The G6 is a far less complicated interface that offers an adjustable game/voice knob and little else. This isn’t as bad as it sounds, as much as some might enjoy micromanaging their sound every few minutes, others might like to put it on a preset and forget about it. For those that enjoy a less convoluted experience, the G6 is an excellent alternative that weighs and takes up less space than either of its competitors. Voice (eg. via discord) - i wish i could turn off spacialization of this, it sounds like the person is facing away and I'm getting their voice echoing off a wall. (yes i have the spdif out set to 2channel, but the effects still seem to get applied to voices) This product like all the products unfortunately comes with that same cheap-feeling plastic encasing that lessens the overall quality of an otherwise well-made item. It weighs out to be 1.4 pounds and measures 5.14 x 5.14 x 1.6 inches. SmartComms Kit includes a VoiceDetect feature that automatically mutes and unmutes the microphone depending on whether you're talking, as well as noise filtering for incoming and outgoing comms. This is an obvious attempt to make the Sound Blaster X4 attractive to everyone's current work-from-home lifestyles. Windows users can also tap into its Dolby Digital Live encoding capabilities. The Sound Blaster X4 is macOS compatible, and you can connect it to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch consoles too, while being able to access most of its features through a smartphone (Android/iOS) app. Like its predecessor, the Sound Blaster X4 can be combined with headphones, gaming headsets, or active speakers; 2.0, 2.1, 5.1, and 7.1 speaker configurations are supported. Connecting it to any AV receiver, stereo amplifier, or active speakers with a TOSLINK input is also possible. Of course, Creative didn't mess with the intuitive physical buttons on the device itself, nor did they change the massive volume knob, which can still be used to adjust sound and microphone volume, as well as balance the volume between two sources. The G6 also has its own minor amount of LED lighting in the X (you can customize the color through the app) on the top of the device as well as an illuminated volume wheel so you can adjust it regardless of how well lit your environment is. The G6 is the smallest product by far, weighing just a hair over 5 ounces and taking up ‎4.37 x 0.94 x 2.76 inches of space.

Lastly, the X4 feels like the healthy middle ground between the two products. It offers some amount of customization through its topside controls that include a volume knob, microphone mute, adjustable equalizer modes, and a Super X-FI “Battle” mode button. Despite being a touch shorter than the GC7, it has a weightier feel to it that I personally really enjoy. The volume knob has a LED of blue, green, and orange colors that pulses when the audio is muted, and each button has an LED perimeter as well. The GC7 is starting this category with an inherent advantage due to the fact that from all accounts its features are universal across all compatible platforms. How they managed this for the GC7 and not their other products I’m not entirely sure, but it certainly helps the GC7 stand out above its competitors. It also possesses optical in/out ports, headphone gain, line in/out ports, platform switch, 3.5mm ports and an LED indicator of which platform is being utilized. Verdict – The X4 feels the best to hold onto and is very uncomplicated while still being aesthetically clean. I could see folks also really enjoying the GC7’s litany of buttons and control knobs if they like more customization options at their immediate fingertips.

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The GC7, unlike the other options, boasts that every feature it comes with can be used across all platforms. This means that regardless of if you are on a multi-screen computer or a Nintendo switch you can utilize Virtual 7.1, Dolby Digital, Voice Changers, Game to Voice volume adjustment, different audio modes, and more. This is nice considering several Creative DACs have received complaints about not being compatible with certain systems in the ways consumers wished they would be. Games - Hit and Miss. For the most part rear sounds just sound quieter, and everything sounds a bit more like you're out in the environment. Depending on the game i like this feature on or off. It does not help me determine where the sound came from any better than 2 channel audio, but effects like rain, wind and echoey hallways sound really awesome. This product can output 120 dB of dynamic range and 24-bit/192 kHz of high-end audio. Additionally, it can be used with headphones that reach up to 300 ohms. While it doesn’t offer as much as the G6, the universal audio features it solely can brag about are worth considering before immediately disregarding the GC7.

this thing is nice - It might be weird to say it, but the knob just feels good to turn with a slight detent. From my limited bit of research, dropping the 32-bit support won’t make any difference. 24-bit already goes beyond what we can hear, nor will there be any benefit in 192.0 kHz vs 96.0 kHz for the recording resolution. Set up & App Once connected, your Super X-Fi profile will begin its upload onto the Sound Blaster X4 automatically.Verdict – The G6 for pure audio quality edges out the competition, though all three products are very close to one another in this category. There are 7 I/O connectors on the X4. This means it’s now much easier to connect multiple audio devices. From external microphones and headsets to platforms like your PC, Mac, gaming consoles, and even your multi-channel speaker systems—this converts your desktop setup into an audio hub. Creative Sound Blaster X4 Review – Hi-res 7.1 External USB DAC and AMP Sound Card I had to turn my amp down about 30% - the dac is providing a significantly stronger output signal than my PC was, I presume this results in less distortion introduced by the power amp. All three of these products are stuffed to the brim with a wide variety of features, though unfortunately for some items they do not offer universal cross-platform support for every feature. To save our comrades still fighting in the senseless and bloody console wars, I will be specifying which features are present across all consoles and operating systems and what are exclusive to (mainly) Windows, so bear with me here.

From humble beginnings in 1981 in Singapore, Creative has become one of the most well-recognized names in the tech world today. In the incredibly wide range of digital products they offer, they have gotten some amount of notoriety recently for their DACs (digital to analog converters), as well as their sound cards.Sound Blaster G3: Microsoft® Windows 10 32-bit or 64-bit, Windows 8.1 32-bit or 64-bit, Windows 8 32-bit or 64-bit As much as I like the app free experience of the FIIO, the Creative App allows better control of how things sound. I can bypass software processing all together or tweak things to my liking with the acoustic engine.