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February 2000

MidiLand Forzando Plus Speakers Review
25 February 2000 06:55PM GMT+8 - 

CoolInfo has published a review on the MidiLand Forzando Plus Speakers. Although this is a 2.1 system, it is still worth reading the review, because they look so good, and scored 84% in the review.

MidiLand Forzando Plus Speakers

The Forzando plus has a very unique design compared to other speakers found today. While today most speakers are looking more and more like something from the future, Midiland has choosen to go with a more retro design. The speaker case is a thick white plastic with a brown material covering the front. The logo on the in the front sports a script font which fits the retro design. The speakers are a good size as the speakers and subwoofer are not oversized, making the Forzandos great for most users who are trying to conserve space. The Forzando plus's design is perfect for the consumer who prefers a classier look for their home PC sound system.


DigiTheatre DTS Speaker System Review
25 February 2000 04:10PM GMT+8 - 

DVD Web recently reviewed the VideoLogic DigiTheatre DTS Speaker System, which takes your PC entertainment system to newer heights. Is it worth that extra money to upgrade?

The VideoLogic DigiTheatre DTS Speaker System

So is it worth the extra £150 compared to the original version. To put it quite simply yes, not only are you getting the added benefit of a DTS decoder thrown in, you also get a product that sounds far superior to the original and for those of you who like a little bit of noise it also goes much, much louder, without losing any of the quality.


AIWA's New MP3 Player Cum Encoder
25 February 2000 04:05PM GMT+8 - 

CNEWZ has a BizTech Japan Press Release that says that AIWA will come up with a new MP3 Player-cum-Encoder, called the MM-FX500 (The First MP3 Player/Recorder With Built-In Encoder).

The AIWA MM-FX500

The MM-FX500 measures 65mm in width, 18.5mm in depth and 90mm in height, and weighs around 80g. It takes one AA alkaline battery, which typically provides about 10 hours of continuous playback or around 5 hours of continuous encoding.


Mirror Site For Dell Live!Ware Package
24 February 2000 10:30AM GMT+8 - 

Julian Cho from ITNetwork wants to let everyone know that he has set up a mirror site containing Dell's 91Mb file split into 29 parts of 2.88Mb each. Now you can download them part by part without having to wait for a few hours to download the whole 90Mb file.


Cheap Digital Output Cable
23 February 2000 08:52PM GMT+8 - 

MysticWar wants to let you know a trick, to save you some money, and still get your digital output.

I don't know if you know this, but you can use regular Y minijack cable(the one that comes with almost all of the computer speakers) as a digital output cable on the SB Live! Value(only if it has the yellow digital out in the back). I have a digital receiver and it works fine with my regular Y minijack cable. If there is no sound, try using the other cable(red if black/white doesn't work, or black/white if red doesn't work) of the Y minijack cable. The sound works fine under Win2K only if you have Live!ware installed. Under Windows 98, you do not need to have Live!ware installed.


VideoLogic Sirocco CrossFire Speakers Review

23 February 2000 02:10AM GMT+8 - 

Yet another review of these cool black-colored surround speakers was posted at AnandTech. Are the VideoLogic Sirocco CrossFire speakers the next "in" thing in the market? Let's see what the review has to say.

This is one serious set of Hi-Fi speakers. These speakers should not be confused for just another set of "off the shelf" four speaker kits. VideoLogic seems to have to put a lot of time and research into putting the proper components together to make a fantastic 4.1 solution. The VideoLogic Crossfire's MSRP is $449 USD. Rumour has it the street price will be below $399.00, which is still higher than most other 4.1 solutions, but considering the features and quality in its package, it is a reasonable price.


Gallant AudioStorm FS2 Speakers Review
23 February 2000 01:35AM GMT+8 - 

We found a review of another set of flat panel speakers, this time its the AudioStorm FS2, made by Gallant. The review was done by GA-Source, and this is what they had to say about the speakers.

Even for PC users, these speakers make a good add-on for any notebook computer if you use it to play movies. For home use as well, they are a reasonable replacement for the serious bargain bin speakers that come with many low cost PCs. These aren't quite rock your world speakers, but I have spent more than these speakers cost on a steak. As an inexpensive and very portable speaker system, these fit the bill.


Another SoundFont site found
22 February 2000 - 

Michael Coleman let us know that he also has a SoundFont site called glowgeorge running. The site also features some downloadable glowgeorge tracks. He's offering a Vienna PDF tutorial for download, which is good for beginners.

I created this PDF manual from a tutorial originally written by Jess-Skov Nielson because I found the help files included with Vienna never really explained how to use the program. The tutorial doesnt explain everything about using Vienna but learns you the basics for creating your own Soundfonts.

[Download the tutorial]


Interesting Hardware Reviews
20 February 2000 - 

AudioRamp Shows Off Internet Audio Solution

AudioRamp has just released a new product on the market called the iRad that lets you listen to music on the Internet. ZDTV takes a first look at the product.

The iRad

Looking like a small, component stereo, AudioRamp.com's new Internet audio appliance provides access to streaming Internet audio content from around your house. You can also use the iRad to store and play back local MP3 music, as well as play standard and MP3 audio CDs. It even includes a standard AM/FM radio.

Kerbango Debuts Internet Boom Box

ZDTV also had a first look at the Internet Boom Box by Kerbango. This is another internet radio product for the home.

Internet Boom Box

The Internet has already changed radio forever-- you can listen to thousands of channels from all over the world right from your PC. Now Internet audio is about tochange the boom box-- Kerbango's new Internet Radio redefines what a music player should be.


Speaker Reviews

20 February 2000 - 

Game Forces Reviews The Cambridge Soundworks FPS2000 Digital

We found a new review on the Cambridge Soundworks FPS2000 Digital at Game Forces. Isn't it time you bought your speaker system yet?

Considering their size and price -- about a Ben Franklin -- they sounded pretty damn good. The satellites had only 3.5 Watts powering them and the sub was a mere 10 Watts with a 5" driver. It was a great solution for those who did not have too much room -- or cash -- to use for computer speakers.

SystemLogic Reviews The Benwin BW2000 Flat Panel Speakers

Another review on the Benwin BW2000 Flat Panel Speakers was found, and this time it was done by SystemLogic.

You’ve come a long way baby. That sums up the revolution of flat panel speakers in one sentence. As most, if not all, computer users know, speakers are one of the most important parts of a computer. As you walk down the aisle at a major computer store, there are many models and makes to choose from, ranging from the cheap $10 no-name brand to the expensive $200 Dolby Digital 5.1 speaker systems that are designed for high end use.

Beyond 3D Reviews The Sirocco Crossfire

Look at the Sirocco Crossfire review at Beyond 3D, and see if you want to get these speakers by Videologic.

I've been extremely impressed with them and I have no plans on stopping my use of them (I hope Videologic doesn't want them back any time soon. (Sorry guys, no way! :)) Videologic has really set the level of quality for these speakers very high and they are awesome for gaming, music and DVD’s (trust me, I've used them in all three).


GameSpot's PC Workshop : Sound Cards and Speakers Guide

20 February 2000 - 

The guys over at GameSpot have written Chapter 17 of their PC Workshop guide, which covers details on sound cards and speakers. Check out how to choose your next sound cards and speakers for your new PC.

Sound cards have evolved from the lowly FM synthesizer of the original Ad Lib card to the sophisticated DSP (digital signal processor) engines of the current generation. The audio-accelerator chips on today's PCI sound cards have more processing capability than stand-alone CPUs of a few years ago - yet a sound chip typically sells for $15 or less.


SoundFonts Site Up

20 February 2000 - 

Boerge Saethran wrote to me informing me that he's running a SoundFont site. Visit it at http://www.saethran.com/ if you need any SoundFonts for your Sound Blaster Live!.


Win2K Sound Blaster Live! Drivers At Dell

20 February 2000 - 

Julian Cho from ITNetwork and Oliver Batten wrote in to provide us with news that Dell has posted a real Win2K driver package for the Sound Blaster Live!. This package includes the WDM drivers as well as Live!Ware 2.2.

[Download from Dell]

Julian Cho from ITNetwork wrote to tell us of a modified universal INF file which lets you install the Sound Blaster Live! drivers (from Dell) on any non-Dell and non-Sound Blaster Live! Value card.

[Download the Universal INF file]


Win2K Sound Blaster Live! Drivers At Win2KWorld (Update)

20 February 2000 - 

Robert Hansson wrote to me to tell me that the drivers mentioned previously in our news are old (the files are dated July 1998). Well, we now have the links to the latest drivers! Look at the news article above this one.


MP3 Player Roundup On Fast Graphics
18 February 2000 - 

Fast Graphics has posted a new article which briefly reviews and compares 6 of the latest MP3 players in the market. The players reviewed are the Rio 300 and Rio 500 by Diamond, LG's MF-PD330 and AHA-FD770, the D'Music player by Pine, and last but not least Samsung's Yepp. I wonder why they didn't review Creative's Nomad though.

All the MP3 players tested play MP3's as they're supposed to. There are minor differences in sound quality, but then again, the supplied earphones are usually so bad that buying a new set for about $ 20 will get you far better sound.


Let's Look At The M3PO

18 February 2000 - 

What's an M3PO? Fans of the Star Wars movies would remember a golden metal droid called C3PO. Well, the M3PO is a stationary CD player that plays back MP3s and yes, it still plays your Audio CDs. Take a look at this impressive product and see if you want it the next time you upgrade your home hifi theatre system.

The TerraTec m3po is a CD player that is meant to round out a conventional hi-fi system. The device plays MP3 as well as conventional Audio CDs. Regardless of whether or not you buy them in a store or burn them yourself: after inserting a CD m3po searches the medium for MP3 files and playlists. It doesn’t matter which directory they are located in. Using a shuttle, titles can be selected and started very easily thanks to clear and comfortable menu directions.


Tiger Brings the Record Industry and Toys Together With Revolutionary Hitclips!

18 February 2000 - 

Tiger Electronics, the guys who brought us the Furby and even a FM-Radio-in-a-lollipop called SoundBites, announces their move to form partnerships with Atlantic Records and others to bring music's biggest stars to the toy industry, with HitClips (a revolutionary new music format bringing today's hottest artists to their fans in super cool fashion).

The micro music system is based around a series of micro-sized pre-recorded chips with digital samplings of today's top songs from artists like Christina Aguilera and Sugar Ray. Unique technology, design and affordability will make HitClips the ultimate music system for kids!

Read the press release at Yahoo! Finance.


Sound Blaster Live! Win2K Drivers
17 February 2000 - 

We found a set of Creative Sound Blaster Live! Win2K drivers at Win2KWORLD. Grab them now, and use your Sound Blaster Live! in Windows 2000!

[Download (2.40MB)]

The above file is also available in smaller parts!

[Download: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5]


Reuters Interview Sim Wong Hoo, CEO of Creative Technology

17 February 2000 - 

Following Creative Technology's steadily rising stock prices, Reuters interviewed the CEO of Creative Technology. Read the full article at Yahoo! Finance.

SINGAPORE, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Singapore-based Creative Technology Ltd (NasdaqNM:CREAF - news), a leader in audio products for personal computers, sees good growth prospects for its sound card business, its chairman and chief executive said on Wednesday.

Sim Wong Hoo told Reuters in an interview that analysts and investors who viewed Creative's heavy dependence on the PC sound card as a weakness in the past because of fast changing technology, were wrong.


Speaker Reviews

17 February 2000 - 

Want to know more about the latest range of flat panel Speakers? Check out the Benwin BW2000 Flat Panel Speakers at BoomGames.

Audio is a hard thing to judge. Some people can't tell the difference between utter garbage and high-quality, well-tuned audio. These speakers fall into a place somewhere in-between.

3DsoundSurge managed to get their hands on the Altec Lansing's ACS-56 PowerPlay Plus, and provided a review on their site. Still looking for the multimedia speaker system of your dreams? Check it out and see if this review makes the final decision.

When it comes to what matters the most, sound quality, the ACS56 again doesn't disappoint delivering good quality for music and a great sound experience for your movies and games, especially when it comes to the bass heavy sound effects. Where the ACS56 may impress and surprise people the most is that despite it's specs of just 70 Watts RMS is it produces this great sound quality at almost ProMedia volume!


Creative Soundcard Reviews

17 February 2000 - 

Extreme Hardware just put up their review on the Creative Labs SoundBlaster Live! X-Gamer. Want to know more about this cool card? Then what are you waiting for?

Despite my initial doubts about the X-Gamer, it exceeded my expectations and has actually found a place on my home machine. Its 3D sound is only slightly below that of a Vortex 2, but it offers a clearer audio output and takes less of a performance hit. Furthermore, the X-Gamer has an amazing game bundle. At $99, the X-Gamer is one of the best buys in the sound card market today. However, if you’re a diehard gamer looking for the most accurate 3D positional audio, the Vortex 2 is still your best bet. On the other hand, the X-Gamer is a slightly better overall sound card.


Soundcard & Speaker Tweaking Guide

17 February 2000 - 

3D Spotlight has updated their Tweaking your Soundcard & Speakers guide yet again. Want to get the most out of your sound cards and speakers? Be sure to read the article!


UltraCo releases their FREE UltraPlayer MP3/WAV/CD Audio Player

17 February 2000 - 

A new kid on the block releases a free MP3/WAV/CD player. Check out UltraCo and their product, UltraPlayer Audio Player, which features a screaming fast Neutrino MPEG audio engine, dual-mode deeply dynamic UltraSkins, mindbending visuals and Smart Alarm, tuning, recording, streaming, DSPs, save as WAV, and more!

[Download UltraPlayer Beta 0.91]


Read CD Audio Directly as WAV Files

16 February 2000 - 

You asked for it, we give it to you. I noticed that several people are looking for this file while reading thru the Usenet and Creative newsgroups, so I searched the 'Net and found it for you!

[More Information in the Download section]


Limited Cubasis VST In Platinum Bundle

16 February 2000 - Clarence

Peter Delve sends us information on the limitation of Cubasis VST in the European Platinum bundle:

Warning people who are thinking of buying a SB Live Platinum, one item of software that comes bundled with in it Europe is Cubasis VST.

This is NOT the FULL Cubasis VST version It lacks support for VST Instrument Plugins. It does not allow you to import .TRk (Mixman) or .Rex (recycle) files.

Plus there are other features that are missing. This is not stated anywhere on Creative site or on the box of the Live.

Although the installation of the Cubasis VST (Lite) version informs the user during installation that it has been specifically designed for the SB Live (output and inputs fixed @48Khz) to enable low latency.

However When using the full version Cubase VST 3.7 or Cubasis VST you can set the inputs/outputs to 48Khz yourself and receive the same latency fi gures.

I have now purchased the full retail version of Cubasis VST @ ?99.00 to obtain the features missing from the version that was supplied with the SB Live Platinum.


Sound Blaster Live! 256 Sound Card Auction

16 February 2000 - 

I found an auction for the "Sound Blaster Live! 256" at Yahoo! Auctions. There are 10 pieces on sale, and the auction closes on Feb 20 18:20 PST, so if you want this card, get there before it ends!

There's no such card as a "Sound Blaster Live! 256", so before you lay down your money, check with the seller!


APS 2.0 Driver Information

16 February 2000 - 

Todd Shires (Product Specialist, E-MU / ENSONIQ) said on 15 February 2000:

Dear APS users, We at E-MU do apologize for the long wait for Version 2.0 drivers. In order to provide the features which our customers are requesting, we needed to start building drivers from the ground up. This obviously adds time to the release of new drivers.

Since we were starting from scratch, we wanted to build a foundation of drivers that would give us the ability to expand, so we wouldn't have to start all over again from scratch like we had to with Version 2.0. To do this is a very complex task, especially when we are wanting to keep all of this functionality on multiple OS platforms. The work that is being done for Version 2.0 drivers are essential for future hardware products as well as current products on the market place. We knew that when we started this project, that we wouldn't be able to release an update as soon as most users are accustomed to. We didn't expect it to take this long, but we are still looking to an April/May release of the Windows drivers. I understand the frustration that our customer base may have, but we feel that we have made the best decision for the long term to build a very solid foundation of drivers that we will be able to build and expand upon. I personally own an APS, and want the new drivers as soon as I can get them.

Version 2.0 is not just another upgrade, it is the foundation that we will build our computer based audio products on well into the future.

Sincerely,
Todd Shires
Product Specialist
E-MU / ENSONIQ


Creative Technology Drops Hints on Live!Ware 4

16 February 2000 - 

Chris Owens (Creative Labs, Inc.) said on 8 February 2000:

Today 02/08/2000
Hi,

We will be publishing a FAQ with detailed information on the status of our driver development under Win2K in a few more days. There will be a Live!Ware 4 before too long, as well.

Chris Owens
Creative Labs, Inc.


Creative Usenet Newsgroups

15 February 2000 - 

Industry Rumour: Creative to write ASIO Drivers for SB Live!

Peter Delve was seen saying:

In the recent Sound on Sound Magazine in the UK an article on optimising your PC for music states that the are industry rumours that creative will create ASIO drivers for the SB live in the first two months of 2000, whether these will be in the from of the APS 2.0 drivers or drivers from creative remains to be seen.

Just thought you all might like to know.

PD

Unfortunately there were no scans of the article mentioned, but I've contacted Peter, so we might be able to get a scan of the article soon.

New SoundFont Site Online

KOR wrote in creative.products.sound_blaster.live.music to inform everyone about his new SoundFont site.


Nullsoft releases Winamp 2.60
15 February 2000 - 

Nullsoft Winamp is a fast, flexible, high-fidelity music player for Windows 95/98/NT. Winamp supports MP3, CD, WMA, Audiosoft, Mjuice, MOD, WAV and other audio formats, custom appearances called skins and audio visualization and audio effect plug-ins.

You may choose between two versions of Winamp. Winamp Basic (559KB) plays all basic file formats. Winamp Complete (1.95MB) includes support for all formats including WMA and Mjuice. If you wish to play WMA files, please download the "Complete Version".

[Download from Singapore: Full Version | Lite Version]
[Download from USA: Full Version | Lite Version]


Sonique Also Releases Sonique 1.5 Beta

15 February 2000 - 

Sonique also releases their Sonique 1.5 Beta. Sonique claims that this new release offers a taste of things to come in the finished version of Sonique 1.5 (to be released soon), and tell users to check back for daily updates as this beta is being worked on constantly.

2-11-2000

Sonique 1.5 Beta features an improved navigation menu and comes with our brand new decoding engine, AE4. AE4 marks a significant improvement in MPEG Audio playback over Stardust. Additionally, 1.5 includes numerous bug fixes and overall performance improvements. DSP plug-in support has been implemented but since there are not any plug-ins for you to test with (right now), don't worry about it. The SDK will be available shortly. Multi-language support has also been implemented - this release features english and german.

[Download]


MP3 Player Reviews

15 February 2000 - 

Music4Free.com reviews the I-Jam Multimedia I-Jam (IJ-100)

The I-Jam player was actually one of the first players to hit the market. In fact, it was the first player after the Rio 300 to hit the market, the I-Jam was out. The original I-Jam site (and even the current I-Jam site) have that homemade kinda feel to it.

[I-Jam Web Site]


Windows 2000 Drivers FAQ in English

15 February 2000 - Clarence

Creative just put up their Windows 2000 FAQ. Its not a full featured Live!Ware release we get on Windows 98 though. Click to find out more.


Updated SBLive! Linux FAQ

14 February 2000 - 

Creative updated their Sound Blaster Live! Linux FAQ on their Creative Open Source page.


Windows 2000 Drivers FAQ
14 February 2000 - 

Habacuc Solís Estrella told me that Creative Japan posted a Windows 2000 Drivers FAQ on their site, and forwarded a partial transation of the FAQ which Tentacle posted in the Live! Newsgroup. I visited the site, but was unable to read Japanese... :X

Q: Which sound card does work on Windows 2000?

A: The following sound cards does work on Windows 2000.

Sound Blaster Live! series.
Sound Blaster PCI series.
Creative Vibra series.
Creative Ensoniq audio PCI series.
Sound Blaster 16 series.
Sound Blaster AWE32 series.
Sound Blaster AWE64 series.

The drivers are included on Windows 2000 CD, so you don't need to install new driver to work your sound card. These drivers support only basic feature such as MIDI, CD and WAVE playing and recording, and using for mediaplayer included in Windows 2000.

Q: Does Creative Labs support WDM (Windows driver model) driver?

A: We scheduled WDM drivers for the following sound card.

Sound Blaster Live! series. (End of Feb)
Sound Blaster PCI series. (Beginning of April)
Creative Vibra series. (End of April)
Creative Ensoniq audio PCI series. (Beginning of April)

Q: Present Livewave! for Win9X/NT does work on Windows 2000?

A: We scheduled available downloading for Livewave! for Windows 2000 from our web.

The Livewave! for Windows 2000 is equivalent Liveware! 1. (It is like as initial released Liveware! 1 for Windows 9X/NT)


3D Spotlight Reviews The SBLive! Platinum

14 February 2000 - 

The Sound Blaster Live! Platinum is one hell of a soundcard. Thinking of it not only as a great soundcard but also as an outstanding package/product that could really be enjoyed by gamers and music enthusiasts, the marketing team of Creative has done it wonderfully this time.

Read the Review at 3D Spotlight

We have a review too! Want to see what we have to say about the Sound Blaster Live! Platinum?


New A3D and A2D Drivers

14 February 2000 - 

Robert Irwin popped by and told me that A3D.COM has an A2D driver, so I paid them a visit, and found the following new drivers posted on the site.

A2D Drivers: Version 3.1. Last updated 2/11/00.
For A3D 3.0 titles on non-A3D sound cards.

A3D Drivers: Version 3.1. Last updated 2/11/00.
For the A3D component of your sound card ONLY.


Speaker Reviews

14 February 2000 - 

GameSpot posted a review on the Boston Acoustics BA4800 4.1 Surround Speaker System.

In musical material, the BA4800s demonstrated a clarity that's missing in most computer speakers. In fact, as I was doing the listening tests, I found myself listening longer than usual - there seems to be none of the listening fatigue that can be caused by less capable speakers.

TargetPC wrote about the MLi-490 4.1 Surround Speaker System.

I can hardly believe that speaker configurations like the 490’s exist. Listing for $99, you get a 5-piece setup, hookup wires out the wazoo, and full 5-channel amplification that is compatible with Dolby® Surround sound. To be fair, competition in this price class is growing with contenders like the Altec Lansing ACS-54 and others.

PC World had a review on the Klipsch's ProMedia v.2-400 speakers.

Klipsch, well known for its top-of-the-line home and professional-level speakers, is making its debut in the PC speaker market with its ProMedia v.2-400 speakers--and it's clear Klipsch has done its homework. The THX-certified, five-speaker set outputs some of the sharpest, most powerful sound we've ever heard, and not just from PC speakers.

GameSpot reviews the MidiLand S4 7100 Dolby Digital 5.1 Speaker System.

So if you're looking for a set of speakers that let you really pump up the volume in games, along with some occasional DVD playback, then the Midiland 7100s may be your cup of tea.

SharkyExtreme also posted a review on the MidiLand S4 7100 Dolby Digital 5.1 Speaker System.

For the PC user looking for a great speaker set to complement their new sound card and DVD-ROM drive, the S4 7100 is an automatic choice. It really is perfect in that role, and we see no reason to not recommend it for that purpose. For home theater users looking to put together a inexpensive Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound experience with a DVD player, we'd say that the S4 7100 setup is great, if the room you're putting it in measures 16' x 16' or less.

BXBoards managed to review on the Videologic Sirocco Crossfire

The Sirocco Crossfire offers everything that the audiophile and gamer would need. Audio quality is superior to any other speaker product on the market. A complete suite of source connections is available for those that want to use these speakers as the backbone of their hi-fi system.

SharkyExtreme churned up a review on the VideoLogic DigiTheater Surround Sound Speaker System

The DigiTheater kit is a great option for those looking for high-fidelity audio for home theater applications. Its overall sound clarity was excellent, and its DD 5.1 decoder handled the responsibility of correctly positioning sounds without a problem.


Midiland, Klipsch & Altec Lansing

13 February 2000 - Clarence

All Games Hardware has some video coverage on these 3 companies about their upcoming gaming speaker products.


Creative Makes MORE Money!

11 February 2000 - 

Shares of the world's biggest sound card maker, Creative Technology Ltd, could reach S$50 on market optimism that its investments in Internet ventures will increase earnings, analysts predicted.

Report from CNET Singapore


Speaker Reviews

10 February 2000 - 

Damage Gaming had a review on the new Benwin Flat Panel Speakers. Just another pair of cheap speakers? Well this one comes as a set, which includes a sub-woofer, monitor and desktop speaker stands, and a headphone patch cable! Interested now?

Ever heard of Aztech Systems? It's a Singapore-based company which manufactures computer peripherals and multimedia products. They have created the AMS 5.1 Multi-Channel Speakers, which works just beautifully. Check it out at their website!


Sound Card Reviews

10 February 2000 - 

Cole 3D recently wrote a review on the Creative SoundBlaster Live! Platinum card. Don't forget to check out our own review and help us spread the word! :>

We found that Addonics has a 6 Channel Sound Card called the Addonics SV6000. It looks like the sound card even comes bundled with its own 5.1 Channel PC Theatre Speaker System. Anyone for a budget-priced 5.1 Channel sound system for his PC?

Digtal Audio Labs has a new sound card in the market called the Digital Audio CardDeluxe. Featuring a PCI interface and no compromise 24-bit 96kHz balanced analog and S/PDIF digital all on a single card, the CardDeluxe brings high-end audio performance within reach of almost any budget.

Since its introduction in 1990, the Digital Audio Labs CardD has been a standard for audio fidelity in the recording and broadcast industries. Even through unprecedented advances in computing and digital audio technology, CardD has maintained its position as the leader in sonic excellence. Why? Because the design principles on which CardD was built are as valid today as they were nearly a decade ago.


Altec Lansing Speaker Sale

10 February 2000 - 

Altec Lansing has a sale on their website, with products like the ADA104 (Dolby Pro-Logic), the ADA105 and ADA106 (both Dolby Digital models) for sale at LESS THAN HALF PRICE! Now you can buy the speakers of you dreams, without losing everything in your wallet!


Live!Drive II Platinum in Singapore

9 February 2000 - Clarence

The SBLive! Platinum with Live!Drive II is available in Singapore at around S$350 for some weeks now. Thanks to Chys Chia for tipping us off. This is one of the first non-European countries with the Live!Drive II Platinum outside of Europe. Let us know if your country is also selling the Live!Drive II version.


Introducing Melvin!

9 February 2000 - Clarence

Melvin, a good friend of mine, offered to help ALive! and he would be taking over most of the news items. He has a knack for technology and cool gadgets, so feel free to pop him a mail! Let's give Melvin a warm welcome!

But that isn't all, we still need people to staff the gaming and musician sections - areas which we aren't very familiar (or "into") at the moment. We also depend on you folks to send us any news items that you come across that will be useful to fellow SBLive! users.

Remember that ALive! is here to foster a community between all SBLive! users. We don't earn a single cent from your clicks. Take information, but do give them whenever you can!


Speaker Polls @ AnandTech

9 February 2000 - 

AnandTech did some polls on the speakers we all want. Check out the results here.


Speaker Reviews Reviews

9 February 2000 - 

A few speaker reviews to help you with your next purchase!

PC Gameworld brings us a Microsoft Digital Sound System review. Windows runs our computers. Will Microsoft dominate our speakers too?

TargetPC has a review on the Altec Lansing ACS 45.2 Speakers. Check out these babies!

t-break recently put a review on the Cambridge SoundWorks Desktop 5.1 DTT2500 Speaker System. Creative does it again with another powerful system.


Sound Card Reviews

9 February 2000 - 

You just can't do with good speakers and a lousy sound card. Here are some alternatives!

got apex? churned up a review on the new Best Data Theatrix Dolby 5.1 Sound Card. How does ths one rate?

Exxtreme3D has a review on the TurtleBeach Montego II Quadzilla, and rated it 4 out of 5 stars! Is it another contender for the vast soundcard market?

Gaming in 3D reviewed the new Aureal Vortex SQ2500 sound card. And they rated it 95%! Is it really that good? Read all about it!


MP3 Player Reviews

9 February 2000 - 

PC Gameworld checked out the new Creative Nomad 64 MP3 Player. Another MP3 player to add to your wish list?

got apex? has a review on the Cabo MP3 Player. Little, blue, and packed with powerful features. Anyone want one?

SystemLogic checked out the Pine D'Music 64Mb MP3 Player. Is blue, green, and pink the next fashion statement for MP3 players?


USB Radio

9 February 2000 - 

SystemLogic has a write-up on the D-Link USB Radio. Want a radio, but don't want the bulk? Just plug it into your USB port!


Live!Ware 3.0 Under Win2K

9 February 2000 - 

NT Compatible has posted an update on how to install Liveware 3 on Windows 2000, and get it working! Download it here!


What's A Boostaroo?

9 February 2000 - Clarence

This interesting device amplifies sound to boost the sound so that they are more powerful in portable speakers and headphones - very useful for most sound cards that come only with line-out. 3DsoundSurge has a review.


Creative Makes Money

9 February 2000 - Clarence

Just came across 2 news items. Creative is expecting their NOMAD Jukebox to sell well, as it has a 40% profit margin, and because it is a niche product. Also, shares of Creative's parent company in Singapore hit an all time high in 3 years. Sounds like Creative is really selling their stuff very well lately!

CNET Singapore:
Creative expects US$100m sales from new MP3 player
Creative Technology shares post biggest gain in three years


Sound Blaster Live! Overclocking

6 February 2000 - Clarence

TAGOR posted an article on how to overclock the the SBLive! With nice graphs, a picture of the heatsink you should use, and a screenshot of the overclocking utility! And before you think you can really do that - its a joke ok!

 



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