INTRODUCTION

   In all my years doing reviews I’ve never hidden two facts about me, first that i'm not particularly into gaming headsets (regardless of audio performance compared to 5.1/7.1 surround sound speaker systems they also tend to reduce situational awareness and when you live alone that's not ideal) and second that I've always placed internal sound cards over external ones (better overall performance across the board). At the same time however i do understand the reasons as to why many people out there are using both and so when some of you asked which external USB sound card I'd choose primarily for gaming with a headset my mind immediately locked on a single model I've always had my eyes on, the GSX 1200 Pro by EPOS Sennheiser which landed in the lab just over 2 months ago.

   ΕPOS is an audio company developing and selling devices for business professionals and the gaming community. Based on leading and advanced technologies, the newly established Danish company EPOS will deliver high-end audio solutions designed for Enterprise Solutions and Gaming headsets – with design, technology and performance as paramount parameters. EPOS derives from Latin and ancient Greek and is used to describe epic stories, speech and poetry. The name encapsulates our dedication to create solutions that enforce ways of communication and unleash human potential through the power of audio. EPOS operates in a global market with offices and partners in more than 30 countries and builds on more than 115 years of experience in sound and innovation. Find more information about EPOS at www.eposaudio.com.

   Just like the GSX 1000 the GSX 1200 Pro already counts 3+ years in the market and is based around the Binaural Rendering Engine which according to EPOS Sennheiser produces vivid, immersive and accurate 7.1 virtual surround sound (24bit 96KHz stereo output / 16 bit 48KHz 7.1 output). It's 2nd strongest selling point (and what the GSX 1000 lacks) is the integrated chat link feature which basically allows up to 8 GSX 1200 Pro external USB sound cards to be connected together for hardwired lag-free communication with other people (LAN teammates). Strangely enough however this external USB sound card is not controlled via software, instead EPOS Sennheiser have used touch controls for every aspect including volume (aluminum wheel for this, not touch controls), input (headset/speakers), equalizer (movie/music/esports), audio output (2.0/7.1), sidetone (low/high - adjust the volume of your own voice) and environment (low/high/off reverb). So even though it's clear by now that the EPOS Sennheiser GSX 1200 Pro is not your average external USB sound card what matters is whether or not it delivers where it matters so let's find out exactly that.