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Montego II Quadzilla

Voyetra Turtle Beach · 1999 · PCI 3D Sound Card
The best Vortex 2 deal, complete with quad speakers and S/PDIF, but held back by unfinished drivers.
3.5
Good
POCG VERDICT
Great potential in a box, but today I'd buy a SoundBlaster Live! instead.
The Montego II Quadzilla delivers killer A3D 2.0 positional audio with quad speakers and S/PDIF for $99. It's the best Vortex 2 value, but driver bugs and spotty game support keep it from the crown.
About This Hardware

The Montego II Quadzilla is a PCI sound card from Voyetra Turtle Beach, built on the Aureal Vortex 2 chipset. Released in 1999, it brings A3D 2.0 positional audio and wavetracing to the PC, along with quad speaker output and S/PDIF digital out via a breakout bracket. At $99, it undercuts many competitors while offering a rich software bundle, including Voyetra's Audio Station 32, MIDI Orchestrator, and a demo of Star Wars X-Wing Alliance. The card targets gamers seeking immersive 3D sound in titles like Half-Life, Unreal, and Sin, but its dependence on A3D support limits its reach compared to Creative's EAX ecosystem. Installation is straightforward under Windows 95/98, with solid NT 4.0 support, though A3D is not available on NT. Known driver issues, including a squelching bug in Unreal, reflect growing pains of the Vortex 2 platform. The Quadzilla positions itself as the feature-rich choice for early adopters of wavetracing technology, while the breakout bracket addresses the shortcomings of earlier OEM-only Vortex 2 cards.

Specifications
InterfacePCI 2.1 Bus Master
ChipsetAureal Vortex 2 AU8830
Audio Converters18-bit ADC/DAC, 97dB SNR
Sampling RatesUp to 48kHz
API SupportA3D 2.0 · DirectSound3D
Output ChannelsQuad analog (4 speaker) · S/PDIF digital out
Wavetable Synthesis320-voice (64 hardware + 256 software), 5MB samples, DLS compatible
MIDI InterfaceMPU-401 UART via joystick port
System RequirementsPentium 75+, 16MB RAM, PCI slot, Win 95/98/NT 4.0
Hardware Info
ManufacturerVoyetra Turtle Beach
CategoryPCI 3D Sound Card
Released1999
MSRP$99
ReviewedJune 14, 2026
How to Get One Today
Price
MSRP: $99
Notes & Warnings
The retail package includes the breakout bracket (quad speaker and S/PDIF). The OEM/Dell version lacks this bracket, and the Aureal reference drivers do not work with the Quadzilla's design. A known Vortex 2 driver bug causes a loud squealing whine after extended play in some games; no fix available as of September 1999. A3D and wavetracing are not supported under Windows NT.
Editor's Note
This review was restored from the POCG archive and rewritten in the Maniac voice. Original score: 7/10 (converted to 3.5/5).