If you fancy upgrading your PC's sound but don't want to get busy with a screwdriver, all is not lost. Sound card supremo Creative has put its latest model - the Audigy 2 - into a small box that you plug into a USB port.

It's half the size of a paperback book but the Audigy 2 NX crams in all manner of audio features. We won't confuse you with a long list of specifications but suffice to say, it's a top-flight sound card that supports speaker set-ups up to 7.1. This will come in handy for DVD Audio and Dolby Digital EX DVD soundtrack decoding, and there are optical in and out sockets for connection to a home cinema amplifier.

The Audigy 2 NX connects to a USB port but high-quality recordings and 5.1 (and above) speaker set-ups require a USB 2 port. Neither can supply enough power for the device though, so you'll need a spare plug socket for the supplied mains adapter.

Creative also bundles some useful software for MP3 ripping and playback, plus you can wipe out a song's vocals for karaoke fun and clean up old recordings with the noise remover.

Contact: Creative
http://uk.europe.creative.com