Sound Blaster Sound Cards and Gigaworks S750

Question

I recently purchased a Sound Blaster Zx sound card and found that it only supports up to 5.1 speaker configurations. That means I don't have sound from my side speakers in my Gigaworks S750 7.1 system. Needless to say I am very disappointed with Creative Labs engineers wondering why 7.1 support has been dropped from their very own speaker systems. I am posting hoping some more knowledgeable forum members can offer a better solution to my dilemma.
I could go back to my X-Fi Extreme Music card which has all of the 3.5 mm minijack speaker connectors but I would rather not do this as support for this card has been dropped and I am doubtful that there will be many more driver and/or software updates available. I would also rather not buy a new speaker system b/c I am happy with the Gigaworks and don't really want to replace it.
I looked going back to an older Titanium HD soundcard but it only has RCA connectors on the back of the soundcard and the Gigaworks connectors are 3.5 mm minijacks. The Gigaworks has no optical or HDMI connectors anywhere. I wonder....can I connect the 3.5 mm jacks from the Gigaworks to the RCA or optical ports on the ZX or Titanium HD with an adapter or converter? Does Creative sell new cables or adaptors, or any special audio shop for that matter, that would make the connections work?
Can anyone help please?
Thanks!

Answer 1

As I said, that upmix is only a workaround, you still have just 5.1 discrete channels, just that the rear and sidespeakers emit the same sound.
I don't have any experience with Asus or Auzentech. Both have their issues as well but they are both very good and only the very best creative cards (X-Fi Titanium HD, ZxR and perhaps X-Fi Elite Pro) can compete.
On the other side Asus has most of their cards in production for half a decade without alteration and doesn't update their drivers very often as well. Their don't be as many issues as with creative cards, but you will find people having problems as well, it's not like they work flawlessly for everyone.
Same for Auzentech, only they didn't produce as highend cards as Asus and some Creatives (Titanium HD and ZxR only) plus while their dirver support seems to be good, their other support is nonexistant, especially since they seem to have stopped producing soundcards. Additionaly I have heard of the X-Fi Forte mysteriously dying on many people after some years.
The differences aren't great, though, and in my opinion you won't find a soundcard combining everything to perfection. The ZxR nearly does, only lacking 7.1 output.
The Asus Xonar STX is very similar, but can only ouput analoge stereo, while the PCI-based ST can output the very best analoge 7.1 available with a additional daughtercard (but who wants a PCI card nowadays?).
The best 7.1 cards from Asus, D2 and D2X, lack a Headphone-Amp, while the Xonar Xense and Phoebus, being nearly identical to each other, have one but use a slightly lesser DAC for all channels apart from Stereo, similar to the Auzentech X-Fi Forte and Bravura.
The D1 and DX finally are only slightly better than the X-Fi Music and Titanium, because they use a slightly better DAC for Stereo, which is used on Audigy 4 Pro and X-Fi Elite Pro for all channels and for stereo on the soundblaster Z and Zx.
Everything below (Xonar DG(X) and DS(X)) ist far inferior, though the DG(X) sports a cheap headphone-amp even the D2X lacks.
So, if you only want 7.1 as good as possible, the Xonar D2X is the best solution, followed by the D2, Auzentech X-Fi Prelude and Creative X-Fi Elite Pro.
But, if you want to drive very good headphones, too, the Xonar Xense, Phoebus and Auzentech X-Fi Forte will be the better solution.
None of them will be as good as the ZxR, if you can live with discrete 5.1 only.
The minijack cables aren't an option. Just when you connect your Gigaworks to any Asus, Auzentech, Creative X-Fi Titanium card or most onboard codecs you have to use 4 stereo minijack cables, while for any Creative 6.1/7.1 card from Audigy 2 to X-Fi PCI-series you have to use a special 4 stereo to 3 4-pin minijack cable, which probably came with your gigawarks set.
If you want to use any "normal" sound card you don't need any special cable, it's just 4x any normal stereo minijack cable.