Discuss: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS - sound card Series Sign in to comment. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage.
- VidCap for Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Video Editor 1.00.0010. This download contains the video driver and VidCap, an application you can use with your Sound Blaster® Audigy 2 ZS Video Editor to capture and convert videos for editing. For more details, read the rest of this web release note.
- Creative Sound Blaster Audigy series Vista Driver 2.12.0002 This download is a driver providing Microsoft® Windows® Vista 64-bit and Windows Vista 32-bit support for Creative Sound Blaster® Audigy® series audio devices.
We like the new features Creative has added to their Audigy line. DTS-ES, THX configuration panels, 7.1 speaker support and dB-accurate fader controls all constitute good — albeit incremental — progress. To stay ahead of the growing number of competent motherboard-down purveyors, Creative must continue to find new features to roll into its products. With the Audigy 2 ZS, there are new elements aimed at enhancing the gaming, DVD-Audio and home theater experiences. And while the 7.1 speaker format doesn’t represent a quantum leap forward, it does improve some of these experiences appreciably.
Creative Audigy 2 Zs
If you’ve got an original Audigy, and have decided it’s time to put some new audio iron into your box, the $99 Audigy 2 ZS is a good option. For that price, you’re getting solid CPU usage and signal quality performance, plus two full-version games for your entertainment pleasure. If you’re musically inclined, the $199 Platinum edition will let you indulge that fancy with additional audio I/O, as well as two good entry-level music production applications from Steinberg. Given its steep price tag, we can’t really recommend the $249 Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro unless you absolutely require the higher-resolution multitrack recording. We don’t think it brings enough to the table to warrant its high price.
| Product: | Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS |
| Website: | www.Soundblaster.com |
| Pros: | Solid audio quality, DTS-ES, lower- and mid-range editions deliver good value |
| Cons: | May not be compelling enough to warrant an upgrade. Top-end offering is overpriced. |
| Summary: | The addition of DTS-ES and 7.1 speaker support makes the 2 ZS a worthy upgrade if you watch a lot of DVDs on your PC. The Platinum edition adds music production software to the mix, but only consider the overpriced Platinum Pro if you absolutely must have your breakout box on your desktop. |
| Price: | Audigy 2 ZS: $99, Audigy 2 ZS Platinum: $199, Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro: $249, |
| Score: | Audigy 2 ZS |
| Audigy 2 ZS Platinum | |
| Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro |
Creative Labs Audigy 2 Zs
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Zs
- 8 of 8