MP3/CD Music:
I began the testing by playing various MP3's, consisting of a wide range of musical styles (rock, metal, jazz, and classical). Winamp v2.61 (yes, I haven't upgraded in a while...) was used for the trial. I wanted to compare the Acoustic Edge to what it had replaced in my system, the Sound Blaster Live! MP3 5.1. I set the Output Mode to 4 Speakers to begin. My first impression was that the 4 Speaker mode sounded the same as the Live! card, but this was only momentary. I noticed that the highs and lows were handled much more accurately with the AE, resulting in a "cleaner" sound. MP3's that exhibited distortion with the Live! card (mostly extremely low bass) sounded better with the AE...where I had thought it was due to flaws in the MP3 encoding itself was actually a flaw in reproduction from the Live! card.
"Other multi-channel sound cards simply play the pre-recorded left and right channel in both the front and rear speakers. Only Philips cards divide and distribute the sounds among all speakers enveloping you with different musical sounds coming from every direction as if you were standing on stage in the middle of a live performance."
What other cards do not do at all, or only attempt, is to create surround sound from a simple stereo recording. The AE successfully provided 5.1 sound from MP3 and CD music sources. Obviously the source is not an authentic 5.1 encoded track, but the unique digital processing from the AE allows realistic 5.1 output from all sources. Again, this is best stated from Philips itself:
"Recently Philips and QSound Lab’s broke this 'surround sound barrier' with a special digital signal processing algorithm call QMSS™ and the ThunderBird Avenger™ high performance audio accelerator chip. These combined technologies enable Philips new Acoustic Edge™, Seismic Edge™ and Rhythmic Edge™ multi-channel sound cards to be the first and only sound cards delivering distinctly different sounds to each speaker for every application."
It is arguable by audiophiles that 5.1 output of 2-channel (Left/Right) recorded music is not an accurate reproduction of the sound…resulting in an undesirable listening experience. This may be correct in the literal interpretation (that sound is coming from more directions than originally recorded), but what is important is does it actually sound better? I found that listening to music in 5.1 mode is much more enjoyable than 4 Speaker mode (or 2 Speaker mode). The center channel does not overpower the sound image or disrupt it. Imaging of vocalists and key instruments appear directly in front of you, as expected in a concert hall or live performance.
The Klipsch 5.1 speakers used in the test offer one of the best, if not the best, home computer multimedia solution. With the Live! card, the Klipsch were impressive to listen to, creating excellent low and high tone reproduction. With the Acoustic Edge from Philips, the Klipsch achieved a new level of excellence. Without the limitations of the Live! card, the Klipsch shine with all music styles. Subtle passages in classical music are delicate, detailed, and crisp…and with the click of the mouse, rock or metal can blister your ears without distortion. The 200W dual-8" subwoofers deliver more than enough bass for any situation, and the perfectly matched satellite speakers compliment the mid/high frequencies just as precisely.
DVD Movies:
My largest complaint with the Live! card was how it handled 5.1 output compared to its 4.1 output. The crispness of the sound was drastically lost when switching from 4.1 to 5.1 ("Watch Movie") mode. Fortunately, this is not an issue with the AE. Movies used in testing were The Matrix and Blade. These movies were chosen for obvious reasons: awesome sound effects that will stress any audio system. Blade is my personal favorite due to the extreme range of sounds (high pitched clashing of swords vs. explosions and techno dance music soundtrack). The Klipsch gave the AE all it needed to work with as far as output is concerned. The 5.1 sound was realistic and I felt immersed in the action. Dialog was where it should be (in front for most circumstances), along with the majority of the sound effects. Surround sound performed well with bullets flying past me from all directions. The transition of sound from front to rear, side to side, or rear to front was smooth, unlike some 5.1 setups that I have heard. Many 5.1 solutions offer the sounds, but sacrifice the quality of smooth transitions as I just described…resulting in effects "popping" from speaker to speaker abruptly.
Gaming:
Another compliment goes to the AE for its compatibility with different games and each game's utilization of surround sound. I tested Unreal Tournament, Quake 3 Arena, Max Payne, and Giants - Citizen Kabuto. 3D sound in gaming is unique to music and DVD because of the performance cost that results due to the extra stress brought to the cpu and sound card. With Unreal Tournament and Q3, I noticed a minor drop in FPS (5-15 dependent upon the situation in the game), but this was not significant compared to the benefits of true surround sound while playing. UT and Q3 were more dramatic with the 5.1 output, instead of the normal 4.1 that I had grown used to. Again, the 5.1 output is a product of Philips new DSP technology, since these games do not offer 5.1 output as an option.
Giants - Citizen Kabuto was perhaps the most impressive of the four games tested because of its larger use of environmental sounds and slower pace (it's not easy to try and appreciate environmental effects in the middle of a 15 player deathmatch!). Standing in the middle of a body of water showed the excellent enhancements the AE can make to otherwise plain sound effects. The water was heard from all sides, moving from speaker to speaker with each wave.
Max Payne was also an excellent game to show off the AE's DSP capabilities. This game benefits from 5.1 because of its heavy use of narration and ancillary sounds while playing. I say ancillary because there are a lot of background effects going on around you (dripping water, background character conversations, phones ringing, etc) that add to the realism. The "Bullet Time" action sequences are amazing…hearing bullets whiz past your ear from side to side in slow motion sometimes made me look around in the room thinking there was actually something behind me!