Another fun little toy type thing!

[Jammrock]

I'm on a roll today. I normally use a Sound Blaster Extigy to get better sound off my laptop, but this looks like an Extigy killer:

http://www.echoindigo.com/

It's a PCMCIA card built by Echo Audio, specifically designed to be a high-end portable sound card solution. It has true 24-bit/96kHz sampling, 2 headphone outputs, an analog volume control on the card and a built-in headphone amplifer for those high impedence Sennheiser headphones.

I know something that's about to make it on my Christmas wish list

Jammrock

[Dr Mordrid]

OhBoy...an Echo audio card for laptops?

Dear Santa....

Dr. Mordrid

[az]

http://audioen.terratec.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=159&menu=213

AZ

[Kooldino]

So i take it Echo makes nice desktop stuff as well?

[Jammrock]

Echo desktop stuff is all professional grade recording stuff. This Indigo is their first consumer card. There are two other variations of the Indigo that come out soon (tm):

A stereo recorder and playback pc card - http://www.echoaudio.com/Products/IndigoIO/index.php

And one for DJ's: http://www.echoaudio.com/Products/IndigoDJ/index.php

So yes, Echo cards are very nice cards...for music. For gaming they will only do stereo. And I'm not quite sure whether there is full DirectX sound support. It supports WMP 9 so I would assume it works for gaming as well.

Jammrock

[Jammrock]

Originally posted by Kooldino
So i take it Echo makes nice desktop stuff as well?

Not yet, but soon(tm). Ripped from the 'About Echo Audio' section of their website:

Echo currently has two new products/technologies that will address the need for higher fidelity audio and DVD audio/surround sound playback for laptop and desktop computers. These products will begin shipping in Q3 2002; at the moment, there are no similar products available which offer comparable audio specifications in the consumer market. As the personal computer, consumer, and professional audio markets converge as a result of recent developments in digital audio technology, Echo will be ideally positioned to take advantage of this rapidly expanding market.

We know the laptop product is the Indigo, but what the desktop product is ... only time will tell us.

Jammrock

[Dr Mordrid]

Echos desktop audio is currently more for studio work;

http://www.echoaudio.com/Products/

The LAYLA24, GINA24 and MIA are 24bit/96khz cards with varying numbers of I/O, but all support WDM, ASIO and GSIF drivers. LAYLA is a rackmount, GINA uses a breakout box while MIA uses a cable spider.

Steinberg created the ASIO standard while GSIF is a GigaStudio standard. Both are used by various pro audio softwares.

For those who haven't heard an Echo cards output it's just flat fantastic.

IF Echo comes out with multichannel cards in the consumer price range Creative won't know what hit 'em

Dr. Mordrid

[Jammrock]

ROFL!!!

Echo currently has two new products/technologies that will address the need for higher fidelity audio and DVD audio/surround sound playback for laptop and desktop computers. These products will begin shipping in Q4 2002; at the moment, there are no similar products available which offer comparable audio specifications in the consumer market. As the personal computer, consumer, and professional audio markets converge as a result of recent developments in digital audio technology, Echo will be ideally positioned to take advantage of this rapidly expanding market.

I think the webmaster typo'ed. I just went back to the website and it's Q4 2002, instead of the Q3 2002 it was this monrning. I think they update the quarter they were coming out, but not the year.

LOL

Jammrock

[az]

Originally posted by Dr Mordrid
IF Echo comes out with multichannel cards in the consumer price range Creative won't know what hit 'em

Terratec have done that long ago, and did it kill Creative?

AZ