Sound Blaster Recon3D Surround Sound Processor Sound Blaster Recon3D Surround Sound Processor

Pros: Night and day difference over supposed "HD-Audio" onboard sound chips such as the Conexant 20672 SmartAudio HD found in many Thinkpads. Crystalizer enhancement effective, but I suggest lowering it from the default 65%. Creative's latest software/drivers did not break the computer. Unit's blue light effect is a nice touch, as is the fact that you can turn on/off effects by pushing buttons on the unit itself. Non-slip rubber pads on the base of the unit lends to the smart design.

Cons: Loud. Have to drop volume levels compared to onboard sound. This may not be a con to some, just be prepared when you first play a tune. It also comes with the typical CreativeLabs bloatware, but you can elect to only install what you really need.

Other Thoughts: After installing the basic software & driver package (downloaded the latest from website), the additional updater application still wants me to install more products it lists as "critical" - Wavestudio (nice, but not needed) and a *trial* of Creative Media Toolbox which expires unless you purchase it for $39.99. Why Creative list trial software as "critical" is beyond me.

Pros: Same as before...

Cons: *No DTS support

Other Thoughts: Just wanted to add that the Recon3D doesn't decode DTS audio on it's own. IMO not a big deal, but BluRay movie enthusiasts may be bummed that this option is a no go. In my opinion, if you want DTS, you want/need a receiver first, anyway, which would largely replace the need for this.

Pros: -Designed for PC and consoles, including Mac OSX!
-THX TruStudio Pro processing for headphone surround, including full 3D surround on great PC games for positional cues above and below you
-OpenAL/ALchemy and EAX 5.0 for enabled games
-SoundCore3D, a quad-core discreet audio processor (hardware acceleration/processing)
-impressively low background hiss (inaudible with AD700 and typical headphone loads)
-adjustable Bass and Dialogue Plus boost features
-lots of included cables, the ribbon extension cord for couch-gaming is really nice
-"TRON"-like styling (if plugged into console, lights shut off when console shuts down)
-USB powered
-Compact, though you'll need to bring your cables if you take this to a friend's

Cons: -"Average" amplifier
-SNR is "only" 109dB
-Sometimes enabling ALchemy is a pain, and OpenAL development is dying/dead.

Other Thoughts: I connected the Recon3D to my Gigabyte motherboard's USB, enjoyed a flawless driver install (check Creative's site for updates first), set surround to MAX, added a moderate bass boost, changed the bass "crossover point" to somewhere kinda low so that the bass is boosted in the sub-bass region (improved the extension of my Audio Technica AD700 greatly!), boosted the Dialogue Plus option a bit (I typically have a hard time with dialogue, this is nice!), turned everything else off (my testing conclusions were that the other stuff hurt sound quality, IMO), and saved the THX TruStudio Pro profile to the Recon3D device. This saves the settings, so that they remain in effect without a computer. Leaving the USB plugged into my PC, I plugged the optical cable into my Xbox. Now I get headphone surround with either PC or Xbox without switching cables, because my Gigabyte MoBo provides power to USB even when turned off, so I just have to toggle a little switch on the side of the Recon3D!

If I didn't already have a lapel mic set up with my Xbox, and my Xbox was plugged into a TV in a living room setting, the included ribbon extension cable would be very nice. The flat ribbon shape prevents the cable from twisting on itself and tangling, and keeps cable management tidy because you plug your headphone, mic, and Xbox controller's chat port into one end of the cable, and then you have just one cable across the floor to your TV area. If you're using an Xbox with an HDMI cable like I am, you'll need a cheap audio dongle to get an optical/toslink port, but the Recon3D includes all other cables you need. It just so happens, the Recon3D's USB cable can also charge my phone ^_^

The amp is adequate for my AD700 and most headphones (IMO the AD700 is fantastic and my top-pick for gaming), but harder to drive headphones like my 105dB sensitivity, 62ohms AKG Q701 headphones need more voltage to restore the full soundstage, extension, and dynamics it is capable of. The Q701 works great with an extra amp between the Recon3D & headphone, but IMO this headphone is overkill anyway compared to the value of the AD700.

Overall, I love this device. I prefer THX TruStudio Pro to CMSS-3D processing for gaming, YMMV on that. Some internal soundcards are more powerful and have better SNr, but the Recon3D is a great value if you want a processor for consoles and an external soundcard for PC, in one device.

Pros: Ease of use
Slick design
Works as intended and then some
Up to date drivers/software included

Cons: None that I have found.

Other Thoughts: I was skeptical at first but this is truly worth the money for the ease of use and quality of sound(s). I purchased the omega version for it's compatibility, versatility and it's small and slim enough to fit almost anywhere and even turns your friends on-board audio into audio bliss for media and gaming!