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Improving Notebook Audio 

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Rather than upgrading your notebook to one of the all-singing, all-dancing models, you could opt to improve its audio quality with the addition of a small device from Terratec.
Terratec Aureon Dual USB

Adding to its extensive range of TV, video and audio based products, Terratec has recently introduced a USB media card as part of its Aureon brand range. This new product is the Aureon Dual USB device which has been designed to add multi media centre capabilities to your desktop/notebook system. The kit consists of an 82mm USB stick, black in colour, and a small adaptor for use with optical digital output. The USB stick features a pair of connection sockets for input and output connectivity.

Capable of supporting Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and Linux with USB audio as part of the kernel, this device requires no specific drivers although you may need to make an adjustment to your settings if other sound devices are installed on the host system. Instructions on how to carry out this task are provided for Windows XP, Windows Vista plus Mac OS are included in the supplied mini multi-lingual Quick Setup Guide. Installation is just a matter of inserting the Aureon Dual USB device into a vacant USB port and waiting for a few moments while it is recognised and integrated into the system.

The Aureon Dual USB stick provides the link between your output and input facilities and the content stored on your system. You can attach a microphone for input and either a headset or speaker system for output. Rather than have its own control panel for making adjustments, it integrates itself into whatever software it can find on the host system and makes use of that.

While the Aureon Dual USB device will add little, if anything, to a high powered multimedia system with existing quality audio and video capabilities, this is not what the product was designed for by Terratec. Instead its purpose is to upgrade your system, especially if it is one that lacks a digital interface such as a basic notebook, to deliver a more pleasing quality with regards to the input and output of audio and video content. In this respect, the Aureon Dual USB product is well worth considering.

As mentioned earlier this device with work on Windows, Mac and Linux systems with an available USB port. It should work on any notebook with an available USB port. Terratec has priced this product at a reasonable £14.99.

http://www.terratec.net/en/products/Aureon_Dual_USB_9842.html

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Comment by nguyen, 26 Nov 2008 13:45

Hi,

I have exactly the same question as sorenweber. I would also like to know if dts and dolby digital sound can be passed through to the receiver using the optical out.
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Comment by sorenweber, 20 Nov 2008 14:19

Thanks for a nice review. I'm looking for a USB soundcard that has S/PDIF out. I have a laptop without S/PDIF out, and I want to use it to send the DTS (and Dolby Digital) soundtracks to my reciever with built-in DTS and DD decoder (it has both optical and coax inputs).

Does the Aureon Dual USB optical digital out allow me to output the DTS directly to my reciever? The reason I'm asking is that TerraTec write on their homepage that the optical out is an "Optical digital stereo output", and the "steroe"-part makes me afraid it means that it will not allow me to pass the DTS through it. Have you tested this?

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