AstoundStereo Expander review - Full PC version 2.0.0
Introduction
In our last review, the PC version of GenAudio's AstoundStereo Expander produced great sound enhancement, but lagged behind it's Mac counterpart by only functioning as a Microsoft Media Player plugin. Now at version 2, the PC version is able to process all the sound on your system. Whether you are listening to digital music, watching a DVD, or playing a game, AstoundStereo Expander produces a wider stereo image that also has enhanced definition. Find out in our AstoundStereo Expander review how the new version compares and if its worth buying.
System Requirements:
- Windows XP / Vista (32/64-bit)
- Processor: 1 GHz (32-bit x86)
- Memory: 1Gb
- Stereo audio output
- Internet access
Installation and Interface:
Since version 2, AstoundStereo Expander is now compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems. The latest software can be downloaded from GenAudio's Website as a free 30-day trial, or you can purchase a copy. During testing, the program installed without a hitch and automatically ran when Windows started. The user interface has been improved since version 1 with the addition of options on the main screen for choosing listening modes dependent on your hardware setup (headphones, small/built-in speakers, or large/external speakers). There's also the addition of a Shortcuts menu which is useful for defining hot-keys to control the functions of AstoundStereo Expander so you don't have to use the graphical user interface all the time. Finally, GenAudio have also added a new Preamp drop-down menu that you can use to set the audio input gain which can be useful for controlling overload, or distortion as it is sometimes referred to; you can also boost sound too. Overall, there are some great new features that makes AstoundStereo Expander great value for money.
Audio Processing
For your music library, you can now enjoy enhanced audio regardless of the software media player used or if the music is DRM copy protected; in the last review we did (version 1.1.2), you could only enhance sound that was DRM-free. Because AstoundStereo Expander now acts as a background process, it is a far more flexible application that you can use for any process that delivers sound. With regards to the quality of the sound enhancement, AstoundStereo Expander delivers an impressive stereo image that is both wider and contains more audio detail.
Software
Once installed, AstoundStereo Expander runs as a background process in Windows to enhance all audio that is produced by your computer. This is a big improvement over the last version we reviewed which was just a Windows Media Player plugin. Not everyone likes Microsoft's application and so this welcome change will certainly make GenAudio's software all the more appealing if you prefer to use media players such as Winamp, Realplayer, etc. AstoundStereo Expander can also be used to enhance audio while watching movies or playing games. Even though the latest software performs well and there isn't any noticeable performance hit on the system, we did notice in Windows Task Manager that the CPU hit (system: Intel Pentium Dual T2390 CPU / 3Gb RAM / Vista 32-bit) for the background task is approximately 10 percent at idle.
Conclusion
The latest PC version (2.0.0) of GenAudio's AstoundStereo Expander is certainly a much improved audio application that now processes all sound on your computer. Not only does it enhance the audio of your music collection, but it can now be used for any program that produces sound. Version 2 of GenAudio's AstoundStereo Expander produces an impressive stereo image that is both wider than the original and also has more audio detail. If you're running AstoundStereo Expander 2 on a low spec PC then you may find that you get more of a performance hit than the 10 percent we saw, and so keep this in mind if your computer only meets the minimum specifications. One slight annoyance with the GUI that was noticed is that to get the AstoundStereo Expander system tray icon to appear, you need to run the GUI at least once - or you have to manually place it into your Windows startup folder. Even so, AstoundStereo Expander still represents a cost-effective sound enhancing solution that is a great alternative to expensive hardware. With the release of version 2 for the PC, GenAudio has now produced a software program that is finally on a par with its Mac version and will appeal to the masses that also watch DVD's and play games too. If you want to instantly add another dimension to the audio on your computer, then GenAudio's Astound Stereo Expander is highly recommended.
