Ben Reid
4 Oct 2006 14:59
Creative has unveiled a new device called the Xmod, which the company claims gives MP3s and other compressed digital music files "better than CD quality" sound.
The USB-powered gadget, based upon the Creative's X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity audio platform, is expected to cost £60 in the UK and $80 in the USA when it arrives sometime this month.
The Xmod is said to up-convert the audio signal to 24-bit surround for cleaner, richer sound. There are two sides to the X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity technology - X-Fi Crystalizer and X-Fi CMSS- 3D.
The X-Fi Crystalizer identifies areas of the audio file which have been truncated or damaged during Compression. Creative says the technology can "restore" the highs and lows of the music that the listener would otherwise have not been able to hear.
Meanwhile, X-Fi CMSS-3D component creates virtual surround sound through speakers or headphones. It supposedly uses "advanced techniques" to place specific audio elements, such as the voice of a movie character, in a virtual centre channel while ambient sound is heard through virtual surround channels.
"There are more than 100 million people who listen to MP3, WMA or AAC music on their PCs, Macs or iPod or ZEN players, but the quality of this compressed music is highly compromised. The Creative Xmod enables them to listen to their music with audio that sounds even better than CDs," said Creative boss Sim Wong Hoo. "All your music is instantly upconverted to the Xtreme Fidelity standard in real time through a simple and compact device."
A relative downside to the device, though, is that it will require power via USB or a mains socket, therefore consumers cannot use it with portable media players when out-and-about.
Sources:
Betanews, and
Hexus.Net