Award-winning technologies and ExpressCard compliance make this is the most desirable audio upgrade for modern notebooks.

Some of the key features include:

• ExpressCard format ensures compatibility with the latest laptops.
• X-Fi Crystalizer restores the details and vibrance lost during audio compression, enhancing MP3/WMA, streaming audio and video, TV and radio, DivX and DVD movies.
• X-Fi CMSS-3D, which expands stereo music and movie sound tracks into amazing surround, even over headphones.

Creative (NASDAQ: CREAF) a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products, announces the Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook, the ExpressCard audio upgrade designed for the modern notebook. It features award-winning Creative X-Fi technologies including X-Fi Crystalizer, which breathes life back into audio and restores the details and vibrancy lost during compression to MP3 and DivX; and X-Fi CMSS-3D, which expands stereo music and movie sound tracks into amazing surround, even over headphones. It provides a new level of performance in notebook audio, especially when combined with PowerDVD for Dolby and DTS movies, or with EAX and OpenAL in games. In additional to all this functionality it includes line level and digital optical inputs/outputs as well as microphone and headphone jacks, plus the option to connect 5.1 or 7.1 surround speakers via the optional docking module.
“Notebook users should not settle for basic notebook sound,” explains Darragh O'Toole, European Senior Brand Manager with Creative Labs. “Their music and movies deserve Xtreme Fidelity so they can experience compelling surround sound over any headphones or speakers.
“Our X-Fi Crystalizer technology intelligently enhances highs and lows so that compressed music or movie sound tracks are reproduced with crystal clarity. X-Fi CMSS-3D creates a virtual sound stage in the space around the listener, with voices centred in front and ambient sounds all around. People can now also enjoy cinematic DVD movie playback and surround sound even over headphones when they use PowerDVD featuring DTS® and Dolby Digital®-EX decoding,” he adds.
“By complying with the new ExpressCard format and making the system compatible with Windows Vista we are enabling users of the most recent notebooks to benefit from our Xtreme Fidelity technologies and maximise the entertainment potential of their new system.”

Sounds pretty good. If I had a laptop, I would most likely be getting this.