AUGUST 2019 PCWorld 87nx technology
generates the
illusion that the
audio is coming
directly from the
screen—a nifty
trick, though one
you can live
without.
In all, I only
found two things
I didn’t like about
Dell’s Maxx
AudioPro
experience. By
default, the
software asks you
to specify what
sort of head-
phones you plugged in: true headphones,
earbuds, or over-the-ear earbuds. That gets
old, though you can opt out. The Waves
MaxxAudioPro nx technology also refuses to
work with UWP apps, which excludes both
the Microsoft Store Netflix app as well as any
audio played back within Microsoft Edge.
Though nx may be a bit of a gimmick, the
restrictions are annoying.ADD-ONS AND
ACCESSORIES
Dell’s Latitude 7400 2-in-1 ships with the usual
contingent of Windows bloatware, along with
three Dell-branded utilities: Dell Command |performed a side-by-side comparison to
evaluate one audio-enhancement
technology compared to another, some form
of audio enhancement goes a long way to
improve the typical laptop audio experience,
and MaxxAudioPro offers one of the most
sophisticated feature sets available.
With headphones in, MaxxAudioPro also
provides the option to turn on the nx
positional audio, which uses the Latitude
7400’s user-facing webcam to track your
head’s position and route the sound
accordingly. Turn your head to your left, and
Waves routes more audio to your right
headphone speaker, and vice versa. In all, the
Waves’ MaxxAudioPro provides both an equalizer as well as sound enhancement.