[jincuteguy]

   
Send a private message to Sound Blaster asking.

Only Sound Blaster knows this?

 

[TenMoonsNorth]

  Only Sound Blaster knows this?

 
None of us know as no representative has said anything. You are more likely to get an answer if you PM them.

 

[jincuteguy]

   
None of us know as no representative has said anything. You are more likely to get an answer if you PM them.

Well most ppl on here been asking for the Virtual Surround Sound comes out to the Line out / Optical out for a while, so they must have know something and its benefit of it.
And then Sound Blaster listened, and added that feature to the G5 that is just been released.
 
And now they said they are bringing that to the E5.

 

[wondroushippo]

  Well most ppl on here been asking for the Virtual Surround Sound comes out to the Line out / Optical out for a while, so they must have know something and its benefit of it.
And then Sound Blaster listened, and added that feature to the G5 that is just been released.
 
And now they said they are bringing that to the E5.

There seems to be a pretty obvious use of it to me: so that you can use virtual surround with an external amp, using the E5 solely as a DAC/DSP.

 

[jincuteguy]

  There seems to be a pretty obvious use of it to me: so that you can use virtual surround with an external amp, using the E5 solely as a DAC/DSP.

Doesn't using the Optical Out bypass the DAC as well?

 

[wondroushippo]

  Doesn't using the Optical Out bypass the DAC as well?

Yeah, so you could just use it as a preamp of sorts in a 3 box chain: Digital out from the E5 -> DAC -> amp if you want to get virtual surround and use a higher-quality DAC. Or you could use the analog output and just use the E5 as a DAC to an amp of your choice.
 
You probably wouldn't pay $200 for just the E5's surround sound functionality, but that's the cool thing about it: you could use it as one component of your home system and then use it on the go, or use it as a starting point for a higher end system.

 

[jincuteguy]

  Yeah, so you could just use it as a preamp of sorts in a 3 box chain: Digital out from the E5 -> DAC -> amp if you want to get virtual surround and use a higher-quality DAC. Or you could use the analog output and just use the E5 as a DAC to an amp of your choice.
 
You probably wouldn't pay $200 for just the E5's surround sound functionality, but that's the cool thing about it: you could use it as one component of your home system and then use it on the go, or use it as a starting point for a higher end system.

If I used it just for the Virtual Surround sound, what DAC / Amp would be better than the DAC / amp inside the E5?
 
Also, can you get Virtual Surround Sound out from the Optical Out of the Sound Blaster Z / Zx / ZxR soundcard?

 

[TenMoonsNorth]

Quote:

Also, can you get Virtual Surround Sound out from the Optical Out of the Sound Blaster Z / Zx / ZxR soundcard?

 
Yes. 5.1 maximum
 
I assume the hardware mixer can output to optical.

 

[panzerfan]

I just downloaded the update on Creative's website. This does add the Virtual 7.1 Surround to the E5.
 

 

[jincuteguy]

  I just downloaded the update on Creative's website. This does add the Virtual 7.1 Surround to the E5.
 

 
 
Wow nice, but when are they adding this to the X7 as well? It's kinda suck that they're doing this for cheaper product rather than their Flagship??

 

[jincuteguy]

  I just downloaded the update on Creative's website. This does add the Virtual 7.1 Surround to the E5.
 

 
I still don't see the 7.1 speakers Config?  The picture you are showing is only Headphone mode

 

[wondroushippo]

I just downloaded the update on Creative's website. This does add the Virtual 7.1 Surround to the E5.

Oh nice, I should be able to take advantage of this with Battlefront, which I got for Christmas!

 

[Breaker]

I don't really understand why console VSS was omitted from the G5, aren't surround formats just decoded within software? Does creative have an official response on their reasoning for the omission? I really feel like it was to give the x7 an extra defining feature, which is dumb may I add. They can essentially wrap up the market astro holds with that one feature on the g5.

Edit: Another thought, don't manufacturers pay Dolby for use of the format? Is it possible they omitted the feature to increase margin (which seems to be a large margin being that they could afford to drop it $40 at release)? With that being said, back in the X-Fi days, I believe dolby wasn't originally supported on those x-fi cards and "compatibility" for the format was later sold as an add-on feature. 

 

[Detrimentation]

Exactly, the G5 could have finally provided competition to the Mixamp, as the X7 is not even relevant to most gamers at $350. I'm planning on purchasing a Creative Sound Blaster Z, and I would have loved to have consistent audio between my PC and console by using SBX 7.1 from both the Z and from the G5, especially due to the reverb produced by Dolby Headphone. Currently I use Sennheiser GAME Ones with the Mixamp Pro 2013, and the hissing from the Mixamp is incredibly distracting. Plus, the noise-cancelling done by the Mixamp firmware in tandem with the GAME One's noise-cancelling mic makes my voice sound incredibly distorted and annoying.
 
I'm not sure if a hardware modification or merely a firmware update is in order, but Sound Blaster PLEASE consider adding console functionality to the G5, Astro would be annihilated by your entry to consoles and virtual surround. 

 

[panzerfan]

  Exactly, the G5 could have finally provided competition to the Mixamp, as the X7 is not even relevant to most gamers at $350. I'm planning on purchasing a Creative Sound Blaster Z, and I would have loved to have consistent audio between my PC and console by using SBX 7.1 from both the Z and from the G5, especially due to the reverb produced by Dolby Headphone. Currently I use Sennheiser GAME Ones with the Mixamp Pro 2013, and the hissing from the Mixamp is incredibly distracting. Plus, the noise-cancelling done by the Mixamp firmware in tandem with the GAME One's noise-cancelling mic makes my voice sound incredibly distorted and annoying.
 
I'm not sure if a hardware modification or merely a firmware update is in order, but Sound Blaster PLEASE consider adding console functionality to the G5, Astro would be annihilated by your entry to consoles and virtual surround. 

 
Honestly, even E5 in bluetooth has way less static than the Mixamp, and we can drive 600ohm cans at that. If Creative can give Dolby Headphones or SBX 7.1 through firmware (processing done on-board) instead of a software solution, then E5 or G5 would have no opponent.