ound effects and music from a PC equipped with a Sound Blaster Live! X-Gamer make consoles sound like so much noise.

This card is designed for use with four digital minispeakers and a subwoofer; you could just hook up two basic speakers, but you haven't played a first-person shooter until you've played it with its sound effects enveloping you through the X-Gamer's ideal speaker setup, machine-gun shots startling you from behind as their casings clink to the ground. Racing games are also enhanced dramatically: The rumble of engines on all sides, and the scream of an opponent gaining on you and whizzing away, can be downright spooky.

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