A3D for Pennies

Diamond announced Monday its new Sonic Impact S90 audio accelerator powered by Aureal's Vortex A3D audio chip. While cards already exist that use the Vortex processor, cards running the Vortex 2 processor are just on the horizon. The Sonic Impact S90 will be selling for only US$49.95.

The card still offers all the PCI speed that has become the new soundboard standard and offers 64-bit wave-table synthesis and DOS support. If you're looking for 3D audio support, the Sonic Impact S90 offers support for both Microsoft's DirectSound3D and Aureal's A3D APIs through Windows 95/98/NT 4.0 through two speakers or headphones (there is no four-speaker support for the S90).

One of the new features that Diamond has focused on with its latest audio offerings is MP3 audio files. Diamond will pack in MusicMatch's JukeBox MP3 software to allow users to make their own MP3 files and listen to them on their PCs or Diamond's upcoming Rio that plays MP3 files in a Walkman-sized device.

So if you're looking for an inexpensive way to experience 3D audio in games like Unreal or Jedi Knight without breaking the bank, the Sonic Impact S90 may be just what you're looking for.