As it turns out, the hardest part of the installation is keeping yourself from skipping through the manual too quickly – the urge to play with the configuration options on this card to see what it can do is really that overwhelming. Here’s what the Control Panel can do:

• Standard sound playback balance controls. Nothing too fancy here; overall volume, wave volume, software synthesizer and CD player controls.
  
• Recording controls. Adjust recording volumes and set the configuration for five different audio sources.
  
• Audio Output. Choose whether you’re going through 2, 4, 5.1 or 7.1 speakers, plus options for regular headphones and the Razer HP-1. The chosen configuration will show up in a graphic, along with a button to play a test audio loop so you can make sure everything’s working properly.
  
• S/PDIF Configuration. If you’re rocking an entirely digital audio system, you have some options for the type of audio processing that will go through your speakers, including Dolby Digital Live, DTS Interactive and several grades of standard digital audio output.
  
• The Modes Panel. For those using standard headphones or two speakers, the AC-1 offers several types of 5.1 and 7.1 surround emulation.
  
• Equalization controls. Have a room with tough acoustics or surround speakers than can’t handle low frequencies? The Control Panel has a multi-band equalizer and a built-in customizable crossover that allows you to determine what frequencies go to the subwoofer.
  
• Razer ESP. Razer’s ace in the hole. According to the manual, humans have a problem perceiving where sounds are coming from, which is, of course, a problem when you’re a playing any games where people are trying to kill you from all different directions. Razer Extra Sonic Perception boosts low-level directional sounds (things like footsteps and cries of pain) an extra amount depending on the setting you choose, giving you an edge over other players.

There are two problems that I spotted with the Control Panel that may cause some confusion, especially if you’re not referring to the manual when tweaking: first, a good number of the labeling graphics that are present in the screenshots in the manual didn’t show up on my display. I downloaded the most recent drivers from Razer before I started testing; I don’t know if that might be the source of the problem.

Second, you can’t adjust the position of the virtual speakers in the control panel to match your existing arrangement. I realize that without consulting a professional sound designer all attempts at proper placement are going to be futile anyway, but it would be nice to have more flexibility about where I put the speakers to have them match the information coming from the card.

As for the card itself, there’s one minor problem if you’re planning on using both analog speakers and the HP-1 gaming headphones with the AC-1 – you’ll have to dig behind your computer every time you want to make a switch, as both things use the same connection. I can understand why Razer made this decision – there’s no way they could have included another connector without ditching the S/PDIF connectors and it’s a good bet that most people will want one thing or the other. If you really think you’re going to want both speakers and the HP-1, it might be a good idea to invest in speakers with a digital connection.