With the brand-new SoundSystem DMX aims at the best of all worlds: it supports all mentioned 3D standards. The (PCI-)card is very well equipped with a Canyon 3D chip and comes with the Digital Extension board we already know from the EWS64S (where it's optional, by the way). In contradiction with the XLerate Pro, which only supports 2 speakers, you can connect 4 speakers to the DMX. At the other hand, the A3D support is a bit less advanced (A3D version 1 instead of 2). Also included are Sensaura A3D extensions called MacroFX and ZoomFX. Some people say that the EAX-effects are less stunning than with a SoundBlaster Live. Indeed, there are not as many, but I've heard the SB Live effects and I'm not really impressed. In particular the SB-reverbs sound very cheap, like the 'mechanical' reverbs in old guitar amps.

Especially the Digital Extension board makes the card suitable for the audio freak that wants more than just a good soundcard. It has two digital IN/OUT's, optical as well as coaxial. Great for connecting all kinds of external digital audio equipment, like for instance a mini-disc recorder. And most important: the DMX has an excellent sound!
If you are mainly a Midi-user, do not buy this card. Indeed the card has midi-support in the form of MPU401 compatibility and 2MB/4MB soundsets, but Midi is not what this card is primarily designed for.

All the functions of the SoundSystem DMX can be controlled via the Control Panel. This Control Panel is a lot more transparent than the one we know from the EWS64XL (not a really fair comparison, because the latter is much more sophisticated).
Traditionally Terratec products come with a lot of extra software, like the WinJey-player, Steinberg's WaveLab Lite, Buzz and Mixman Studio. Also there is a lot of shareware on de cd-rom.

Are there no drawbacks? There are. As with many newly borns, the DMX isn't completely over it's teething troubles. On many systems the DMX will install flawlessly, but in some cases (that includes ours of course), the drivers for the new hardware can't be found (even after browsing to the right folder on the cd). The solution is just as simple as strange: make sure no cables (including internal flatcable for the Digital Extension) are connected to the card. After that installation goes like a charm. This solution is not my invention, but was provided by the unsurpassed Terratec support. And in case you think that this kind of instant help by the manufacturer should go without saying, we can report that we once had completely opposite experiences with Creative's support.
Another minus is, that we suspect that the drivers are not in the stage of final development yet. Informed circles tell us that Terratec is dependent on ESS here (the manufacturer of the Canyon 3D chip). Also I could not escape the impression that the DMX software draws rather heavily on system resources.

However, the overall conclusion should be that this is a very good new product with a great sound. Even just unpacking the gear already gives you a good feeling. My first thought (in Dutch of course) was: solid stuff. Good manuals (even a Dutch version!). When you are into gaming as well as semi-pro audio, this card is a good combination of features and ensures that you're prepared for things to come.