I went from a 5.1 Live! Value to this A2, mostly because I had no choice. My Live! card took a dump and started crackling and popping and I didn't want to blow my speakers. So I was originally thinking of a Audigy Gamer, but I liked the 6.1 option, and thought that if I every upgrade my speaker system...I'd get a 5.1 or 6.1 Digital system.
The main thing that's hard to believe is that there is virtually no noise floor...compared to the Live! I could turn my speakers to max (without any signal going to them) and the inherent hiss and noise was ever present. With the 106 SNR Audigy 2...just a teeny, weeny bit...and the average person probably couldn't hear it...
GR sounds incredible though, cause I'm hearing things I've never heard before, and I'm sure it's the same way even with the Gamer!
I hope GR2 is in EAX Advanced HD!