Diamond Multimedia Enters PC Sound Card Market with Xtreme Sound 7.1 and 7.1 DDL

Multi-Functional Upgrade Card Brings Theater-Quality Sound to Music, Video and Games, Includes Multi-Track Recording Suite

Diamond Multimedia has announced its new high-performance line of sound cards, Xtreme Sound, incorporating Dolby 7.1 channel surround sound, 10-band equalizer, preset audio environments, headphone and speaker support for up to eight channels, plus a multi-track recording/editing studio, all for a price point starting at $29.95.

Two sound cards will be offered under the Xtreme Sound 7.1 line, with the standard Xtreme Sound 7.1 retailing at $29.95 and the upgraded Xtreme Sound 7.1 DDL (Dolby Digital Live) with a suggested SRP of $59.95. A real-time encoding technology, Dolby Digital Live converts any audio signal into a Dolby Digital bitstream for transport and playback through a home theater system. DDL allows any PC or game console to be hooked up to a Dolby Digital-equipped audio/video receiver or digital speaker system via a single digital connection, eliminating the confusion of multiple cables and ensuring the integrity of the audio signal.

“We at Diamond felt there was a hole in the sound card market. We aim to bring to the masses high level, professional quality sound and mixing tools at an affordable price,” said Bruce Zaman. Diamond is continuing the precedent we set with the Monster Sound and Sonic Impact sound cards we offered in the past.

Both the XS71 and the XS71DDL feature Audacity, a full-featured, multi-track recording/editing studio. Audacity lets users edit and mix an unlimited number of tracks, as well as remove static, hiss and other background noise. This utility also incorporates the use of multiple special effects, such Echo and Amplify.

In addition, the card features a remarkable range of configurability, from single headset to eight-speaker output. The card’s software utility includes a 10-band graphic equalizer, as well as pre-set acoustical environments, such as Auditorium and Living Room. It features all standard inputs and outputs, including microphone and stereo line input; front, rear, center/subwoofer and surround L/R output; coaxial SPDIF in/out, and internal input connectors for CD and auxiliary audio.

Both cards support Dolby EX and DTS formats, 7.1 and earlier; 48K/16-bit playback (or the improved 96k/24-bit playback for the DDL card); 7.1 virtual speaker shifter, for surround sound on CDs and MP3-format audio files; and EAX 2.0 and A3D sound support. Each card uses a PCI 2.2. interface with bus mastering and burst modes. Minimum system requirements for either card are 850 MHz CPU, available PCI slot, 128K RAM, 20 MB unused hard disk space, CD-ROM drive, amplified speakers (or amplifier with speakers and/or headphones). The cards will run on PCs operating under Windows XP, Windows 2000 or Windows XP Media Center environments.