Creative launches Sound Blaster Extigy, its first external sound card
USB connectivity and stunning sound quality make Sound Blaster Extigy the first choice for those who demand better audio that's simpler to install.
Creative, the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products for the personal computer and the Internet, today announces the Sound Blaster Extigy, the first external Sound Blaster in the company's history. This new addition to Creative's sound card range is designed for notebook or desktop users who cannot open up their PCs or would prefer not to. Connecting quickly and easily via USB, the Sound Blaster Extigy delivers audio with all the quality associated with the Sound Blaster name, using a 'plug in' installation that guarantees a quick, easy audio upgrade.
The Extigy will satisfy the needs of users at every level thanks to its 100dB signal-to-noise ratio, 24bit/96 kHz compatible connectivity, and the wide range of ports on its front and rear panels. This allows the handling of digital music, DVD movies and everyday gaming via analogue or digital 5.1 surround speakers. Connecting to desktop PCs or notebooks via USB, with a remote control as standard, the Extigy is compact and easy to use. It is supplied with straightforward software and drivers that make all its versatility and power exceptionally easy to manage. The Extigy can also operate as a stand-alone home entertainment hub, acting as a Dolby Digital decoder for set-top DVDs and games consoles or a convenient connection point for CD, minidisc or digital audio players.
According to Sim Wong Hoo, founder and CEO of Creative, "The Sound Blaster Extigy introduces a new era in PC audio. We have shipped more than 150 million Sound Blaster audio cards to date; and the exciting new Extigy extends our leadership in PC audio by delivering stunning digital audio clarity in an external audio solution for the first time. We are excited to meet the demands of notebook and PC users who have been demanding a convenient, easy-to-use external Sound Blaster solution with exceptional digital audio fidelity. Notebook users in particular will be delighted by the freedom Extigy gives them to enjoy great multi-channel MP3 and digital music, DVD movies and games."
Extigy users can also look forward to a serious bonus in terms of features. These include EAX ADVANCED HD technologies such as Audio Clean-Up, which removes scratches, pops and hisses when recording from tapes and LP records. Time Scaling, which allows the user to speed up or slow down audio or spoken word content while maintaining accurate pitch - ideal for musicians, students and executives. DREAM (Dynamic Repositioning of Enhanced Audio and Music) which allows the interactive repositioning of stereo content in a surround 5.1 environment by redirecting the path of a specific frequency range; and other effects which enable the user to customise the listening environment to replicate specific acoustic venues. Everyday gamers can also enjoy 5.1 multi-channel positional digital audio combined with EAX 1.0 and 2.0 technology - generally accepted as the standard for gaming and audio - which is incorporated in most mainstream games.
In addition to enhancing the audio experience on desktop and notebook PCs, the Sound Blaster Extigy will function as a stand-alone device. In this mode it can be used as a Dolby Digital decoder for a set-top DVD; to provide 5.1 surround sound from a video gaming console such as the X-BOX or PlayStation 2; or as a convenient connection point for CD, minidisc or digital audio players. It will also enhance audio quality and provide CMSS (Creative Multi-Speaker Surround) functionality, which enables users to up-mix stereo content for a 5.1 surround sound experience.
Also in the box are powerful applications such as Creative PlayCenter 3, the personal digital music centre that enables users to create and organise digital quality music, play-back Dolby Digital files, and burn CDs.
"Use it with a PC, use it with a notebook or use it on its own - however you look at it, the Sound Blaster Extigy delivers better audio to users who don't regard a screwdriver as a natural part of their daily lives," explains Franco De Bonis, European Brand Manager for Audio with Creative Labs Europe. "Its performance is outstanding, and with stand-alone flexibility and on-board Dolby Digital decoding as part of the package, it's a uniquely powerful and versatile hub for home entertainment. It's the start of a new era in audio."
Available from the end of March, the Sound Blaster Extigy will cost £149.99inc VAT.
The Extigy will satisfy the needs of users at every level thanks to its 100dB signal-to-noise ratio, 24bit/96 kHz compatible connectivity, and the wide range of ports on its front and rear panels. This allows the handling of digital music, DVD movies and everyday gaming via analogue or digital 5.1 surround speakers. Connecting to desktop PCs or notebooks via USB, with a remote control as standard, the Extigy is compact and easy to use. It is supplied with straightforward software and drivers that make all its versatility and power exceptionally easy to manage. The Extigy can also operate as a stand-alone home entertainment hub, acting as a Dolby Digital decoder for set-top DVDs and games consoles or a convenient connection point for CD, minidisc or digital audio players.
According to Sim Wong Hoo, founder and CEO of Creative, "The Sound Blaster Extigy introduces a new era in PC audio. We have shipped more than 150 million Sound Blaster audio cards to date; and the exciting new Extigy extends our leadership in PC audio by delivering stunning digital audio clarity in an external audio solution for the first time. We are excited to meet the demands of notebook and PC users who have been demanding a convenient, easy-to-use external Sound Blaster solution with exceptional digital audio fidelity. Notebook users in particular will be delighted by the freedom Extigy gives them to enjoy great multi-channel MP3 and digital music, DVD movies and games."
Extigy users can also look forward to a serious bonus in terms of features. These include EAX ADVANCED HD technologies such as Audio Clean-Up, which removes scratches, pops and hisses when recording from tapes and LP records. Time Scaling, which allows the user to speed up or slow down audio or spoken word content while maintaining accurate pitch - ideal for musicians, students and executives. DREAM (Dynamic Repositioning of Enhanced Audio and Music) which allows the interactive repositioning of stereo content in a surround 5.1 environment by redirecting the path of a specific frequency range; and other effects which enable the user to customise the listening environment to replicate specific acoustic venues. Everyday gamers can also enjoy 5.1 multi-channel positional digital audio combined with EAX 1.0 and 2.0 technology - generally accepted as the standard for gaming and audio - which is incorporated in most mainstream games.
In addition to enhancing the audio experience on desktop and notebook PCs, the Sound Blaster Extigy will function as a stand-alone device. In this mode it can be used as a Dolby Digital decoder for a set-top DVD; to provide 5.1 surround sound from a video gaming console such as the X-BOX or PlayStation 2; or as a convenient connection point for CD, minidisc or digital audio players. It will also enhance audio quality and provide CMSS (Creative Multi-Speaker Surround) functionality, which enables users to up-mix stereo content for a 5.1 surround sound experience.
Also in the box are powerful applications such as Creative PlayCenter 3, the personal digital music centre that enables users to create and organise digital quality music, play-back Dolby Digital files, and burn CDs.
"Use it with a PC, use it with a notebook or use it on its own - however you look at it, the Sound Blaster Extigy delivers better audio to users who don't regard a screwdriver as a natural part of their daily lives," explains Franco De Bonis, European Brand Manager for Audio with Creative Labs Europe. "Its performance is outstanding, and with stand-alone flexibility and on-board Dolby Digital decoding as part of the package, it's a uniquely powerful and versatile hub for home entertainment. It's the start of a new era in audio."
Available from the end of March, the Sound Blaster Extigy will cost £149.99inc VAT.