When we last looked at the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (the Platinum Ex, June 2003) we were highly impressed by the soundcard and its many functions, but felt that there was perhaps too much on offer, leaving you with many unwanted, unused and unwarranted inclusions. In that vein, the Audigy 2 ZS offers more of the same, with so many bundled options and extras that it's hard to know where to start.

The basic card has changed a little, with some important improvements. It still features a 24-bit/96kHz DAC (digital-analog conversion) like the Platinum EX for most speaker configurations, but can now sample at up to 192kHz for stereo speaker configs. Whilst on the subject of speakers, the card now supports up to 7.1 surround sound audio with full Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES decoders. The card is also THX certified for cinematic audio playback, and comes with THX controls so you can tweak your speaker configuration to provide optimal audio.

This multi-speaker support spills over from DVD playback to the world of gaming, as the card also features EAX 4.0 Advanced HD - a system for creating atmospherics through speaker effects - a system that works remarkably well.

Combining a PCI card with an external box, the ZS Platinum Pro comes with more connectors than you could possibly hope to use, including multiple digital and coaxial optical as well as multiple analog inputs and outputs, as well as a remote control to tie it all together.

The included software bundle is nothing short of extensive, but it's a case of almost too much information, options and programs. While this literally lets you do anything with your audio inputs and outputs, it can be a hard task to find the few simple things you do want to manage, as there's a surfeit of options, toggles and tabs to click through.

While it's easy to criticise Creative for largesse, when it comes down to it the Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro is the most fully-featured high-end consumer sound card we've tested.