EPOS | Sennheiser GSX 1200 Pro Gaming Audio Amplifier

Apr 21, 2021

I have owned a GSX 1000 for a couple of years... ask me anything in replies!

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Brendon93

Apr 26, 2021

Soundblaster and quality don't belong in the same sentence, if you want cheap and good enough then Soundblaster, if you actually want quality audio, then Sennheiser

Apr 26, 2021

I have not used a G6... I have used a G5 and E5, but apparently Creative made the amp more powerful in the G6. Both seem to have great Mic inputs (when they work, I’ll get back to that), greatly improving how clear you will sound compared to plugging directly into a PC Motherboard or console controller. The G6 and GSX 1200 have unique features to set them apart. The GSX has a hardware dial to change the mix balance between chat and game volume, sidetone/mic monitoring (with an on/off switch) as well as an analog line out that you can switch to (so you can leave speakers plugged in and switch between them at will). The GSX also has more dedicated controls and displays on the unit. The G6’s headphone out and Aux out are always active, so you would have to mute speakers by other means, however the G6 also has an auxiliary input for 3.5mm analog or optical (it’s a combo input), and if you have a game console WITH an optical out, the G6 will decode a Dolby Digital Live 7.1 surround stream... a major benefit for the Xbox which isn’t friendly with USB audio devices (both the G6 and GSX support stereo game and chat/mic support over USB with the PS4 and PS5, with the PS5 also supporting its own Tempest 3D Audio surround over USB to any peripheral). The GSX doesn’t connect to an Xbox at all, while a G6 can use an Xbox usb for power and Xbox (or TV) optical for game audio, and you’d need an external option for microphone. Both work great on Windows and Mac; Creative has a required software suite to install drivers, the GSX doesn’t need drivers but you should still follow the quick start guide to set Windows settings up correctly. I would also suspect but can’t personally confirm that the G6’s amp is more powerful than the GSX... but I don’t know for sure, and they will both be limited by their USB power supplies. Creative tends to have a brighter than neutral sound signature in all of their products I have tested (which is many!), so they tend to have the best synergy with darker headphones, and may upset the balance with headphones skirting the edge of too much treble and upper mids (ESPECIALLY if you go into the software suite and turn on the Crystalizer feature... Creative’s windows/Mac software suite offers a lot of useful features, but after about a decade I never once liked any % of the Crystalizer feature, ymmv). I can confirm that the GSX has a nice tone and plays things neutral in the sense that it sounds good with any signature headphone within it’s power spec, and scales up pretty good if you connect it to an external amp and essentially relegate the GSX to just functioning as a DAC and DSP. However, back in Creative’s favor, the G6 also has an optical output... so if you like the G6’s Dolby decoding and headphone surround effects, you can bypass its internal DAC and Amp altogether and use something else with an optical input. Is that enough detail? What’s the shortest version? I think they’re both best on PC, though the G6 at least gives some options for optical-equipped Xboxes, and the GSX offers the simplest and handy controls, including control over the game/chat volume balance. The GSX pairs well with any headphone sound signature and I prefer it’s surround effect, but the G6 may be more powerful to a limited extent and the G6 allows an audio passthrough over optical. Xbox doesn’t like to play ball.

(Edited)

Stanley_Pain

Apr 20, 2021

Micro USB? Ugh. Also that output (both power, and bitrate) look really crappy too. Not sure what the market for this thing is.

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Milkman76

Apr 21, 2021

Oh I see. Not reels or strands of LED tape, but proper, tripod mounted high intensity video lights. Very nice. I also do a little photography (stills) and have a couple lights, lenses, etc, but I travel for photography and lately... Family and I haven't been traveling much. So I haven't been doing much photography. Maybe drop starts doing some prime lenses or something?? Hehe

Apr 22, 2021

Milkman76Yes, I miss Drop’s photography community! Unfortunately, their timing never matched up with my fund’s availability or my needs (I like m4/3 and they had a few Olympus drops, but studio lights and other accessories would have been great!). I may have to return this in exchange for softbox lights, because I’m not getting the look I want... but the incomplete package may make that difficult. 😞

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Robson

213

Feb 24, 2021

Not sure what would be more attractive about this amp compared to the Schiit Hel. The Schiit is the same price, has way more power, and probably a better onboard dac. The specs on this seem pretty weak...

SquirrelPorridge

150

Feb 25, 2021

RobsonThis is a sound card with onboard amp with good hardware-based 7.1 to binaural conversion for games and movies. Granted, virtual surround has improved a lot since this product came out, but it’s still a noticeable improvement for many games and can be adjusted to your liking. It’s not intended to be a music DAC/amp.