We tested the MX300's EAX ability using Creative Labs' special Sound Blaster Live EAX version of Unreal. What we were astonished to find was an identical reproduction of the EAX environmental 3D audio with the MX300 versus the aforementioned SB Live. We had a few staffers really listen in while a player went through the various levels of the game, and there wasn't a single instance where the MX300 didn't faithfully reproduce the same perfect audio positioning that the SB Live did. Even the "waterfall test" you've been reading about online was reproduced accurately.
That's really fantastic, and I guess gamers everywhere can give a big smootch and a thank you to Creative Labs for "donating" the EAX code (which cost them who knows how much money to create) to Microsoft, as now virtually any new audio card that debuts can support EAX with minimal difficulty.
Think of it as if 3Dfx had licensed and allowed their proprietary "Glide" graphic API to be used within Microsoft's DirectX. It would have been great for gamers, but awful for 3Dfx as there would then be one less reason to buy a 3Dfx-based product. Every card from the nVidia TNT to the Matrox G200 line would have support for Glide via DirectX.
The same applies here, as the debate over "EAX versus A3D 2.0" has now been rendered null and void. The MX300 ends the debate with the strong support of MS DirectSound3D EAX.
Let's move along kiddies, it only gets better from here.
The 2nd major group of stats on the MX300 had to do with it's "Maximum Throughput". The literature and online specifications indicate that at launch, the MX300 will support 16 simultaneous streams of 3D positional audio. We delved a little deeper than the surface (hey that's why you love our reviews) and have come to find out the REST of the story.
Just 2 short weeks after the MX300 is made available, a new driverset will be released by Diamond which boosts the total simultaneous 3D streams to a more robust maximum of 32.
Technical innovation is the absolute best isn't it? We've now got Audio Cards, Video Cards, and SCSI Controllers that all have near the processing power of a Pentium 2, yet are optimized for their own independent tasks. Incredible. By boosting the total amount of maximum 3D audio streams to 32, Diamond is offering a fantastically immersive 3D environment that must be heard to be believed.
Creative's Sound Blaster Live is also offering the amazing trip to 3D audio land, both cards are incredible upgrades to what's currently available. Don't worry though, we'll have a head to head feature based on gaming specific qualifications that picks a winner and a loser between the two cards by next week, heh heh heh..(devilish grin)
