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Introduction

The idea behind the Auna PS-7801s is a sound one – plug the transmitter into your hi-fi, MP3 player or PC, then use the speakers wirelessly up to 100 metres away. Admittedly at that range you’ll be in a bit of a fix if you want to change tracks, but whatever, we’ll go with it. With down-firing subwoofers, integrated handles and some very PC gamer blue LED lighting, the Auna PS-7801s could be a big hit if they live up to their promise of power and portability. Let’s have a closer look and find out.

Features

• 500W PMPO output
• Switchable blue LED light effect
• Easy transport with carry handles
• Three transmission channels for interference free transmission
• Transmission range up to 100 metres under ideal conditions
• Supplied with cable tie (!) and remote control

Specifications

• Transmitter input: 1x stereo RCA (with RCA to 3.5mm stereo cable)
• Signal to noise ratio: 65db
• THD: < 1%
• Channel seperation: 50db
• Transmitter power: 12V, 200 mA power adapter
• Speaker power: 9V, 1.2 A power adapter or 6 D batteries (for each speaker)

Packaging

As we can see, the speakers come in a rather plain looking box, with very little information about the product included. There is a nice ‘Achtung!’ warning, though.

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Each component is very well packed. Once we’ve gotten everything out of the box, we have two speakers, the transmitter box, three power adapters (one each for the three components listed earlier) and a remote, with batteries included. There’s also an RCA to 3.5mm stereo cable for use with the transmitter, and a manual in English and German. Finally, as these are a European product an EU to UK converter is included… but only one, and we need three. Hopefully this is a rare oversight, but it did delay testing of the speakers for a few days.

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Introduction

Sound is one of the most overlooked areas of PC enthusiast-dom. It’s not as exciting as overclocking your GPU and it’s difficult to measure the quality. That said, getting yourself a good set of speakers/headphones can make a big difference to your media viewing and game playing, but the price can be a difficult barrier.

Today I’m looking at a 2.1 speaker set from Microlab known as the M700. It’s supposed to have big bass, big sound without the big price tag. Let’s see if those claims ring true.

Features

Highlights of the Microlab M700 2.1 Speaker System (40 Watt)

• Quality 2.1 subwoofer system with powerful bass effect
• Ideal for digital multimedia movies, TV, CD/DVD and Mp3/Mp4 playbacks
• Microlab M series, your ultimate introduction to serious music entertainment
• Crystal clear satellites for dynamic audio movements with reflex function for efficient speaker design
• Deep bass subwoofer with bass reflex technology

Specifications

Amplifier

Output power: 40 Watt RMS
Power distribution: 12 Watt x 2 + 16 Watt
Harmonic distortion: < 0.3% 1 W 1 kHz
Frequency response: 35 Hz – 20 kHz
Signal/Noise ratio: > 75 dB
Separation: > 45 dB
Input sensitivity: Satellites – 500 mV, Subwoofer – 130 mV

Speakers

Tweeter driver type: 2.5″ x 2
Tweeter rated power: 15 Watt x 2 6 ohm
Subwoofer driver type: 5″
Subwoofer rated power: 20 Watt 4 ohm

Interfaces

Output: RCA
Input: RCA

Power

AC power: AC 220 – 240 V, 50 Hz 140 mA or 120 V, 60 Hz 280 mA

Package Contents

• M-700 subwoofer
• M-700 satellites x 2
• 3.5 mm stereo to 2RCA cable
• User manual

Dimensions

Subwoofer: 165 x 290 x 240 mm
Satellites: 90 x 75 x 180 mm
Product net weight: 4.1 kg
Giftbox dimension: 343 x 358 x 208 mm
Giftbox Net weight: 16.4 kg
Export carton box dimension: 431 x 736 x 355 mm
Export carton gross weight: 20 kg

Unboxing

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The M700 is packed well so you shouldn’t receive your new speaker set with any damage or issues. Along with the system itself you get a small setup manual and a 3.5mm to phono connector.

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Krator are a Taiwanese company who are “on a mission to transform the landscape of consumer audio and computer gaming” and have recently released a stylish new range of speakers, including a new set in the Neso 04 range, inspired by raindrops.

Read on to see how the Neso 04 speakers do at transforming the consumer audio landscape.

Features:

• USB speakers deliver brilliant sound performance
• 5 watts R.M.S. output
• Easy-to-Go. Tiny size with wonderful sound
• Detachable Satellite Design
• An 3.5mm Stereo phone jack for audio output
• Adjustable Volume and Bass control provide maximum convenience
• Elegant design best fits for your living room and personal space
• Specifications:
• Power output: 5 Watts RMS output
• Frequency Response: 80~18Khz
• Connector: 3.5mm Stereo Audio Cable
• Controller: Volume, Bass controller
• Headphones Jack: Stereo 3.5mm Audio Jack
• Speaker Unit Driver: 2.75 inch paper dome unit driver
• Size of Satellite: W95 x H132 x D75 mm
• Power Requirement: USB Power

Introduction

Auzentech have been around for a few years now and that’s a good thing; as well as being impressive. They entered the sound card game when it was all about Creative and they did so by simply taking a popular chip, the X-Fi, and throwing it on a board of their own with some nice tweaks. A winning formula. Now though, they’re branching away from these roots with the re-tooled X-Meridian 7.1, named the 2g. Packing a C-Media CMI8788 audio processor with support for plenty of connectors, a daughter board and replacable OpAmps; audiophiles look like they’re in for a treat. Let’s see if the rumours are true.

Features

• Dolby Digital Live
• Dolby Pro Logic IIx: Dolby Pro Logic IIx
• Dolby Virtual Speaker
• Dolby Headphone
• DTS INTERACTIVE™
• DTS NEO:PC™
• 7.1 Virtual Speaker SHIFTER: Virtual Surround over 2 channel speaker or headphone.
• ASIO (Audio Stream Input Output): With the ASIO output driver in the Auzen X-Meridian 7.1, you get high performance, low-latency audio input/output from ASIO compatible applications.
• DVD Playback with full 5.1 speaker and 7.1 speaker surround sound using PowerDVD, WinDVD software decoding application. (with DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, DD-EX 6.1/7.1, DTS-ES 6.1/7.1 decoding )
• Direct DTS CD / DTS WAV file digital audio bypass or loop back available.
• Support 7.1Ch playback for Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows ME, Windows 98 SE (Microsoft DirectX 9.0 or higher is required)
• SPDIF output allows pass-through of Non-PCM Dolby Digital and DTS stream to external DD/DTS decoder and A/V receivers in Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/Server2003.
• External 2channel PCM SPDIF input thru COAX + OPTIC combo connector to real-time monitored encoding output (DDL and DTS Interactive) support
• Sensaura CRL3D HRTF 3D positional sound enhancement with MultiDrive™, EnvironmentFX™, ZoomFX™, MacroFX™, etc.
• DirectSound™ 3D HW acceleration. Max No. of 3D Voices – 128
• A3D™1.0, EAX™1.0, 2.0 (powered by Sensaura), HRTF-based 3D Positional Audio (C3DX™), DirectSound™ 3D SW
• Unique Karaoke functionality : Mic Echo, Key-shifting, Vocal Cancellation
• Media Magic Voice, popular feature for disguising your tone in online chatting.
• 10-band Graphic Equalizer with 12 preset modes; 27 global environment effects
• Media FlexBass: Advanced bass management features allow a wide variety of different speaker types and combinations to be supported, ensuring each speaker gets only the signals it can efficiently reproduce.
  • Large, Small Speaker setting available for all channel speaker
  • LFE channel crossover frequency configurable in Small speaker mode (from 50Hz to 250Hz).

Introduction

Auzentech audio cards have been favourites among the XSR team for a good few years now not only for their great sound quality and effects but also for the broad appeal to gamers, audiophiles and home theatre lovers alike.

Auzentech cards are built around PCI Express based Creative X-Fi chips with a wealth of features enabling the sound card to be so widely appealing: EAX 5.0 for the gamers, DTS Interactive for movies and music and of course a dedicated, independent headphone circuit designed for professional grade headphones.

To give it its full name, the Auzentech X-Fi Bravura 7.1 arrived promising the same great Auzentech quality with a few added extras. So what exactly does the Bravura have in its locker? A close inspection will reveal all…

Introduction

When it comes to audio cards for an enthusiast or high end gamer, it was always the case that if you wanted the top of the line but didn’t need the audio creation features of the professional industry, you turned to Creative. However, in previous years we’ve seen this image slip away as other companies take up the mantle. One of these is Auzentech, who by utilising Creative’s X-Fi chips in their cards, give all the features of one of their audio devices, with the added bits that Auzentech can bring.

Today we’re taking a look at a card that eclipses the previous top end cards from Auzentech, and with it’s PCI-E interface and host of connector peripherals, it should provide everything you need in an enthusiast audio card. Let’s see how it does.

Key Features

Maximum Data Meets Maximum Bandwidth

• HDMI v1.3a Compliant Audio Card
• Creative X-Fi™ native-PCI Express® audio processor

Unprecedented Audio for Movies, Music, and Gaming

• Blu-ray support via Cyberlink’s latest PowerDVD application (available separately)
• Support for  PCM 8 channel, 24-bit/192kHz
• 24p True Cinema Output
• Blu-ray Audio with no downsampling
• High bit-rate audio, such as Dolby® TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio bitstream
• Dolby® Digital Live for Windows® and Vista
• DTS™ Neo:PC & DTS™ Interactive for Windows® Vista
• EAX® Advanced HD 5.0

Specifications

Full specifications and features can be found on the Auzentech home page.

Introduction

The combination of Creative chip and Auzentech PCB magic was been a success before with the likes of the X-Fi Prelude 7.1. That card fitted a normal PCI slot but today we have its successor which slots into the PCI-e instead. I give you the Auzentech X-Fi Forte 7.1; can this card carry on the success of its predecessor and even go further in terms of sound quality and performance? Time to find out.

Features

• Low Profile Audio Card
• Developed around Creative X-Fi Native PCI Express audio processor
• Support for Dolby Digital Live for Windows XP and Vista
• Support for DTS Neo: PC & DTS Interactive for Vista (DTS™ for Vista Available via Downloads)
• Low-profile and standard-profile brackets included.

Specification

Dimensions
Board:

• Length: 176.900 mm (6.964 inches)
• Height: 56.155 mm (2.211 inches)

Interface Core

Audio Processor:                             
Creative 20K2 PCI Express audio processor
X-RAM 64M bytes of DDR-SDRAM for audio processing
PC Interface:

• PCI Express 1.1 Compliant Interface
• Supported audio resolution and sampling rate:
• 16/24-bit / up to 192kHz (Stereo playback)
• 16/24-bit / up to 96.0khz (Multi channel playback)
• 16/24-bit / up to 96kHz (Recording)

API Supports:

• WDM, ASIO2.0
• EAX® 5.0, Direct Sound®, Direct Sound 3D®, OpenAL

Supported Operating Systems:

• Microsoft® Windows Vista™
• Microsoft® Windows XP™

Analog Audio

Level:

• 3.0Vrms, +12.0dBu max, déviation+/- 0.1dB

Dynamic Range:

• 109.0 dB A-weighted (1kHz @ -60dBFS, 24-bit/48kHz) for Analog outputs
• 98.0 dB A-weighted (1kHz @ -60dBFS, 24-bit/48kHz) for Analog inputs

Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise:

• 115.0 dB A-weighted (1kHz @ -60dBFS, 24-bit/48kHz) for Stereo analog outputs
• 109.0 dB A-weighted (1kHz @ -60dBFS, 24-bit/48kHz) for Multi channel analog outputs

Frequency Response:

• 10Hz to 22kHz, +/- 0.02 dB @ 48kHz
• 10Hz to 42kHz, +/- 0.02 dB @ 96kHz
• 10Hz to 94kHz, +/- 3dB @ 192kHz, Stereo

Impedance:

• Headphone load impedance 16Ω ~ 600Ω
• Line output impedance 330Ω
• Line/Aux input impedance 10KΩ

Microphone:

• Support Stereo and Balanced Mode

 Connectivity

Analog Multi I/O Cable (D-SUB):

• 4 x 1/8″ Stereo mini phone jack for Line outputs
• 1 x 1/8″ TRS mini phone jack for MIC input
• 1 x 1/8″ Stereo mini phone jack for Line input

Headphone:

• 1 x 1/8″ Stereo mini Phone jack for Headphone output

Front Audio:

• 1 x 10-pin(5×2) Front audio header with Intel® HD Audio Compatible

Digital I/O:

• 1 x RCA/TOSLINK Combo jack for S/PDIF transmission
• 1 x 2-piS/PDIF input connector

Extension:

• Creative proprietary AND_EXT, DID_EXE connector for X-Fi I/O driver

Introduction

So you want a gaming sound card? Creative it is then. Ah, see that’s where you are wrong. Creative have recently released their X-Fi chip to Auzentech who have worked their PCB trickery into producing a card with the good aspects of the X-Fi with the window open to use Dolby Digital Live, DTS Interactive, and DTS NeoPC in the future.

Considering as this was one of the major complaints with the X-Fi itself, this card could be a serious contender to the Creative crown…

Introduction

Club 3D have a fairly large array of sound cards, but now they have the Theatron Agrippa which looks a hell of a lot like the AuzenTech Xplosion card. In fact the specs, the drivers and the chipset are the same. Read on for more…

Introduction

Whether you love or hate them, Creative has become the most well-known PC audio add-in card supplier. While their X-Fi range of cards pleased many gamers, the lack of Vista drivers caused an equal quantity of miffed customers. Auzentech are now out to prove there are alternatives out there, and they are even releasing an X-Fi chip card soon. Today however I have their HDA X plosion 7.1 DTS Connect card. The X-Fi killer? Find out below…