Creative announces Audigy 2

Creative Technology has announced the Sound Blaster Audigy 2, the latest in its long-running line of PC sound cards. The Audigy 2 has the same claim to high-quality 24-bit/96kHz sound as the Audigy, but adds support for 6.1 Dolby Digital EX, which adds an extra rear channel speaker. The 6.1 output will work with DirectSound3D games and with DVDs encoded with Dolby Digital EX support, and the card can also up-mix stereo sources to output to 6.1 speakers.

The Audigy 2 seems intended for PC users with a taste for high-end audio electronics. Creative points out that users can take advantage of a PC's DVD-ROM drive and the Audigy 2 to play DVD-Audio discs for full 24-bit sound. The Audigy 2 is also capable of 24-bit audio recording, a feature that has previously been limited to high-end professional sound cards.

The Audigy 2 has a suggested price of $129.99, while a platinum version that includes extra front-mounted connectors will cost $199.99. Both versions will ship worldwide in October.