* Better game audio output, 3D audio and EAX effects
* Surround sound up-mixing of stereo music
* Cinematic sound with DVD player

24-bit CrystalizerTM enhances the high and tightens the low for the ultimate gaming experience SW
CMSS® -3D speakers accurately position all your 3D audio sound and effects and features ultra realistic surround panning for any 3D games SW
CMSS® -3D Headphones creates a virtual 9.1 speaker surround in any headphones SW
Environmental Audio Extension (EAX) Support SW EAX® ADVANCED HDTM 3.0 to deliver 64 voices and allow environmental morphing, filtering, panning and reflections.

This is an optional addon for notebooks. I didnt really get what this is actually supposed to do. EAX on notebook speakers? Isnt that supposed to be exclusive to surround sound speakers? It dosent give you any kind of surround sound outputs. Can someone tell me whats the purpose of this or is this just a gimmick? Is it worth an extra $25?

Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy ADVANCED HD Audio

AFAIK notebooks can have 5.1 speakers as well. They've have USB soundcards for a long time that could give laptops this ability. EAX isn't just for surround sound either I've learned. A lot of environmental effects in games, like echo and reverd are done with EAX. Without it they are either done in software or not at all. Software EAX emulation can eat CPU more than the soundblaster card does. Seems it also does a lot for fading sounds in and out in some games as well. But if it weren't for EAX I'd never buy a Creative sound card again. They are nice and all, but they do plenty of things I don't like.

EAX, like 3D/virtual/simulated surround sound, has been around for 2 speaker stereo systems for ages.

Previous topics about Creative's magical sound processing -
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....showtopic=34768
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....showtopic=36484
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....showtopic=36857
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....showtopic=37400
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....showtopic=36612

I despise Creative with a passion... grr. The only thing I can say that do well is making proprietary extensions for their cards. The only difference between most versions of EAX is the amount of voices they use for in game audio (basically it's an API engine that can make use of additional functionality on the card itself for panning, reflections, reverberation, etc). I really don't think you need more then 32 voices. The X-FI just takes it above and beyond and I have yet to see a version above EAX 3.0 that is supported via other cards. This is why OpenAL is starting to gain momentum, because it can be ported to different platforms without having to ask for permission from the beast that is Creative. They even have their own AL extensions now. You can buy another sound card that supports EAX and your games will be fine, you just won't have the extra voices that's all. The Crystalizer is load of BS. They have a very Creative marketing department indeed. All of their cards use some offshot of the Emu10K chipset also. Emu was a very good company, until Creative bought them out. They might still be. They were doing some cool stuff with MIDI functionality.

Dell is selling the add-on for the Audigy Advanced HD Audio as a hardware upgrade. You receive a software upgrade. This is not a hardware upgrade if you are doing this on a Dell. Basically updated drivers for your internal soundcard.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=56839

so basically $25 for better drivers? Can I assume that this basically just adds the stuff that comes off the audigy CD like the "EAX console" that I never use?

Correct. If I were you, I'd not spend the extra $25 and put it toward an external soundcard. I use the M-Audio Transit USB and would suggest that.

The only true upgrades were between Live, Audigy, Audigy 2 LS and Audigy 2 ZS.

As for EMU10K offshoots. Yes, they're almost the same design. No, they aren't exactly the same. Newer chips (EMU20K) work at higher frequencies, have better hardware mixer and finally support more sample rates.

Also, the newer cards have better D/A and A/D converters.