gadgetshow.channel5.com Updated:
2015-03-04 18:15:41
|
The Creative X7 is touted as the company's biggest and boldest Sound Blaster to date, and it certainly has plenty of gusto tucked in to back up those claims - despite being a tiny little box that can sit on your desk. Not only does it serve as a digital-t...
|
|
|
|
Despite what the lack of products on the market currently indicates, gamers actually like high-end audio just as much as they appreciate high-end visuals. Creative, the team behind the immaculate Creative EVO ZxR headphones and Creative Roar SR20 Bluetoot...
Powerful hardware, Built, in mic, Plenty of ports...
Expensive extra, Won't replace your receiver, Sliding scale performance...
At its best, the X7 can be used in conjunction with rock-solid bookshelf speakers or full 5.1, home-theater-in-a-box systems and noticeably improve your experience. It's clear that the X7 is packed with more features than were ever possible in a standard...
|
|
techradar.com/au/ Updated:
2015-03-04 18:15:41
|
Despite what the lack of products on the market currently indicates, gamers actually like high-end audio just as much as they appreciate high-end visuals. Creative, the team behind the immaculate Creative EVO ZxR headphones and Creative Roar SR20 Bluetoot...
Powerful hardware, Builtin mic, Plenty of ports...
Expensive extra, Won't replace your receiver, Sliding scale performance...
At its best, the X7 can be used in conjunction with rock-solid bookshelf speakers or full 5.1, home-theater-in-a-box systems and noticeably improve your experience. It's clear that the X7 is packed with more features than were ever possible in a standa...
|
|
|
|
A lot of attention gets put on high-end displays and graphics, but while technology has made great advances in pushing graphics to 4K monitors, 3D displays, and all kinds of other cool stuff, I see a lot of people neglecting their audio experience, be tha...
Exceptional sound processing, Powerful AMP/DAC combo, Bluetooth pairing, Built-in microphone, Optical pass-through, Wired terminals for 4/8Ohm, 600Ohm headphone amp, NFC, Extensive selection of cables included in the box, Headphone stand, Great aesthetics...
None, Neutral, The price is high, but you do get what you pay for in terms of features and performance, The additional cost of buying good speakers and/or headphones may further add to your budget worries...
PriceThe price of this unit is a lot, there's no getting past that, but it is on par with similar offerings from a few rivals, such as the EB range from Silverstone. However, the X7's feature set can be found across a range of other competing products, bu...
|
|
|
|
We're astonished at just how much Creative has packed into the Sound Blaster X7's distinctive casework. It's a digital-to-analogue converter and stereo amplifier but, intriguingly, also has Dolby Digital decoding built in. Research the X7 and it's clear...
Fully featured, Bluetooth connectivity, Agile sound, Tonally balanced, Distinctive appearance, Adjustability provided by app...
Price puts it up against some tough competition, Lack of sonic insight and dynamic thrust...
The Creative Sound Blaster X7's spec sheet promises much, but it doesn't really deliver sonically. Our money would go elsewhere unless we could get one with a very hefty discount...
|
|
|
|
I have had, built and tweaked many PCs in my time and Creative Sound Blaster is a name synonymous with PC audio for me. However, as the audio processing on motherboards got better I found myself not adding a specialist card. In the last few years though...
MIT's Cheetah robot now leaps over wallsI have had, built and tweaked many PCs in my time and Creative Sound Blaster is a name synonymous with PC audio for me. However, as the audio processing on motherboards got better I found myself not adding a special...
|
|
|
|
A few weeks ago we reviewed an item which completely exceeded our expectations. The Sound Blaster E5 was an external sound card which could be used on PC, Console or smartphone… Bluetooth, NFC, headphone amp, dual outputs it had all that and more… includi...
A hefty price tag for those who are gaming focused and the lack of HDMI is a minor disappointment. That said, for everyone else the X7 offers a hugely desirable package. Great feature support, a high level of connectivity options and exceptional audio qu...
|
|
|
|
Serious audiophiles know there is no substitute for an external headphone amplifier. While many of today's high-end gaming motherboards now include expensive audio chipsets tucked away behind EMF shielding, they're still prone to interference caused by th...
Excellent headphone audio, Relatively affordable for such high quality...
Doesn't have the grunt to power quality speakers, Too many “features” screw with a pure soundscape...
If you're rocking a $400 pair of headphones, this is a potent little power house to drive them at maximum volume...
|
|
|
|
Good question because we're not really sure the X7 knows exactly what it is or what it's primary role should be. It is trying to cover plenty of subject areas and tasks. Is it a gaming device to help get games sounding better and to aid with in-game commu...
Very good sound via Headphones, Also very good with attached speakers driven by on-board amplifier, Unique design, Decent connectivity for various types of users...
Expensive if your use is limited and you're not taking full advantage of everything on offer...
Overall, in terms of audio quality and playback the X7 did a very reasonable job of producing high quality music playback via headphones and speakers. Personally that is all I would use it for and as such I'm not sure it is the product for a wide audience...
|
|
|
|
It looks like a piece of military hardware produced by Stark Industries, but what we have here is actually the X7 'soundcard' from the pioneer of that particular genre, Creative Labs. In the past, Creative's Sound Blasters used to sit inside a PC. They en...
Lots of features and gadgets, a decent overall playback standard, solid headphone amp and audiophile tweaks...
No HDMI connectivity, optical input only supports DD and PCM, 5.1 is a faff...
|
|
|
|
T he Creative X7's gaming origins are clear from its styling, its extensive sound tweakery and inclusion of gaming modes, but in hi-fi terms it is a digital amplifier, combining DAC, headphone amplifier, and internal amplification to drive a pair of speak...
Some dodgy software muddies the music, but with tweaking this is a great solution...
|
|
|
|
Moving into a more audiophile realm than you might be used to on TweakTown, I'd like to introduce you to the Sound Blaster X7 amplifier. This compact amp (DAC) aims to provide everything you will ever need in a single package, showing off connection optio...
Let down slightly by a flimsy headphone stand and a high price, the Creative Sound Blaster X7 is extremely easy to use, has a plethora of connection options, and is perfect for any beginner audiophile...
|
|
|
|
The sound card is pretty much dead, but the high-end PC audio market is thriving. Most of the action is in USB DACs coupled with headphone amps, and Creative's new Sound Blaster X7 can fill that role. But this device can do much more, and its application...
Nearly every digital and analog I/O port you could want, Audiophile components (DAC, ADC, and headphone amp), High-quality USB and Bluetooth audio streaming...
No HDMI support, Can't decode high-res Blu-ray soundtracks, No support for Apple's AirPlay technology...
The Sound Blaster X7 delivers an incredibly strong price/performance ratio. If it had HDMI in and out (and the ability to decode Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio) it would be darn near perfect...
|
|
|
|
Creative Labs wants people to fall in love with PC audio again. That's a challenging task at a time when even gamers who drop big bucks on video-card upgrades think of sound cards as anachronisms. Creative's strategy: Cover all the bases with a new family...
|
|
maximumpc.com Updated:
2015-08-07 08:39:40
|
We could talk all day about the features inside this box. Suffice it to say that it's a kitchen sink for audiophiles. The X7 also has Crystalizer, virtual surround sound, a loudness cutoff for nighttime viewing, “Dialog Plus” to make movie conversations e...
|
|
|
|
Before Sound Blaster showed me the X7, its $400 all-in-one audio DAC/amplifier, I asked the question that I thought most skeptical PC gamers would want to ask: Is there any need for a dedicated sound card these days, when motherboards seem to put out perf...
|
|
|
|
Like most of you PC and along with it my office is almost like a living being, slowly evolving. Every year or two I'm changing out my video cards, my motherboard, even keyboards and mice. It's weird though, looking back there are only a few things that se...
|
|
|
|
Sound design is responsible for nearly half of the gaming experience, so it's surprising that debates pertaining to audio performance and hardware aren't as prevalent as arguments over resolution and frame rate. Maybe it's because quality audio equipment...
|
|
|
|
First off, I have fond memories of the entire Sound Blaster line. Unlike some of our readers, this old fogey remembers going to a friends house and ripping open the brand new Creative Labs Sound Blaster sound card. It was a godsend. I remember hearing the...
With a huge variety of features, crystal clear sound, and compact form factor, the Sound Blaster X7 is a stunning device. That being said, the price premium may scare off some and create more of a niche product. Regardless, this is a quality device with a...
|
|
|
|
Creative have been a major player in the audio world for longer than many of us care to remember. Even those in the office who started their lives on 286 CPUs knew of the Soundblaster solution to our aural needs. Whether it's the AWE64, the X-Fi or the la...
Most of what we need to say here is covered in the video, so we highly recommend watching that for a more in-depth take on the X7 LE.The quality of the audio produced by this combination of outstanding amplifier and excellent speaker arrangement is fantas...
|
|
|
|
To say that the Sound Blaster X7 is Creative Labs' flagship external audio solution is a bit of an understatement. Creative Labs has managed to fit a 127dB Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) as well as the company's multi-core, SB-Axx1 Digital Signal Proce...
|
|
|
|
Sound Blaster X7 from Creative Labs is a versatile, powerful, great-sounding audio interface micro-tower with an extensive range of features and connection possibilities. When premium sound is top priority, consider using X7 to amplify and enhance your mu...
|
|
|
|
Creative has some interesting products lately. They continue to innovate through design and audio quality. The X7 Is a USB DAC that was designed for audiophiles and audio enthusiasts.Lets dive into the world of audio through the X7, and see if stands to b...
Extreme audiophile quality DAC...
Price...
Experience the best audio you will ever hear with the X7 DAC...
|
|
|
|
When I reviewed the Creative Sound Blaster E5 last year, I thought that could be the most versatile DAC/Amp Creative would ever make. However, the Creative Sound Blaster X7 is a much more capable option. Let's check it out.The Sound Blaster has a unique s...
Small footprint, unique shape, A lot of features and connections, High-quality components, Great performance for both speakers and headphones...
Average build quality, No remote control, no way to change among audio sources, Difficult to connect to surround speaker system...
|
|
|
|
With motherboard manufacturers moving more and more features onboard it is becoming harder to justify add on sound cards. Creative is no exception and has been offering their award winning sound processing out to manufacturers as a high quality alternativ...
Firmware and hardware upgradeable, Class leading sound quality, Ridiculous connectivity options, Powerful amps, Easy to use software controls, More features than you know what to do with...
No remote, Requires software for many features, Some settings require odd software combinations, Headphone stand feels like an afterthought, Love it or hate it shape...
Testing audio quality is very subjective and cannot be measured without thousands of dollars' worth of equipment. Even then, no two people hear sound quite the same way. Still comparing audio provides a way to determine how clearly you might hear differen...
|
|
