Creative Sound BlasterX G5 7.1 Headphone Surround HD Audio External Sound Card with Headphone Amplifier for Windows PC / Mac / PS4 / and Other Consoles

Before going with the G5, I read every review online (both review sites and Amazon). I looked at the Omni, the E5, and this product before making my selection.I opted to not go with the Omni since I really wanted 7.1 and I also did not need the built-in microphone that comes on it.I opted to not go with the E5 since I don't need a rechargeable battery nor do I need Bluetooth connectivity since it will only be used with my Mac and PC desktops. Also, at the time of purchase, the E5 was $100 more than the G5.For headphones, I'm using the universally acclaimed Sennheiser Game One (highly recommend if you're a gamer and/or if you work from home and frequently Skype with colleagues).My setup consists of a Plugable 7-port powered USB 3.0 hub connected to a Plugable 2-port USB 3.0 switch. My keyboard, mouse, webcam, and now soundcard are all hooked up to the hub. When I want to switch computers, I simply press the button on the switch (video switching is built into my monitor).On the PC, I had no problem getting the G5 set up. I simply plugged it into the hub and turned everything on. I downloaded the software which worked instantly. The software is primarily used to switch and configure profiles. I made 3 custom profiles: gaming, music, and movies. My only complaint with the software is that you cannot quick switch profiles from the system tray. I'd like to be able to right-click the icon and select between profiles. There might be hot key support, but I never use hot keys. You can also switch profiles using a button on the device itself, but it's not exactly close to where I sit so I also never do that.On the Mac, there are no drivers to install or software to download; however, since the profiles I created on my PC are stored on the device itself, I was able to switch through them using the button on the G5. The only tinkering I had to do during setup was in Audio Midi settings. You need to set the G5 to "DSP Clock" for both Input and Output. If you're not hearing anything or able to use your microphone, try this, it worked for me. Also, it goes without saying that you need to go to System Preferences and change your input/output devices.Since my USB hub is powered, the device will stay lit up even if both computers are powered off. Fortunately there is a power button the hub, so I just have to remember to turn it off when I go to sleep.Now that I've described my setup and installation instructions, I will tell you that the G5 is awesome. On the both the PC and the Mac, the surround effect is amazing. I can't say it will make me a better gamer, but the immersion is definitely increased. For music, the bass response is insane, even on a conservative setting (25/100). For those of you who don't want any extra boom to your music, just turn off the bass boost and it will still sound fantastic.Overall I'm extremely happy with this purchase. I feel like G5 combined with a really great headset was the final piece to the puzzle for my desktop setup. This product is clearly marketed for PC users (gamers specifically), so keep that in mind before posting a negative review.

I was skeptical of whether I really needed this. But let me explain. I was watching my youtube videos as I usually do, and like usually at some point the video and sound would be out of sync. I thought this always happened, I thought it was youtube. But I wanted to make sure and began to research the issue a little. And what I found was that realtek audio like the kind included in every motherboard you buy is pretty crappy, even if the motherboard is expensive, the audio was mere pennies.And specifically to my issue of auto of sync video many people suggested a new soundcard to fix it. Again I was skeptical, but I figured why not try it out. I was in need of new speakers anyway as mine were far too low for me to hear, and this external sound card had its own volume control, so I bought it.Well, I'm not skeptical anymore about this device, because it works. Not only does it work, but it exceeded my expectations. Sound is clear, perfect, and in sync. With my new speakers I find myself having to turn down the volume, which I do easily now with a knob on the soundlbaster device. Videos no longer display while the audio gradually gets out of sync, in fact it hasn't happened one time since installing the device, and videos I had previously watched that were out of sync, were no longer having sync issues.I can't say enough about how much I love this thing. It comes with cables that allow it to be connected to a PS4 and Xbox One without issue. It does not have an actual toslink connection, my only gripe instead electing to use a minitoslink which allows the included toslink to 3.5 cable to be plugged into its input. However, if you have multiple systems, using an SPDIF/Toslink Splitter with this device and buying toslink optical cables will allow you to connect everything, your pc, your ps4, your xbox all at the same time without any issue whatsoever.

I bought this as a final attempt to circumvent a Dell laptop's horrendous sound quality. I tried reinstalling drivers, and switching to the High Def audio device driver. Realtek sounded like trash, volume dips and hollow near absent bass. The HD audio device sounded better but had no eq, which I cannot tolerate. Dell PC's are known for this annoying audio issue and as a low to mid-level audiophile, it was rage-inducing.I haven't done any gaming with this card on PC or console but only with music so far, mostly Spotify. The quality is so far beyond anything I've heard before that I'm stunned a bit. Even my old ACER laptop, which I thought sounded pretty good with Realtek, is nowhere close to this card. Everything is so crystal clear. It worked automatically as soon as I plugged it in, even without software. Once you download the software, the options for surround effects, vocal enhancements and the 10 bad equalizer allow all the tuning I want for the headphones I use and can save multiple sound profiles so you can switch sound settings instantly.The only negative I've seen so far, is that the sound card sometimes doesn't sync with the computer when I open it and it awakens from sleep. The card's light will flash, indicating that it is not working and I have to unplug it from USB and plug back in. It doesn't happen every time but maybe 30% of the time. Hopefully it's just with my PC and I can find a way to eliminate it completely soon, but either way, it's a minor annoyance, not a deal breaker. It always restarts within seconds and stays within the settings I had assigned. Still, it's worth knocking a star off.So overall, I love it so far and I've been spending hours listening to music in a whole new light. I cannot stress enough how incredible the sound quality is compared to onboard cards that most PC's come with. I can see myself getting the G6 in the not too distant future for the enhanced Surround effects it offers.