Sound BlasterX G6 Hi-Res 130dB 32bit/384kHz Gaming DAC, External USB Sound Card with Xamp Headphone Amp, Dolby Digital, 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound, Sidetone/Speaker Control for PS4, Xbox One

Let's get one thing out of the way - I am NOT an audiophile. However, I am a person who owns and uses a variety of headphones and ear buds. I am also a person who is a bit hard of hearing. Before I purchased the Sound Blaster X G6 external sound card, most of the headphones I used just weren't loud enough.I had a pair of wired earbuds that I've had for several years that were loud enough for me to truly enjoy music, video games, movies, and other media on any of my devices. Unfortunately, last month, the cord developed a short in it, which pretty much rendered the earbuds useless. That prompted me to replace the earbuds. Initially, I was going to purchase the exact same pair (if it ain't broke, don't fix it). Well, wouldn't you know, the company is no longer in business.This sad fact eventually lead me to investing in a pair of wired Inner Ear Monitors or IEMs which are an upgrade from your standard earbuds but not as expensive as the top of the line, noise cancelling, name brand earbuds endorsed by rappers and rock stars. I did my research and bought two pair of IEMs that had impressive reviews, but did not break my budget. While one pair of the IEMs was just loud enough to be useful for me, the other set just didn't cut the mustard when it came to the volume level. I broke down and purchased a different brand of IEMs and the new pair had great sound, but also not enough volume.I really didn't want to spend money on another pair of IEMs, regardless of their inexpensive cost (it was starting to add up). I was researching an app that could increase the volume of the content that I play on my phone, when I found a post that talked about the Sound Blaster X G6 External soundcard, and how it was able to really enhance the user's experience playing video games. I changed the topic of my search to the Sound Blaster X G6 and I found a ton of articles and videos about how people were blown away by how different their experience was by using this portable little plug and play device.Needless to say, I had to hear it for myself. I purchased my device and was pleased with the compact size of the unit. The portability allows me to use this device in more ways than I anticipated. I can connect it to my android phone by using a USB C to 3.5 mm adapter that can be purchased for less than $20.00. That allows me to use it anytime I consume media on my cell phone. I can also use it with my laptop computer by connecting it directly using the included microUSB cord included with the package. I can also use it when I play video games or watch movies on my PS5.There is one caveat. Since this product was released before USB C became the standard type of port to power / charge devices, the Sound Blaster X G6 still uses a microUSB port to supply power to the unit. You can plug the microUSB cord into the same plug in wall charger that you use for your cell phone. You can also supply power through an open USB port on your computer or video game console. A third option which I hadn't initially considered was that it's possible to use a portable charging bank to supply power to the Sound Blaster X, at least until the portable charging bank has used up all of it's stored power.I suggest investing in either a usb extension cord with an A Male to A Female connection or an extra long microUSB cord for maximum portability. That way, you can plug the microUSB up to the wall or other power source when you are laying in bed or away from a laptop or other device with a powered USB connection.I've had the device for several weeks and I can honestly say that it works wonders for me, especially for my hearing condition. I have trouble hearing high frequencies and also some of the low end bass frequencies. With the Sound BlasterX G6, I can purchase any pair of IEMs and feel confident that I can have more than enough audible space to increase the volume to my liking. You can also connect the device to your computer to adjust the internal settings and EQ to fine tune the sound to your liking., The unit saves your adjustments and settings, even when you are not connected to that same computer.Overall, this product seems like it was made for me. It has made several pairs of IEMs and over the ear headphones that I own sound vibrant and alive. I would recommend this product to anyone who would like to enhance their audio listening experience.

Brings life to cheap headphones and earbuds, get so much louder than front jack audio on pc case and made the earbuds punchy and crisp, I didn’t know they would ever sound this good. Getting the Sennheiser HD 660S2 soon and can’t wait to see what this little guy will do for it.The X on the unit color can be changed through the software that matches pc case fan colors and that’s a nice touch.When the unit is laying flat on the table you can easily adjust volume by using your index finger to scroll the volume wheel on the front. It does it effortlessly which I’m am satisfied with. Using usb cable in stereo mode I’m able to achieve 32-bit 384 kHz but not in 5.1 or 7.1 mode.The design is appealing and its size is smaller than expected which is nice because my desk has a lot of stuff on it. It comes with an optical cable and if you’re going to pipe optical audio from pc to unit then buy an extra optical cable and the adapter because it’s a circle jack style port instead of the square connection.

Where do I start, this thing is a piece of junk and it will most likely be returned. The sound is a touch better than my onboard audio card when it works. I do video editing and use studio-grade headphones. I thought if I could replace the Sony ES receiver from my desk that powers the headphones then that would be a plus. At first, it was going great, I set it up and it sounded good and had the power to drive my high ohm headphones. Then I went to work on videos. In Resolve 16 Studio it disconnects about every 3-5 minutes, I am not kidding. I then tried AVID, the same thing happens. I loaded up my audio editing program and the same thing. Seems they should emphasize these are for gaming only although I read that this too happens to gammers.I looked at firmware, its updated, looked at the USB controller, changed it to another, the same thing happens.The only other option is to use an optical interface and see if that fixes it but I already do that with my Sony ES receiver and truthfully its not worth the 130 plus dollar price tag when it completely fails at its only job in life.I really wanted to like this thing, I really did.---------------- UPDATE ----------------First off, I upgraded the rating stars to reflect my findings and workaround.I decided to install this on my Dell Precision 7510. It is on my desk as a second computer for tasks including lite video editing if my main system is busy rendering large projects. I mostly did this to see if it was a hardware conflict that was causing the disconnect.Seems that the Creative Lab unit doesn't like high I/O devices. When my Areca RAID controller is accessing lots of data, like when editing, that is when the G6 disconnects. It also does this when it accesses my onboard NVMe drives so I know it is not a driver issue with my Areca controller. It seems when there is high throughput it likes to disconnect.On my Dell Precision laptop, it seems to handle it much better when accessing its NVMe drive or its SSD drives. I have since placed my main desktop on the optical in and am using the laptop through the USB. Overall I am much happier with this setup and if I have to use my laptop elsewhere I have a powered USB that I can use to power the G6. It is not my first choice but it is working in this configuration so I will keep it. I am still using my Sony ES receiver as the sound quality is much higher from the amp, granted the Sony is the value of 20 or so of these so there is that. It also powers my studio speakers at my desk too. I've decided I am happy with the device and will keep it. It's nice to hear both computers on the same input on the receiver, I sued to have them on different inputs and now I can hear both and they both sound great now.I do hope that Creative fixes the issue, I'd prefer this powered from my main system than my laptop.