Creative Unveils External Sound Blaster

Creative Technology on Tuesday released the first external sound card in the history of the company. The Sound Blaster Extigy, an external version of the Audigy, attaches to a notebook or desktop via USB port. Extigy will be marketed toward mobile users and gamers wishing to experience multi-channel surround sound. With its myriad of inputs and outputs, the Extigy can even function independent of a computer, providing 5.1 Dolby Digital decoding for DVD players or gaming consoles.

"We are excited to meet the demands of PC users who have been clamoring for a convenient, easy-to-use external Sound Blaster solution with the digital audio fidelity of the Sound Blaster Audigy. Notebook users can also enjoy great multi-channel MP3 and digital music, DVD movies and games on their notebooks," said Creative CEO Sim Wong Hoo in Tuesday's announcement.

The Sound Blaster Extigy will feature 24-bit 96kHz audio playback, 100dB signal-to-noise ratio, and a multitude of audio enhancement capabilities for a retail price of $149.99 USD. Creative PlayCenter 3 is also included for managing digital music on a computer and portable devices such as the NOMAD.