Depending on whom you talk to, 7.1-channel audio is either the Holy Grail of immersive sound or the answer to a question nobody asked. As is often the case with new technology, the truth is somewhere in between. But one thing is clear: For movie buffs and hard-core gamers sold on this technology, Creative Labs pushes the envelope with its stunning new 7.1-channel sound board and speakers.

A properly configured 5.1-channel system can create a smooth, stable front image, but relying on two channels to generate the rest of the sound field doesn't always result in a seamless audio circle, as front-to-back and rear right-to-left imaging can be tenuous. The 7.1 format addresses these concerns by adding a pair of side channels that help blend front and rear output.

With the Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro and Creative GigaWorks S750, Creative Labs becomes the first company to complement a 7.1 board with matching speakers. Although almost no discrete 7.1-channel content exists (yet), the Audigy 2 ZS can render EAX-compatible game soundtracks as eight completely independent channels, and it can expand stereo, 5.1, and 6.1 source materials into virtual 7.1 content.

The THX-certified Audigy 2 ZS card boasts an enormous feature set that includes 24-bit, 192-kHz playback and 24-bit, 96-kHz recording capabilities, 6.1-channel Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES support, DVD-Audio playback, and the ability to record streaming Internet audio on the fly. It also supports Creative's jaw-dropping EAX 4.0 Advanced HD technology, which provides a broad range of digital effects and state-of-the-art game soundtrack-rendering capabilities.

We evaluated the top-of-the-line Platinum Pro version of the Audigy 2 ZS, which includes music production software from Steinberg and Image Line and a terrific external desktop module—an I/O box packed with analog and digital inputs and outputs, FireWire connectors, and front-mounted volume controls, as well as MIDI, headphone, and microphone jacks. Rounding out the bundle is a full-featured wireless remote.

The unit was surprisingly easy to install, thanks to a mature setup utility and streamlined configuration and calibration tools. There's also a nifty new Software Auto-Update feature that—much like Microsoft Windows Update—automatically locates and installs the latest drivers and applications.

Controls are located on both the wireless remote and the desktop module. The desktop component adds a treble adjustment, headphone and mic jacks, an M-Port input (for compatible Creative handheld music players), and upmix settings that map the output of 5.1 and 6.1 sound boards to all seven satellites.

As for the speakers, the GigaWorks S750's oversize bass unit and 700-watt amplifier give it an authority we've rarely heard from PC speakers. Each satellite boasts a generous 3.5-inch midrange driver, a 1-inch tweeter, and 70 watts RMS of amplification. The downward-firing ported subwoofer contains a hefty 210-watt amp and an 8-inch cone. With only two satellites and the bass unit engaged, our test system pumped out 103 dB—louder than the roar of a subway car.

The set's bass response is dominated by a broad peak centered around 60 Hz, which results in a bombastic, floor-shaking low end. Like its Creative MegaWorks predecessors, the GigaWorks S750 is also fairly bright, with a steadily rising high end that levels off at around 7 kHz. The system's relatively lean upper bass and lower midrange enhance the apparent detail and imaging and help prevent its potentially overpowering low end from muddying the midrange.

Despite the sparkle and punch it adds to game and movie soundtracks, the GigaWorks S750 is hardly an audiophile system. On default settings, it gets a bit shrill at high volumes and produces so much midbass that we had to drop the subwoofer to the lowest level in order to approximate a natural-sounding low end on well-recorded audio CDs. Nonetheless, many listeners in the target demographic will overlook the system's relatively subtle sonic flaws, given its crystalline high end, spacious sound, and overwhelming volume levels.

Most important, the Audigy 2 ZS/GigaWorks S750 combo proved to us that 7.1-channel audio can enhance the playback of top-notch game soundtracks significantly. During our testing, ActiVision's EAX-compliant Call of Duty and Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy produced noticeably smoother 3-D panning and rear imaging than with our reference 5.1-channel Creative MegaWorks 510D system. With other types of content, including Dolby Digital EX DVD movies, the improvement was less dramatic but still noticeable.

All told, the Creative GigaWorks S750 is an awesome gaming system and a good choice for desktop theater. And the Audigy 2 ZS is an unqualified winner.