Click here for more information May 2010 Update:
Just an update to say the sound card is still working fine. I've moved over to Fedora Linux now and this beast installed without a hitch (no restart required of course, unlike Windows!). All in all happy with the Turtle Beach amigo. If I had to do it all over again I'd probably go with the Micro II since that seems to be offered in the real black color I was looking for (don't need the mic input that badly), but this is still a good product!
INTRODUCTION:
My 1 year old Star Tech USB Sound Card (Model # ICUSBAUDIO) decided to break literally two days before Turtle Beach released their updated Amigo and Micro cards. The reason it broke was a phsyical design that I wasn't happy about with nearly all USB sound card adapters, including Turtle Beach's previous Micro iteration.
I can't explain it well, but they have the metal connector fused right into the card. My Star Tech literally had the metal connector eventually come apart. Just really cheap, but for the price you can't complain.
So, rather than ordering another cheap USB sound card that will probably give out in another few months I put in a pre-order for this Amigo II refresh that was slated to be out March 16 2010.
MINUSES:
First, let me get the bad out of the way and list why I don't think it's deserving of a perfect 5 stars.
This comes in a clam shell type packaging so it's an inconvenience to have to go find some scissors just to get it out.
The color of the adapter is not a dark gray/light black as the stock picture might lead you to believe. It is actually a very light to medium gray color. Kind of disappointing to me because I wanted it to match the black laptop it was being used with.
There is this really annoying blue indicator light that just keeps flashing on and off every second (unfortunately, it's on the side where you will have it be facing up in clear view to you).
It still makes that little pop sound when you put it in your computer like the older USB sound cards, but not as annoying.
POSITIVES:
New design should have this last for years. This comes as a little cable attached to the card. Now the USB metal connector part is no longer "fused" into the card itself, rather there is a short little cable that is attached to it, making a distinct separation between card and connector. This should make the product last a long time (I hope). I have never had a USB cable go out on me, and this looks like that, so it should be ok. Of course, I have only just got the Amigo II today so I can't say for sure if this will be the case...
When driving the volume up, it's not like the other USB sound cards you might have used where it's really, really loud even at the lower volume settings (I think I had my old Star Tech only at one or two volume bars out of like 20!). It looks to me like Turtle Beach toned it down where you really can up your computer sound a bit more bars/notches and not have to worry about it being too loud. Even at the loudest possible setting on my laptop, I find plausible to listen to (just like using my native sound card built into my laptop -- but definitely louder of course!).
Sound quality wise, it's pretty good to me. I wouldn't say it's a noticeable improvement to my old sound card. I'm not much of an audiophile, but I know there's products that sell for way more than this that will probably give you better sound quality if you are really willing to pay for it. I honestly don't notice much background static noise even on the highest volume, so I think this is reasonably good. My old sound card had a lot of static noise at those type of volume levels...
I haven't used the microphone input. Most people will most likely get the Amigo II over the Micro II because the Micro does not have a mic input. If you need the Digital Audio Out feature though, you should get the Micro. Since I am going to be using headphones with this only and not connect it to another sound system, there was no real advantage to get the Micro for me personally, as I assume both products would give you the same analog sound quality.
Also, this is just plug in, let your OS do its thing, and play. Although I did have to restart Windows 7 after it installed the drivers (automatically). But no software or additional processes taking memory away needed to make this work.
CONCLUSION:
Overall I recommend this because I think it will last a longer time than the other conventional sound cards. I will try to remember to update this review in case this sound card ever breaks down in the near future. If it breaks within a year, you should be covered because Turtle Beach has a 1 year warranty. Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Amigo II USB Sound Card & Headset Adapter
Works flawlessly under Windows Server 2003x64. The best audio quality I've ever heard from a computer: reduced deep bass, a bit plump in the mid bass, and some boost at the very high end gives it a very detailed sound. Overall, it's very listenable, though: little digititis, a clean alto-soprano range, and reasonable micro-dynamics.
Cheap way to vastly upgrade the quality of any system with built-in audio chips.
Having an older generation Macbook Pro running Windows XP, I find that I've got a good sound card that works in both OS's and delivers good quality sound and microphone. The crop of Macbook Pros that mine are a part of don't have mic in ports (only line in), so I've been bouncing back and forth between a usb headset and AKG k-44's for video editing (I'm a film major). It was supremely annoying to have to switch the audio drivers every time and also annoying to know I was packing two headsets for no good reason. Enter the Amigo II, which works with both os's no questions asked.
The mic comes through nice and loud, and the audio is good (no discernable pops or humming, clicking or other artifacts). I'm no audiophile, but I need decent audio to do film editing, and I don't think I'll have any problems with this.
The only reason I didn't give this a five is because I've had it for all of four hours and there's no driver, which means no equalizer. Not a big deal, but a little annoying. Also, with the mic plugged in, it always transmits into the headphones. This can get a bit annoying, but isn't a big problem. - Mac Compatible - Soundcard - Usb Sound - Computer Audio
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