Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Micro

Any discussion of laptop audio almost invariably notes that the sound is much better when you plug in headphones or external speakers. True enough, but neither of these peripherals improves a laptop's weak audio circuitry. That's what the Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Micro is about.

The Audio Advantage Micro's core component is a USB device that looks very much like a small memory drive. When plugged into the USB port, either directly or using the supplied extension cord, it bypasses the laptop's audio technology and uses its own to perform the digital-to-analog conversion. Moving that conversion away from the interference endemic inside a laptop case and using higher quality components results in a cleaner, less distorted signal and better sound.

A standard mini-jack allows the Audio Advantage Micro to drive headphones or self-powered speakers, or to send its signal to the auxiliary input of a conventional stereo system. Turtle Beach also provides a S/PDIF adapter that, when plugged into the same mini-jack, sends a digital audio signal to, for example, a home theater receiver for decoding. The required Toslink optical cable is not included, however.

In its raw form-which is to say, without using any of the software enhancements that are part of the package-the Audio Advantage Micro's sound is considerably better than what you'll get out of a standard laptop. We compared it using THX-certified Logitech Z-2300 speakers and Koss PortaPro headphones, and a selection of high-quality CDs. The Audio Advantage Micro invariably delivered better, cleaner sound, with less static between the listener and the music. The bass, too, had more punch.

Audio purists might be happy to use the Audio Advantage Micro as a hardware-only device, but they'd be missing out on the fun of the very cool 3D software Turtle Beach bundles. The capabilities of that software are revealed immediately upon the post-installation reboot, which launches a demo routine. The demo shows the position of the sound source relative to a listener's head when viewed from above.

The software package also includes a ten-band graphic equalizer with presets and manual controls, and a selection of environmental effects intended to impart the sense of listening in a variety of spaces. Each of the parameters that make up each environment can be altered, making for a near-infinite number of effects. Among the more amusing preset environments are Padded Cell, Quarry, Parking Lot, Drugged, and Psychotic, although you're more likely to use the Auditorium, Concert Hall, Arena, and Music Pub settings.

There are only a couple of minor drawbacks. The Micro lacks a line-in connection, which means if you want to record audio, you're better off going with the Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook ($129) card, which also has more pristine sound quality.

But for $29, Turtle Beach's Audio Advantage Micro is one of the most valuable upgrades you can make to your notebook. It may be small, but this tiny device delivers crisp sound to those with more discerning ears.