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(Continued from page
1)... so is the Revolution a
similarly quasi-24-Bit/192kHz Soundcard? Well…
The Revolution uses
the
Envy24HT chipset, which internally supports
24-Bit/192kHz for up to 8 (7.1) channels.
Complementing this
are
AK4355 DACs from AKM - 192 kHz 24-Bit 6 channel DAC
for DVD–Audio.
Free from AC97
limitations, it doesn’t resample
most sources below 48 kHz
either (Down to 32 kHz that is, at
which point it will), something pretty much all consumer soundcards do
(Audigy 2, Santa Cruz, etc., most obviously with CD
playback, which has a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz). While this
does seem to indicate the Revolution 7.1 is truly capable of
high resolution, resampling free playback, there are 2
caveats to this:
As stated before, if
you aren’t using Windows XP Service Pack 1 then the 192 kHz
sampling rate is unavailable. This is an Operating System
limitation, which needs to be resolved by Microsoft (older
operating systems carry support for up to 100 kHz
&
presumably this may addressed by Microsoft).
Obviously the mode selected in the Surround Sound tab is
crucial as well, with both SRS modes & Game mode setting the
sampling rate to 48 kHz. As such, for best audio quality
with the Revolution 7.1 it should be set to ‘No Surround
Processing’, while the Revolution seems to take care of the
sample rate to be used itself.
Overall, the
Revolution 7.1 is a true 24-Bit/192 kHz soundcard
& it
doesn’t take constraints from AC97 limitations unlike many
other soundcards even Creative’s flagship, the Audigy 2
to some extent.
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