[DagsJT]

But again, configurations and complexity. The software might be processing the headphone surround mix before outputting to the E5. Later in that same thread, username Thalyn and later Wizard13 ask if the processing was still applied to the sound before becoming a stereo output, like before with the Recon3D USB. Creative replied:
SO for PC support, it seems a large part of the issue is a language barrier and technicalities. The E5 definitely doesn't have 5.1 speaker output... but the above conversation implies that SBX does its thing on the PC positional audio before sending out the stereo final mix. I definitely DID test the Recon3D as being fully capable of virtual surround output while connected to PC USB. If only Creative's drivers could be installed on the PS4, we could again skip any superfluous Dolby or DTS and have surround through USB, but that kind of system access has never been available on console.

 
Would you recommend the Recon3D over the G5? I'm using Fidelio X2's so, looking at your Recon3D review, I shouldn't need additional amping on top of the Recon3D as the X2's are only 32ohms anyway.
 
Or any other suggestions that would work with a PC & Xbox One but offering better sound than a Mixamp but not expensive?

 

[Evshrug]

Would you recommend the Recon3D over the G5? I'm using Fidelio X2's so, looking at your Recon3D review, I shouldn't need additional amping on top of the Recon3D as the X2's are only 32ohms anyway.

Um, maybe? The Recon3D USB sounded great with my 32 ohm AD700 when I had them, but the unit itself is harder to find and waaaaay more expensive than before. You could easily use a boompro with the X2 and Recon3D USB though. And the extension cable that comes with the Recon3D lets you patch in chat audio from either Xbox.

Thanks for reading my review!

I know Fry's had Recon3D's available for stupid low clearance prices last year, if I had a store nearby I would've stockpiled a few TBH (the price was that good). FYI, the G5/E5/X7's DAC also is a little crisper and more detailed if you hear them side-by-side, but otherwise you wouldn't know. I might still recommend picking up an amp for double-amping someday down the road.

 

[DagsJT]

Yeah the only way of getting a Recon3d now is to buy it with the headset so adding on more expense.

 

[TenMoonsNorth]

http://forums.creative.com/showthread.php?t=717470

 
I have a Xonar U3 that will be 2.0 only in Windows Speaker Configuration until you install the drivers where it will then appear as a 7.1 Speaker system. I never got an answer why Creative doesn't do that. Nobody is going to buy an E5 and a G5.
 

Hi lagonauta, This Sound Blaster E5 is designed for headphone amplifier; its primary focus is not about surround. If your main interest is about surround sound, you should be looking at 5.1 sound device instead.
Cheers,
JL-CL

 
That response from Support shows they don't know what they are talking about.
 
Creative is a big ball of frustration. I remember with their Z series soundcards that you couldn't have 5.1 Virtual Surround Sound and use the Line Out on the sound card. To use the Line Out you had to be in "Speaker Mode" even though that makes no sense.

 

[DagsJT]

Incidentally, I can go into the properties of the G5 and change it from stereo to 7.1 surround so Windows is recognising it properly.

 

[TenMoonsNorth]

  Incidentally, I can go into the properties of the G5 and change it from stereo to 7.1 surround so Windows is recognising it properly.

 
Yes. That feature is fundamentally important to 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound as the majority of games will decide whether to output 2.0, 5.1 or 7.1 based upon that Windows setting and will not have an in game option. If the E5 had that setting then the G5 wouldn't exist.

 

[Breaker]

So close yet so far, just wanted something I could use for the PC and PS4 interchangeably to get VSS at a higher quality level than the mixamp. 

 

[Happy Bullets]

Can we all just get together and bug turtle beach to actually release their stand alone DTS TAC?

 

[confusedpsyduck]

Can we all just get together and bug turtle beach to actually release their stand alone DTS TAC?

Is that not the dac that was released with the Elite 800? I wonder if it functions with any heaphone, might be a worthwhile investment assuming you can just offload the headset to a pawn shop.

 

[Evshrug]

No, the TAC was its own thing shown two CESes ago with DTS X decoding, kinda seems like a dead project.

 

[Fegefeuer]

With the release of the G5 at least sound cards like the Z/Zx/ZxR (22-40 Ohm impedance output) are obsolete. That's a good thing. Less room for problems, more space in the case. Easy to access and to control.
I wonder why the X7 is "limited" to 5.1 -> headphones while the G5 offers 7.1. Must be in conjuction with the x7's physical outputs. 

 

[TenMoonsNorth]

  With the release of the G5 at least sound cards like the Z/Zx/ZxR (22-40 Ohm impedance output) are obsolete. That's a good thing. Less room for problems, more space in the case. Easy to access and to control.
I wonder why the X7 is "limited" to 5.1 -> headphones while the G5 offers 7.1. Must be in conjuction with the x7's physical outputs. 

 
Creative just sucks at making drivers. The Sound Blaster Z series should support 7.1 for virtual surround sound but should have some kind of message in the control panel stating to switch it to 5.1 when using the speaker outputs. I really don't understand what is happening at Creative but they seem to consistently fail and their hardware usually has these infuriating quirks much like how the 7.1 VSS should have been a part of the E series.

 

[Evshrug]

With the release of the G5 at least sound cards like the Z/Zx/ZxR (22-40 Ohm impedance output) are obsolete. That's a good thing. Less room for problems, more space in the case. Easy to access and to control.
I wonder why the X7 is "limited" to 5.1 -> headphones while the G5 offers 7.1. Must be in conjuction with the x7's physical outputs. 

Yeah, AND they support Mac and Laptops now too. I didn't think of as the logical replacement for internal soundcard till you said it, I just didn't want internal cards because they were desktop Windows only.

You know how older Dolby Pro Logic would matrix multiple channels into a stereo output? Any Dolby 7.1 is actually doing the same, matrixing the extra rear channels into the 5.1 mix. So, the X7 can only connect to 6 speakers, but headphone surround is designed to be Omni-directional mixing all available positional data (which means no height data for consoles, but you get full "2D").

 

[TenMoonsNorth]

Yeah, AND they support Mac and Laptops now too. I didn't think of as the logical replacement for internal soundcard till you said it, I just didn't want internal cards because they were desktop Windows only.

You know how older Dolby Pro Logic would matrix multiple channels into a stereo output? Any Dolby 7.1 is actually doing the same, matrixing the extra rear channels into the 5.1 mix. So, the X7 can only connect to 6 speakers, but headphone surround is designed to be Omni-directional mixing all available positional data (which means no height data for consoles, but you get full "2D").

 
So Dolby Digital only really supports 5.1 then?

 

[Fegefeuer]

Yes, DD EX 7.1 is virtually dead.