Philips PSC724/17, PSC724/00 User Manual

User’s Guide

Ultimate Edge™ 5.1

High Definition

24-bit Sound Card

™

plus PSA2 HD

Philips Sound Solutions

PHILIPS

Philips Sound Solutions

SOFTWARE END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

THIS SOFTWARE END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT (THIS “AGREEMENT”) IS A LEGAL AND BINDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU (EITHER AN INDIVIDUAL OR ENTITY) AND PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION, with OFFICES AT 1251 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020, USA ("PHILIPS"), REGARDING THE USE OF THE PHILIPS SOFTWARE (THE “SOFTWARE”) PROVIDED WITH THE PHILIPS ULTIMATE EDGE SOUND CARD (THE “PRODUCT”), WHICH INCLUDES USER DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED IN ELECTRONIC FORM. BY INSTALLING OR USING THE SOFTWARE, YOU AGREE TO ALL OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, DO NOT INSTALL OR USE THE SOFTWARE, AND RETURN THE PRODUCT, THE SOFTWARE, ALL MANUALS, DOCUMENTATION, AND PROOF OF PAYMENT TO PHILIPS WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS OF PURCHASE FOR A FULL REFUND.

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Limited Warranty. Philips warrants that the Software will perform substantially in accordance with the written user documentation accompanying the Software for a period of ninety (90) days after receipt by you. Philips’s entire liability and your exclusive remedy for breach of this warranty shall be, at Philips’s option, either (i) return of the price paid by you (if any); or (b) repair or replacement of the Software that does not meet the warranty set forth herein and that is returned to Philips with a copy of your receipt. This limited warranty shall be void if failure of the Software has resulted from any accident, abuse, misuse or misapplication by you. Any replacement Software will be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period or thirty (30) days, whichever is longer. This limited warranty shall not apply to you if you are using the Software on an evaluation only basis.

NO OTHER WARRANTIES. EXCEPT AS SET FORTH ABOVE, THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS. PHILIPS AND ITS SUPPLIERS DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SOFTWARE WILL OPERATE ERROR FREE OR UNINTERRUPTED, OR WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS. YOU ASSUME ALL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SELECTION

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Philips Sound Solutions

OF THE SOFTWARE TO ACHIEVE YOUR INTENDED RESULTS, AND FOR THE INSTALLATION OF, USE OF, AND RESULTS OBTAINED FROM THE SOFTWARE. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, PHILIPS AND ITS SUPPLIERS DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF RESULTS WITH RESPECT TO THE SOFTWARE AND THE ACCOMPANYING MATERIALS. THERE IS NO WARRANTY AGAINST INTERFERENCE WITH THE ENJOYMENT OF THE SOFTWARE OR AGAINST INFRINGEMENT.

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U.S. Government Restricted Rights. Use, reproduction, release, modification, or disclosure of the Software is restricted in accordance with FAR 12.212, 52.227-14, DFARS 227.7202, DFARS 252-227-7013 as well as by this Agreement.

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General. This Agreement is governed by the laws of California, without reference to its conflict of laws principles. Any dispute between you and Philips regarding this Agreement shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Santa Clara County, California. This Agreement is the entire agreement between you and Philips and supersedes any other communications or advertising with respect to the Software and documentation. If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid, the remainder of this Agreement will continue in full force and effect.

Should you have any questions concerning this Agreement, or if you desire to contact Philips for any reason, please contact

info@Philips.com

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iii

Philips Sound Solutions

Philips Ultimate Edge™

5.1 Channel Soundcard

Solutions. QSound™, QEM™, QSound Environment Modeling, QSound Multi-Speaker Systems, QMSS™, QMSS™,

Q3D™, QSurround™, QXpander™, QInteractive3D™, Audio Pix™, and the Q logo are trademarks of QSound Labs, Inc.

EAX™ and Environmental Audio Extensions are trademarks of Creative Technology Ltd. In the United States and other countries.

Microsoft™ and Windows™ are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. DirectX™ and DirectSound™ are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Dolby Digital™ and DTS™ are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Philips Sound Solutions

Table Of Contents

1. Introduction..........................................................................................1

1.1. KEY FEATURES........................................................................................................... 2

1.2. Minimum System Requirements ...................................................................................3

1.3. Audio Performance........................................................................................................3

2. Installation of The New Sound Card ..................................................4

2.1. Quick Installation Guide ................................................................................................4

2.1.1. Step 1 ....................................................................................................................4

2.1.2. Step 2 ....................................................................................................................4

2.1.3. Step 3 ....................................................................................................................4

2.2. Detailed Installation Guide ............................................................................................5

2.2.1. Before Installing the New Soundcard ....................................................................5

2.2.2. Identifying The Old Sound System........................................................................5

2.2.3. Disabling the Integrated Sound .............................................................................6

2.2.4. Uninstalling the Old Soundcard and Drivers..........................................................6

2.2.5. Installing the New Soundcard................................................................................9

2.2.6. Speaker Connection............................................................................................10

2.2.6.1. Digital Speakers ..........................................................................................10

2.3. Software Installation....................................................................................................11

3. The Philips Sound Agent 2 HD .........................................................12

3.1. Basic Interface Operation............................................................................................12

3.2. Compact Control Panel ...............................................................................................14

3.3. Main Control Panel......................................................................................................16

3.3.1. Effects Tab ..........................................................................................................16

3.3.2. Equalizer Tab ......................................................................................................18

3.3.3. Setup Tab............................................................................................................19

3.3.4. Mixer Tab ............................................................................................................21

3.3.4.1. Playback source controls.............................................................................21

3.3.4.2. Recording Source Control ...........................................................................21

3.3.4.3. Advanced Mixer Sub-Tab ............................................................................22

3.3.5. Presets Tab .........................................................................................................24

3.3.6. Info Tab ...............................................................................................................25

3.4. Visualization Control Panel .........................................................................................26

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Philips Sound Solutions

4. Uninstalling PSA2 HD........................................................................ 27

5. Technical Support And Warranty ..................................................... 28

5.1. Internet Address:.........................................................................................................28

5.2. Technical Support Information: ...................................................................................28

6. Appendix A.........................................................................................29

Useful Tips For Speaker setup................................................................................................29

6.1. Ideal Listening Scenario (Speakers) ...........................................................................29

6.2. Ideal Listening Scenario (Headphones) ......................................................................29

6.3. Avoid Reflective Surfaces (Speakers).........................................................................29

6.4. Balance the Speakers and Headphones.....................................................................29

7. Appendix B.........................................................................................30

Uninstalling the Old Drivers and the Soundcard .....................................................................30

8. Appendix C.........................................................................................31

Disabling the Integrated Sound...............................................................................................31

9. Appendix D.........................................................................................32

Troubleshooting ......................................................................................................................32

The Ultimate Edge™ Soundcard Users Guide

Philips Sound Solutions

1. Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of the Ultimate Edge Soundcard! The Ultimate Edge has been designed to transform your computer into a next generation Media PC. We are confident that you will experience the ultimate in PC audio performance and features.

This document contains information that should help you with learning all the features of your new soundcard and the PSA2 HD graphical user interface. It includes instructions on how to install the new hardware and software drivers. Please take a few minutes and familiarize yourself with the soundcard before starting to install it.

The Ultimate Edge™ Soundcard Users Guide

Philips Sound Solutions

1.1. KEY FEATURES

Professional grade audio components transform your computer into an advanced digital audio processor!

• Front output external speaker jack (Left/Right) – 24-bit / 96KHz

• Surround output external speaker jack (Left/Right) – 24-bit / 96KHz

• Center / LFE output external speaker jack – 24-bit / 96KHz

• Standard microphone input jack – 24-bit / 96KHz

• Standard line input jack – 24-bit / 96KHz

• CD audio and audio from Video card internal input connector – 24-bit / 96KHz

• Coax S/PDIF Output compatible with Dolby Digital/DTS pass-thru – 24-bit / 96KHz

Sound Agent 2 HD™ 24-bit Audio Control Center:

• 32-bit floating point digital signal processing enhances sound while maintaining 24-bit precision for music, gaming, DVD movies and external inputs.

• Full 24-bit effects processing all channels.

• Exclusive QMSS5.1 technology creates 6 independent channels of audio from ALL

stereo sources when in 5.1 channel speaker mode.

• QSurround enhances Dolby Digital 6-channel sources by filling the sound gap between speakers to create a complete 360-degree wrap-around audio experience that is smooth and natural. But more importantly, it creates virtual 3D surround over a two-speaker setup.

• Active Dynamic Filtering found in the new QSizzle and QRumble components feature low, mid and high frequency enrichment algorithms that help restore sonic fidelity for highly compressed digital audio files such as MP3s and WMAs. Simply put, it makes MP3’s sound great.

• QInteractive3D technology offers precise 3D sound positioning with all headphone and speaker output configurations and is compatible with DirectSound3D, EAX 1.0, EAX 2.0/I3D Level 2, and A3D enabled games.

• QXpander stereo enhancement creates input to virtual 3D surround sound with any headphone or two-speaker set configuration.

• Professional style 10-Band Equalizer for precise sound tailoring of all digital audio media.

• Industry standard digital output (S/PDIF Out) allows connection to digital speakers or external decoders.

• 15 unique reverb environments using the exclusive QSound Environmental Modeling (QEM) algorithms for totally immersive gaming and dramatic musical

performances.

• Normalization smoothes out the volume differences within audio files and reduces the volume variations for all audio sources - automatically.

• Default and user defined Presets for most settings to personalize all your games, music, and movies - exactly the way you like it.

• S/N Ratio > 104dB

• THD = 0.004%

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1.2. Minimum System Requirements

Genuine Intel Pentium III 450 MHz or faster 64 MB RAM (128 MB recommended) One CD-ROM Drive 800 x 600 screen resolution (1024 x 768 recommended) 20 MB of available hard drive space PCI 2.2 compliant slot Windows 2000 or Windows XP Operating System NOTE: Each operating system has its own minimum requirements that should be observed. In

addition, various games and DVD applications may require higher limits than listed above.

1.3. Audio Performance

Signal-to-Noise Ratio: > 104 dB Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: 0.004% Frequency Response: <20 Hz to >20 kHz

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Philips Sound Solutions

2. Installation of The New Sound Card

Installing your Philips Ultimate Edge soundcard is easy. Please take a moment to read all the steps before proceeding with the installation. If you need more details, read through this user’s guide.

Note: Computers come in different shapes and sizes. The installation procedure in this manual is general in nature and you should compare the illustrations shown here with your computer hardware before starting your soundcard installation.

2.1. Quick Installation Guide

This Quick Installation Guide is provided for those who are very familiar with PC hardware and software and do not require detailed information to install new hardware. For more detailed explanation and step-by-step instructions, please refer to the Detailed Installation Guide section following this section.

2.1.1. Step 1

Disconnect the power cord and all the attachments from the PC. Remove any existing soundcard. The existing soundcard may be an add-on, or an on-board audio device. If it is on-board audio device, it must be disabled in BIOS. Remember to uninstall all audio drivers using either the uninstall program associated with the drivers, or use the one in the system Control Panel (Add or Remove Programs).

2.1.2. Step 2

Install the Ultimate Edge in one of the available PCI slots, preferably one that is away from the AGP slot. Installing the soundcard next to the AGP slot may cause resource conflicts in some computers.

2.1.3. Step 3

Install PSA2 HD drivers and user interface from the driver CD. Not installing PSA2 HD will limit the soundcard to stereo output only.

Attach at least a stereo self-powered PC speaker to the appropriate connectors on the Ultimate Edge soundcard. Run PSA2 HD by double-clicking on the PSA2 HD icon in the system tray, and familiarize yourself with all the features of the control panels. Plenty of tool-tips have been provided to introduce and define various features of this easy to use user interface.

If there is no audio coming out of the speakers, run the speaker test from the “setup” tab in the “main control panel”. For more information refer to the Detailed Installation Section or the Troubleshooting sections of this document.

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2.2. Detailed Installation Guide

Please have the PC and the old soundcard documents at hand. Refer to them for the removal or disabling the existing soundcard on your PC.

2.2.1. Before Installing the New Soundcard

Before starting the installation of the new soundcard you will need to determine if your PC already has a soundcard, or an integrated sound device on the motherboard. Your PC can only have one active sound device. Therefore, please remove or disable the existing sound system before installing the Ultimate Edge soundcard. This is very important and failure to do so may result in

the Ultimate Edge not working properly.

The following paragraphs and illustrations will help to determine the type of sound system existing on your PC. Please go to the appropriate section to disable, or remove the old sound system.

2.2.2. Identifying The Old Sound System

Check the back of the PC in the area of PCI slots, usually toward the bottom on the tower and mini tower cases, or to the right side, on desktop cases. All the audio related connectors line up in one row on a 4-inch end bracket. See Figure 1.

Add-on Soundcard

Figure 1

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Philips Sound Solutions

If the sound system is integrated on the motherboard, usually, the connectors are similar to the add-on card, but they are not on a bracket. They might be stacked up in one or two rows.

Figure 2 shows examples of on-board audio connectors.

Figure 2

If your PC does not have any type of sound system, proceed to 2.2.5. Installing the new Soundcard section of this manual.

If you know your PC has an add-on soundcard skip to 2.2.4. Uninstalling the Old Soundcard and Drivers section of this document.

If you know your PC has integrated sound system skip to 2.2.3. Disabling the Integrated Sound section of this manual.

2.2.3. Disabling the Integrated Sound

To disable your integrated sound (on-board audio) you will have to enter the system BIOS utility. Warning: Do not alter any other settings of your BIOS, or your system may not function properly. Refer to your system documentation on how to activate the BIOS utility. For useful examples on how to disable the on-board audio please refer to Appendix C. Once you have disabled the on-board audio, proceed to 2.2.5. Installing the new Soundcard section of this manual.

2.2.4. Uninstalling the Old Soundcard and Drivers

Uninstall the drivers for any previously installed soundcards. This is very important and failure to do so may result in improper operations of the Ultimate Edge soundcard. Please uninstall the

driver before removing the old soundcard from your PC. Consult the documentation of your old soundcard for details. Appendix B contains some useful general instructions on how to uninstall the old audio drivers.

After you remove the old audio drivers, turn off your computer and disconnect the power cable and all devices that are connected to the computer.

Caution: Static electricity can permanently damage to your soundcard. To Prevent Damage:

1. Always hold the soundcard by its edges. Avoid touching any electronic components on the soundcard.

2. Use a grounding strap or touch any non-painted surface of your computer chassis before you begin installation to discharge static electricity.

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