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--- blog:laptop_audio [2024/12/24 09:27] – [Crystal CS4624] john
+++ blog:laptop_audio [2024/12/27 14:53] (current) – john
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== DOS Laptop Audio Comparisons ======
-Here I've listed audio comparisons of various DOS laptop sound card chips, each playing the Duke Nukem 3D setup music. Most of the cards from older laptops which do work in DOS (and //not// all do) sound vaguely the same when it comes to playing back digital audio (usually if they implement Soundblaster 1.0/2.0 mono, or SB Pro / SB 16 stereo)... but the biggest difference is usually in their FM synth implementation.
+Here I've listed audio comparisons of various DOS laptop sound card chips, each playing **the first 30 seconds Duke Nukem 3D setup music**. Most of the cards from older laptops which do work in DOS (and //not// all do) sound vaguely the same when it comes to playing back digital audio (usually if they implement Soundblaster 1.0/2.0 mono, or SB Pro / SB 16 stereo)... but the biggest difference is usually in their FM synth implementation.
 All devices using true Yamaha OPL2/OPL3 parts (YMF262 or YMF3812) will sound the same, earlier ESS chips use their (excellent) ESFM implementation, but others (including Crystal) often have their own implementation which is //not quite the same//.
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
    * Found in: IBM Thinkpad 380ED, 385D, 385ED
-This earlier Crystal audio chip has fairly good DOS compatibility. The FM synth implementation is actually pretty decent and reasonably faithful to a genuine Yamaha OPL part. I'm not sure what Crystal did with their later sound chips to throw away this implementation, but they should have kept it!
+This earlier Crystal audio chip has fairly good DOS compatibility. The FM synth implementation is actually pretty decent and reasonably faithful to a genuine Yamaha OPL part - it's not exact, but is perfectly adequate for most purposes - good even, compared to some other implementations. I'm not sure what Crystal did with their later sound chips to throw away this implementation, but they should have kept it!
 {{jPlayerPlaylist>:blog:pentium:crystal_cs4236b.mp3}}
@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 {{jPlayerPlaylist>:blog:pentium:crystal_cs4624.mp3}}
+===== Crystal CS4281 =====
+   * PCI interface
+   * SBPro compatibility
+   * ??? Crystal FM synth emulation quality
+   * TSR needs to be loaded to initialise and provide DOS compatibility
+   * Found in: IBM Thinkpad X20, X21, 240X, 240Z
+I have been unable to get the CS4281 in the Thinkpad 240X to initialise in DOS. This makes the Thinkpad 240X/240Z (and possibly the X20/X21) non-starters for DOS gaming.
 ===== ESS 1946 Solo-1 =====
@@ Line 39: / Line 48: @@
    * Needs a TSR loaded to set up the chip
    * Found in: Compaq Presario 1800, IBM Thinkpad 240, 390E, 390X
+{{jPlayerPlaylist>:blog:pentium:ess_solo-1.mp3}}
 ===== Yamaha OPL-SA3 =====