Pine Technology PT-2628 "Schubert" PCI Sound Card Aureal Vortex 1 (AU8820B2) For Sale
When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Pine Technology PT-2628 "Schubert" PCI Sound CardBuilt around the iconic Aureal Vortex 1 (AU8820B2) audio processorReleased in the late 1990s, this card is a popular option designed to compete directly against Creative Labs by offering advanced positional 3D hardware audio for PC gaming.Technical Details & Architecture
Main Audio Processor: Aureal Vortex AU8820B2. This chip handles the heavy lifting for hardware-accelerated 3D audio algorithms. [1]
Onboard Power Amplifier: Uses a National Semiconductor LM1877N-9A dual audio power amplifier chip (visible in the middle-right of your board) to drive unpowered speakers or headphones. [1]
3D Audio API: Native support for Aureal A3D 1.0. Unlike standard stereo, A3D used sophisticated HRTF (Head-Related Transfer Function) math to simulate realistic 3D audio positioning over standard headphones or stereo speakers, making it legendary for late-90s games like Half-Life and Unreal.
Bus Interface: Standard PCI slot. [1]
Ports & ConnectivityFrom top to bottom on the black external bracket:
Game/MIDI Port (15-pin D-Sub): For vintage joysticks, gamepads, or external MIDI gear.
Line Out: Primary stereo output for speakers or headphones.
Rear Out: Secondary output for a 4-speaker setup.
Line In: For recording from external analog audio sources.
Microphone: Input for basic PC microphones.
Retro Computing ValueWhile Pine Technology was known as a budget brand, hardware enthusiasts love these cards because all Aureal AU8820 cards perform virtually identically. The true value lies entirely inside the processor chip itself. [1]
Windows Gaming: It excels under Windows 95 and Windows 98 SE, where games can fully leverage the hardware-accelerated A3D audio engine.
