A quality headset allows you to listen to those enemy agents sneaking up on you and saves you the considerable noise complaints when all you want is to hear stuff blowing up really loudly. Though that won’t stop them from hearing you if you are the yelling type.

The Logitech ClearChat PC Wireless Headset allows you to do your serious communicating, be it gaming or otherwise. Benchmark Reviews has a look:

For casual users and hardcore gamers alike, headsets are becoming some of the most heavily used peripherals on any PC. Voice chat is a standard feature for any instant messaging client, Ventrilo and Teamspeak are a staple of online gaming and Skype is quickly becoming a preferred choice for many users making long distance calls. However, unlike almost every other peripheral on the PC these days, most headsets are still wired. The options are very limited for demanding, nomadic computer users. Bluetooth headsets designed for cell phones can work on a PC (provided your machine has a bluetooth adapter), but they are designed strictly for voice chat and have limited range, without delivering the high-quality stereo sound of a wired headset.

A solid looking headset which should keep up with your hectic fragging and quaint calls back home.

Most sound cards are all about how many discrete channels of audio they support and their fancy spec sheets that tout features which will make your speakers sound like the top notch audio equipment that they are. The reality is that users have different plans.

Gamers and music lovers are more likely to put on their expensive headphones to block out external noise and enjoy the experience. The Tech Report has a look at a pair of sound cards, the Asus Xonar Essence STX and Auzentech X-Fi Forte 7.1, and puts them to the test with their trusty headphones:

Asus’ DS3D GX software pulls a similar trick with the Oxygen HD, and in the process, takes the liberty of emulating EAX 5 effects that had previously only been available on X-Fi cards. The Oxygen chip doesn’t have nearly the horsepower of the X-Fi. In fact, it can only accelerate EAX 2 effects in hardware. However, it also has the necessary transistors for real-time DTS and Dolby Digital Live encoding. This capability lets users pass multi-channel game audio over a single digital cable to compatible speakers and receivers, neatly delivering pristine sound unfettered by analog conversions.

Two very capable cards but the integrated chipset makes a strong showing as well so you’ll have some rationalizing to do.

Home Theater PC owners are a picky bunch. They expect performance and rich feature sets out if increasingly smaller computer parts. Their graphics needs are being well served by integrated graphics chips on their motherboards of choice but the audio factor is still an issue.

The Asus Xonar HDAV 1.3 Slim Sound Card solves the space issue by cramming some mighty fine audio components into a half-height form factor. Benchmark Reviews has a look:

Most sound cards sold today are advertised as 7.1 sound cards but that doesn’t mean they can decode the Dolby Digital TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound formats. Due to the bandwidth limitations of Toslink and coaxial digital cables, these new formats cannot be carried across those mediums. Instead they’re transported on the HDMI cable to the home receiver where the sound is then directed to each speaker. This sound card does have a coaxial output jack but it can only be used for Dolby Digital 5.1 output. You have to use the HDMI outputs in order to experience the Dolby Digital TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound formats. This sound card is basically identical in features to it’s older and bigger brother, the ASUS HDAV 1.3 with the exception of it being a slim profile thus making it more compatible with smaller HTPC cases.

Decoding those audio tracks for your high end audio setup is obviously this card’s strong suit, if you’re looking for a gaming sound card you may want a different product all together.

Sound card choices aren’t what they used to be, you could consider it a good thing given the improving quality of on-board solutions but sometimes you require something with a better feature set than integrated audio tends to deliver.

Elite Bastards has a look at the Asus Xonar DS sound card and how it handles a wide range of audio tasks. Here’s a look:

Where the Xonar DS really impresses at its price point is in terms of
pure audio fidelity – It may be bereft of the EMI shield used by other
Xonar boards, and it may have all of its hardware squeezed onto a far
smaller PCB than its predecessors, but this barely affects sound
quality at all.  In our testing, the Xonar DS broadly matched the
Essence STX, and indeed Auzentech’s X-Fi Forte, in terms of analogue
audio quality for 16-bit operations, with the aforementioned Auzentech
part only gaining an upper hand for 24-bit, 96KHz playback.  Add to
that the possibility of user upgradeable OPAMPs for the Xonar DS, as
per other discrete audio solutions, and you have room for further
improvements to audio quality to add to the mix.

A nice alternative to those expensive sound cards from the competition.

Home Theater PCs offer all sorts of entertainment options since all of your audio and video can be stored in a central location greatly reducing the number of components you need in your home theater except for one, your speaker amplifier/receiver.

In comes Sparkle with their Audio Amplifier PCIE card which should offer up a decent amount of power to a lower end speaker system. Bright Side of News has details on the card and what it will accomplish for your HTPC setup.

Here’s more from the company’s press release:

Always seeking the pinnacle of perfection in technology and providing users with top-notch products and user convenience, SPARKLE R&D team has constantly pushed forward in terms of technological advances. The result is the innovative and intuitive SPARKLE Audio Amplifier. SPARKLE Audio Amplifier is PCIE x1 add-in card with 4-pin power connector. It uses HDA Cable to connect to motherboards.  SPARKLE Audio Amplifier uses D2Audio which is the world’s only Intelligent Digital Amplifier chip. The inside Digital Audio Engine delivers an immersive audio experience with incredible flexibility. Its unique intelligence actively “listens” with the world’s only all-digital feedback technology to optimize the amplifier’s sound. SPARKLE Audio Amplifier has been specifically designed for use in HTPC with Dolby,SRS and 5.1 channel support, to meet the rigorous demand from HTPC Hi-Fi enthusiasts.

*Video playback can be output to a display equipped with an HDMI
input at up to 720p resolution via the audiovisual dock which is sold
separately.

Realtek’s HD Audio Codecs are up to version 2.21 for your High Definition audio needs. The driver fixes are light on details but it looks like you can look forward to driver customization fixes and support for their ALC275 audio chip.

You’ll find support for the following in their driver set:

Driver Package R2.21
Realtek HD Audio Driver support all of Realtek HD Audio Codec .

1. Vista WHQL Supporting: ALC882, ALC883, ALC885, ALC888, ALC889, ALC861VD, ALC660, ALC662, ALC663, ALC665, ALC260, ALC262, ALC267, ALC268, ALC269, ALC272, ALC273, ALC887

2. Windows 2000/XP WHQL Supporting: ALC880, ALC882, ALC883, ALC885, ALC888, ALC889, ALC861VC, ALC861VD, ALC660, ALC662, ALC663, ALC665, ALC260, ALC262, ALC267, ALC268, ALC269, ALC272, ALC273, ALC887

3. HDMI Device WHQL Support: ATI HDMI Devices

4. OS Supporting: Microsoft WindowsXP, Widnows2000, Windows Server 2003, Vista, Windows Server 2008,

There’s also Linux support in the form of version 5.11 drivers.

Grab your set of drivers from Realtek’s website.

Sick of HDMI, component cables, TOSLINK and the myriad of connectors required for a successful A/V system setup? Broadcomm thinks it has the answer. Use trusty Ethernet cables instead!

Today the company announced BroadSync HD, technology that the networking firm says will not only enable lip-smacking HD streaming, but eventually make Cat 5 the connector of choice as per the IEEE 802.1 AVB draft standard. They may be actually onto something, especially as digital media keeps encroaching into mainstream entertainment…

Broadcom is leading the effort to promote the AVB draft standard, which uses standard Ethernet connectivity (i.e. Category 5 cabling and RJ45 connectors), as the common underlying technology for high quality network-based streaming that will eventually replace most other types of connectivity presently used in A/V equipment. Since Ethernet is cost effective and widely used in networking today, modifying it is much easier and less expensive than adding networking to existing dedicated interfaces.

If you want to see what all the fuss is about, this site has info IEEE 802.1 AVB and what it means for compatible networking equipment.

Source: Press Release

For most users the audio found on-board their computer’s motherboard is capable of keeping up with their needs, gamers take it a step further looking for the latest in cards with 3D Audio technology. This all leaves the audio-philes a little under-served but ASUS is coming to the rescue with their XONAR Essence STX sound card.

The card boasts an advertised 124dB signal to noise ratio and ASIO drivers for those audio apps that prefer low level/low latency hardware access. HotHardware has a look at the card and what it can do for your ears:

Finally, one thing we noticed while testing is a clicking sound upon booting, shutting down and switching inputs on the card. Don’t be alarmed, this is just the sound of an internal switch that resets the circuits to prevent bleed over from capacitor voltage.

For the price of the Asus Xonar Essence STX ($199.00), you expect a lot and frankly it exceeds expectations. It is a product that appeals to those demanding the highest level of fidelity. This card is the first of its type marketed to consumers that produces SNR levels that will please even the most demanding audiophile. You would spend much more than the price of this card, to achieve the same performance in a professional series audio interface.

A slick card and one of the few to start showing up with a PCIe interface which should make the bleeding edge, PCI lacking, people out there happy.

Here’s a random grouping of news stories and reviews from around the web:

Cases, Cooling, and Power Supplies

• Aerocool AeroRacer Pro PC Case – Legit Reviews
• Danamics LM10 Liquid Metal Cooler – NordicHardware
• Hiper M1000 Power Supply – DriverHeaven
• Lian-Li PC-60FW Case Review – Virtual-Hideout
• OCZ and Xigmatek Direct Heat-Pipe Coolers – X-bit labs
• SilverStone Fortress FT01 PC Case – Phoronix
• Tagan BZ 1300W Power Supply – HardOCP

CPUs, Motherboards, Memory

• Albatron Mini-ITX KI780G Motherboard Review – TweakTown
• AMD IGP Chipset and Motherboard Showdown – HardwareZone
• Asus P5QL-E Motherboard Review – X-bit labs
• Elixir DDR3-1600 PC3-12800 4Gb Kit – CPU3D
• Gigabyte EG45M-DS2H Motherboard – Techgage
• ZOTAC nForce 630i-ITX WiFi Motherboard – TweakTown

Desktop and Server Systems

• CyberPower Core i7-965 Extreme Review – FiringSquad
• Dell XPS 730 Desktop – HardwareZone
• Gateway FX6800-01e Gaming PC – Digital Trends

Gadgets

• First Look: Canon 5D Mark II – AnandTech
• Future Sonics Atrio model m5 (Black) Professional Earphones – TestFreaks
• HTC Touch Diamond – Digital Trends

Graphics Cards and Displays

• 55nm GeForce GTX260 First Look – Expreview
• Palit Revolution 700 Deluxe HD 4870 X2 – TweakTown
• Sapphire HD4870 Toxic Video Card Review – OCModShop
• Sapphire Radeon HD4830 512MB Graphics Card – Big Bruin

Laptops and Netbooks

• Asus G70S Gaming Notebook Review – X-bit labs
• Asus G71V Gaming Laptop – ITreviewed
• Asus Lamborghini VX3 – t-break
• Toshiba Qosmio F50 Notebook – InsideHW
• Zepto Nox A15 Laptop – Hexus

Networking, Peripherals and Storage

• 1TB Hard Drive Roundup – thetechlounge
• Altec Lansing SoundBar FX3020 – Techware Labs
• Asus My Cinema-U3100Mini TV Tuner Review – Overclockers Club
• Belkin F1DD104L SOHO KVM Switch – PC Perspective
• GIGABYTE GK-K8000 GHOST Gaming Keyboard – TweakTown
• G.Skill, Intel & Patriot SSD group test – bit-tech
• Patriot Xporter Magnum 64GB Pen Drive – TweakTown
• Razer Salmosa 3G Review – ModReactor

Software

• Nero 9 Review – TechReviewSource
• Windows 7: Simple vs. Easy – Windows SuperSite