Creative Sound Blaster X3
The Creative Sound Blaster X3 tries to tackle multiple audio concerns at the same time.
Chances are, your Windows PC or
Mac speakers come with
middling, if not terrible audio
quality. Or maybe they’re decent,
but not quite good enough to truly
enjoy what the music or games
you spend time listening to.
Cue the Creative Sound Blaster
X3, a USB DAC (digital-to-analog
converter) with a headphone
amplifier that can produce virtual
7.1 surround sound, and offers a
variety of ways to enhance the
audio coming out of your
computer or game console.
It’s like an external sound card
that’s compatible with PS4, PC
and Mac and has the added bonus
of harboring SXFI, Creative’s audio
technology that simulates 3D
sound in a pair of stereo
headphones.
Creative found a way to keep
things simple, yet provide
different avenues to pursue all at
once. The primary input is the
large knob in the middle that
controls a couple of different
things, depending on setup. The
three buttons laid out in front of it
$199, au.creative.com
mute the microphone, change
audio modes and toggle Super
X-Fi on or off.
On the rear, there are no less
than seven ports. USB-C is the
power port, whereas the rest are
all about audio variety. The
Toslink optical output is there if
you want to set up your TV or
game console that way. A 3.5mm
line-in port is perhaps the easiest
and most common of them all.
Then you have four line-outs for
sound systems.
We didn’t find the Sound Blaster
X3 difficult to set up, though we
should also note that there are
several different configurations
and settings to note. You also
need Creative’s Sound Blaster
Command app on iOS or Android
to help facilitate some of the
features, especially Super X-Fi.
For example, if you’ve never used
Super X-Fi before, you would need
to download that app to map your
face and ears and create a
personalised audio profile. If you
already have a profile, it’s easy to
link it to the Sound BlasterCommand app, which then applies
it to the X3.
From an audio perspective, the
X3 can handle up to 32-bit at
192KHz, putting it above just
about any pair of headphones you
probably own (audiophile gear,
notwithstanding).
We like Super X-Fi for the simple
reason that it makes audio sound
like nothing else does. Everything
resonates and the wider
soundstage is easy to appreciate.
Sure, there is extra reverb that
does sometimes make a studio
track sound like it’s live, but we dig
it anyway. Mind you, that’s not
necessarily Creative’s intention.
They want to emulate what a room
sounds like, not a concert hall, and
in that regard, we would say that
results are entirely subjective.Creative delivers a bevy of
different sound options worth
listening to with its latest external
sound card that’s worth it if you’re
tired of bad-sounding computer
speakers.
Ted KritsonisYou can
configure the X3
to work how you
want it to.2020EDITOR
APPROVEDTEST BENCH
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