Is this sounds card making a difference with these speakers

[ChemMan1]

I was given a Bose companion 5 set as a gift (It's the one with the virtual 5.1) It hooks up through USB and sounds absolutley great. I also have a Sound Blaster X-FI Xtreme Gamer card installed. Since the Bose runs on USB is this card going to make a difference when playing any games or lsitening to any music? There is no connection from my speaker set to this card, I didnt know if intenally it made a difference? Thanks for nay help

 

[Nohr]

Speakers that run on USB basically have their own sound card hardware built-in. Your X-FI is not being used.

 

[ChemMan1]

Thats what I was curious about. Would any games take advantage of these or are they more for the music aspect

 

[0roo0roo]

its bose. its more about the label than ability.
basically with bose you get sound quality of speakers costing half as much for double the money bose gets by on its name for bringing some simplicity into a rather opaque area. its hard for general consumers to know what sound system is good and why, specs are all lies. so they are half competent and got a good name, and charge people a premium. but they do not put out good sound for the money. mostly they are good enough for people who buy it and don't know better.
if its usb then its just got its own soundcard. it has no special acceleration for gaming. it will bypass your xfi virtual 5.1 like most virtual surrounds just widens the stereo signal, not exactly something audiophiles like, its really just echoey distortion.
it can work to some degree, but its not really going to match a 5.1..not even close. real virtual sound systems exist, but they are are a sound bar with 40~ microspeakers... those are for home theater and work to some degree. but nothing really does 5.1 like 5.1