Diamond Xtreme Sound 7.1 XS71HDU USB Sound Card Review
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
At the core of the Diamond Xtreme Sound 7.1 is a C-media audio processor, just one such amongst a wide variety C-media has made available. We’ve listened to some other products that make use of C-media hardware and as such came upon the Xtreme Sound 7.1 unsurprised by what it had to offer. As a mid-range PC audio output source, it performed admirably driving headphones with crisp and detailed sound across the entire audible frequency range. Unfortunately, its Xear advanced codec features were less interesting and we still haven’t forgotten about the ASUS Xonar U7 we reviewed not too long before we got the Xtreme Sound. The two cards are both external, USB powered, and priced closely, but the Xonar U7 impressed us with the inclusion of Dolby Home Theater V4. That codec noticeably enhanced the headphone listening experience. The Diamond Xtreme Sound’s C-media Xear codec package on the other hand is geared more to the living room experience with such capabilities as multichannel speaker correction and crossover correction.
Diamond has done an incredible job of designing a compact board and enclosure. It’s lightweight which makes it portable, an important feature for a device powered by USB. The amount of outputs and inputs provide options for both headphone and speaker computer users. The stunning appearance is a result of reflective metallic color elements on the plastic and gives an aesthetic unlike that of the black used on so many other tabletop computer products. Pictures don’t do the Xtreme Sound 7.1 justice.
The Diamond Xtreme Sound 7.1 ( model XS71HDU ) is available for $69.99 plus shipping directly from Diamond and will be available on Amazon.com by the end of the month. As a mid-range priced sound card, the Xtreme Sound 7.1’s capabilities expectedly outclass what most onboard audio can offer. To current owners of other mid-range sound cards, the Xtreme Sound 7.1 is a diminished gain for an upgrade. Instead, the users who can most appreciate this card are those stepping up from onboard audio, owners of computers that lack home theater outputs, or laptop and all-in-one users. Ultimately, we found nothing troublesome with the Xtreme Sound 7.1 and Diamond has delivered a convincing audio product that we can fully recommend.
Legit Bottom Line: The Diamond Xtreme Sound 7.1 is a great audio compact device that performs to expectations.