Audio Fidelity

Subjective sounds

The performance of the Montego II was auditioned on Creative's FPS 2000 Digital speakers, using the analog connections. Factors that I used to determine the quality of a sound card include the level of background noise, the strength of the audio output, and clarity of sound. The level of background noise can be a product of the input sources or noise within the amplifier. If your sound card loses all of its hiss when the line-in is muted, then the line-in is picking up too much noise. Note that the Quadzilla has auto-muting on line-ins that aren't carrying a signal, thus eliminating the possibility that the CD cable, etc., will act as an antenna for RF interference. With the Quadzilla, the background noise was virtually non-existent, regardless of the mixer volume or settings, and that's a good thing.

The output of the Montego II isn't loud enough to power non-powered speakers, but is fine for powered speakers without having the turn up the volume too far. This goes for both the front and rear outputs.

Good Vibrations, or just Vibrations?

First, let's talk about the 2D sound quality, namely the adeptness of the Montego II at reproducing MP3's or other standard sound sources. Comparing the sound quality of the Montego II to other Vortex2 boards was rather unproductive as my ears began creating differences between my A and B sound sources. In the end I gave up, conceding that the 2D quality of the Montego II was audibly identical to the other Vortex2 cards. This is not a bad thing, as the Vortex2 boards all have excellent sound quality, with clear highs and tight bass. I know that last sentence sounded a "little" clichéd, but it's true. The 18bit D/A converters of the Montego II definitely had a positive impact on these results, and it bears noting that the Montego II is one of the only Vortex 2 board shipping with it. Just as with most forms of technology, more bits is better. :)

The microphone input of the Montego II is a little weaker than that of Diamond's original Monster Sound, meaning that NetMeeting conversations need to be held with the microphone close to the listener, rather than having the microphone act as a conference mic. This isn't a big deal to most, and the results will vary based upon the quality and sensitivity of the microphone.

It should be noted that the physical quality of the connections is excellent despite being constructed of plastic. Mini jacks plugged into the card with a resounding, tactile click. Rotation of the mini jack produced no static either.