MOBILE

Tt eSPORTS BAHAMUT External USB Pro-Gaming Sound Card

4/10/2013 9:07:03 AM

The Missing (Audio) Link

An external sound card isn’t your average, run-of-the-mill peripheral. And it isn’t an item that naturally finds its way onto every PC enthusiast’s must-have list. In fact, we wouldn’t exactly have to go out on a limb to say that you might never have seen one in person.

That being said, an add-on sound adapter can bring a number of benefits to your laptop or desktop PC. You don’t necessarily have to hate the integrated audio built into your computer to want to buy one, although that’s certainly a valid reason to do so. Some external audio cards go above and beyond, with practical, useful features that can make your headset time more enjoyable.

Extra headphone cord length, easy volume and mute control, and DTS Surround Sound Headphone Technology audio processing are on the BAHAMUT’s CV.

The Tt eSPORTS BAHAMUT is a USB example from Thermaltake (usa.ttesports.com). It not only improves your PC’s audio, but it also enhances your headset usage in a number of ways. Let’s start with the latter.

Audio At Hand

People like buttons and knobs. Even in this age of touchscreens, when we’re swiping and tapping flat surfaces on our phones and tablets, there’s still something greatly reassuring about a physical control. With onscreen controls, it’s occasionally hard to know whether you activated them or not if nothing happens right away. In contrast, with physical controls, you don’t need to worry about whether you touched an onscreen “button” hard enough or long enough, nor whether you accidentally mouse-clicked a few pixels outside it, because you felt the satisfying click of a real button or the spin of a real knob.

With onscreen controls, it’s occasionally hard to know whether you activated them or not if nothing happens right away.

With onscreen controls, it’s occasionally hard to know whether you activated them or not if nothing happens right away.

It’s a similar deal when you’re representing your group at a LAN party, lying on a hotel bed watching a movie on your laptop, or holed up in your gaming cave for some online squad action.

You don’t want to have to fumble around in dim lighting looking for the function key that adjusts the volume. And you don’t want to exit to the Desktop to adjust the sound settings onscreen.

The BAHAMUT’s “Battle-Dragon wheel” makes it easy to crank the volume when you need to and turn it back down when you don’t. Red LED indicators give you clear feedback of your current volume level, so you don’t have to rely on the feel of an indentation on the knob in the dark.

Also glowing scarlet are the icons on the mute buttons for the microphone and headphones. They have separate controls to give you more flexibility with the audio coming in and going out.

For example, at certain times, such as when you’re eating a crunchy snack, you may want to shut off your microphone while still being able to use your headphones to listen to what’s going on in-game.

A Longer Leash

None of us really likes to have a cable dangling from our headphones. Probably the number-one killer of a wired headset is an accidental yank of the cord. Yawn, stretch, and drop your arms to your side just right yank. Alternatively, there’s our patented move of standing up and walking away from the desk, forgetting that we’re still wearing our ’phones until yank we’re suddenly not wearing them anymore. Cabled headphones are inexpensive, and they come in every style, but most of us tend to begrudgingly tolerate the cord as a necessary evil.

On the flip side of the coin, wireless headsets have their pros and cons, too. Higher prices, smaller selection, and battery life are among them. Also, some technologies are prone to interference and/or connection hassles. You might even need to connect a dongle or other device to your computer in order to transmit a signal not a big deal, but it’s just one more thing to remember to bring along (and not lose).

Digitally processing your audio signals with intelligent Equalizer software application to meet your acoustic demands.

Digitally processing your audio signals with intelligent Equalizer software application to meet your acoustic demands

Thus, wired headphones are likely to remain the dominant form of critter attached to our craniums in the future. That being the case, it’s a spot of good news that the BAHAMUT can make using traditional headsets a little easier. With the additional length of its USB cable, for instance, you’ll have more room to move when you’re wearing your headphones.

Onscreen Control

Another perk of the BAHAMUT involves its companion software. The application lets you set custom audio equalization settings for particular environments and uses.

For example, Thermaltake says, you can create an EQ setting that will emphasize vocal frequencies, so you can catch the dialogue a little more easily when you’re watching a movie. And in a gaming scenario, you can punch up the bass of weapons and explosions, while adding acoustic effects to make game environments that much more realistic.

Clear Sound

Part of the BAHAMUT’s allure is its pure, strong audio. Although a few upper-tier laptops and PC mainboards come with decent integrated audio, most decidedly don’t. The BAHAMUT can add great sound to any system.

It’s easy to get used to the way audio sounds on your computer, just as you can enjoy a favorite song playing on an FM radio station in your car. But once you hear your games and media through an advanced sound card such as the BAHAMUT, it’s like moving from your car radio to a high-quality audio file played on a component stereo system.

Intuitive I/O with Microphone/Speaker connectivity. The BAHAMUT is designed with simplistic interface, and users can intuitive comprehend the sound card with ease.

Intuitive I/O with Microphone/Speaker connectivity. The BAHAMUT is designed with simplistic interface, and users can intuitive comprehend the sound card with ease.

Once you hear the difference, you won’t want to go back to your PC’s integrated audio. With the BAHAMUT, you’ll hear instruments and musical details you didn’t notice before. In games and movies, ambient sound cues can be more noticeable, more fully immersing you in the fictional environment.

Thermaltake also endowed the BAHAMUT with DTS Surround Sound Headphone Technology. This expands the soundscape you’ll hear in your headset, making it seem as though its two drivers have multiplied into discrete surround speakers. With DTS enabled, the BAHAMUT can more accurately clue you in when someone (or something) is on the approach in a game or the cavalry’s coming to save the day in a movie.

Beyond Gaming

Don’t be fooled into thinking that because the BAHAMUT is from Thermaltake, it’s solely an accessory for PC gaming and the like. If you often make Internet calls, such as through Skype, for instance, you’ll find the intuitive volume knob and mute buttons indispensable. A custom EQ setting can also help clarify voice communications.

What’s more, you can use the BAHAMUT for powered speakers, too. Its stereo output can be expanded through DTS to sound fuller and richer for a more exciting experience.

Thermaltake Tt eSPORTS BAHAMUT Specifications

§  Interface USB

§  Channels 5.1

§  Formats DTS Surround Sound Headphone Technology

§  Controls Volume knob, mute

§  Connectors Speakers (3.5mm analog stereo), microphone

§  Audio Specs 44.1/48KHz sampling, 8/16-bit DAC channels

§  Compatibility Win7/Vista/XP, Mac OS X

 

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