Diamond Multimedia XtremeSound 7.1
- Output Mode: 7.1 Channel Surround
- Bit Depth: 24-bit
- Compatible Audio Standards: Dolby Digital EX A3D EAX
- Form Factor: Plug-In Card
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The Big Diamond
Pros
Value, smooth performance, nice volume controls, SPDIF in works (for me)
Cons
clicky volume control, a minor nit.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
If your motherboard sound isn't up to it (and many aren't), this will do the job economically.
I've had a small Sony DAT recorder for some time. It records in CD quality on a tiny VCR-style tape just half the size of an audiocassette.
As well as a line out/headphone socket, the TCD-D7 as a 7-pin SPDIF socket for digital playback/recording - perfect in theory for transferring the digital recording to my PC. Unfortunately I could never get it to communicate with my Terratec DMX 6fire. Apparently the tape unit did not implement the SPDIF interface properly, and the 6fire could not sync with it.
I bought this card partly because it has coaxial SPDIF input capability, and partly because my motherboard's built-in sound card is so bad - the microphone just doesn't work and recording gets momentary silences every few seconds. I needed a better card and hoped the SPDIF would work for me. I wasn't all that confident but Fry's has a good returns policy.
First thing I noticed was that you can buy this card under several names. Identical component layout, same capacitors, same connectors.. Apart from the name on the box, they looked like twins. I chose the one with the $10 rebate.
The box contained the card in an antistatic bag, installation CD, a "manual" and a slip of paper demanding I call tech support instead of returning the cart to the dealer. This did not instill confidence - it seemed they expected problems.
I put manual in quotes because of its presentation. It's five sheets of ordinary letter paper stapled into a booklet. It serves the purpose but is far from impressive. That said, this card cost $30 (20 after rebate) so perhaps the budget doesn't allow for a glossy cover.
The first thing I saw in the manual was the package contents. It seems the "don't return!" slip was a free bonus, and the warranty card was missing. I was not greatly concerned.
The only other thing I have used in the manual is the mounting bracket connector layout. Green - front. Black - rear. Lower coax - SPDIF in. The other connectors, which I didn't need, are Centre/subwoofer, alt centre, pink mic in, blue line in and upper coax SPDIF in. There are also connectors on the card for CD or similar inputs.
Installation was a breeze. Pop in the card and install the drivers from the CD. It didn't demand a reboot, but initially the master volume control was rather noisy, with sharp clicks as the master volume was moved. This effect was greatly reduced after a reboot, but not entirely. There is however no extraneous nose when you leave the volume control alone.
The installation CD includes the Audacity audio studio. This is free software that I've been using for years; I did not install their version because my version is probably newer anyway. I can recommend it as an economical multi-track sound editor.
My speakers are JBL Invaders - a 4.1 system with a strange appearance but tremendous sound. I hooked up the leads, one for front, one for rear, and none for the subwoofer - in a 4.1 system the lows are extracted from the other signals and redirected to the bass unit.
The PCI 3d Audio Configuration tool was easy to use - a button to choose your type of speakers (4 channel for me) and it shows you which jacks to use on the card, and a diagram shows you where to position the speakers around the listener.
The Listening has been good. The Diamond Xtreme Sound 7.1 claims 24/96 processing on playback, and I see no reason to doubt it. The configuration tool lets you choose your virtual environment so you sound as if you are listening in an aircraft hanger or underwater in a swimming pool.... for example. These effects sounded surprisingly good to me - not exaggerated and the reverberation actually sounded convincing. I've heard similar features in the past that sounded like sound effects. These just sounded about right.
The only problem I have is that I can't find out how to turn the environmental effects off! Never mind, the concert hall acoustics aren't too intrusive.
I do like the volume controls panel on the Audio Configuration. It shows both playback and recording controls on a single view, and includes playback and recording level indicators, a feature that's sadly lacking on the Windows equivalent.
I do not like the abbreviation for mic - it took me several minutes to work out what "microp.." was meant to be.. microprocessor came to mind first... even though it didn't make sense. It's not a problem now. I know it's meant to be Mic. Shrug.
Well, it works, and works pretty well for $30. It records well (sadly only 48/16) without breaks. Finally, the SPDIF input works with my DAT recorder... and represents a significant improvement over playing the tape and re-recording the line out.
All in all, a good deal.
As well as a line out/headphone socket, the TCD-D7 as a 7-pin SPDIF socket for digital playback/recording - perfect in theory for transferring the digital recording to my PC. Unfortunately I could never get it to communicate with my Terratec DMX 6fire. Apparently the tape unit did not implement the SPDIF interface properly, and the 6fire could not sync with it.
I bought this card partly because it has coaxial SPDIF input capability, and partly because my motherboard's built-in sound card is so bad - the microphone just doesn't work and recording gets momentary silences every few seconds. I needed a better card and hoped the SPDIF would work for me. I wasn't all that confident but Fry's has a good returns policy.
First thing I noticed was that you can buy this card under several names. Identical component layout, same capacitors, same connectors.. Apart from the name on the box, they looked like twins. I chose the one with the $10 rebate.
The box contained the card in an antistatic bag, installation CD, a "manual" and a slip of paper demanding I call tech support instead of returning the cart to the dealer. This did not instill confidence - it seemed they expected problems.
I put manual in quotes because of its presentation. It's five sheets of ordinary letter paper stapled into a booklet. It serves the purpose but is far from impressive. That said, this card cost $30 (20 after rebate) so perhaps the budget doesn't allow for a glossy cover.
The first thing I saw in the manual was the package contents. It seems the "don't return!" slip was a free bonus, and the warranty card was missing. I was not greatly concerned.
The only other thing I have used in the manual is the mounting bracket connector layout. Green - front. Black - rear. Lower coax - SPDIF in. The other connectors, which I didn't need, are Centre/subwoofer, alt centre, pink mic in, blue line in and upper coax SPDIF in. There are also connectors on the card for CD or similar inputs.
Installation was a breeze. Pop in the card and install the drivers from the CD. It didn't demand a reboot, but initially the master volume control was rather noisy, with sharp clicks as the master volume was moved. This effect was greatly reduced after a reboot, but not entirely. There is however no extraneous nose when you leave the volume control alone.
The installation CD includes the Audacity audio studio. This is free software that I've been using for years; I did not install their version because my version is probably newer anyway. I can recommend it as an economical multi-track sound editor.
My speakers are JBL Invaders - a 4.1 system with a strange appearance but tremendous sound. I hooked up the leads, one for front, one for rear, and none for the subwoofer - in a 4.1 system the lows are extracted from the other signals and redirected to the bass unit.
The PCI 3d Audio Configuration tool was easy to use - a button to choose your type of speakers (4 channel for me) and it shows you which jacks to use on the card, and a diagram shows you where to position the speakers around the listener.
The Listening has been good. The Diamond Xtreme Sound 7.1 claims 24/96 processing on playback, and I see no reason to doubt it. The configuration tool lets you choose your virtual environment so you sound as if you are listening in an aircraft hanger or underwater in a swimming pool.... for example. These effects sounded surprisingly good to me - not exaggerated and the reverberation actually sounded convincing. I've heard similar features in the past that sounded like sound effects. These just sounded about right.
The only problem I have is that I can't find out how to turn the environmental effects off! Never mind, the concert hall acoustics aren't too intrusive.
I do like the volume controls panel on the Audio Configuration. It shows both playback and recording controls on a single view, and includes playback and recording level indicators, a feature that's sadly lacking on the Windows equivalent.
I do not like the abbreviation for mic - it took me several minutes to work out what "microp.." was meant to be.. microprocessor came to mind first... even though it didn't make sense. It's not a problem now. I know it's meant to be Mic. Shrug.
Well, it works, and works pretty well for $30. It records well (sadly only 48/16) without breaks. Finally, the SPDIF input works with my DAT recorder... and represents a significant improvement over playing the tape and re-recording the line out.
All in all, a good deal.
