TerraTec DMX 6-fire -
TerraTec DMX 6-fire v. Creative SoundBlaster Audigy2
Product: Terratec DMX 6-fire
Review by: Brann Mitchell
Manufacturer: TerraTec ProAudio, Inc.
Date: March 2003
Price: $250 USD
Terratec DMX 6-Fire
The TerraTec DMX 6-fire is a high-end 24-bit/96kHz audio card geared towards sound production, mastering, editing, and well, anything to do with music creation. Oh, yeah, it can game too, and spit out the odd 5.1 channel DVD movie while its at it.
The Audigy2, which doesnt need much introduction, is also a 24-bit/96kHz sound card geared toward the gamer with chunks of music creation and editing features. Oh, yeah, the Audigy2 can play DVD-Audio, and spit out the 6.1 channel DVD movie while its at it. Both have incredibly long names. Both have remarkably similar hardware configurations coming with a break-out box that take up a 5 ¼ drive bay. Both come loaded with more software than you can reliably count on your fingers and toes. So, the evil geniuses here at Guru3d.com pack a PC with $500 worth of sound cards to duke it out, IC to IC, DAC to DAC.
Let's first take a look at a brief hardware feature comparison:
|
Sound Blaster Audigy2 |
TerraTec DMX 6-fire |
DSP |
24-bit/96kHz |
24-bit/96kHz |
ADC |
24-bit/96kHz |
24-bit/96kHz |
DAC |
24-bit/192kHz |
24-bit/96kHz |
DirectSound |
64 |
32 |
DirectSound3d |
64 |
16 |
channels |
6.1 |
5.1 |
As you can see they are pretty even, in terms of DAC quality. The DirectSound is a major difference with the Audigy2 having at least doubled the number of channels available for sounds over the TerraTec. Fear my 'leet HTML table skills.
We wont go into much depth over the Audigy2, as it has had a lot of coverage already. You can read our own homegrown review of the Audigy2 here.
Two high-end sound cards duke it out: the TerraTec DMX 6-fire and the Creative SoundBlaster Audigy2