Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD

Surround sound is output via the optical connection only: this does prevent you from using cheap surround-sound speaker systems with no optical input. While a better system will set you back more, your ears will thank you in the long run. There’s little point bothering with surround sound if your amplifier and speakers aren’t up to scratch.

I really must point out, due to the sheer geekiness of it, that the X-Fi Titanium HD also features user-replaceable OP-amps (amplifier circuits). Undo three screws, remove the card’s translucent faceplate and the two OP-amps can be pried from their sockets and swapped out with your own personal favourites. Why? It gives you precise control over the card’s ultimate sound output. This is really unlikely to appeal to anyone but the most finicky audiophiles and tech-geeks, but it does illustrate the lengths Creative has gone to in providing a professional-quality offering.

Is it all worth it? Not for my gaming PC, on my budget. However, if you’re doing professional audio work (or just really love your music), a dedicated sound card is a must. It won’t make your low-quality concert bootleg MP3s sound any better, but it will give a much better rendition of your high fidelity tunes than a basic onboard sound system could possibly manage.