Auzentech Preps HDMI 1.3 PCI Express Audio Combo Card

[malware]

Auzentech revealed today its non-downsampling, HDMI 1.3-native, PCI express audio combo card: Auzen X-Fi HomeTheater 7.1. The Auzen X-Fi HomeTheater 7.1 accepts video from either an internal or external connection, mixes it with digital audio, and outputs the combined video and lossless multichannel audio via a single HDMI 1.3 port. Moreover, the internal connection will exclusively support upcoming NVIDIA products, to create the ultimate in audio and visual entertainment.




The latest in a long line of breakthrough soundcards from Auzentech, the Auzen X-Fi HomeTheater 7.1 outputs a bitstream of high-definition, multichannel audio from Blu-ray or HD movies with no downsampling, to take full advantage of lossless digital audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

The Auzen X-Fi HomeTheater 7.1 has been designed around the latest Creative PCI Express X-Fi audio processor. For home theater enthusiasts, the processor includes HDMI 1.3 support and will feature Dolby Digital and DTS encoding for a single-cable connection to home theater systems. For gamers, the card leverages the power of the PCI Express-optimized X-Fi processor to deliver accelerated audio for improved game performance, with ultra-realistic EAX 5.0 effects and 3D positional audio.

“Creative is excited to work with Auzentech to deliver a true high-definition HDMI solution based on our latest PCI Express-based processor,” said Steve Erickson, VP and GM of audio for Creative. “We have completely re-architected our X-Fi audio processor, optimizing it for the PCI Express bus. We’ve also made a significant achievement in customizing our audio technology to enable the highest quality lossless digital audio for HDMI, for a stunning HD digital entertainment experience.”

“CyberLink provides the best in audio and video playback quality to deliver the ultimate movie experience on the PC," said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink. "Featuring HDMI version 1.3-enabed capabilities, PowerDVD will enable users to enjoy high definition cinema on their PCs. We are excited to partner with Auzentech to offer a true, uncompressed HD audio experience by employing our breakthrough technologies.”

“At Auzentech we focus on bringing innovative products to market by listening to our end-users requests,” said Stephane Bae, President of Auzentech, Inc. “By teaming up with Industry leaders Creative, NVIDIA, CyberLink and Silicon Image, end users and home theater enthusiasts will now be able to enjoy Blu-Ray or HD movies in their full glory.”

The Auzen X-Fi HomeTheater 7.1 is made possible through cooperation between Auzentech, NVIDIA, CyberLink PowerDVD software, Silicon Image, and the Creative X-Fi chip development team.

Release of the Auzen X-Fi HomeTheater 7.1 is planned for Sept. of 2008.

Source: Auzentech

[EnergyFX]

Well crap. I bought a Prelude because Auzentech was supposed to be coming out with a HDMI extension card for it.

Did they do this instead?

[DanishDevil]

What I want to know is if it's worth upgrading to from my Auzen X-Fi Prelude for games...I don't really have a need for HDMI...shit what am I talking about, I'll be in another country in 2 months...I need to stop thinking about upgrading so much

[Darren]

I support Auzentech 100% but I would rather they continue independence without Creative. Creative have got a nasty reputation and I hope that Auzentech don't get labeled with the same reputation by persisting business with Creative.

Originally Posted by malware

Auzentech revealed today its non-downsampling, HDMI 1.3-native, PCI express audio combo card: Auzen X-Fi HomeTheater 7.1. The Auzen X-Fi HomeTheater 7.1 accepts video from either an internal or external connection, mixes it with digital audio, and outputs the combined video and lossless multichannel audio via a single HDMI 1.3 port.

The latest in a long line of breakthrough soundcards from Auzentech, the Auzen X-Fi HomeTheater 7.1 outputs a bitstream of high-definition, multichannel audio from Blu-ray or HD movies with no downsampling, to take full advantage of lossless digital audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

Sounds good I'm going to have to upgrade my receiver to support HDMI and I hope this is encoding and as well as decoding.

Originally Posted by malware

ultra-realistic EAX 5.0 effects and 3D positional audio.

I'm glad Auzentech have got the rights for EAX 5.0 but EAX isn't my concern I would rather see Auzentech forget this EAX nonsense and let Creative sink underground until they can provide customers with a decent product of their own without misleading their customers. I feel that Creative are only letting Auzentech use their license to get customer's onside.

Edit:

Originally Posted by DanishDevil

What I want to know is if it's worth upgrading to from my Auzen X-Fi Prelude for games...I don't really have a need for HDMI...shit what am I talking about, I'll be in another country in 2 months...I need to stop thinking about upgrading so much

The prelude has EAX 5.0 as well so for gaming it's probably not worth it. Lets wait and see

Edit 2:

Originally Posted by will

This looks awesome! Oh wait, it uses an X-fi chip ...
If they use creative drivers Im not getting it....
Otherwise looks good, I like the sound of no downsampling! Wonder what the price tag will be?

The X-Fi chip is old and dated why aren't they researching into new architectures? I hate Creative's drivers and I'd definitely be tempted not to buy if Creative are involved in driver production!

[will]

This looks awesome! Oh wait, it uses an X-fi chip ...
If they use creative drivers Im not getting it....
Otherwise looks good, I like the sound of no downsampling! Wonder what the price tag will be?

[Easy Rhino]

i wonder if this can somehow be connected to a vga card that runs hdmi as well. that way you can pass the video/audio signal to monitor/tv rather than have to chose which hdmi input to use.

[DanishDevil]

Originally Posted by will

This looks awesome! Oh wait, it uses an X-fi chip ...
If they use creative drivers Im not getting it....
Otherwise looks good, I like the sound of no downsampling! Wonder what the price tag will be?

These run on Auzentech modified Creative drivers. My X-Fi Prelude runs MINT on Vista.

Probably around $200USD.

[imperialreign]

Originally Posted by Darren

The X-Fi chip is old and dated why aren't they researching into new architectures? I hate Creative's drivers and I'd definitely be tempted not to buy if Creative are involved in driver production!

my only thought . . . the X-Fi APU is still the most advanced audio processor on the market; we won't see any new designs or architecture until C-Media can catch up, and at the rate thier going, not likely in the next 3 years.

Until we see another audio company get off a chipset and release a processing unit, I doubt we'll see any major change in Creative's arsenal.


On topic, though, it's a nice looking card, and nice to see more than just one Auzen be bearing an X-Fi APU. It kinda reminds me of a revamped and done-properly Xtreme Music, though.

I'd like to see the full specs on it, and see if this will come in above or below the prelude in both price and output quality.

[WarEagleAU]

Not sure but they may still do it. I think Creative has a card just like this. Looks like a winner. Lets just hope they based the X-fi off the platinum of Fatal1ty dsp and optimized it for PCI-E and not the shit thrown together pci-e Xfi they got for like 70 bucks on newegg

[TheGuruStud]

I was going to get a prelude until creative pulled their worst shit yet. Now, I'm getting a xonar. Suck it, creative.

[FatForester]

Originally Posted by imperialreign

On topic, though, it's a nice looking card, and nice to see more than just one Auzen be bearing an X-Fi APU. It kinda reminds me of a revamped and done-properly Xtreme Music, though.

I've enjoyed my XtremeMusic, and I was surprised it was discontinued so fast since it was really the most balanced part of their lineup. You didn't have to pay for the useless X-RAM, but you got to keep most of the features the "Mega Deluxe Platinum Super Manly Champion Edition" had. By hindsight I wish I had either waited or gone with something else, because the complete lack of Linux drivers is a pain! Right now the best I can get is OSSv4 support on Ubuntu x64 with only 2 speakers. After 3 years, that's pitiful!

[TheGuruStud]

Originally Posted by FatForester

I've enjoyed my XtremeMusic, and I was surprised it was discontinued so fast since it was really the most balanced part of their lineup. You didn't have to pay for the useless X-RAM, but you got to keep most of the features the "Mega Deluxe Platinum Super Manly Champion Edition" had. By hindsight I wish I had either waited or gone with something else, because the complete lack of Linux drivers is a pain! Right now the best I can get is OSSv4 support on Ubuntu x64 with only 2 speakers. After 3 years, that's pitiful!

I had an extreme music, it died within months. Thanks for nothing creative. Which, is of course, another reason I'm pissy haha. I just got the Logitech Z-5500s and need a new card! And you know what the kicker is? The sound card will cost the same as the speakers.

[DanishDevil]

You need to get an X-Fi prelude with the Z-5500s. Check out the club in my sig. Auzen X-Fi Prelude = real-time Dolby Digital Live encoding for the Z-5500s, and it sounds AMAZING.

[FatForester]

Originally Posted by TheGuruStud

I had an extreme music, it died within months. Thanks for nothing creative. Which, is of course, another reason I'm pissy haha. I just got the Logitech Z-5500s and need a new card! And you know what the kicker is? The sound card will cost the same as the speakers.

Woah that's strange it died so fast. Thankfully mine is still goin' -knock on wood-. Considering how powerful my Z-5300's are I can only imagine what the Z-5500's sound like. I've had good luck with Creative, but the only product of theirs I've been satisfied with are their Creative EP-630 earbuds. Of course, I did get them for free with my laptop...

[imperialreign]

Originally Posted by FatForester

I've enjoyed my XtremeMusic, and I was surprised it was discontinued so fast since it was really the most balanced part of their lineup. You didn't have to pay for the useless X-RAM, but you got to keep most of the features the "Mega Deluxe Platinum Super Manly Champion Edition" had. By hindsight I wish I had either waited or gone with something else, because the complete lack of Linux drivers is a pain! Right now the best I can get is OSSv4 support on Ubuntu x64 with only 2 speakers. After 3 years, that's pitiful!

the Xtreme Music came with 32MB of RAM on it, it just wasn't an advertising point . . . but I agree, it was probably the most balanced card of the lineup, and a bit more versatile than the Fatal1ty and defi a hellolot cheaper than an Elite Pro.

I think the reason it was discontinued was that it was stealing the Fatal1ty's thunder

[TheGuruStud]

Originally Posted by DanishDevil

You need to get an X-Fi prelude with the Z-5500s. Check out the club in my sig. Auzen X-Fi Prelude = real-time Dolby Digital Live encoding for the Z-5500s, and it sounds AMAZING.

Creative will never get a penny from me or anyone I consult for. They screwed themselves and have no one else to blame. Asus here I come.

[DanishDevil]

Jeez. Just don't hold a grudge against me...

[TheGuruStud]

Originally Posted by DanishDevil

Jeez. Just don't hold a grudge against me...

I have the same beef with intel (and M$, etc, etc)

PS: Those are some awesome tricks and add me to the owners list. I'm one for bragging :P
I can do boost 22, how's that for bragging

[DanishDevil]

I can too. I just haven't updated yet

Come join us in the thread. This one's about the new Auzen.

[FatForester]

Originally Posted by imperialreign

the Xtreme Music came with 32MB of RAM on it, it just wasn't an advertising point . . . but I agree, it was probably the most balanced card of the lineup, and a bit more versatile than the Fatal1ty and defi a hellolot cheaper than an Elite Pro.

I think the reason it was discontinued was that it was stealing the Fatal1ty's thunder

The XtremeMusic doesn't have X-RAM. I know because I own one On the upper-right hand corner where the X-RAM should be located, there's just blank PCB.

[imperialreign]

Originally Posted by FatForester

The XtremeMusic doesn't have X-RAM. I know because I own one On the upper-right hand corner where the X-RAM should be located, there's just blank PCB.

in the upperright hand corner of the board . . . that's not a spot for RAM - it's a couple of LEDs with a cover (pic of the LEDs with the cover off on a Fatal1ty, pic by trodas):




this spot marked on the Xtreme Music is the DRAM:

[FatForester]

Originally Posted by imperialreign

in the upperright hand corner of the board . . . that's not a spot for RAM - it's a couple of LEDs with a cover (pic of the LEDs with the cover off on a Fatal1ty, pic by trodas):




this spot marked on the Xtreme Music is the DRAM:

I'm sorry, I've been mistaken! I always thought that was the X-RAM for some reason, but I never really looked into it that much. The memory you're referring to onboard the XtremeMusic is only 2mb and really just acts as L2 cache for the X-Fi processor. I'm still not sure where you heard about 32mb. The XtremeMusic has always lacked X-RAM so unless if Creative released an OEM version that included it, I have no idea.

[imperialreign]

Originally Posted by FatForester

I'm sorry, I've been mistaken! I always thought that was the X-RAM for some reason, but I never really looked into it that much. The memory you're referring to onboard the XtremeMusic is only 2mb and really just acts as L2 cache for the X-Fi processor. I'm still not sure where you heard about 32mb. The XtremeMusic has always lacked X-RAM so unless if Creative released an OEM version that included it, I have no idea.

curious . . . do you have a first or second revision card?

I'm still kinda trying to pin down what cards came with what amount and type of MEM on them - I've seen Xtreme Musics and Fatal1tys that have to DRAM modules on them, and I've seen them with just one . . . also seen them with the DRAM modules on the backside of the card as well. Some Xtreme Musics had 32MB, as also some Xtreme Gamers had 16MB or 8MB . . . and the cards have also come with only 2MB, which is only really good for housing the APU BIOS

I can't for the life of me, though, figure out why there were so many changes to onboard capacity - the only cards that have stayed a consistent 64MB were the Fatal1ty and the Elite Pro; but Creative changed the DRAM layout, as well as the brand numerous times

[FatForester]

My desktop is at home so I can't check, but I got it in November 2005 so I'd assume a first revision. The only cards and news I've seen regarding the XtremeMusic have talked about 2mb of cache. Of course, most of that was around its initial release so it probably changed once it was transitioned over to OEMs.

After some googling I couldn't find anything.. the only info I found was talking about the 64mb vs. 2mb on the various models. Did you find anything?

[Mussels]

it seems HDMI is the big thing this generation of sound cards.

I like it xonar and now auzen have it... depite being an Xfi chip, i must admit my auzen is flawless, despite being so old.