A. DAC stands for Digital-to-Analog Converter. DACs play an important part in determining the quality of the sound you hear. A higher resolution DAC (eg 24bit is of higher resolution than 16bit) improves the sound quality of audio playback by improving the overall signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the analog output. Sound Blaster Audigy has 6 channel 24bit/96kHz DACs, ensuring that wave files, MP3 files, and Dolby Digital content will all sound superior on the Sound Blaster Audigy card. Higher resolution DACs also helps to provide better a SNR when adding effects to analog sources. By taking advantage of the effects processing "headroom" of the Audigy chip, measurements of >94dB SNR are achievable, thanks to the 24bit/96kHz DACs, which are typically found only on high-end consumer electronic devices. The majority of other sound cards, as well as motherboard audio solutions, are limited by AC-97 CODEC designs which effectively prevent them from delivering "high definition audio".

A. SB1394 is Creative's compatibility standard, designed to ensure maximum compatibility and optimum performance with IEEE 1394 devices and Sound Blaster Audigy. A list of devices that are already SB1394 certified can be found here. Non-certified devices that meet the IEEE1394 spec can also be used with the SB1394 connector on board the Sound Blaster Audigy. SB1394 is relevant to Digital audio enthusiasts, gamers and DV camera owners. With SB1394, you can rapidly transfer digital audio to and from devices, including Creative portable digital audio players and external CDRWs, as well as other devices from other manufacturers, at speeds up to 30 times faster than USB! You can also easily set up an ultra low latency LAN-type environment for multi-player gaming, by connecting two Sound Blaster Audigy cards via SB 1394. Being IEEE-1394 compatible, SB1394 also supports most DV Camcorders and IEEE-1394 consumer equipment.

A. The principle difference between both cards is that the Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum has an internal Audigy Drive that you can slot into the drive bay of your PC. The Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum eX has an external Audigy Drive that you can place anywhere outside your PC.

A. SNR stands for Signal-to-Noise Ratio. SNR is a measure of the signal strength to background noise. The ratio is usually measured in decibels (dB). A better SNR implies that you will hear less noise at any given sound level. When playing back audio from the PC, Sound Blaster Audigy delivers 100dB SNR rating.

A. Dolby Digital EX adds a third surround channel to the Dolby Digital 5.1 format. A rear center speaker reproduces the third surround channel. This rear center channel is not a discrete channel like the other 5.1 channels, but is matrix encoded onto the left and right surround channels. This means that during the encoding stage the studio will analyze the rear left and right streams and work out from those streams which parts of the audio is panned centrally (in effect which parts of the soundtrack appear equally in both rear left AND right speakers). This data is then encoded as a separate stream into the left and right channels in such a way as to be invisible to older 5.1 decoders, but a newer 6.1 decoder will detect the extra data and play the rear center stream through the rear center speaker.

Dolby Digital EX was first introduced in cinemas with the release of Star Wars: Episode One-The Phantom Menace and since then has become very popular because of the improved audio experience it delivers. The extra rear center channel gives better rear side to side, front to back and vice-versa and "over the head" audio cues. Dolby Digital Surround EX soundtracks are now also found on DVDs, and A/V receivers are available with Dolby Digital EX decoding to derive the extra surround channel.

Just like all previous implementations of Dolby encoding, Dolby Digital EX is 100% backwards and forwards compatible. This means that you can play a Dolby Digital 5.1 track on a Dolby Digital EX decoder or play Dolby Digital EX content on a Dolby Digital 5.1 decoder (but you will obviously not get a sixth channel).