Creative Sound BlasterX G5 7.1 Headphone Surround Card

Before going with the G5, I read every review online (both review sites and Amazon). I looked at the Omni, the E5, and this product before making my selection.

I opted to not go with the Omni since I really wanted 7.1 and I also did not need the built-in microphone that comes on it.

I opted to not go with the E5 since I don’t need a rechargeable battery nor do I need Bluetooth connectivity since it will only be used with my Mac and PC desktops. Also, at the time of purchase, the E5 was $100 more than the G5.

For headphones, I’m using the universally acclaimed Sennheiser Game One (highly recommend if you’re a gamer and/or if you work from home and frequently Skype with colleagues).

My setup consists of a Plugable 7-port powered USB 3.0 hub connected to a Plugable 2-port USB 3.0 switch. My keyboard, mouse, webcam, and now soundcard are all hooked up to the hub. When I want to switch computers, I simply press the button on the switch (video switching is built into my monitor).

On the PC, I had no problem getting the G5 set up. I simply plugged it into the hub and turned everything on. I downloaded the software which worked instantly. The software is primarily used to switch and configure profiles. I made 3 custom profiles: gaming, music, and movies. My only complaint with the software is that you cannot quick switch profiles from the system tray. I’d like to be able to right-click the icon and select between profiles. There might be hot key support, but I never use hot keys. You can also switch profiles using a button on the device itself, but it’s not exactly close to where I sit so I also never do that.

On the Mac, there are no drivers to install or software to download; however, since the profiles I created on my PC are stored on the device itself, I was able to switch through them using the button on the G5. The only tinkering I had to do during setup was in Audio Midi settings. You need to set the G5 to “DSP Clock” for both Input and Output. If you’re not hearing anything or able to use your microphone, try this, it worked for me. Also, it goes without saying that you need to go to System Preferences and change your input/output devices.

Since my USB hub is powered, the device will stay lit up even if both computers are powered off. Fortunately there is a power button the hub, so I just have to remember to turn it off when I go to sleep.

Now that I’ve described my setup and installation instructions, I will tell you that the G5 is awesome. On the both the PC and the Mac, the surround effect is amazing. I can’t say it will make me a better gamer, but the immersion is definitely increased. For music, the bass response is insane, even on a conservative setting (25/100). For those of you who don’t want any extra boom to your music, just turn off the bass boost and it will still sound fantastic.

Overall I’m extremely happy with this purchase. I feel like G5 combined with a really great headset was the final piece to the puzzle for my desktop setup. This product is clearly marketed for PC users (gamers specifically), so keep that in mind before posting a negative review.

I bought this as a final attempt to circumvent a Dell laptop’s horrendous sound quality. I tried reinstalling drivers, and switching to the High Def audio device driver. Realtek sounded like trash, volume dips and hollow near absent bass. The HD audio device sounded better but had no eq, which I cannot tolerate. Dell PC’s are known for this annoying audio issue and as a low to mid-level audiophile, it was rage-inducing.

I haven’t done any gaming with this card on PC or console but only with music so far, mostly Spotify. The quality is so far beyond anything I’ve heard before that I’m stunned a bit. Even my old ACER laptop, which I thought sounded pretty good with Realtek, is nowhere close to this card. Everything is so crystal clear. It worked automatically as soon as I plugged it in, even without software. Once you download the software, the options for surround effects, vocal enhancements and the 10 bad equalizer allow all the tuning I want for the headphones I use and can save multiple sound profiles so you can switch sound settings instantly.

The only negative I’ve seen so far, is that the sound card sometimes doesn’t sync with the computer when I open it and it awakens from sleep. The card’s light will flash, indicating that it is not working and I have to unplug it from USB and plug back in. It doesn’t happen every time but maybe 30% of the time. Hopefully it’s just with my PC and I can find a way to eliminate it completely soon, but either way, it’s a minor annoyance, not a deal breaker. It always restarts within seconds and stays within the settings I had assigned. Still, it’s worth knocking a star off.

So overall, I love it so far and I’ve been spending hours listening to music in a whole new light. I cannot stress enough how incredible the sound quality is compared to onboard cards that most PC’s come with. I can see myself getting the G6 in the not too distant future for the enhanced Surround effects it offers.

El dispositivo llega en una caja pequeña, al abrirlo muestra el amplificador y debajo trae el cable micro usb y uno óptico. Al conectarlo inmediatamente es detectado y ya se puede usar.

Al instalar su software abre un mundo de posibilidades, recomiendo usar los perfiles por default para música o películas, son excelentes y la ecualización me parece acertada.

Incluye una salida usb extra en la parte posterior que usé para conectar un pad logitech y un LG 903, todo funcionó sin problemas.

La parte del micrófono y sus presets son muy buenos.

Los botones se sienten de calidad, muy fácil de identificar que perfil se está usando. La rueda de volumen hace saltos muy finos, permite ajustar el audio a detalle, aunque si se quiere subir rápido el volumen recomiendo usar los accesos directos del teclado.

Es importante mencionar también la calidad del audífono. Si se tiene uno económico, se va a notar inmediatamente la calidad, es muy increíble la mejora de la calidad, los probé con unos headsets económicos para xbox de hace un par de años marca turtle y me sorprendió. También probé con los Sony WH-1000MX3, aquí las cosas se tornan un poco más complicadas, para un oído no entrenado en cuestión de música, pareciera que no hay tal mejoría en sonido, pero eso se debe a que el audífono conectado por cable ya emite sonido de buena calidad, pero si se presta atención, se logra disfrutar más la música, los instrumentos suenan más y están mejor presentados. Un problema fueron los bajos, se saturan más de lo debido pero es debido al audífono que aunque sus especificaciones dicen que permite reproducirlas realmente queda corto.

Pronto llegarán los Audio-Technica M50x y los Master & Dynamics Mh40, que presentan mejor fidelidad de audio y me permitirá probar a profundidad el amplificador.

Para los gamers: increíble la sensación de espacio y profundidad que entregan, sin duda mejorarán la inmersión en el juego.

This little thing is amazing. Tired of “fake” HQ/HiFi audio DACs on motherboards I finally decided to break down and buy a dedicated USB DAC. After plugging it it and balancing, its absolutely wonderful with true studio quality audio all in a small and compact package. On to the pros and cons…
Pros:
1. Small
2. Easy Access
3. Amazing Output Quality
4. Wide range of input options
5. Comes with all of the cables you need
6. Near zero background noise over USB or Optical inputs.
Cons:
1. Gamer Mode(s) Not good at all (sounds tinny no matter what)
2. Volume Knob Controls Windows Audio Volume In USB mode(not great for finer volume tuning)
3. Does not come with double sided tape for desk mounting
4. No separate Mic mute/volume control.

Conclusion:
Overall despite the nitpicks of the cons, this device is perfect for anyone who needs a fast, cheap, and easy way to get entry level studio quality on any device that can be enabled to use it. The strong design and overall audio quality definitely upholds the legacy of the Sound Blaster brand and Creatives legendary name.