The g430 is not a true surround sound headset. The surround sound is virtualized. When I was considering buying them for myself I found that a number of reviewers had said the surround sound left some to be desired. I ended up going with the g933 and found that I had the same complaints as the reviews for the 430. The best advice I could give is be sure you've installed the latest version of Logitech's software. I also have a Sound Blaster Z series sound card and use Logitech Z906 speakers. 5.1 works fine via analog and optical connections with this setup.