Features, Photo's and Specifications

Features & Specifications 

The Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 Platinum eX is one of the most feature packed sound cards that I can think of.  Feature-wise it is identical to the Audigy2 Platinum.  You can check out Creative's page, here, and it does take pages to list all the gee-whiz-bang gadgetry.  You get your EAX 3.0, low-latency (up to 2ms) ASIO 2.0, 24 bit/192kHz DVD-Audio, 24 bit/96kHz 6.1 channel sound, a THX certification, 64 direct sound channels, an integrated effects engine (reverb, chorus, flange, etc.), and quite a lot more.

 Audigy2 Platinum eX upper view

 
The cards connectivity. The second in/output from the right is connected to the breakout box.

 
Click on this image and see the beauty of a silicon ;)

The internals of the eX are quite different.  It contains different DAC chips than the regular Audigy2, but still retains the 24 bit/192kHz specs of the Audigy2.  The break-out box is made of plastic.  It looks great sitting on the desk, but it is too light and you have to hold it down while plugging in cables.

The eX, spec-wise, is almost identical to the regular Audigy2 as well.  Cut 'n paste from Creative's website:

SPECIFICATIONS

Audio Performance

• Signal-to-Noise Ratio with AES17 filter (A-Weighted)

• Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise at 1kHz (A-Weighted) = 0.004% (1V, 2V Rated Output)
• Frequency Response (+/-3dB, 24-bit/96kHz input ) = <10Hz to 46kHz (1V, 2V Rated Output)

High Definition Audio Quality for Playback and Recording

• 24-bit Digital-to-Analog conversion during playback with sampling rates of 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, 48 and 96kHz in 6.1 mode and up to 192kHz in stereo mode
• 24-bit Analog to Digital conversion during recording in 8, 16 or 24-bit at sampling rates of 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, 48 and 96kHz
• SPDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) input at up to 24-bit/ 96kHz quality
• SPDIF output up to 24-bit at 48 or 96kHz
• ASIO 2.0 drivers for low latency (as low as 2ms) multi-track playback and recording at 16-bit/48kHz or 24-bit/96kHz

Wave-Table Synthesis and Midi Features

• Creative Hardware synthesizer (2x16 Channels) with 64-voice polyphony featuring E-MU®'s patented 8-point interpolation technology for accurate sample reproduction
• Creative Software synthesizer - multi timbral wave-table (16 Channels)

SB1394/ FireWire® Connectivity

• IEEE® 1394 / FireWire® / i-Link® compatible interface with up to 400Mbps transfer rate

Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX On-Board Connectors

• Line level out (Front / Rear / Center / Subwoofer /Rear Center)
• AD_LINK 1 and AD_LINK 2 Connectors
• Power Connector
• 15-pin MIDI/ Joystick port extension header

Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX External I/O Module Front/Rear Panel Connectors

• Headphone Out (1/4" Stereo Jack)
• Line In 1 (1/4" Stereo Jack , shared with Microphone In with Gain Control)
• Line In 2 (1/4" Stereo Jack)
• Line In 3 (2x RCA Jack)
• Optical SPDIF In/Out
• Coaxial SPDIF In/Out
• Digital Out for 5.1 support (6-channel SPDIF Output to Creative digital speakers)
• 2x SB1394 / FireWire ports
• MIDI In / Out
• Infra-red Receiver

We'll see what RMAA 5 has to say about the quality of output later.  Creative likes to quote numbers that seem to be for some product they haven't released yet.  But one does most certainly get a whole lot of input and output love.  Three line-inputs, both optical and coaxial S/PDIF connectors, two firewire ports, and a 1/4" headphone output should be enough for most users.  But, wait!  There's more!  You also get analog-to-digital conversion at up to 24 bit/96kHz resolution, which is now a new soundcard standard.  All of the connectors (save the AD_LINK) are furnished in nice, shiny gold.  The midi connectors aren't however.  I haven't yet seen gold plated midi connectors.

Hey, Nice Knobs! 

The eX box (hey, get it?) has some nice knobs.  The volume is a digital stepper that has a light feel to it.  You can spin it around and around.  But, as you may guess, the problem with digital steppers is that its detent has no correlation to what volume it's set to.  And it can play ear-splittingly loud.  Which is why I hate digital volume controls.  The mic-in knob has a nice meaty feel to it that's also buttery smooth as you turn it on and rotate it.  Each input is sealed to prevent dust from creeping in and making noise.  Creative certainly didn't skimp with the knobs or connectors.

Inside the box you'll find a neat PCB board with lots of IC's and capacitors on it.  The main DAC's are by Texas Instruments/Burr-Brown (PCM1804), which are pretty high quality (audiophile even), enabling the 24 bit/192kHz modes.  They're about $5 each.  They also have an interesting feature in that they will work with Sony's DSD, which is the data format used with SACD.  SACD is the main competitor to the next-generation DVD-Audio, which still uses PCM.  I think it would be excellent to have a SACD capable drive available for computer users.  At least the eX would be able to handle it, in theory.  But, I'll get on that soap-box later.

Also on the box is the IR remote sensor, and is used with a sexy black remote.  It's the same as the Audigy2 Platinum's but dressed in black.  Either of them will work with the eX.

 
The remote control