Creative Sound Blaster X5 Interface Review

[Robbo99999]

Yeah X5 is complete failure (in European countries cost 310 euros!!!) for that money I can buy G6 (already have but for contest sake but it can cost less then 100 euros on begining of each month on Creative site) plus JDS Atom Amp+ (which can power much better than X5), AKG K240 Sextett in good condition and EDT 770VB for Sextett.

G6 is good jack of all trades for nonhardcore headphone enjoyer (and gives me option to utilize virtual 7.1 so games and some music sound good, SB Command and ASIO drivers now work good enough to be usable) and use almost same DAC chip (yes they are more like a twins but difference isnt too much noticable). Also quality of X5 is questionable (plastic case, knob isnt as accurate how Creative claims- not suprising, microphone USB DSP is pure dumpster fire), no Dolby or DTS decoder so not even PS4/PS5 can make X5 do some lossy virtual 5.1/7.1 surround, no XLR so kiss goodbye true balanced setup (AE-9 has it and cost less then X5), Bluetooth codecs are alredy outdated when X5 came out. DSD 256 can only Windows users, Mac is stuck with DoP 128. Only that X5 beat over G6 is direct mode can use microphone unlike G6.

Yeah, some good points (and I'll take your word for it in some of your points in your second paragraph because I've not investigated those)! You say though that G6 is really only for a "nonhardcore headphone enjoyer", but I just want to disagree with that, it measures really good when reviewed here on ASR and the headphone amp has a good amount of power, and you can also combine it with a relatively inexpensive but good measuring headphone amp like the JDS Labs Atom Amp (which is what both you & I have done) if you need more power. I actually don't need the JDS Labs Atom Amp, but I bought it when I knew less about audio science - I thought it would give me better sound quality, theoretically it does have less distortion and lower noise but in practical terms I doubt I'd notice a difference, but I still use the Atom Amp for the theoretical benefits. But I'll agree with you if you mean that the G6 won't drive the absolutely hardest to drive headphones to ear bleeding levels, so I'll agree with that - but that's only a very small proportion of headphones.

 

[Sound86]

Oh man 20 years ago my first computer and audio system was a small Creative 5.1 system, full plastic with small plastic subwoofer. Lmp Bizkit Break Stuff was so glorious with it.
So I guess I have fond memories for Creative, but I dont know where this would fit in my life now. I guess the Chinese just build better items particularly in this price range.

 

[Competetive_Radio]

Yeah, some good points (and I'll take your word for it in some of your points in your second paragraph because I've not investigated those)! You say though that G6 is really only for a "nonhardcore headphone enjoyer", but I just want to disagree with that, it measures really good when reviewed here on ASR and the headphone amp has a good amount of power, and you can also combine it with a relatively inexpensive but good measuring headphone amp like the JDS Labs Atom Amp (which is what both you & I have done) if you need more power. I actually don't need the JDS Labs Atom Amp, but I bought it when I knew less about audio science - I thought it would give me better sound quality, theoretically it does have less distortion and lower noise but in practical terms I doubt I'd notice a difference, but I still use the Atom Amp for the theoretical benefits. But I'll agree with you if you mean that the G6 won't drive the absolutely hardest to drive headphones to ear bleeding levels, so I'll agree with that - but that's only a very small proportion of headphones.

I mainly use Atom+ for my "new" AKG K240 Sextett Late Production and K240 DF (Sextett drivers), for those cans G6 lose breath, but for newer Monitors (still 600 ohm but is close like DT-880 600 ohm power driving) G6 is fine enough (with some modification: turning off RGB light, set Windows Power management for USB ports at max so no Eco optimization, using cooling for long hours section). AKG K260 Pro is also in G6 range.

I don't think that Amir, Soldierdude and Oratory1990 would use G6 for everyday like you and me, G6 is what USB 2.0 power and data transfer would look like at maximum power and X5 with USB 3.0 can beat that with no struggle but at consequences with quality and software dumpster fire.

For X5 problem know because I am still present in r/SoundBlasterOfficial community and every month people complains about X5 software, hardware and if I am honest: I have not big hopes in X5 before came out, but after few weeks X5 show all problems. My activity in community is helping someone who have problem with G6 I will try to help him. Also made some comparison between G6 and X5:
https://www.reddit.com/r/SoundBlasterOfficial/comments/12wetel
Still problem with USB microphone persisted and Bluetooth playing.

 

[Robbo99999]

I mainly use Atom+ for my "new" AKG K240 Sextett Late Production and K240 DF (Sextett drivers), for those cans G6 lose breath, but for newer Monitors (still 600 ohm but is close like DT-880 600 ohm power driving) G6 is fine enough (with some modification: turning off RGB light, set Windows Power management for USB ports at max so no Eco optimization, using cooling for long hours section). AKG K260 Pro is also in G6 range.

I don't think that Amir, Soldierdude and Oratory1990 would use G6 for everyday like you and me, G6 is what USB 2.0 power and data transfer would look like at maximum power and X5 with USB 3.0 can beat that with no struggle but at consequences with quality and software dumpster fire.

For X5 problem know because I am still present in r/SoundBlasterOfficial community and every month people complains about X5 software, hardware and if I am honest: I have not big hopes in X5 before came out, but after few weeks X5 show all problems. My activity in community is helping someone who have problem with G6 I will try to help him. Also made some comparison between G6 and X5:
https://www.reddit.com/r/SoundBlasterOfficial/comments/12wetel
Still problem with USB microphone persisted and Bluetooth playing.

You mentioned Amir/Solderdude/Oratory in terms of if they'd use G6 is neither here nor there, it's a gaming DAC/amp which is also very good for quality music reproduction - if they're not gamers then they'd have no reason to buy it. But, to conclude, yeah, we both think the X5 is a horrible gaming DAC for a few reasons, with my main one being the fact that the X5 is not seen as a multichannel device by Windows operating system, so it's not a real multichannel virtual surround sound device - it's a sham.

 

[Svperstar]

its a weird one... decades ago Creative was an industry standard and today they are trying to maintain any market at all

Yes, its sad that Windows Vista and above killed hardware soundcard support. I got a Creative Labs X-Fi Elite Pro for $400 back in 2006. It supported the top spec EAX that Creative had.

It was fun loading up Thief Deadly Shadows and checking the boxes for EAX Advanced finally. It sounded amazing. These days ANY computer can do the same thing with software EAX, ofc it doesn't sound exactly the same because of all the little tweaks you can do in the .ini files but still its nice.

I wish EAX never died and I REALLY wish that 3D audio was a standard thing in all games.

 

[roladyzator]

Yes, its sad that Windows Vista and above killed hardware soundcard support. I got a Creative Labs X-Fi Elite Pro for $400 back in 2006. It supported the top spec EAX that Creative had.

It was fun loading up Thief Deadly Shadows and checking the boxes for EAX Advanced finally. It sounded amazing. These days ANY computer can do the same thing with software EAX, ofc it doesn't sound exactly the same because of all the little tweaks you can do in the .ini files but still its nice.

I wish EAX never died and I REALLY wish that 3D audio was a standard thing in all games.

Is there any particular solution for the software EAX that you are using on modern Windows? Is there a modern version of ALChemy of similar software, that would also work with any device?

 

[Svperstar]

Is there any particular solution for the software EAX that you are using on modern Windows? Is there a modern version of ALChemy of similar software, that would also work with any device?

Yes, you can get EAX working on any modern PC, however if it will sound the way it did back in the day is another issue:

Steam Community :: Guide :: EAX Advanced HD Audio for Thief: Deadly Shadows

Enables EAX Advanced HD Audio...

steamcommunity.com

That is what I used to play through Thief: Deadly Shadows earlier this year, basically you edit the .ini files to tune the bass boost to your liking, but that doesn't mean that is how the bass sounded in 2004 when it was actually done on hardware.