[Tohex]

I know virtual simulated surround isn’t for everyone. If you are team stereo, perhaps give it another shot after checking out this video which highlights that one of the reasons you may have thought it sounded bad was more due to the poor implementation of the processing rather than the processing technologies themselves. That said you may actually prefer stereo and that’s fine, but I’m here to try and resolve the best solution for my tastes and open up the discussion for some others also seeking advice and understanding.

to kick off, I'd like to understand why it is purported that the Creative's Sound Blaster X7 produces a better surround sound output over headphones on PC than the Sound BlasterX G5 when;

• They both connect through USB and
  
• Are listed as having the same processor chip inside them, namely the SB-Axx1 Audio Processo

Where do the differences lie? Given they have the same chip surely they’re both hardware accelerated? (Some posts have suggested the SBx G5 is software accelerated). The software for the X7 is called SBX Pro Studio and the G5’s is called BlasterX Acoustic Engine, does that mean anything beyond the name change? It seems the X7 presents itself as 5.1 whereas the G5 presents as 7.1 which must surely be a better source to run through Creative's HRTF and downmix into stereo? I have read a few times across these forums that the G5 requires the ‘surround' slider to be at 100% whereas the X7 images better at 67%, why is that?

I’m not interested in the amplifier section of the X7 and I don’t need bit-perfect playback and I don’t use consoles. As I understand it; I believe that the two should offer a comparable or identical VSS experience and if that’s the case then I will only need the G5 as I’m going to be running the processed signal through the Line Out into something like Schiit's Jotunheim.

Also, where does the SB Omni 5.1 fit into all this? A small blog I found reports that the surround is done through a software level because it lacks the SB-Axx1. The SB X7 software panel looks like a reskinned version of the SB Omni 5.1s and has almost identical options. Maybe I throw it all away and ride the GSX1000’s driverless bandwagon into the sunset...

Can anyone offer some insight and clarity? Man is confused.

Mods; I realise these that each of these units has their own thread, except I couldn’t locate a direct comparison between the current Sound Blaster series and thought it might be a good discussion point for those who've trialled the options.