Sound Systems
I recently acquired one of the new Creative Audigy 2 ZS Notebook PCMIA (small plug-in card) sound cards and I have been very pleased with it indeed. I love the silent background, the ease of use and the quality sound, right there in my laptop.
Tonight, I needed to test an Edirol UA-25 semi-pro USB-connected sound card for a project I am doing. This is significantly more expensive (about twice as much as the Creative Card) and has those “semi-pro” features – with a genuine metal box, lots of inputs and outputs and volume controls on the box itself. It has the major advantage for some users of midi-ports to connect to keyboards and sound modules, though it has no on-board synthesiser so without plugging it into a midi keyboard, you cannot play midi files and it only does stereo while the Audigy will do up to 7.1 to decode your DVDs and DVD audio and is THX approved.
I did some recording and listening on both cards. In terms of audio quality the Edirol had the edge. There was simply something more natural and effortless about the sound, with exquisite fine detail and balance. I could listen effortlessly all night. It reminded me of the professional gear I have used – totally silent backgrounds, deep, completely tuneful and controlled bass and subtle treble.
The Creative card, though, is close, especially if you change the speaker settings to match your system (I was using good Sennheiser headphones). The sound is just a little more closed-in, just a touch more veiled, and with some video cards can give the odd click unless you mute the line-in when you are not using it. Having said that, for the sheer convenience of a small card in my laptop, and for considerably less money, with a good soundfont synthesiser thrown in, I am happy to carry on living with the Audigy. It is a truly astonishing piece of kit – I can remember rooms full of professional analogue kit not sound anything like as good.
So if you need audio purity in stereo, excellent recordings including from professional mics, audiophile playback and do not mind carrying around a small metal box and lead with your laptop, the Edirol is what you need. For most laptop luggers, the creative wins on price, features and convenience. I am glad I will have access to both when I need it.