Superb alternative to Soundblaster's Audigy range (Hercules Gamesurround Fortissimo III 7.1)

Name: Dando83

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Product:	Hercules Gamesurround Fortissimo III 7.1
Date:	02/06/06 (844 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Relatively cheap. Software easy to configure

Disadvantages: Compatibility with newer game 3D sound standards

I've never liked skimping on buying the parts for my home PC. In a market where prices are already so low, you really do get what you pay for. I bought a Soundblaster Audigy due to its sheer range of features, but found an incredibly irritating buzzing coming from my Altec Lansing 251 speakers. The Hercules Fortissimo III came to the rescue as the replacement soundcard.

Installation is pretty standard. The card fits into a PCI slot. If you still use old joysticks (you can get a new USB stick for £6) or want to connect to a MIDI keyboard, you can sacrifice another expansion bay and attach the expansion joystick plug. It connects to the soundcard via a thin ribbon cable.

At first I was a little apprehensive about this new card because the onboard soundchip (DSP: Cirrus Logic SoundFusion CS4624) is different than Creative's excellent homemade version. The Fortissimo III couldn't support the entire range of Creative's EAX 3D standards (support to EAX 2.0 only). The included software also couldn't do anything clever musically like upmix stereo music to 5.1 surround. This upmixing was one of my favourite features of Creative's software with the Audigy.

Depending on the bundle you buy, you may get a copy of PowerDVD. Don't go shout on the mountain tops though, this is the typical free software giveaway with many soundcards, videocards, and DVD drive units. I think I own half a dozen copies of this program.

What I DID get was a card that supported 7.1 channels, two more than Audigy. Bear in mind this is a wonderful feature if you have the speaker system to support it. Most people may not have the space to set their PC up in their bedroom and find room for 8 speakers. Separate jacks for all the speakers also means that you don't have to use the soundcard driver to change the MIC/LINE IN jacks to SURROUND/CENTER/BASS out jacks. Surround sound EVERY time even when using the mic!

I also got access to an optical SPDIF out that allowed me to connect the soundcard to my HIFI via a fiber optic cable. Instant Dolby Digital output to my stereo when playing DVDs! On the inside of the card is an array of internal sound connectors for CD drives, or cards requiring audio hookups like a TV tuner or modem.

The included software is easy to use and understand if you like to frequently change the surround sound settings or sound effects (reverb, echo, graphical equalizer). I didn't get any games or other free programs with the soundcard (but then again, it costs half of the price of the Audigy).

Sound quality to my own untrained ear is absolutely fine. MP3s sound great and the 3D standards that are supported in the games I play work well too. And because the buzzing that I used to hear with my Audigy is gone, on the whole, the Fortissimo III sounds "better".

If you like getting web support, bear in mind that Hercules do not devote a large chunk of their resources to this...their soundcards specifically. The frequent driver updates and help forums kept up to date by Creative just aren't their for Hercules fans. Fortunately, the card worked well out of the box and I needed no further help.

Based on the cost, the value of this card is quite good. I would recommend it to anyone who's debating an Ebay purchase. A £5 no-name soundcard won't do anything special for you, and £30 for a Creative-branded one may be pricey. You can't go wrong here going middle of the road. I will definitely consider getting Hercules' next piece of sound hardware.


TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Data transfer: PCI 2.1 bus

DSP: Cirrus Logic SoundFusion CS4624

Audio quality
- CD and Pro Audio quality
- 20-bit quad output and 18-bit dual stereo input codec
- up to 48kHz sampling rate

Game compatibility
- Sensaura based 3D positional Audio with support for Microsoft DirectSound™ 3D, EAX 1.0, EAX™ 2.0, A3D™ 1.0, I3DL2™ , MacroFX™ , MultiDrive™ , ZoomFX™ , EnvironmentFX™
- Sound Blaster® Audio compatibility
- Microsoft® DirectSound™& DirectMusic™
- Dolby Surround™
- Dolby Digital™ & Dolby Digital™ EX™

Software wavetable synthesizer
- DSP accelerated engine for unlimited number of voices (64-voice hardware)
- 8MB General MIDI/GS® sample set
- DLS 1.0 compatible· GM™ (General Midi) and Yamaha XG™ compatible
- Yamaha S-YXG50:
676 instrument sounds and 21 drum kits
Effects: reverb, chorus, variation …

External Connectors
- Analog output connectors :
Front speakers out; Rear speakers out; Center / LFE out;
Back Surround left and right out / Headphones out;
- Line in / Mic in
- MIDI / Game port (MPU 401™ compatible)
- Digital S/PDIF out (optical)

Internal connectors
CD-in; CD-in 2; Aux-in; S/PDIF in

Summary: Good middle of the range card if you're looking for bargains.

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