Still the best deal in sound cards

This sound card is geared much more toward gaming enthusiasts than music buffs, but except for those who spend large amounts of time working with MIDI, it is a better deal than any Creative Labs product.

How much this sound card will appeal to you definitely depends on how you wish to use it. Users can be divided into a few major types.

The Gamer:

This is debatably the best gaming sound card out there, for one reason: It supports A3D 2.0. The Vortex2 chipset is the only major one to support this standard, unfortunately. It is sad that A3D 2.0 hasn't gained wider use, because it easily eclipses EAX in power. In the MX400, Diamond unfortunately decided to switch chipsets, making the MX300 one of the only major sound cards that uses this chipset. Theoretically, the MX300 supports EAX, but it's rudimentary, so don't count on it to be quite the same. Therefore, the best choice for gamers really depends on which titles you play and what 3D sound systems they use. On the other hand, most titles are not EAX or A3D exclusive, so it's possible to get 3D sound out of nearly any title in some manner, often DirectSound.

The Musician:

If you use MIDI, this may not be your card. The wavetable synthesis is certainly adequate, and the ability to add-in a daughterboard (such as a Yamaha XG one) is great, but it's not up to par with Creative Labs' offerings. One of these days I really am going to get a Yamaha XG daughterboard, and then I can make some great sounding MIDI's.

The Audiophile:

This sound card simply has beautiful sound. Its good signal-to-noise ratio gives it crystal clear sound. It supports a five speaker setup, but not the 5:1 digital standard. Last time I checked the card to allow for digital output and 5:1 support was not available, but check the Diamond website to see if that has changed. But truly, that doesn't matter. The software includes an equalizer and mixer. The card includes 2 line outputs, a line input and a microphone input. There is not a pop or a hiss to be heard. It also includes the standard CD-ROM connector internally as well as a modem connector.

The Casual User:

Previously I would have said that this card was too expensive for the casual user, but no longer. The MX300 is now available for under $30 online (I've seen it as low as $24, look around), and for casual users there are few reasons not to buy an excellent sound card like this. I definitely recommend this card to casual users.

Overall, this is an excellent card, and in my opinion still the best value in sound cards. Those who need EAX or XG should look elsewhere, but for most people this card is an excellent choice.