This is actually a question for General Claymore. What are your thoughts on this thing? http://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blasterx-g5
Meh... I prefer independent amps and DACs. The headphone surround effects must be software since USB audio nor toslink optical support more than 2 uncompressed channels - unless they have implemented USB Audio 2.
But you need a sound card to change settings for gaming. From what I understand you can hook a dac/amp up to a sound card and your good.. Right?
What audio settings for gaming need to be changed? EDIT: Again, whenever advertising word "gaming" popping up, people who have no idea what they need or want, will buy this gear. Something something "Buy this gaming soundcard, hear your enemies footsteps, EZ frags EZ life".
The thing about the Sound blaster G5 is that the software that it using can be used on any device. You can actually DL the software from the product page for the headphones or the G5 and then register your email to get a serial to use it. Other then that there isn't any thing really special about it in the price point. I have used the software to try it out but its very limited to what you can config and it works like X-FI MB3 as it installs it self as a sound device on your computer. But the settings are predefined and you can't really fully config them unless they released a update giving you more leg room to do so. Honestly you would be better off A. if your on-board audio supports X-FI MB3 using that to send it to your external dac or usb dac amp using "What U hear" Method. B using a cheapo sound card with either SBX,CMSS3D or Dolby headphone and sending that to your external dac/amp unit thru coaxial/optical. Then there are plenty of better options in the 149 price range that you would get your money worth more so then the G5 and just use Razer surround or that same blasterX software suite.
