Front
CPX Review
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Specifications
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The
Case
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- Fits in one 5.25" bay
- Pass through cables move sound card connectors to the front of your
case
- Aids in connnecting components easily
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During Christmas I treated
myself to a new soundcard. In went the Soundblaster
Live X-Gamer into my system and I couldn't have been happier with the
improvement over my old Soundblaster. One thing that struck me as odd was
that the Soundblaster Live Platinum had an adapter that fit into a 5.25" bay
that allowed the speakers (headphones) and joystick to be connected there.
Great idea I thought. Well, the "Live Drive", as Creative calls it, became
available for all the other new Live cards (it utilizes a special connector
not available on the older Live Value). Imagine how I felt when I saw that
it was priced the same as my soundcard: $99. Something was definitely wrong
here. Thankfully, Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) has
come up with a similar component that will work with any sound card on the
market. The FrontCPX mounts in a 5.25" bay and has plugs that allow you to
access your sound card's joystick, earphone, microphone, audio-in, and line-in
ports. On top of that the unit only retails for $25.90.
First Impressions:
The review unit shipped
with the adapter plate that fits in a 5.25" bay and all necessary wires. That
will probably complement just about any system out there, unless you no longer
have any available 5.25" bays. One thing MTDC did well was realize that people
don't want to see their mic and game port sticking out of the front of the
system for everyone to see. The FrontCPX is equipped with a small access door
that covers the unit when not in use. I was glad that door was provided since
the cables themselves have a yellowish-tan plastic around them while the unit
is made from a tan plastic. These mismatched color schemes really makes that
front door useful, and add to that the different shades of tan used by several
peripheral
manufacturers and you would have quite a colorful system.
The cables that come with
the unit use standard plugs so you don't have to worry if the unit will work
with your particular sound card brand. The cables are 2.5 feet long, so I
don't foresee that being a problem. The review unit came with line-in, separate
mic in, headphones, and gameport plugs. Don't like the selection there? Then
plug them in where you want them. You can move your main speaker out to the
front of the case, or your rear speakers for that matter, if that suits your
needs.
Installation:
Installation is incredibly
easy. The hardest thing here may be lining up the unit in its bay so that
it fits flush with the other components. All necessary hardware was included,
even the screws. MTDC recommends that the peripheral above the FrontCPX rest
on top of the adapter to help make sure that the front drive door closes and
opens properly. I had no problems with fit in three different cases. The next
step is to run the cables inside your case and use their provided slot cover.
This slot cover has a small area that allows the cables to pass through to
the back of the case. Once you've passed the cables through the slot simply
plug them into the "outs" on your sound card and you're in business.
The cables provided have
thick insulation and color-coded plugs. I noticed no sound quality loss with
the unit when using high-end headphones. My joystick worked perfectly, and
since this device simply moves its plugin point to the front of the case,
I didn't have to recalibrate or make changes with it. For conferencing with
other people I sometimes use a headset/mic. This is where the FrontCPX really
shines. I hate having to go in behind my case and connect my mic and headset
plugs in. Now they are conveniently located on the front of the case.
Having the line-in and
mic plug moved to the front of the case not only helped with my teleconferencing,
but came in handy when I wanted to record MP3s from my portable CD player.
Again, because of the high quality cable there was no signal loss. While you
can make your MP3s from the CD-ROM already built into your system its nice
to know that you can have other components hooked up that need a line-in.
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Pros:
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Cons:
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- At $25 dollars
this is a much better solution than the Live Drive
- No signal loss
due to the high quality cables
- Clears up your
work area from seldom used components
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Mismatched color
of the plastics in the unit |
Conclusions:
It's very easy for me
to recommend the FrontCPX to everyone. If you have never had to mess with
the plugs on your soundcard then this device won't help you. Everyone who
has ever struggled with going behind his or her system to plug in a headset
or mic will immediately appreciate how useful this device is. If you have
more than one component that plugs into the gameport, such as a gamepad and
joystick, then you'll see how useful this device can be to you too. Most computers
only have two USB ports, so not having to reach behind the system to juggle
connectors will be great for anyone who hasn't bought a USB hub. I rarely
use a joystick anymore, and being able to move it and my rarely used headset/mic
off my work area and only plug them in when I needed them was a great space
saver.
The FrontCPX retails for
$25.90 and is available for web order from
their site. While the Live Drive was Creative's plan for this type of
functionality, MTDC has brought it to any brand of soundcard. One of the best
features of this card is one that I couldn't test. MTDC will also have available
USB, serial, parallel, and video ports soon. In the future I'd hope MTDC would
release a version that fits in a 3.5" bay so that everyone can enjoy these
benefits without having to lose a full bay. Extra full bays are a luxury in
small cases that most people can't afford to lose. While something that small
would lose its upgradability it could still move the most often used plugs
to the front of the case. 
Victor Oshiro
24th April, 2000
