Intel D865PERL (Springdale-PE)
Stephen Cooper, May 21st, 2003
..:: SoundMAX 4XL Audio ::..
As time has progressed, we have come across several integrated onboard audio codecs that have surprised us at both their quality, and their feature sets. With each additional generation of these codecs, new features are brought to the surface to improve not only your listening environment, but improve your overall experience with other aspects such as installation. The Analog Devices SoundMAX 4 Digital Audio System product line is one of these ever improving audio solutions, powered by their latest AC 97’ audio codec, AD1985. This chip will be utilized on all of the Intel desktop boards, with the exception of the D875PBZ, along with several other manufacturers’ product lines, and for good reason. Before I dish out my opinion on this audio solution, let’s take a look at some of the features and specifications for SoundMAX 4 Digital Audio System.
..:: AudioESP ::..
The SoundMAX 4 Digital Audio System’s AudioESP provides support for advanced jack-sensing and enumeration, a feature that is only available on board utilizing the AD1985 codec. This feature will intelligently monitor the audio connections for new devices, whether they are installed while the system is running, or whether devices were connected while the system was powered down. As soon as the device is connected, a window will pop up and ask you what device you plugged into the mini-plug. Say you accidentally place the mic into the green line-out connector. The program will then tell you that this is the wrong connector, and that the mic should be moved from the green line-out connector to the pink mic-in connector. AD also includes their own “Audio Wizard” software which will quickly allow the user to set up their audio peripherals and configure the system for their given setup, whether it is stereo, or 5.1 surround sound.
..:: PureAudio 2.0 ::..
This is a feature of the SoundMAX 4 Digital Audio System that those users whom use microphones for gaming, or for use in word processors will want to take a look at. The SoundMAX 4 Digital Audio System features PureAudio 2.0, a technology by Andrea Electronics that is responsible for noise cancellation on input devices like microphones. This noise cancellation technology is said to improve the overall recognition rate of speech enabled programs, even with cheap microphones. The PureAudio 2.0 technology works by detecting and removing repetitive noise, providing the system with the optimal input performance.
..:: High Performance Gaming ::..
A well known problem that has constantly plagued onboard audio solutions has been their high level of CPU usage in comparison to your typical PCI based audio card. According to the Analog Devices tests, they claim that as the processor speed increases, they have seen the SoundMAX 4 based systems actually outperforming hardware based PCI solutions. We’ll be taking a look at whether or not there is any real substance to this statement in a minute, however it does seem possible as with modern computers, the PCI bus is already clogged with traffic which can hamper performance. AD also claims that there will be higher frame rates regardless of the display resolution. We decided to test out this claim to see if there was any real meat to it. Since we’re using a 3.00GHz, 800MHz FSB Pentium 4, we figured this would be fast enough to see if the software based SoundMAX could indeed beat the SB Live! 5.1. Well, if you take a look at the graph above you’ll see that it failed to do so. Granted, we are testing this on a motherboard with the CSA technology so the bus limitations due to LAN are non-existent which frees up more room for data for the PCI based sound card.
..:: Advanced Game Sound Effects ::..
The SoundMAX 4 product line matches or outperforms several of the standard PCI based sound cards with its support for all major game audio technologies and the environmental effects. SoundMAX 4 provides support for Direct Sound, EAX, Sensura’s 3D Positional Audio technologies such as MacroFX and ZoomFX, along with 3D spatialization and the new Sound Production eXtentions. This SPX technology allows for sound effects to be created, animated, and manipulated in real time during game play. This is a new unique way to avoid having the same old looped sound effects playing over, and over. SPX uses sound behaviors to generate sounds that constantly change.
..:: 5.1 Channel Surround Sound ::..
SoundMAX 4 provides support for both a virtual 5.1 simulation from two stereo speakers and actual four channel and 5.1 multispeaker output for enhancement of DVD playback. By utilizing Sensura’s Virtual Theatre Surround technology, SoundMAX 4 can create several virtual surround speakers when multichannel audio is played through a standard stereo setup. I’ve been using this for quite some time now and I must say it does do an exceptional job at create a virtual surround sound effect.
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