Installation of the SQ2500 is as simple as installing any plug
and play sound card. Just shut your computer down, install the sound card, boot
your comp back up and Windows will ask for the drivers. A five minute process at
most. You can install all the other goodies that Aureal gives you if you wish
(just what I need, another copy of Drakan).
The Aureal drivers puts an icon in your start bar for you to
access the Vortex Control Panel. The control panel allows you to adjust nearly
every sound setting one can think of. There are even some cool 3D sound demos.
My favorite demo is the helicopter one. It really feels like there is a
helicopter flying over your head.
To test the SQ2500, I hook the system up to the S4 MidiLand 7100
Surround Speaker system. The labeling on the back of the sound card doesn't tell
which output is for front and which is for back. I just plug them in and then
use the Vortex Control Panel to see if I did it right. It turns out I had them
backwards. No big deal. Just had to reverse the plugs and I was good to go.
The games used to test the SQ2500 were UT and Q3A. Both games
support A3D. I must admit that while Q3A is the better game, UT wins in the 3D
sound department. The SQ2500 really bought the both games to life. The 3D
effects were really amazing. Rocket flying by your head was really lifelike and
will make your heart skip a beat.
The best way to enjoy the the SQ2500 is with a four speaker
surround sound setup like the S4 MidiLand 2500. The 3D effects are no where near
as great with two speakers. The effects are still there, it just doesn't seem as
believable as with four speakers.
The SQ2500 is a very quiet sound card. With a S/N ratio of over
98dB, you won't hear anything when you play a zero bit CD track. If you do hear
noise, it's most likely coming from your speaker amp. High Signal to Noise ratio
is required to keep the noise floor low and increase the dynamic range. The
SQ2500 does a great job being quiet when it needs to be and thundering loud when
you're ready to fire off some rockets.
The really cool thing about the SQ2500 is that the new drivers
has support for EAX as well as A3D. This means you don't need a Sound Blaster
card to hear the 3D sound effects of EAX games. Aureal sound cards will do both
A3D and EAX games but Sound Blaster will only do EAX for now. Kinda makes the
decision a little easier doesn't it?
Overall, I really like this sound card. When paired up with a
good set of surround sound speakers, the SQ2500 can really add life to a game.
Priced at under $100, it's also a very good deal. With good game bundle and
support for both A3D and EAX I don't see a reason why you wouldn't get a SQ2500
as your next 3D sound card.
The Goods
The Bads
Rating
9/10
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