Connectivity is one of its strengths, and in total we will find:
- TOSLINK optical input.
- TOSLINK optical output.
- RCA input.
- RCA output.
- 3.5 mm headphone output (unbalanced).
- 4.4 mm headphone output (balanced).
- 3.5mm microphone input.
- USB-C, for power supply and computer connection.
- USB to connect other audio devices, including wireless headphones.
Regarding the playback and recording resolution, we find:
- Microphone input: PCM 24 bit 192 kHz.
- Audio input: PCM 24 bit 192 kHz.
- Optical input: PCM 24 bit 96 kHz.
- What U Hear input: 24-bit, 192kHz PCM.
- Audio/Headphone output: 32-bit PCM, 384 kHz, DoP 128, DSD 256.
- Optical output: PCM 24 bit 192 kHz.
- Native DSD support.
This sound card is compatible with headphones from 16 ohms to 600 ohms, and has an output impedance of 1 ohm. In addition, very importantly, it also has Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, with A2DP, AVRCP and HFP profiles and SBC codec to connect any wireless device (like your mobile) and be able to play music from of this one.
Creative has packed it all into a device that’s 216mm long, 170mm wide and 72mm high, weighing 879 grams and consuming just 5W (since it’s powered by 5 Volts and 1 Ampere).
External analysis
This sound card comes in a cardboard box with a very simple design and gray tones. At the top we can see a photo of the product as such, as well as its main features in a list at the bottom. Below we will see more technical details, in several languages, and on the side we will find basically the content that we will find in the package.
When we open the box, the first thing we find is a large block of foam, very important to protect the sound card during transport and to ensure that it does not suffer any damage.
Inside this foam you will find the device, its user manual, a USB-A to USB-C cable for power, an RCA to mini-jack cable for sound, and an optical audio cable.
Other than that, there are no other accessories, so let’s move on to the Sound Blaster X5 itself.
As we can see, in the front it offers us all the controls and three minijack connections, while in the back we find the rest of the connections. One thing we didn’t like much was that in a device of this category and price, Creative opted for a plastic casing instead of metal.
From left to right, on the front we find the power button, a button for the Bluetooth connection, a button to mute the microphone, another for the screen, a regulator to adjust the gain of the microphone, a switch to put it in gain high or normal mode, a button to switch between speakers and headphones, a button to set whether you want direct or processed (DSP) audio output, a button for the equalizer, a switch to choose whether you have the sound card connected to a PC or console and volume control. Also below all the buttons we have a microphone input, an unbalanced headphone output and a balanced output.
On the back we have an RCA audio output, an RCA audio input, the optical output and input, USB-C for power supply and computer connection, and a USB host to connect, for example, speakers, headphones or wireless transmitters.
To ensure that the sound card remains fixed and does not move, at the bottom there are two non-slip rubber feet. In case you need to access the inside of it, it is under these rubber feet that we will find the screws.
After seeing the device, we will proceed to connect it and check its operation.
How does the Sound Blaster X5 work?
To operate this sound card, simply connect it to power via the USB-C port. It works with any 5 volt and 1 amp transformer, so in that sense we are not going to have the slightest problem. If we connect it to a computer USB port (which is USB 3.0, so that it has enough power), we will not need auxiliary power, and at the same time we can use it as a card external sound.
If we are not going to use it on the PC, we will have to connect an audio input (via RCA, the optical input and even via Bluetooth) so that the audio comes in and goes out through the connected headphones or speakers.
We connected it directly to the computer, to a USB 3.0 port. Windows recognized it without problems and from the first moment we were able to start using it. Immediately after, we installed the Creative software, which detected a new version of the card’s firmware and the driver, and automatically installed them on the computer. Thus, we performed all tests with the latest firmware and the latest version of Windows 11 22H2 drivers.
The program interface, as we can see, is very simple. In the main tab, the device tab, we can find all the options and functions of the device, and from there we will access the main parameters, as we will see later. But first, let’s see the other sections of the left menu. Secondly we have “Reproduction”, from which we will be able to configure the audio quality, as well as whether we are going to use speakers (and what type) or headphones.
The recording section allows us to configure the recording quality of each of the audio inputs.
We also find the configuration section, from which we will receive firmware and driver updates, as well as configure Bluetooth and see the technical details of the product.
We will now see the configuration of each of the effects of the program. The first of them is him Acoustic Enginefrom where we will be able to adjust the sound engine according to the effects that we want to apply, such as surround, crystallization, bass, smart volume and dialogue amplifier.
He equalizer allows us to adjust each of the three equalizers that are stored in the memory of the sound card. In this way we can switch from one to the other very easily using the button on the card itself depending on the type of content we are consuming.
In crystal voice we can configure the options to improve the audio recording with the microphone. For example, noise reduction, echo cancellation and more.
live mode It will allow us to reproduce the sound as it arrives on the card, without processing it. We can enable or disable it from here, or with the DSP button on the device itself.
The section of Scout mode It allows us, when we use headphones, to detect footsteps, voices and sounds much better in order to locate our enemies.
Mixer This will allow us to configure the sound mixer according to the sources that we want to have more or less volume.
Finally, the sound mode It allows us to configure the audio engine, adjusting in real time the profile used by the sound card to obtain perfect sound.
Conclusion, is it worth it?
From our point of view, it is not an essential component like a good processor, a good graphics card or a high-performance RAM. Moreover, since all motherboards have their own sound card, it is not a component that attracts everyone’s attention, since almost everyone connects their speakers to the motherboard. Of course, if you ever try a sound card like this Creative Sound Blaster X5, you’ll probably never use the motherboard connectors again.
Whether you have professional-grade or inexpensive speakers, with this sound card you’ll be able to listen to music like never before. The quality and clarity with which it reproduces audio is nothing short of amazing, and in fact, since you can switch between processed and raw audio with a single button, it’s something you’ll be able to easily check and compare by track yourself…and believe us when we tell you the difference is overwhelming.
In our case, we wanted to test the Sound Blaster X5 with a simple Sound Blaster Stage 2.1 soundbar from the same brand which, although not at all bad quality, remains an entry-level product. When we turned on the X5’s sound processing, the change was really amazing, with much crisper and clearer sound…really, the difference is amazing, just as amazing is that such a simple soundbar could get sound as well. Even at maximum volume there is no distortion at all, by the way.
It’s clear that if you want exceptional audio quality, you’ll need a sound card like this, because the ones in motherboards take the hassle out of you…but nothing else. Of course, we are talking about an expensive device, VERY expensive, and its price is around 300 euro. All in all, if in the end you bet on the investment, you will have one of the best sound cards on the market and for many years.
To put a hitch, as we have already mentioned before, it must be mentioned that the outer plastic casing does not correspond to a product of this range and price; An aluminum cover would have been ideal, even if it were metallic, it would already have given the product a finish worthy of a Premium device. Apart from this detail and that it is quite expensive, it is an excellent quality product, and therefore we believe that it deserves our gold medal and our recommendation for its performance.
