What’s in the Box

Creative Labs has really upped the ante when it comes to quality PC and console related audio products and their winning streak continues with the Sound Blaster X3 Hi-Res 7.1 External USB DAC and Amp Sound Card with Super X-Fi® for PC and Mac. Also, you can hook this bad boy to the PS4 or Nintendo Switch. While we absolutely love the G6 and its strengths, the X3 comes out swinging with some serious audio chops in the addition of Super X-Fi capability. More on that later but for now, what you get inside is the solidly built X3 unit, a USB-C connector cable and setup manual. Like all recent Sound Blaster products, it’s a solid unit with gorgeous black and blue highlight design. It looks purty regardless of where it’s sitting.

Sound Quality and Features

While there is no question on the simple yet gorgeous aesthetics of the unit, the real test is how it sounds. I am happy to report to that Sound Blaster X3 through the stellar Super X-Fi and SBX feature sets boasts some of the most impressive virtual surround to date. That is coming from someone who generally loathes virtual surround on any platform. Especially during our play tests in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the X3 emphasized every sonic detail from the faintest footstep to the most bombastic explosions I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to.

Now, in order to fully utilize the customization of Super X-Fi, you have to create an account and upload data to the cloud which I am never fond of doing. That being said, even the default Super X-Fi profile sounded absolutely stunning, especially in FPS style games. I wouldn’t hesitate for a second recommending it for shooter fans.

Verdict

While there were some niggles with how Super X-Fi Profiles were setup and configured, overall, the Sound Blaster X3 is a sonic revelation. From the vast amount of connectivity options for PC and consoles, to the excellent Super X-Fi and SBX profiles to stunning FPS related virtual surround and quality, I just can’t help to have a huge geeky smile every time I use it, especially with a quality set of headphones. While there are plenty of audio options out there, the X3 is a no-brainer, especially for the price point.

The Specs

Weight

330g

Dimensions

129 mm x 129 mm x 40.6 mm

Dynamic Range (DNR)

115 dB

Direct Mode

Surround 7.1: PCM 16-bit, 48.0, 96.0, 192.0 kHz

Surround 7.1: PCM 24-bit, 48.0, 96.0, 192.0 kHz

Surround 7.1: PCM 32-bit, 48.0, 96.0, 192.0 kHz

Dolby Digital Live: 16-bit, 48.0 kHz

Playback Resolution (Stereo): PCM 16-bit, 48.0, 96.0, 192.0 kHz

Playback Resolution (Stereo): PCM 24-bit, 48.0, 96.0, 192.0 kHz

Playback Resolution (Stereo): PCM 32-bit, 48.0, 96.0, 192.0 kHz

Playback Resolution (Optical Out): PCM 16-bit, 48.0, 96.0, 192.0 kHz

Playback Resolution (Optical Out): PCM 24-bit, 48.0, 96.0, 192.0 kHz

Recording Resolution

Mic-in: 16-bit /48,0, 96,0, 192,0 kHz

Mic-in: 24 bit / 48,0, 96,0, 192,0 kHz

What-U-Hear: 16-bit, 48.0, 96.0, 192.0 kHz

What-U-Hear: 24-bit, 48.0, 96.0, 192.0 kHz

Line-in: 16-bit, 48.0, 96.0, 192.0 kHz

Line-in: 24-bit, 48.0, 96.0, 192.0 kHz

Connectivity Options (Main)

1 x ⅛″ Line-in Jack, 1 x ⅛″ Front-out, 1 x TOSLINK Optical Out, 1 x ⅛″ Rear Out, 1 x ⅛″ Center / Sub Out, 1 x 1/8″ Headphone / Headset Jack, 1 x 1/8″ Ext. Mic-in Jack, 1 x ⅛″ Side Out Jack, 1 x USB Type-C port for PC / Mac

Headphone Amp

Supported Headphone Impedance: 32Ω - 600Ω, Low Gain: 32 - 149Ω (1.2V RMS @ 32Ω, 1.5V RMS @ 150Ω), High Gain: 150 - 600Ω (2.3V RMS @ 150Ω, 2.9V RMS @ 600Ω)

Supported Operating Systems

Windows® 8.1, Windows® 10, Windows® 7

DAC

Dynamic Range (Stereo): 115 dB, THD+N (Stereo): 0.0004%

ADC

Dynamic Range: 104 dB, THD+N: 0.0017%

Power

USB Bus Powered, USB-C

Recommended Usage

Home Entertainment

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Windows® OS

Intel® Core™i3 or AMD® equivalent processor

Intel, AMD, or 100% compatible motherboard

Microsoft® Windows 10 32 / 64-bit, Windows 8.1 / 8.0 32 / 64-bit, Windows 7 32 / 64-bit

1 GB RAM

> 600 MB of free hard disk space

USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 port

Mac® OS

Mac OS X® 10.12 or higher

1 GB RAM

USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 port

PS4

Firmware Ver 5.0 or later

Available USB port

Nintendo Switch

Switch OS 5.0 or later

Available USB port (in docking mode)

External USB Power (not included)

Voice communications is title dependent

Android ^

Android OS Ver 7.0 or later

Device must have built-in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) support

iOS ^

iOS Ver 11.0 or later

Device must have built-in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) support

^ Use as a remote controller for Sound Blaster X3 on PS4 / Nintendo Switch only, does not support Bluetooth audio streaming