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Philips Acoustic Edge
Philips Acoustic Edge - PCSTATS
Like owning a super fast processor, good sound is not something you should ever skimp on.
 85% Rating:   
Filed under: Audio / Sound Published:  Author: 
External Mfg. Website: Philips Oct 22 2001   Max Page  
Home > Reviews > Audio / Sound > Philips Acoustic Edge

Philips Acoustic Edge PSC706 Review


Like owning a super fast processor, good sound is not something you should ever skimp on. After all, would anyone worth their weight in salt spend the time and effort building the ultimate gaming machine to only hook up a lousy pair of computer speakers?! I think not. If you are fragging at high FPS, then you should be listening to where your enemies are coming from, not just watching on the screen.

To get the best from your games, and indeed from your DVD player should have one, 5.1 channel audio is a must. Once such offering that doesn't bear the name of Creative Labs is Philips Acoustic Edge - PSC706, and let me assure you this card is set to blow your mind from right from the box!

Philips Acoustic Edge PSC706
  • Configuration (5.1-Channel)
  • Qsound 3D Interactive
  • Qsound Environmental Modeling
  • Qsound Multi-Speaker System
  • 3D Audio Streams (96)
  • Qsurround playback
  • DirectSound Accelerations (256)
  • DirectInput Devices

      Comes with...
    • Instructions
    • Drivers/Software CD
    • Analog Audio Cable to CDROM
    • Line out cable, S/PDIF cable

What set's the Acoustic Edge apart from other audio accelerators like the Sound Blaster Live! is the processor. This Phillips card comes equipped with the very functional Thunderbird Avenger audio accelerator chipset.

The SAA7785 ThunderBird Avenger is the PCI audio accelerator that drives the PSC706, making it ideal for use in home theatre, surround sound gaming, and MP3 music playing. For example, we have been testing out the Acoustic Edge in an MP3 server for a few weeks - putting it through a gauntlet of different styles of recorded music to see how it fares.

The ThunderBird Avenger comes packing QSound and advanced QMSS which also gives it the abilities to transform ordinary stereo games and music into 5.1 speaker output. With its integrated S/PDIF OUT, the Acoustic Edge can be connected to a standard home stereo system. With its S/PDIF IN jack audio can be piped into a computer for editing or CD-to-MP3 ripping for example. "The ThunderBird Avenger chipset itself supports redirection of up to 5.1 streams from PCI to USB or IEEE 1394 devices. Full hardware acceleration of DirectSound, 3D audio, music synthesis and game port functions provides increased graphic frame rates and industry leading low CPU consumption."

  • 2, 4, or 5.1 speaker and headphone 3D algorithms
  • QSound3DInteractive interactive positional 3D
  • QSound Multi-Speaker System stereo to quad or stereo to 5.1 processing
  • QSound Environmental Modeling (I3D Level 2.0, EAX 1.0/2.0 compatible)
  • QXpander and stereo-to-3D remapping
  • Integrated S/PDIF OUT and optional S/PDIF IN
  • AC3 5.1 or stereo playback through S/PDIF output
  • Processing up to 512 simultaneous inputs including 256 DirectSound streams and up to 96 concurrent CD quality 3D streams
  • Redirection up to 5.1 streams from PCI to USB or IEEE 1394 devices via 14 Channel Virtual Write Master
  • Superior hardware acceleration for minimum CPU consumption
  • Broadest API compatibility including DirectSound3D, EAX, and A3D
  • 64 hardware wavetable polyphony
  • Professional soft-synth with 256 voice polyphony and XG support
  • Second generation ActiMedia programmable DSP architecture
  • Global reverb for external digital and analog input sources
  • Enhanced MIDI reverb and chorus (per track and global)
  • Independent I²S input and output ports
  • Comprehensive Real Mode DOS and DOS win-dows support
  • Dual gameport accelerator with legacy and digital joystick modes
  • PC/PCI, DDMA, and LAM PCI DMA support
  • Supports quad and dual AC97 CODECS
  • 3.3 v operation with 5 v tolerant I/O
  • Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 2000 drivers
  • Complete audio subsystem when combined with AC97 CODEC
  • PC sound cards and motherboards
  • Video games and other PCI bus-based multimedia applications

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Contents of Article: Philips Acoustic Edge
 Pg 1.  — Philips Acoustic Edge
 Pg 2.  Dissecting the Acoustic Edge
 Pg 3.  The Software Side

 
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