Creative Sound Blaster X3 Review

Sound performance

[responsivevoice_button]

For the purpose of this review, I mainly used Creative own Aurvana Headset. Bonus headphones: Sennheiser HD800S and Audeze Mobius. All files were played from a computer in USB DAC mode.

Overall signature

“Damn, that’s some good stuff man !”

Truth be told, I didn’t expect much of the Sound Blaster X3, even less from the Aurvana headphone. However, once I’ve put the headphone on my head, launched my usual tracklist and crank up the volume, all my preconceptions were blown away.

Attention, this is not AMAZING either. You won’t get the same level of performances found in a Chord Hugo 2 for example, but for 120 bucks, this is very, very impressive. At least NuPrime Hi-mDAC impressive.

Even without X-Fi activated, the sound is natural with a wide sound stage and good spaciousness. Output power is remarkable and even with the Sennheiser, the X3 was able to deliver commanding, deep, bass. It’s not as transparent as the Hugo, but it’s better than the Mojo, on the amp section.

I played with the EQ and Super X-Fi mode, only to end back with the default settings. If those modes add some fun to the music, it only works with the Aurvana headset in my opinion. With my usual headphones, the sound stage sounds too wide and the vocals too near.

Pan effects are superb, vocals are acute, not too smooth but not too harsh, and the mids/low mids really surprised me, in a good way.

Over time, the little DAC grew on me, and what I considered a fluke, ended up to be real work in the background. The Sound Blaster X3 offers an excellent layering and depth when properly fed. On PS4 games, the difference was clearly noticeable, and what’s been lost between the PS3 and PS4, could be -slightly- retrieved.

If you’re in search of an analytical DAC/Amp, this isn’t the one. However, if you want a dynamic DAC with a good amount of detail, the X3 could fit your needs.

Tonality

Highs : slightly tamed, with good details. The Sound Blaster X3 isn’t the best DAC I tried in this regard. Treble aren’t harsh, but they lack the level of precision usually found in Sabre or AKM chips. That said, if you’re ready to play with the EQ, it can reach higher grounds, like Cowon with its JetEffect.

Track : Says – Nihls Frahm

Mids : excellent layering and great impact. Mids are the forte of this DAC in my opinion, the output power combined with a great level of resolution, give excellent results. Lots of details, great vocals and superb dynamic, even with the HD800S !

Track : Nobody Speak – DJ Shadow

Lows : deep, powerful bass. The X3 doesn’t fall short in this regard. Lows are deep, with a good amount of body, enough to make the sound lively, but not too much so it becomes… bassy. It blends well with the rest and if you like hard-slamming bass, Creative may please you.

Comparison

JDSLabs The Element : a bit of an unfair comparison, but design-wise, I had to do it. The Element is much more impactful, more powerful, but also less quirky. It’s a DAC/Amp I’d mainly use with Audeze headphones, where I’d keep the Sound Blaster X3 with dynamic earsets. And streaming of course, thanks to its mic-in.

FiiO Q5S : the Q5S is another swiss-army knife DAC/Amp. It’s more audiophile focused with its balanced outputs and Bluetooth HQ support, but sound-wise… those two devices aren’t that far. Still, I may prefer the X3, not just because it’s even more quirky, but because I prefer the sound.

Audeze Mobius : the king of convenience in the headphone world. Like the Sound Blaster X3, the Mobius can emulate a 7.1 sound stage, directly thanks to its embedded chipset. And, if both devices offer the same level of quirkiness, I’d stick with the Mobius at the end of the day. Or, you could get an LCD-1 and the Creative, that’s also a matching pair.

Conclusion

Can a mass-market manufacturer like Creative find its place in the audiophile world in 2020 ? Looks like a yes to me.

The Creative Sound Blaster X3 offers real audiophile performances and gaming/home-theater versatility, at a really low cost. We are talking sub-$150 gear here, price-range where you usually go chi-fi, or go home.

And this is the strength of the X3 : you get chi-fi sound quality – and build quality to be fair – from an established brand. The name doesn’t sound awkward, customer-service is available in bazillions languages and most of all: you can get this DAC from your local shop, almost anywhere in the world.

Are they better DAC/Amp out there? Of course.

At this price point?  Not so sure…

With as much features? Even less…

So yeah, if like me you want to reintroduce some Sound Blaster in your life, lend your ears to Creative. In the process, you may even end up with a very good DAC, able to feed both your headphones and your speakers. A win-win situation if I may say so.