| Bgears b-Enspirer 7.1 Channel 24-Bit Sound Card |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Audio | |
| Written by Olin Coles | |
| Friday, 15 September 2006 | |
Bgears b-Enspirer SoundcardDid you hear that? In most cases, you probably didn’t. This is because most computers being used today provide audio through integrated low-quality sound, or in some small numbers the computer may have a dedicated audio controller based sound card. At a glance, the two most prevalent forms of audio quality in personal computers are poor and acceptable. Although the industry tries to keep in step with Moore’s Law, there is one thing that is predominantly true: computer sound is the last item on the list for performance evolution. This has been true, until now. Bgears is among the first companies to offer high-fidelity sound at a true 24-bit level of performance. Their world class Oxygen 8788 based audio processor by C-Media supports most all industry standards for 3D computer sound; including EAX 1.0 & 2.0, A3D 1.0 and DirectSound. Other very large companies abused consumer trust and have made claims to having this level of sound, only to wind up in court disputes or offer subsequent products that boast 24-bit processing but haplessly renders at 16-bit. Bgears releases the real deal: the 24-bit/192KHz 8-channel b-Enspirer sound card. 
In this review, I will showcase the powerful features included in the Bgears b-Enspirer. Rated to beyond 110dB, I will share the experience of clarity and definition in every melody that frolics on my eardrums. Intended for the audiophile with a discerning ear, the hardcore computer enthusiast who demands the best, and the home theater buff who settles for nothing less then DTS, the b-Enspirer delivers at every level. 
About the Company: Bgears, Inc.Bgears is the forerunner of innovative products related with home entertainment and computer system. Bgears Taiwan R&D office and Bgears China factory has been established since 2000 and has been focusing on OEM and ODM market initially for many leading PC brands in the computer industry. Bgears USA was established in California, U.S.A. in March 2005, focusing on manufacturing and distributing top-quality consumer electronics products under Bgears brand for worldwide market.
Currently our R&D and manufacturing facilities reside in Taiwan and China. Bgears' R&D has over 20 years experience in computer industry and vowed to develop the highest quality products with cutting-edge technology. In early 2006 Bgears has quite a few newly developed products with patent pending and are very excited to introduce these products to the worldwide market by mid of 2006.
Korea Branch:
Singapore Branch: Features and ContentsBgears' b-Enspirer is a high quality PCI bus 8-channel sound that can be built into home audio electronics or personal computers to provide high fidelity sound playback and processing. The b-Enspirer enables studio level audio performance. With support for 8 outbound streams, b-Enspirer can easily support the latest theater quality 5.1, 6.1, or even 7.1 surround sound systems. For enhanced playback, b-Enspirer enables limited hardware resources to be used which allow customers to experience the complete surround sound experience whether using four or even just two speakers. 
Features:
Contents:
Closer Look: b-EnspirerTo say that the Bgears b-Enspirer looks as good as it sounds is an understatement. The colorful array of I/O plugs and race-car red PCB all make this sound card stand out. Even the expansion blade at the end of the card catches the light with a polished anodized gold finish. You notice that there are dozens of capacitors on the b-Enspirer, which indicates that this card means business. Nestled in the lower center of the PCB is the renowned Oxygen audio processor, with a true 24-bit logic. Finishing it out in modern day fashion, the Bgears b-Enspirer is fully RoHS compliant; which means that when it is finally retired it won’t pollute the ground water supply with lead or other harmful byproducts. 
C-Media manufactures the Oxygen High-Definition sound processor using the CMI 8788 processor on the Bgears b-Enspirer. What does this really mean to you? Well, to begin with it produced a true 24-bit audio stream, delivered at up to 192KHz on eight channels (7.1). The Oxygen sound processor is one of the best in the business, if it isn’t the best. Encoding and converting functions are enhanced by the power of this processor.
Look at that I/O panel! Talk about a rainbow of plugs! There are enough mini-audio jacks to support any of today’s 7.1 sound systems, but still very impressive on other systems (like my Logitech X-530 5.1). There are input and output TOSLINK Fiber Optic Digital Cable receptacles, which will ensure that this card is as future-proof as they get by today’s standard. About the only thing that this card lacks on the I/O panel is an RCA-Digital output connector, which is not going to be missed by many users due to its aging application. 
Turning the Bgears b-Enspirer over to the underside reveals a long list of approved audio standards supported on this card. Also notice the build date stamped in the upper-left corner of the PCB. Overall the b-Enspirer maintains a very clean and symetrical finish. 
Software and InstallationThe b-Enspirer maintains a very slim profile; something most HTPS builders will appreciate. Installation is very standard: remove power from the system, install the b-Enspirer into an available PCI slot, and fasten down to the case. The software provided by Bgears on CD-ROM was also the most current version available at the time of this writing, so no additional downloading will be necessary. I installed the Bgears b-Enspirer into one of my Windows XP workstations at first, but later decided to fit it into a new Windows Vista Ultimate Edition project system specified below. Test System
With the b-Enspirer in place, I found that Windows Vista RC1 Build 5728 did not automatically install a reference driver for the device, which I expected. So I used the CD-ROM to install the driver without any problems. There were some noticeable differences in the installations between Windows XP and Windows Vista. One difference is that Windows Vista requires you to right-click on the setup.exe file in order to run it as an administrator, and then proceed with the Windows Vista recommended installation procedure. Once installed, a small Xear 3D icon appears in the system tray. SoftwareMost people may not need much more then the default settings for their audio equipment. Those people are also the same bunch that suffer from hearing loss and think that onboard audio is as good as it gets. Bgears borrows from the refined C-Media toolbox to utilize the 3D Audio Configuration software (version 1.0.48.5). With the Oxygen HD Configuration software you can customize the settings to your ears’ content. 
In the Main Settings page, you can adjust settings to best suite your system equipment. In this configuration, I have selected a 6-channel system with 192KHz digital audio output. Even beyond this first step, I am afforded the opportunity to raise and lower the gain from +12db to -96db on each channel. There is also a test sequence and sample music available at the bottom of the page to sample each channels configuration. During this process a simple bar graph will be drawn in the Audio System Status window showing audio peaks and valleys. 
Even headphones are given special treatment, since Bgears and C-Media are aware that not everyone has the ability or desire to mount eight speakers in their work environment. 
The Mixer page is very similar to the Windows Audio advanced properties page. The one thing I noticed it that the volume knob displayed on this page will show the volume level, but it will not allow you to move the dial. I though this was a bit meaningless in a sea of feature-rich functions. 
On the Effect page, you can customize and save 10-band equalizer settings to unlimited profiles. The Environment tool is a creative feature to disguise sounds or alter their presence and location. The Environment Size tool allows you to scale the sound reverberation based on your listening environment. 
The FlexBass page allows for specific frequency crossover ranges to be programmed into your system. In my application, I noticed that enabling this feature cut-out my subwoofer channel and put the rear speakers in its place. I have this feature disabled so that the channels will not be affected by software separation of the channels. ConclusionIf you are even slightly inclined to appreciate good, high-quality sound, then you owe it to yourself to move up to professional grade sound; and if you are already part of the growing population who insist on only the best, then the Bgears b-Enspirer is clearly the sound card for you. I can’t say enough about the sound quality served up by the Bgears b-Enspirer. Even my new Logitech X-530 5.1 speaker system seems outclassed by the quality I receive from the b-Enspirer, so it might be time for me to step up to the full range 7.1 systems I would normally show off in the entertainment room.
At the time of this writing, the Bgears b-Enspirer has just begun hitting the market. Available for $109.99 at NewEgg.com, the b-Enspirer out-performs all competition at a reasonable price. Even the TOSLINK Fiber Optic Digital Cable is included, so it’s a single purchase solution. Pros:
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