Fusion NET takes a look at some of Akasa�s range of PC cooling products. The Akasa Company was founded in 1997 in Taipei and London and has since expanded to Rotterdam, Sao Paulo and Brazil. Their current focus is within the PC cooling market and currently distributes in Asia Pacific, Middle East, Northern and Southern Europe, USA and South America. Akasa�s range of products includes Cooling, Power Supplies, Cables, and Case Mods.

Today�s competitive expanding market of cooling components within the PC industry has meant lower prices and more choice for common pc users, pc enthusiasts and overclockers. As software applications and games have become increasingly demanding so have the cooling requirements of today�s modern PC systems. Today�s CPU�s, Graphics Cards and Hard Drives all add immense heat to your PC system and pose a threat towards the functionality of your computers hardware. It is important if you are using your PC over long hours or overclocking your hardware to have sufficient air flow to cool down those components. Relying on the existing cooling hardware within your PC may not do the job as PC manufacturers often take other factors into consideration, such as noise levels, because of this companies are often deterred from incorporating higher performance cooling hardware. Akasa provide various easy-to-install cooling products to enable you to use your system with peace of mind and their range of LED products add style to your PC case.

In this review we took a look at the following products from Akasa:

D2D backup solutions are rapidly becoming a preferred alternative to traditional tape backup. Compared to tape, the D2D backup technology offers higher transfer speeds, (performance improvements as high as 200%); lower costs (savings up to 50% over comparable tape solutions); greater ease of use and 100% accuracy for restored data.

"Data Express disk-to-disk backup solutions are designed specifically with unique features intended for small to medium-sized companies who are considering an alternative to the limitations and hassles associated with tape backup technology," said Ajay Lukha, Director/General Manager EMEA at StorCase Technology Europe. "Our DE110 for 3.5" drives is a very cost�effective internal solution, with the added advantage of providing enhanced security over other Disk based back-up products," added Lukha.

The Data Express backup solution is the first product to market that supports an internal USB connection, providing the ability to back-up online with low cost, hot-swappable IDE media. In addition, with the drive locked in during the back-up cycle, the back-up data is secure at all times. These unique hardware elements combined with well-proven back-up software make it a very serious competitor to traditional tape.

"The combination of Dantz� Retrospect OEM Express software and the new StorCase Data Express removable backup units provides an outstanding option for IT managers attempting to select an excellent backup solution," stated Don Chouinard, Director of Product Marketing at Dantz Development Corp. "It is a great opportunity for both StorCase and Dantz to contribute to the growing D2D backup market," he added.

Rugged and versatile, the new DE50 and DE110 offer the highest frame to carrier interface connector ratings (25K for DE110; 20K for DE50) and exceed operating specification guidelines defined by the industry�s leading drive manufacturers. Built-in quality details ensure ongoing performance in continuous drive swapping applications and provide the ultimate protection for high-performance drives.

Adaptec for years have been producing high-end controller cards to cater for server and workstation environments. Adaptec previously focused their efforts towards higher-cost interface types, such as SCSI and RAID. With the recent addition of SATA technology businesses and even home consumers are able to enjoy higher speed transfer rates at a fraction of the cost. Whilst SATA is not yet considered an ideal technology for stable server environments it is steadily becoming common in both home-user and workstation environments.

With the addition of Western Digital�s Raptor SATA drive SATA owners are able to reach speeds of up to 10,000RPM and 1.5 Gbps (150 MB/sec) on each drive within a disk drive array. Whilst the SATA interface may still fall behind SCSI in terms of performance and stability it is still a significant step up from the traditional IDE interface technology. SATA technology uses smaller cables, which means its better for expandability reasons and air cooling efficiency. This is particularly useful for servers and workstations but, of course with today�s modern graphics cards air cooling is also main priority for home consumers. The most promising feature of Serial ATA is that it works along side IDE and SCSI interfaces, including all major operating systems, providing true compatibility and ease-of-use.

Features and Specifications

The Adaptec SATA 2410SA RAID controller comes equipped with 4 Serial-ATA ports and supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 10 and JBOD configurations. Along with its onboard Intel 80302 microprocessor the card comes with 64 MB�s of fixed ECC SDRAM cache memory, providing true performance and enhanced stability. Along with several configuration benefits, SATA technology improves data transmission through a point-to-point topology, which eliminates bus sharing, thereby delivering a full 1.5Gb/s bandwidth to each drive. The cards 48-bit LBA (Logical Block Addressing) enables support for larger drives. Logical Block addressing is a method used with SCSI, IDI and SATA drives to translate the cylinder, head and sector specifications of the drive into addresses that can be used by an enhanced BIOS. LBA is used with drives that are larger than 528MB�s. Because all modern drives are built bigger than 528MB�s LBA technology comes standard with all drives. The Adaptec 2410SA supports SATA 2 features including enclosure management and backplanes.

Key Differentiators

� Optimized Disk Utilization
� RAID Level Migration
� Online capacity expansion
� Background initialization (for immediate RAID availability)
� Enclosure Management ready
� Hot-swap disk drive support for easy replacement
� Hot-spare disk support with automatic rebuild
� Supports bootable arrays

Data Transfer Rate
Up to 1.5 Gbits/sec

Internal Connectors
Four Serial ATA ports

Bus Type
64-bit/66MHz PCI

System Requirements
Available PCI slot meeting PCI 2.2 specification

RAID Levels
64 MByte (onboard)

Key RAID Features

� Optimized disk utilization
� Online RAID Level Migration
� Online capacity expansion
� Immediate RAID availability (background initialization)
� S.M.A.R.T. support

Supported Operating Systems
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Microsoft Windows Server 2003
RedHat Linux 7.3
RedHat Linux 8.0
SuSE Linux 8.0
SuSE Linux 8.1
SCO UnixWare 7.11
Caldera Open Unix 8

Conclusion

The Adaptec SATA 2410SA RAID controller card is the ideal controller card for servers and workstations. The high price-tag will undoubtedly deter home consumers from buying this product and this is where Adaptec�s more affordable SATA range comes in. Like so many home consumers, especially those with high-speed net connections, the problem of managing vast amounts of data is on the increase. Those home users who can afford to have turned to components, which are primarily aimed at server environments, to manage data within their systems. If you are a home user and you can afford the price tag then it would be well worth considering the upgrade. Because of its performance and expandability features we are going to award the Adaptec SATA 2410SA Raid controller with a 5 star rating.

MARKHAM, ON � To the delight of gamers everywhere, ATI Technologies Inc. (TSX: ATY, NASDAQ: ATYT) today launched its RADEON� X800 Visual Processing Unit (VPU) which will deliver the industry�s most awesome gaming experience possible on a PC. With the introduction of the RADEON X800, ATI continues its two year reign as the industry leader in high-end graphics for gaming and ushers in a new era, High Definition Gaming. Worldwide system integrators, original equipment manufacturers and board partners are excited to deliver RADEON X800 powered systems and boards beginning immediately.

Gamers using computers powered by RADEON X800 will enjoy a higher performance, immersive gaming experience that looks better than ever before. This High Definition Gaming experience is the PC equivalent to watching a sporting event on an HDTV. This is made possible by the highly scalable and efficient architecture of the RADEON X800 that uses 16 parallel pixel pipes and 6 vertex pipes to process more than 8 billion pixels and almost 800 million vertices per second.

�The RADEON X800 builds on the great success of the RADEON 9700 and RADEON 9800, the most sought-after high-end visual processors in the world," said Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President Marketing, General Manager, Desktop, ATI Technologies Inc. �With the RADEON X800, the design team has accomplished something that no one thought was possible. Not only have they developed the highest-performing and most efficient graphics architecture in the world, they have done so while maintaining high levels of stability, reliability and manufacturability.�

ATI has used the most advanced technologies available to design and manufacture its new RADEON X800 graphics chips. Using the successful low k .13 micron semiconductor process from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., ATI created a scalable, highly parallel and powerful visual processor that is twice as fast as today�s performance leader, the RADEON� 9800 XT. The advanced fabrication process and leading-edge GDDR3 memory have also enabled ATI and its board partners to deliver high-performance, user-friendly graphics card solutions which will work in customer�s existing PCs without requiring radical and costly power supply or cooling upgrades.

�RADEON X800 is awesome! The speed it can run shaders at high resolutions with all the features turned on allows us to bring Battlefield 2 to life like never before. ATI has done a great job again,� said Torbjorn Laedre and Torbjorn S�derman, Lead Render Programmers, Digital Illusions CE.

The RADEON X800 includes innovative new features that will enhance a gamer�s experience immediately and will help game developers deliver great games for the future. For example, ATI�s new compression technology 3Dc�, will easily allow game developers to create better-looking games by using high-resolution normal maps. Normal maps are used to give characters and scenes high levels of detail without the performance hit that would normally be associated with using high-polygon models. For gamers this means that their games will look better than ever without impacting performance, which is of utmost importance in high definition gaming.

�As soon as we began working with normal mapping in our games, we quickly realized that one of our biggest bottlenecks was going to be the memory usage of un-compressed normal map textures. Up until now, our only options have been to use some kind of low-quality compression, or to cut back on the number and size of normal mapped assets,� said Rowan Wyborn, Irrational Games. �With 3Dc, we finally have a high-quality compression solution that gives almost perfect results, with 4:1 savings in texture memory. This will allow us to put much finer detail into objects than we could previously and increase the number of normal mapped assets we can put in our games without blowing our texture budget.�

�Ritual Entertainment will use ATI�s new 3Dc normal map compression technology to double the detail in our next generation game environments,� said Doug Service, Director of Technology Development, Ritual Entertainment. �Thanks to ATI, we can now create normal maps with twice the amount of detail that use the same amount of memory as our original uncompressed normal maps. This will lead to an outstanding increase in visual fidelity for the characters and the entire scene. Ultimately, what ATI�s 3Dc normal map compression technology means to gamers is more highly detailed game worlds and a more immersive game play experience.�

The RADEON X800 builds upon ATI�s success delivering visual processors for the high-end gaming and computer enthusiast market. "Currently nearly 80% of high-performance DirectX� 9 graphics cards shipping are powered by ATI's visual processors," said Dean McCarron, Mercury Research. "The new RADEON X800 series visual processors demonstrate ATI�s continued focus on the high-end segment of the PC graphics market."

ATI and its worldwide board partners will offer several configurations of graphics boards based on the RADEON X800 chips. Board partners that will be shipping RADEON X800 products include ABIT, ASUS, Celestica, Club 3D, Connect 3D, Creative, Diamond, Elsa, FIC, Gigabyte, Hightech Information Systems, Info-Tek, MSI, Sapphire, Tul, VisionTek, Xpertvision and Yuan.

System Integrators including ABS, Alienware, Falcon Northwest, Velocity Micro, VoodooPC and ZT Group will include the RADEON X800 in their systems for customers who want the ultimate gaming PC.

ATI will offer two RADEON X800 products, the RADEON� X800 XT Platinum Edition and the RADEON� X800 PRO through retail, system integrator and OEM partners.

For the competitive gamers who demand the best performance bar-none, the RADEON X800 XT Platinum Edition will be powered by a 16-pipe pixel processing engine clocked at 520MHz. To take advantage of the massive pixel processing power of the RADEON X800 XT Platinum Edition the product has been paired with high-speed 1.12GHz data rate GDDR3 memory and a 256-bit memory interface. The RADEON X800 XT Platinum Edition will ship later this month with a suggested retail price of $499.

The RADEON X800 PRO, with a suggested retail price of $399, will be powered by a 12-pipe pixel processing engine clocked at 475MHz. A 256-bit memory interface and GDDR3 memory with a 900MHz data rate will deliver unmatched performance in its price category. The RADEON X800 PRO is shipping immediately and customers can purchase it online through major retailers in North America starting today. Customers can also purchase the RADEON X800 PRO at ATI�s online store at www.ati.com.

For more information on the RADEON X800 and its underlying features and technologies, please visit www.ati.com.

Product Type: Sound Card | Manufacturer: Creative | Price �99.99 inc VAT

Hardware Fusion gets to grips with the new Audigy 2 ZS audio card from Creative, their first 7.1 surround sound card to be released and with THX certification. Surround sound products are big business for companies like Creative, companies are always aspiring to bring the effect of cinema entertainment into the home and with Creative�s entry of their 7.1 surround sound card the reality is becoming even more apparent. With every audio card release that rises above a new format, for example 6.1 to 7.1, comes an easily profitable opportunity in the form of new surround sound speaker systems that are able to support the new format. Creative�s Inspire T7700, TD7700 and S750�s are all products which are instant bread winners as they are marketed so closely to the Audigy 2 ZS sound card. Having said that Creative has been clear to note that their TD7700 and S750 products are able to support both 6.1 and 5.1 sound cards via their CMSS upmix option. However, CMSS upmix does not mean true 7.1 surround sound! The leap from the Audigy 2 to Audigy 2 ZS saw some noticeable but minimal improvements. Creative�s idea to withdraw the Audigy 2 and replace it with the ZS was probably due to the small gap in advancement between the two products.

Features and Specifications

Creative�s Audigy 2 ZS incorporates the addition of two significant new features over the Audigy 2, which are support for 7.1 surround and EAX 4.0. In terms of additional features the Audigy 2 ZS has improved very little. The Audigy 2 ZS is simply a revamp, or tweaked version of the Audigy 2 that adds a certain degree of necessary updates to cope with today�s modern 7.1 speaker systems and lets not forget EAX 4.0, which Creative say is the next revolutionary technology to hit PC gaming.

High Definition Audio Quality for Playback and Recording

• 24-bit Digital-to-Analog conversion during playback with sampling rates of 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, 48 and 96kHz in 7.1 mode and up to 192kHz in stereo mode
  
• 24-bit Analog-to-Digital conversion during recording in 8, 16 or 24-bit at sampling rates of 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, 48 and 96kHz
  
• SPDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) input at up to 24-bit/ 96kHz quality
  
• SPDIF output up to 24-bit at 48 or 96kHz
  
• ASIO drivers for low latency (�2ms) multi-track playback and recording at 16-bit/48kHz*

Advanced Audio and 3D Audio Technology

• Hardware acceleration of EAX� and EAX� ADVANCED HD� for games
  
• 32-bit Professional Quality Effects Engine with support for real-time digital effects like reverb and chorus across any audio source

• Creative Hardware synthesizer (2x16 Channels) with 64-voice polyphony featuring E-MU��s patented 8-point interpolation technology for accurate sample reproduction
  
• Creative Software synthesizer - multi timbral wave-table (16 Channels)

• FireWire� (IEEE� 1394) / i-Link� compatible interface with up to 400Mbps transfer rate

• Line level out (Front / Side / Rear / Center / Subwoofer)
  
• Digital Out for 5.1 support (6-channel SPDIF output to Creative digital speakers
  
• Line in
  
• Microphone in
  
• FireWire� (IEEE� 1394)
  
• Telephone Answering Device in
  
• Analog / Digital CD Audio in
  
• 15-pin MIDI / Joystick port extension header
  
• AD_EXT extension header to the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Internal I/O Drive (Upgrade Option)
  
• Internal IEEE� 1394 header to Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Internal I/O Drive (Upgrade Option)

Hardware Fusion interviews Darragh O�Toole, European Brand Manager for Audio products at Creative Europe. Darragh O�Toole is involved in the full lifecycle of the audio product range at Creative, from product development through to sales and marketing.

Q. Since the release of the Audigy card how have you built upon the surround sound format to achieve an effective 7.1 surround sound experience?

A. Cinema technology has been an obvious leader in defining the channel standards moving from 5.1 to 6 .1 and now 7.1. 7.1 nicely fills the gap in the sound field where you can now hear sounds in pretty accurate 360 degrees without having to wait until they have moved fully to the rear before you realise they have passed you. For Movies, we have added support for Dolby Digital Surround EX and DTS-ES with speaker replication to take full advantage of the 7.1 configuration for 5.1 titles without affecting the original mix.

Q. The Audigy 2 ZS comes with the DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 surround format with the rear channel matrixed into a 7.1 format. Whilst gamers will be able to enjoy true surround sound via the cards DirectSound3D or OpenAL encoder how have you optimized the format to cater for film and music listeners?

A. For Movies, the cards are certified by THX and we include the THX control panel for accurate configuration. Also, in addition to the standard surround decoding, we also allow you to replicate 5.1 rear channels to the sides so you can take advantage of a full 7.1 setup. For Music listening the CMSS algorithms have been in continuous development to make the surround upmix more effective and now we feel we offer a compelling alternative to any other third party upmix technology.

Q. Until a few years ago the DTS-ES encoding format was rarely used by DVD manufacturers, due to the high capacity demands that the audio format required. With the arrival of the lower DTS bitrate DVD manufacturers were able to incorporate both DTS and Dolby Digital sound tracks into their DVD�s. How long do you think it will be before film maker�s start encoding into true 7.1 surround sound?

A. Large industries like film move pretty slowly but if DVD-Audio can be taken as a reference where full bandwidth 24/96 audio is being considered at the recording stage of studio albums, I think we can assume that as capacity and processing power become less of an issue that movie soundtracks will begin to transition to a non compressed format.

Q. Correct me if I am wrong but as far as movies and music are concerned Creative do not appear to clearly specify that the 7.1 format is in fact a 6.1 discrete format matrixed into 7.1 surround. Why is this?

Hardware Fusion�s 7.1 feature looks at today�s surround sound technology for the PC home user and receives input from Creative�s European Brand Manager for audio products, Darragh O�Toole. Hardware Fusion also has an in-depth look at Creative�s latest 7.1 audio card, the Audigy 2 ZS, a full interview with Darragh O�Toole and a Audigy 2 ZS Giveaway!

7.1 is the latest surround sound format to hit the home consumer PC market. For years sound experts have inspired to bring the full effect of cinema entertainment into the home. With the release of Creative�s Audigy 2 ZS, Creative�s first 7.1 THX certified sound card, the reality of home cinema entertainment has been taken a step further.

The new 7.1 format introduces two additional channels, which have been given the placement of left and right side speakers. With the incorporation of two extra channels the user will be able to enjoy a 360 degree audio environment, which will further add to the immersive atmosphere that surround sound entertainment has to offer, and will bring home users a step closer to the reality of modern day cinema.

�Darragh O�Toole: Cinema technology has been an obvious leader in defining the channel standards moving from 5.1 to 6 .1 and now 7.1. 7.1 nicely fills the gap in the sound field where you can now hear sounds in pretty accurate 360 degrees without having to wait until they have moved fully to the rear before you realise they have passed you. For Movies, we have added support for Dolby Digital Surround EX and DTS-ES with speaker replication to take full advantage of the 7.1 configuration for 5.1 titles without affecting the original mix.�

For gamers the 7.1 sound format means increased realism when it comes to playing today�s games. Creative�s Audigy 2 ZS incorporates the use of API�s, such as DirectSound3D and OpenAL, which are capable of rendering full bandwidth, 7.1 TRUE surround sound. Creative�s Multi-Environment� engine moves the reverberation effects away from just being the listener's reverb to being able to tie reverberation effects directly to the sounds themselves, which in practice allows a sound source to carry a reverb with it into the next environment of the game. This technology is highly useful for creating seamless transitions of environmental effects whilst moving from one environment to another, therefore greatly enhancing upon realism. With the addition of Creative�s latest EAX 4.0 and Multi-Environment� technology the harnessing power of 7.1 audio becomes clearly apparent, for it introduces a more realistic audio experience with smoother panning.

�Darragh O�Toole: If you take Jedi Knight Academy and Colin McRae 4, developers from Creative have worked closely with the audio development team for the games to assist with the implementation and have been to hand every step of the way. Colin McRae, while sounding like an unlikely candidate for EAX 4 is an excellent example of how even we were blown away by how real it made the in-car experience. With distinct regions of the car representing a specific environment you really do get in touch with every nuance of the car�s movement as you�re hurtling around the tracks.�

Creative (Nasdaq: CREAF) the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products for the personal computer and the Internet, today announces a new achievement in size and substance with a major addition to its award-winning family of portable audio players. Catering for the individual who appreciates rich features combined with ultimate portability and style, the Creative MuVo� Slim 256MB dresses for success at a slender 7.6mm (0.3in.) thick. Combining digital audio, FM radio and live voice recording in an ultra-compact design that�s no bigger than a credit card, the MuVo Slim 256MB will be available in May at an SRP of �149.99inc VAT.

The Creative MuVo Slim fits easily inside a shirt or suit pocket, briefcase or other personal accessory for business or social occasions. Equally versatile in the office and as a travelling companion, it comes with an elegant black folding case that protects its good looks while enhancing its stylish appearance. Featuring a built-in microphone, the Creative MuVo Slim complements the professional by capturing up to 16 hours of dictation, conversation and personal reminders, helping users to safeguard clever ideas before they�re forgotten. Supremely versatile as a business tool, the MuVo Slim is also capable of storing company slide presentations, digital images and voice or music files.

As a super-sleek portable audio player, the MuVo Slim holds up to eight hours (120 tracks*) of WMA files or up to four hours (60 tracks*) of MP3 music on the 256MB of memory built into its durable, solid-state construction. With super-fast USB 2.0 connectivity and simple drag-and-drop transfer without software, Creative�s MuVo Slim accepts music files as quickly as a song per second. Crystal-clear music playback can be customised via a five-band graphic equaliser which features four equalisation presets in addition to the included environmental settings; pop, rock, jazz or classical.

The Creative MuVo Slim also features an FM radio with 32 presets, plus FM recording capabilities to record favourite radio shows or songs. The removable battery is rechargeable via the player�s USB connection, providing up to an incredible 17 hours of continuous playtime and the flexibility to carry additional batteries for extended use.

With a brilliant blue backlit LCD to illustrate file information and enhance visibility, music and voice files are accessed by simply scrolling through folders, playlists or songs for enjoyment in Play, Shuffle or Resume mode. In addition the MuVo Slim features built-in support for Windows Media Player 9 Series and WMA to ensure ultra compatibility with most systems and legal music download providers.

�This outstanding player, recorder and radio establishes a new benchmark for features and compact scale,� states Geraldine Lee, Creative�s European business manager for digital audio players. �Able to adapt to any home or business environment, the MuVo Slim combines the features people want from a portable music device today with a tiny design that�s sure to impress even the most style-conscious of users.�

High-quality neodymium earphones are included with the MuVo Slim and although it does not require software to transfer files, the package also includes Creative MediaSource� music management software. MediaSource is an easy-to-use application for ripping and burning CDs, organising entire digital music collections and easily transferring MP3 and WMA files.

ENDS

Developer: Creative | Product Type: PC Speakers | Price: �329.90 inc VAT

Creative first launched its Cambridge SoundWorks speaker range as the DeskTop Theatre 5.1 DTT2500 Digital back in October 1999, which provided home users with a powerful solution to 5.1 surround sound entertainment. With the arrival of the Audigy 2 ZS, Creative�s first 7.1 sound card came the GigaWorks S750�s, providing 7.1 support and to the revelation of users, even more power! In comparison to Creative�s Inspire range the GigaWorks sound system manages to deliver both unprecedented power and quality to the demanding extremist user. Since the release of the MegaWorks 550�s, the predecessor to the S750�s it is clear that Creative has decided to market the new S750�s without the Cambridge SoundWorks name, which Creative say is to identify between their more Hi-Fi oriented range and their extreme PC range. So just how much has the GigaWorks S750�s grown from the MegaWorks 550�s and is it worth the upgrade?

Features and Specifications

The Creative GigaWorks S750�s provide up to 70 Watts RMS output per satellite channel (7 channels) and 210 Watts via the LFE (subwoofer). In total the S750�s are capable of pumping out up to 700 Watts total burst power, giving gamers, music lovers and film watchers the extra power they need for an immersive surround sound experience. In comparison to Creative�s 7.1 Inspire range speakers, which provide a total burst power of only 92 Watts the S750�s are quite clearly the ultimate choice for the extremist entertainment enthusiast. With the addition of the Audigy 2 ZS sound card users will be able to enjoy the full benefits of Dolby� Digital EX and DTS-ES, which are both adaptations of surround sound technology�s used by today�s state-of-the-art cinemas. Additionally gamers will also be able to enjoy true 7.1 surround sound using the Audigy 2 ZS�s OpenAL and DirectSound3D audio processors. The GigaWorks wireless remote gives users the ability to control the system from wherever they are in the room, as well as the freedom to relax in their environment, without having to get up to change volume settings. With the addition of an M-PORT� connection the user can connect a compatible MP3 player for live audio playback. Finally Creative�s CMSS� up-mix feature gives users the ability to use the GigaWorks 750�s on a 6.1 or even 5.1 sound card.

Features:

� Use with Sound Blaster� Audigy� 2 ZS sound cards for breathtaking 7.1 results with Dolby� Digital EX and DTS-ES movies and EAX ADVANCED HD games.
� Titanium Super Tweeters in satellites offer high-frequency response for outstanding results with DVD-Audio.
� THX approval assures acoustic excellence and state-of-the-art technology.
� Creative CMSS function up-mixes 5.1 or 6.1 content to 7.1 surround.
� Wireless remote gives comprehensive control over volume, tone and surround settings.

� 70 Watts RMS per channel (7 channels)
� 210 Watts RMS subwoofer

� 70 Watts RMS per channel (7 channels)
� 210 Watts RMS subwoofer
� Frequency Response: 20Hz ~ 40kHz
� SNR: 99dB

� Seven wall-mountable two-way satellite speakers
� One subwoofer
� One Audio Control Pod
� One wireless remote control (Batteries included)
� Six speaker desktop stands
� One monitor stand (Downward facing)
� Three 10ft / 3m cables for front speakers
� Two 16ft / 5m cables for side speakers
� Two 23ft / 7m cables for rear speakers
� 7.1 audio cable
� User manual
� Warranty and Technical Support leaflet

Chunkin Cheung

Product Category: Wireless Communications | Manufacturer: Plantronics Inc. | Price: $470 / �250 / �375

The CS60 telephone headset system is the latest product in Plantronics� Office range. Plantronics is one of the world market leaders in commercial telephony solutions, and their broad range of products include high-quality, ergonomically-designed headsets, amplifiers and telephone systems, all designed to enhance voice communications. Plantronics introduced the world�s first lightweight telephone headset in 1962, and their products were used in Neil Armstrong�s historic �One small step for man� transmission from the moon in 1969.

Their latest CS60 is a wireless headset system, and incorporates DECT technology � Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication � offering superior sound quality, essential for a wireless product. DECT was chosen over newer technologies, such as Bluetooth, since it has a greater range. The CS60 consists of a receiver base, with power adaptor, and a headset (Plantronics DuoPro Convertible Headset) which can be worn in one of several ways, behind the neck, over the ear or over the head, offering both flexibility and convenience. An optional accessory, sold separately, is the HL10 Handset Lifter which replicates the headset�s position in the base unit to answer and end calls, when the headset is not present.

DECT is a modern radio technology utilised for voice data, multimedia traffic and networking applications with range capabilities up to a few hundred metres. It is a digital radio standard for wireless communication in residential, corporate and public environments. It includes many forward-looking technical features that allow DECT-based wireless systems to play an important role in new developments such as internet access and other wired and wire-free services such as GSM (cellular technology) and ISDN. The DECT platform uses advanced digital radio to achieve an efficient use of the radio wave spectrum; and in doing so, delivers high-quality speech and data integrity. Another advantage with DECT technology is that it is a secure means of transmission (all data is encrypted, and in the case of the CS60, at a digital wavelength of 900MHz), with little radio interference from other sources and low power (radiation). Three main characteristics define DECT technology: TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) radio access provides high system capacity, due to its low interference rate, ADPCM (Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation) speech encoding analyses the digital radio waves, ensuring DECT cordless phones output high-quality audio, and DCS/A (Dynamic Channel Selection/Allocation) guarantees that the best, most secure radio channels are used. DCS/A is a regulation of TDMA and ADPCM. This capability ensures that DECT devices and application can co-exist together in the same radio spectrum, in the same frequency, with high-quality, secure communications for the end-users.

During the setup of the CS60, we encountered few problems, the instructions provided were well-written and the installation straightforward. The receiver unit simply sits between the handset and base unit of your conventional telephone, and the power adaptor plugs into a wall outlet or power strip. However, we did find that the CS60 was not compatible with our new-style, cordless DECT-enabled phones, and a most, older conventional phones, with the problem that most DECT cordless phones use newer line socket attachments, and many older conventional telephones simply do not incorporate a feature for second handsets, or do not respond to other devices on the line. However, since most users are likely to have a modern, coded telephone, this is not a major problem.