CONCLUSION

   Sound cards can basically be used for just 3 things (aside mixing and recording that is), games, movies and music so to that end i used both of my 5.1 surround sound systems and both my 2.0 desktop speaker systems to compare the Sound Blaster Pro Gaming AE-5 Plus with the Sound Blaster AE-9 and the NU Audio Pro. When it comes to music (uncompressed FLAC) and movies (Blu-Ray) the EA-5 Plus lacks the clarity of the other two and clearly produces a less crisp and accurate soundstage (vocals are also not quite as good). It does almost as well in terms of lows/bass but even there you can notice a bit of a difference if you pay attention. When it comes to gaming however the gloves come off and here is where the Sound Blaster Pro Gaming AE-5 Plus really shines. Yes, you may notice some differences when it comes to in-game voices and audio tracks but for the most part all three cards perform roughly the same (positioning audio seems to be more accurate/specific on the AE-9 compared to the other 2). Of course, in no way am i saying that the Sound Blaster AE-5 Plus is just as good as the other two (overall) but considering the price difference between all three models i honestly would clearly choose the AE-5 Plus purely for gaming purposes. Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier i did have a problem with the software part of the card which initially i tried to resolve by switching PCIe slots. That clearly didn't work but lucky for me a simple reinstallation of the Sound Blaster Command software was enough to resolve it.

   The Sound Blaster Pro Gaming AE-5 Plus currently retails for USD149.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 145Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) a price tag which is actually very balanced, especially if you happen to be using an A/V amplifier (if not however the previous and almost 20% cheaper Sound Blaster AE-5 model is certainly worth checking out since It basically only lacks the Dolby/DTS modes). At the end of the day the Sound Blaster Pro Gaming AE-5 Plus is purely aimed towards gamers and in that regard it does extremely well which is why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Audio Clarity / Detail
- Very Good 3D Positioning Audio
- Creative 3D Enhancements
- Aurora Reactive RGB Lighting System with RGB LED Strip
- Analog & Digital Surround Sound Outputs
- Sound Blaster Command Software (Available Settings)

CONS

- No Backplate