location of opponents. The Vengeance 2000 also features custom-engineered 50mm drivers and careful acoustic tuning for audiophile-grade sound with superior clarity and tight bass response. For immersive audio and hours-long comfort the Vengeance 2000 employs circumaural, micro-fiber memory foam earpads and a padded headband. The high-sensitivity, noise-cancelling microphone increases effective team play. The headset comes with a Micro-USB charge cable that can also provide power if the battery runs low.

Dolby Headphone 2.0 and Dolby Pro Logic IIx
Dolby Headphone is a revolutionary signal processing technology that delivers up to 7.1-channel surround sound over headphones for richer, more spacious headphone audio. Dolby Pro Logic IIx processes native stereo- and 5.1-channel material to produce 6.1 or 7.1 output channels.

The new Vengeance 2000 software driver is available for download on the Vengeance 2000 product page on Corsair.com.

AZiO's gaming headset has an optional head-kicker mode

Subject: General Tech | March 21, 2013 - 03:53 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: audio, gaming headset, AZiO, Levetron GH808

Gaming headsets are about more than just decent 40mm drivers which provide decent sound.  We have seen virtual and physical 5.1 headphones, a wide variety of earcup and headband materials and occasionally vibration features so that when the artillery starts falling you can feel as well as hear it.  AZiO's new Levetron GH808 sports that latter feature with a 30mm vibration driver which will indeed rattle your brains.  HiTech Legion liked the volume control wheel integral to the headset but they would have liked one to control the vibration as well instead of it being all or nothing.  At an MSRP of $55 they are not a major investment if you are curious about how this headset would feel.

"AZiO’s Levetron GH808 is a USB headset designed for gaming. The Levetron GH808 headset is plug-and-play, only requiring USB port on a Windows or Mac OS X system to use. Optional software can be downloaded from AZiO’s website, providing control of the GH808’s features from the desktop. Equipped with 40mm neodymium drivers and an additional 30mm “vibration” driver, the AZiO Levetron GH808 brings pulse-pounding excitement straight to gamers’ ears. Should you need to chat with your online buddies while playing, a unidirectional microphone can be pulled out from the left ear cup. The AZiO GH808 also includes a volume control knob as well as a toggle switch for enabling or disabling the bass enhancement feature."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Audio Corner

• MadCatz Cyborg F.R.E.Q.7 Headset @ eTeknix
• Steelseries Flux In Ear Pro Headset @ LanOC Reviews
• MadCatz F.R.E.Q.5 Red PC Headset @ eTeknix
• AIAIAI TMA-1 DJ Headphones With Mic Review @ NikKTech
• Edifier MP15 Audio Candy Plus review: affordable quality @ Hardware.info
• Arion ET-AR602R-BK Floor Standing Speakers Review @ TechwareLabs
• Philips docking speaker DS3205 review: Lightning dock @ Hardware.info
• Oregon Scientific Boombero Wireless Speaker Review @ NikKTech
• Ineo Alienvibes W402 Speaker Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• Edifier Spinnaker e30 Speakers @ Kitguru
• Orbitsound M9 soundbar @ The Inquirer

Serious sattelites and sub from AlienVibes; featuring Full Wood!

Subject: General Tech | March 11, 2013 - 07:15 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: audio, AlienVibes W401, portable speakers, subwoofer

If you are shopping for 2.1 desktop speakers that offer better sound than the cheap plastic ones for sale everywhere you might want to check out LANOC's latest review.  They took a look at the AlienVibes W401 speaker set, with a pair of satellite speakers each with a pair of 3" speakers and a 1" tweeter as well along with a serious looking sub-woofer that has a pair of 4" speakers and volume, bass and treble dials front and centre on the box.  They claim full wood construction and from the quality of sound LANOC described AlienVibes constructed the housings properly.  Want more good news?  They should retail for less than $90 which makes them less expensive than many audio headsets which simply cannot deliver the quality of bass a good sub can.

"Being a headphone guy myself, when Wes told me I was being shipped some speakers, my first instinct was either a portable speaker set for laptops or mobile listening, or maybe a small set of speakers for a desktop setup. To my surprise AlienVibes sent out one of their W401 model speakers. This is part of a new larger line of speakers that AlienVibes recently released. The W401 is a full size desk speaker setup with subwoofer. After clearing off some room around my desk it’s time we take a look and see what these guys are capable of."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Audio Corner

• Wavemaster Mobi Mobile Speaker @ Hardware.info
• M-Audio BX5 D2 70-Watt Bi-Amplified Studio Monitors Review @ ModSynergy
• Apple iPod Nano review: generation lost @ Hardware.info
• Sonos Playbar @ Hardware.info
• ASUS Vulcan Pro Gaming Headset Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• Jabra REVO Wireless Headset Review @ NikKTech
• RHA MA350 In-ears @ techPowerUp
• Mad Catz F.R.E.Q.7 Surround Sound Gaming Headset Review @ NikKTech
• AZiO Levatron GH808 USB Gaming Headset Review @ OCC
• Thermaltake eSPORTS SHOCK One Gaming Headset @ Bjorn3D

Audyssey tries to bring quality sound to desktop speakers

Subject: General Tech | March 4, 2013 - 05:26 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: audio, Audyssey, Lower East Side, speakers

Audyssey updated the look of desktop speakers with their new Lower East Side satellites, not only the look is more modern they have also included optical input as well as a 3.5mm mini jack input.  They do lack the versatility of larger speakers, having only a volume control, leaving balance and equalization to the computer they are hooked up to.  Nikktech felt that the audio quality was superior to many other desktop speakers, perhaps not a big challenge but commendable none the less.  They peg the street price at about $200, so you might want to consider a high end headset instead if you don't need to share your audio, on the other hand for business usage in presentations these speakers could well be perfect.

"I remember a time when we all went out occasionally to see all the latest complete stereo systems launched from all the leading manufacturers like SONY, Philips, Pioneer, Panasonic, AIWA, Technics and Yamaha only to find out in the end that we couldn't really afford to get the highest end models featuring 10 CD disc changers (or more), mini discs and plenty of bells and whistles which of course were not available on the cheapest models. Times have changed however and so nowadays most people prefer to use their computer systems, media stations and smartphones to listen to their favorite music while at the comfort of their home and so the only real issue is finding a quality speaker set capable of fulfilling that task with ease. Well the latest Wireless Speakers by our friends over at Audyssey just might be the right ones for the job."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Audio Corner

• Ineo Alienvibes W401 Speaker Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• Steelseries Flux Luxury Headset @ XSReviews
• Auvio Bluetooth Portable Speaker Review @ TechwareLabs
• Wavemaster MX3+ 2.1 Speaker System @ eTeknix
• Cooler Master Storm Sirus Headset Review @ XtremeComputing
• Asus ROG Vulcan ANC Pro @ eTeknix
• Cooler Master CM Storm Ceres-400 Gaming Headset Review @ Neoseeker
• Jaybird BlueBuds X Bluetooth Headphones Review @ Custom PC Review

JDSLabs O2+ODAC for the discerning audiophile

Subject: General Tech | February 20, 2013 - 05:50 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: audio, JDSLabs, O2, ODAC, amp

If swappable op-amps, an Objective DAC for proper analog sound and a frequency range of 10hz - 19Khz not only makes sense to you but gets you a bit hot and bothered, JDSLabs has an interesting product for you.  Built around the open source Objective2 amplifier this pre-amp and DAC is designed to attempt to produce professional quality sound without the price tag attached to that level of gear.  The suggested price is $285 which might seem high for a headphone amp but is actually much less expensive than professional level kit.  TechPowerUp were very impressed with the quality of the sound and the tweaks possible to make to the DAC but thought that perhaps a bit more thought could have been put into the aesthetics of the device.

"JDSLabs's O2+ODAC combination combines two designs by NwAvGuy with excellent build quality and a sturdy enclosure. The O2+ODAC sells at just $285 which, performance considered, is a bargain. We test whether this amplifier and DAC combination is really the giant slayer it is made out to be!"

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Audio Corner

• Eagletech Arion Foldable Bluetooth 3.0 Headset Model:ARHP200BF @ TechwareLabs
• ASUS Orion Pro Headset Review @ Neoseeker
• House of Marley Redemption Song On-ear Headphones Review @ TechwareLabs
• Razer Star Wars: The Old Republic Gaming Headset Review @ Madshrimps
• AZiO Levetron GH808 Gaming Headset Review @ Custom PC Review
• Asus Orion Pro @ LanOC Reviews
• Mad Catz F.R.E.Q.5 Red Stereo Gaming Headset Review @ NikKTech
• HiFiMAN RE-400 In-ears @ techPowerUp
• Ineo Alienvibes S101 2.0 Desktop Speakers Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• Wavemaster Moody 2.1 Speaker System @ eTeknix

Corsair Acquires Simple Audio: Aggressive Expansion into New Markets

Subject: General Tech | February 11, 2013 - 03:57 PM | Josh Walrath
Tagged: streaming, Simple Audio, Roomplayer, networking, corsair, audio

Corsair sure does like to expand upon their product base.  The company was founded in 1994 and produced only memory for quite a few years.  The past five years have seen tremendous growth from the company in terms of SSDs, cases, power supplies, and high end cooling solutions.  Corsair also dabbled in sound with a line of successful speakers (though these have not been updated in some time).  Corsair is again making another move, but this time with an aime to deliver content around the entire house.

The front of the Roomplayer II is rather bland, but it should hide itself well in nearly any decor.

Simple Audio is a Scottish based company (if it isn't Scottish it's crap!) that designs and sells multimedia streaming solutions.  The hardware is the Roomplayer 1 and Roomplayer II units which are high definition media players that are either amplified (forconnecting directly to speakers) or non-amplified to connect to current stereo and home theater systems.  Audio is broadcast to these units from iOS enabled devices or PC and Mac computers via software provided by Simple Audio.

Corsair has acquired Simple Audio in a multi-million dollar transaction, but we do not have exact numbers due to Corsair being a privately owned company.  From my understanding these products will still carry the Simple Audio name, but Corsair will be the parent company and will distribute the products throughout Asia and North America (two areas that Simple Audio currently does not support).

The back of the Roomplayer I is much more interesting as it has a 50 watt amplifier built-in so it can power speakers independently.

The Roomplayer solutions are apparently quite easy to hook up and their output is very clean (supports up to 24 bit sound natively).  As the average consumer is becoming more and more comfortable with setting up a home network, this is an opportunity for both Corsair and Simple Audio to market these products in new regions where overall market penetration of networked home audio is still quite low.

Corsair is a very, very aggressive company when it comes to entering new markets.  Their power supplies and cases are perfect examples of how they tend to do business.  Corsair actually produces neither of those product lines, but instead relies on contract manufacturing to handle production.  What Corsair certainly appears to do well is specify these components very well and handle end product quality control.  There really are few overall complaints about Corsair and their products, and as a consumer I do hope that they have another good one on their hands.

The sales numbers will of course be key, and obviously Corsair feels comfortable enough with Simple Audio and their products to buy them up.  We are not certain when we expect to see the Simple Audio products on store shelves, but Corsair typically does not screw around.

Now we only have to wonder, "Who is next on Corsair's radar?"