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Web Site: www.diamondmm.com

With one of the most successful product lines in history, Diamond Multimedia's Monster Sound audio accelerators have dominated the gaming market since their inception back in 1997. As one of the first PCI sound cards on the market, the original Monster Sound challenged Creative Labs' reign to eliminate the need for DOS-based compatibility. Subsequent cards further established Diamond's popularity in high-end systems, culminating with the MX300. Based upon Aureal's Vortex 2 processor, the MX300 earned acclaim based on its support for A3D 2.0, the revolutionary wavetracing API that introduced "life-like" three-dimensional sound to the two-speaker/headphone user.

Since the days of the MX300, Diamond has been purchased by S3 and Aureal has chosen to market their audio products themselves. Because of this, we'll no longer see the Monster Sound line sporting Aureal processors or the A3D 2.0/3.0 API. Unfortunate, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

In order to keep the Monster species alive, Diamond has teamed up with ESS Technologies (designers of the Canyon3D chip) to craft a successor to the MX300. Branding their new Monster as the MX400, Diamond Multimedia is out to show the industry that even without Aureal they are able to deliver a frighteningly impressive audio solution.