SonicXplosion DVD

In order to differentiate itself, Pure Digital (formerly known as Videologic) has launched the SonicXplosion DVD, a re-badged Terratec card that is focused at the burgeoning PC-based home cinema market.

For some time now, sound cards have not exactly been at the cutting edge of silicon development. AC97 onboard audio has gotten much better of late, with motherboards supporting 5.1 output very much commonplace. In terms of sound for gaming, apart from Creative’s EAX work, everything uses DirectSound acceleration at least, which means any old DSP can pump out the gaming sound.

In order to differentiate itself, Pure Digital (formerly known as Videologic) has launched the SonicXplosion DVD, a re-badged Terratec card that is focused at the burgeoning PC-based home cinema market. The card has analog 5.1 outputs as well as S/PDIF optical in/out for pass-through decoding. Sound quality in games is crisp and clear, as is the musical output thanks to the high quality associated with the Terratec and Pure Digital names.

But this is a card focused on DVD sound output, which is achieved through the software bundle that accompanies the card (a major differentiator between sound cards nowadays is the software bundle). The card itself isn’t capable of hardware 5.1 decoding, like nearly all cards that tout Dolby 5.1 support, and instead relies on software decoding through the bundled WinDVD software. The same holds true for the Pro Logic II and DTS decoding also supported by the card. Onboard are enough analog outputs to drive up to a 5.1 set of speakers to match the Dolby 5.1 decoding undertaken in WinDVD, as well as an optical out, which is perfect for hooking up other speakers to the card. Optical in is provided on the card (unlike most solutions that use a drive bay or external box for extra ports like optical out). Optical in provides the huge potential for the card to be used for pass-through decoding of audio streams supplied by another source. As the card is designed for entertainment not DV, it lacks the IEEE 1394 port that is possessed by some other competing solutions.

The card allows for maximum playback and recording at 20-bit 48kHz, less than the Audigy 2, but still offering very respectable quality, perfect for DVD listening. If you want good quality 5.1 functionality from your sound card, then the SonicXplosion delivers.