[Soundizer]

Please may I seek some input as my headphones experience is very limited.

(1) Has anyone tried the Soundblaster E5 with Audioquest Nighthawks and the new BEYERDYNAMIC DT1770Pro?

(2) May I also is it worth upgrading to the Soundblaster X7 at home. Will the audio quality improve. I refuse to buy Schiit amps as we get ripped off here in the UK price compared to the USA, so I will stick with Creative who price fair.

 

[Eric Koh]

Please may I seek some input as my headphones experience is very limited.

(2) May I also is it worth upgrading to the Soundblaster X7 at home. Will the audio quality improve. I refuse to buy Schiit amos as we get ripped off here in the UK price compared to the USA, so I will stick with Creative who orice fair.

 
Can't comment on your headphone options, but X7 is an affordable consideration for home.

However, I think the key considerations for yourself, probably a "Yes" if you are hoping to serve the following. 
- Plans for speakers setup
- Hookup to computers for gaming
- Multimedia (home entertainment)

For audiophile purist, there are many other options to Creative X7. 

 

[Soundizer]

Please may I seek some input as my headphones experience is very limited.


(2) May I also is it worth upgrading to the Soundblaster X7 at home. Will the audio quality improve. I refuse to buy Schiit amos as we get ripped off here in the UK price compared to the USA, so I will stick with Creative who orice fair.

Can't comment on your headphone options, but X7 is an affordable consideration for home.


However, I think the key considerations for yourself, probably a "Yes" if you are hoping to serve the following. 

- Plans for speakers setup

- Hookup to computers for gaming

- Multimedia (home entertainment)


For audiophile purist, there are many other options to Creative X7. 

Thank you. I do not have plans for speakers set up, just connection to my iMac for music listening and to Apple TV via Bluetooth. I doubt if there is a solution that can do this with quality output at the price of the Soundblaster X7 (£259). The E5 Bluetooth with Apple TV is brilliant.

My question is - is the Creative X7 a sound uprade over the E5?

 

[Eric Koh]

Thank you. I do not have plans for speakers set up, just connection to my iMac for music listening and to Apple TV via Bluetooth. I doubt if there is a solution that can do this with quality output at the price of the Soundblaster X7 (£259). The E5 Bluetooth with Apple TV is brilliant.

My question is - is the Creative X7 a sound uprade over the E5?

 
You can head over to the Creative Products site to do a comparison, I suspect they are tuned differently.
Can't comment as I personally do not have the X7.

 

 

[panzerfan]

There is no substitute to X7 if you want a nearfield 5.1 speaker dac, 2.1 receiver and a headphone dac/amp all at once. It's a one-stop shop solution that allows you to even postprocess sound effects. I can think of no other device that crams so many functionalities into one box (including even bluetooth AptX and NFC) 

 

[Soundizer]

I will put this question out there for those that have listened to both the (1) Creative E5 Soundblaster (2) Creative X7 Soundblaster.

Does the X7 sound better than the E5, purely for Headphones listening?

 

[RojasTKD]

Please may I seek some input as my headphones experience is very limited.

(1) Has anyone tried the Soundblaster E5 with Audioquest Nighthawks and the new BEYERDYNAMIC DT1770Pro?

(2) May I also is it worth upgrading to the Soundblaster X7 at home. Will the audio quality improve. I refuse to buy Schiit amps as we get ripped off here in the UK price compared to the USA, so I will stick with Creative who price fair.

 
I'm listening to the E5 and DT1770 Pro right now. The E5 has no issues driving the DT1770. It will start to distort a little when you start approaching max volumes, but that's louder than most will even consider.
 
The E5 can even do a good job driving my HiFiMan HE500 planar magnetic, but the bass will distort badly at higher levels. I'm actually impresed It can drive the HE500s to listenable levels.
 
For comparison I have an Audio-GD NFB-11 desktop DAC/AMP that has a lot more power. The NFB-11 is a little cleaner, more neutral and much more power (can drive just about anything). the E5 is a bit warmer, has a lot more flexibility, features and vastly more portable. I enjoy both.

 

[Soundizer]

Please may I seek some input as my headphones experience is very limited.


(1) Has anyone tried the Soundblaster E5 with Audioquest Nighthawks and the new BEYERDYNAMIC DT1770Pro?


(2) May I also is it worth upgrading to the Soundblaster X7 at home. Will the audio quality improve. I refuse to buy Schiit amps as we get ripped off here in the UK price compared to the USA, so I will stick with Creative who price fair.

I'm listening to the E5 and DT1770 Pro right now. The E5 has no issues driving the DT1770. It will start to distort a little when you start approaching max volumes, but that's louder than most will even consider.

The E5 can even do a good job driving my HiFiMan HE500 planar magnetic, but the bass will distort badly at higher levels. I'm actually impresed It can drive the HE500s to listenable levels.

For comparison I have an Audio-GD NFB-11 desktop DAC/AMP that has a lot more power. The NFB-11 is a little cleaner, more neutral and much more power (can drive just about anything). the E5 is a bit warmer, has a lot more flexibility, features and vastly more portable. I enjoy both.

Thank you for the response. When listening to the DT1770pro via the E5, do you set it to high gain or low?

 

[RojasTKD]

Thank you for the response. When listening to the DT1770pro via the E5, do you set it to high gain or low?

I tend to leave it on high gain because I forget to switch it when I use my HiFiman's. But it spells have no problem on low gain, will just have to crack the volume knob a bit more. iLok try and check later tonight when I get home.

 

[RojasTKD]

Thank you for the response. When listening to the DT1770pro via the E5, do you set it to high gain or low?

OK, gave a quick listen. On low gain I just have instead of 30  to 40 I crank it it 50 to 60 approximately. I can also crank it to 100 and don't seem to get distortion high gain give at near max levels.

 

[Forty6]

OK, gave a quick listen. On low gain I just have instead of 30  to 40 I crank it it 50 to 60 approximately. I can also crank it to 100 and don't seem to get distortion high gain give at near max levels.

Another testimonial of good quality for the E5 .

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

The only thing I'd like to see in a new E series amp is Virtual surround 5.1 speaker setting, for me it's better than the 7.1 setting as headphones tend to work better with that due the limited space for processing of a virtual 7.1 surround in headphones, not to mention most games tend to have a better 5.1 support than 7.1. AND if leds will be added for volume control or whatever like G5 then personally I crave the LEDs to be be able to turn off in the settings if you so wish. I personally hate when lights gets in my peripheral vision, I just want 100% focus on the screen. Also when I sleep I dislike having leds lightening up the room.
 
That and the Dolby digital support or however it was called so it can also process surround with console use in mind and beat Astro Mixamp in all possible areas. Then you'd have a perfect product.
 
I've been considering either E5 or G5 but E5 lacks 5.1 virtual surround and G5 has these leds I cannot turn off (I'm not too keen on taping the leds) and I'd gladly have bluetooth support as well to make it a much more versataile product.

 

[Soundizer]

The only thing I'd like to see in a new E series amp is Virtual surround 5.1 speaker setting, for me it's better than the 7.1 setting as headphones tend to work better with that due the limited space for processing of a virtual 7.1 surround in headphones, not to mention most games tend to have a better 5.1 support than 7.1. AND if leds will be added for volume control or whatever like G5 then personally I crave the LEDs to be be able to turn off in the settings if you so wish. I personally hate when lights gets in my peripheral vision, I just want 100% focus on the screen. Also when I sleep I dislike having leds lightening up the room.

That and the Dolby digital support or however it was called so it can also process surround with console use in mind and beat Astro Mixamp in all possible areas. Then you'd have a perfect product.

I've been considering either E5 or G5 but E5 lacks 5.1 virtual surround and G5 has these leds I cannot turn off (I'm not too keen on taping the leds) and I'd gladly have bluetooth support as well to make it a much more versataile product.

I have the E5 and use Bluetooth from my Apple TV to listen to Netflix Movies. I was also considering the G5 because of 5.1 dolby sound, but I checked with Creative Technical support and they stated that it is not supported via Bluetooth. If you send them an email they will probably confirm that 5.1 dolby is only supported via cable.

Maybe the current Bluetooth technology currently does not support Dolby Surround - I am not sure.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

I have the E5 and use Bluetooth from my Apple TV to listen to Netflix Movies. I was also considering the G5 because of 5.1 dolby sound, but I checked with Creative Technical support and they stated that it is not supported via Bluetooth. If you send them an email they will probably confirm that 5.1 dolby is only supported via cable.

Maybe the current Bluetooth technology currently does not support Dolby Surround - I am not sure.

 

I would be using it wired 99% of the time connected to my PC personally, there are those times I might need it for bluetooth application where I wouldn't mind having Bluetooth support though but I'm speaking here about 5.1 virtual surround when connected via analog to the headphone jack. I just think it's best to let people be able to use every possible setting scenario, leaving it out just limits possibilities. This is something Creative seems to be particularly great at and why I wasted like 200 € on a SoundBlaster ZxR for example, unable to get proper virtual surround due having to use "Headphone" setting if using headphones connected to the headphone jack as it assumes you can only use 5.1 with a connected 5.1 speakers set.
 
"Power-users" are such a dying breed in PC industry these days. Manufacturers seems to think they need to limit options for the sake of not confusing customers and us "in-the-know" people suffers. It used to be a lot better years ago. These times everything starts becoming dumbed down.

 

[Forty6]

Past week Was experimenting EQ on the source + the E5 onboard SBX EQ settings .

Now I had found yet sweet spot for my entire broad genre of music .

DL " Equalizer " from the play store + unlock keys .
With this " equalizer " enabled in the source with is my android galaxy note , together with my SBX EQ settings on the E5 , wow that was some real badass .
Playing top notch Hifi quality to my pair of 2 cents ears

Share with you guys here , for all those who're interested .
This E5 is giving me all the fun with all my in ear .

Equalizer + unlock keys . Downloadable at legit play store , or other ahem sources




My preference base settings on the source " Equalizer " .




One of my beloved SBX / EQ settings on the E5 . subject to change base on mood









My humble 2 cents worth of current daily on the go audio gears on the road .
Android galaxy note source , OTG tactical over the shoulder sling not shown