Amazing product. I bought it to get a slightly better sound than the one provided by the factory sound card of the Gigabyte X670 X AX V2. However, the difference is HUGE! If you set the Smart Volume to 100%, the headphones can barely handle the volume. It has a lot of settings, an equalizer, and everything else an enthusiast could want to listen to their music the way it should be. Now, regarding the 5-pin Molex power cable, if you don't connect the RGB lights, you won't need it at all. In terms of appearance, the card is stunning! And let's not forget the gold-plated audio outputs on the back of the card. I should also note that this particular sound card has a relay, which makes a "Click" sound when you switch the output from headphones to speakers through the Creative software. This relay is the best for switching outputs, as audio relays are not affected by audio interference, noise, or static. This purchase is worth every euro!
EDIT 19/1/2026 After a few months of use, I can say that the sound from this card is "addictive." Undoubtedly one of my favorite components in the computer, as I have listened to countless CDs with this sound card.

Thanks to the guy who wrote that he feels sorry for how many people get sound from the motherboard. I put on The Lord of the Rings and I was moved by the quality of the sound. It was like I was watching it for the first time. I can't explain it in words. Now I've put on Frank Sinatra and it makes my whole body tingle from the eargasm. Before, I had put on Eminem and the sound was so nice that I became 15 years old again. When I got the Z906, I thought it was the best thing I could get for sound. How wrong I was. First sound card, then good speakers!

1st update. I'm still excessively happy. There's a small issue with the software, sometimes (maybe once in days or even 2-3 times in the same day.. whatever happens) it bugs and only sounds from the center speaker of the 5.1 and you have to change the setting to 4.1 or 2.1 or whatever else and put it back to 5.1 for it to work properly again. Mainly when I play a game it does this, but not always. With a restart, the PC stops doing it completely if it happens to me 2 times in a row. From what I've searched, some others on Reddit have experienced it too. I hope it gets fixed in the future. Anyway, even so, it doesn't bother me because the sound difference is night and day.

2nd update. From the 2 PCI x1 ports, I put it in the top one and the problem seems to have completely stopped.

3rd update. 03/27/2024 The problem has only happened to me once in the last 1-2 months.. maybe it was a driver (it keeps updating the drivers and sometimes improves the sound even more!!) I read somewhere that there might be a compatibility issue with Gigabyte motherboards, but now there is no problem, once every 1-2 months is nothing.

4th update. The problem no longer exists and every driver update continues to make the sound better.

With the following settings, I have found the sweet spot for me for 5.1. The bass can be high depending on the track, so it might need a little adjustment so it doesn't shake the room. The surround is minimal, the crystalizer does a very good job overall, and the dialog minimal does an amazing job. Don't set everything to 100, it will become a mess. The smart volume is only worth it for midnight so you can listen relatively loud without disturbing.

Transitioning from the Sound Blaster Z, there is a noticeable difference. I have the Logitech Z906 connected with a 3.5mm jack, so the DAC of the card does the job. The sound is cleaner with better highs and lows, which I noticed as soon as I plugged it in and tested it with music. Additionally, the software (Sound Blaster Connect) works better. The Bass Redirection works very well, unlike the Z where the sound was somewhat distorted when activated. The equalizer also works much better, with no noticeable distortion in sound, and by playing with the settings, you can achieve a good result. The 32-bit / 384 kHz, 122db SABRE DAC makes a difference compared to the 24-bit / 192 kHz, 116db of the Sound Blaster Z. Furthermore, it has extra advantages, such as the Discrete Xamp Headphone 600Ω Amp, Dolby Digital Live and DTS Encoding, and support for virtual 7.1 surround. Finally, it also has RGB for those interested, which works directly without extra power supplies and can be adjusted through Sound Blaster Connect (it also comes with an extra LED strip in the package if you want to connect it, the card has a 4-Pin input and 1 molex).

I have Windows 11 with the latest version of Connect and the latest driver. Overall, I am satisfied with the transition.

I come from the outstanding Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatality Titanium Pro, which I have had for 12 years and is still in perfect working condition, even now, and fully compatible with win10. Unfortunately, I regret getting the AE-5 Plus, I could have bought something else with this money. I believe that the main reason is mainly the software, which has nothing to do with the X-Fi, where it solved everything for a musician with settings for everything, especially for MIDI, which personally interests me. It does not utilize the capabilities of the card in any case.
My speakers are Logitech 5.1. In order for all the speakers to play, the Surround must be above 50%. In movies, the center speaker is very loud (because no matter how you adjust the volume per speaker, it plays as it wants). In music, each song is played differently. With the X-Fi, I didn't have these issues. I had both DDA and DTS. I will keep my old computer for TV and movies, so with the X-Fi, I will watch my movies decently. Not that the sound is not good now, but I have to change settings every 3 hours... Well, that's not possible... It's Creative's mistake for not continuing with the old software or at least evolving it, not this thing that is a disaster and a shame for the card. I should note that my old PC is Intel and the new one is AMD. I have disabled the onboard card from the BIOS, of course. Initially, I had installed the X-Fi on the new one and it was truly amazing, but I wanted something more and I messed up...

The sound is, in a few words, MAGICAL and with high intensity in the headphones.
The intensity in the headphones compared to the motherboard (Asus ROG Maximus XI Hero) is like having the motherboard at 100% with the Sound Blaster at 28%.
The Sound Blaster program has many preset settings depending on what you want to hear, and compared to the motherboard, the sound quality is literally night and day. I used good headphones with the motherboard, and no matter what setting I used, it sounded like I was in an empty basement, and I thought the headphones were the problem. With the Sound Blaster, it feels like I had an issue with my ears before, and now I can hear crystal clear.
1. Remove the audio drivers of the motherboard.
2. Restart, enter the BIOS, and disable the onboard sound card of the motherboard, saving the change.
3. Shut down the computer and connect the sound card. Remove it from the motherboard and connect it on top, along with the cable from the tower that provides sound to the front connectors of the PC. If you want the LEDs to work as well, provide the extra power they need.
4. When in Windows, install the latest Driver-App from the official website of the sound card.
At first, I was skeptical about whether to get it or not. I thought I might be wasting money and not see any difference. Luckily, I ended up buying it. It's amazing. One of the best purchases I've made for my PC.