[SG] You're Invited to experience the Sound Blaster X7. Win attractive prizes!
Dec 3, 2014 at 4:05 AM Post #46 of 61
X7 in the house 
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Completing my HiFi Pyramid 
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Dec 4, 2014 at 9:29 AM Post #47 of 61
Cool!
 
Dec 5, 2014 at 4:29 AM Post #49 of 61
THANK YOU! Overwhelming Response to the Sound Blaster X7 Debut @ SITEX 2014, Singapore!
 
Despite increasing the seating capacity by 50%, it was full house at almost every session in the X7 Theatrette at SITEX 2014! Some walk-in registrants even requested to be squeezed in as standing audiences. We would like to thank everyone who came down enthusiastically to witness this world premiere of the Sound Blaster X7.
 
At the X7 Theatrette, we demonstrated the power and quality of the award-winning Sound Blaster X7 in providing an audiophile experience across a palette of music, games and movies. Everybody was wowed and many stayed back to test the X7 with their own songs. Many more ordered on the spot!
 
All the Sound Blaster X7s catered for this SITEX show were sold out within the first day! Yet we still continue to receive an overwhelming deluge of pre-orders throughout the four days. For a new high-end audiophile/pro-gamer product like the Sound Blaster X7, such a phenomenal demand is almost unheard of.
 
For more details, check out http://www.soundblaster.com/x7/.
 

 

 

 
 
Sound Blaster X7 Release dates:
Singapore: For customers who pre-ordered at the SITEX show, we have already started fulfilling the orders. You can still purchase the X7 online here: http://sg.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-x7

US: You may now pre-order the X7 here. Delivery of the product will be mid-Dec.
 
UK, Ireland: You may now pre-order the X7 here. Delivery of the product will be mid-Dec.
 
Rest of Europe: Pre-order will begin next week.
 
Dec 5, 2014 at 5:03 AM Post #50 of 61
SB X7 is a very cool and unique device indeed! Powerful and clean sound with plenty of detail.  Have tested the headphone output using bluetooth and USB connection, very clean sound. Although using the same chip as E5, but X7 headphone output is much cleaner and sounds more refined.  Tried the speaker output with my B&W Matrix 805 (the first old 805), quite decent output and loudness.
 
Any idea where to get more information about the Op-Amp configuration?  
I guess 2 op-amps for I/V output from DAC, 1 op-amp to convert differential output to non-differential output, and the last op-amp for the line output right?
 
Hopefully I have the time this month to review X7 :)
 
Dec 5, 2014 at 9:39 AM Post #51 of 61
So there's no DTS correct?
I assume there won't be :/


Sure whatever... Still a great device.

BUT... All of a sudden the creative Pan-European store does not ship to my country?...
3 days ago it did, now it doesn't anymore...
Well, how do you expect me to order one for Christmas, creative...
 
Dec 7, 2014 at 12:11 AM Post #52 of 61
Hi All, Already got my X7 and tested it out with my Yahama HS8.
 
I felt little difference against my old Sound Blaster Zx.
 
Finally decided to replace the stock 2114D with MLE 49860NA on X7
 
I thought i heard just a slight difference... perhaps i need to burn in the Op amps first.
 
Any suggestion or ideas?
 
Thanks!!
 
:wink:
 
Dec 7, 2014 at 10:44 PM Post #54 of 61
THANK YOU! Overwhelming Response to the Sound Blaster X7 Debut @ SITEX 2014, Singapore!

...
For a new high-end audiophile/pro-gamer product like the Sound Blaster X7, such a phenomenal demand is almost unheard of.
...

-----
Sound Blaster X7 Release dates:
Singapore: For customers who pre-ordered at the SITEX show, we have already started fulfilling the orders. You can still purchase the X7 online here: http://sg.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-x7

US: You may now pre-order the X7 here. Delivery of the product will be mid-Dec.

UK, Ireland: You may now pre-order the X7 here. Delivery of the product will be mid-Dec.

Rest of Europe: Pre-order will begin next week.

Well, gaming (and especially console gaming) has been growing and expanding age range for years, and there have been mostly just entry-level gear compatible with consoles up until the X7 (excluding discontinued receivers with Dolby Headphone and no microphone or chat functions), so I'm not surprised that there is a bit of pent-up demand and people waiting to be impressed.

Thanks for the release-date info!



Although using the same chip as E5, but X7 headphone output is much cleaner and sounds more refined.

Any idea where to get more information about the Op-Amp configuration?

Which chip is the same... DAC? Amp? DSP? Bluetooth? If any one of those changed it should make an audible difference, though I have to admit I'm temped to pick up one of the E3's on this last day of the cyber sales week...

As far as the op-amp configuration, I honestly don't know. I have an X7 on the way, but it'll be my first device that can "roll" OpAmps. The layout may be similar enough to the ZxR that someone on the series Z, Zx, & ZxR thread might be able to help... I see lots of pics on that thread.
 
Dec 7, 2014 at 11:20 PM Post #55 of 61
Which chip is the same... DAC? Amp? DSP? Bluetooth? If any one of those changed it should make an audible difference, though I have to admit I'm temped to pick up one of the E3's on this last day of the cyber sales week...

As far as the op-amp configuration, I honestly don't know. I have an X7 on the way, but it'll be my first device that can "roll" OpAmps. The layout may be similar enough to the ZxR that someone on the series Z, Zx, & ZxR thread might be able to help... I see lots of pics on that thread.

 
The headphone amp chip, both using the same TPA6120A2 chip from Texas Instrument.
 
As for the Op-Amps, from some observation, I guess those are Op-Amps for I/V stage of the DAC, converting current output from the DAC to voltage, and then the Differential to Single conversion stage.
 
So:
DAC output I to V stage: 2x NJM2114D (one for each channel)
Differential to Single conversion stage: 2x LME49710 (one for each channel)
 
Those are just my guess and observation from common DAC design.  Currently I replaced the NJM2114D with AD8599 for smoother, more organic, less analytic sound signature.
 
Dec 7, 2014 at 11:27 PM Post #56 of 61
Ok, I researched the TAP6120A2 from TI last month, was really well received here on HeadFi, a while later it was used in other successful products such as FiiO's E09k (of course implimentation and circuit design may differ) and creative's own ZxR.

As for OpAmp part numbers, thanks for the info. I guess I'll have to read up on the DIY forums to suss out some options to fit my taste, I'll probably be happy with stock but curiousity will probably lead to experiments ^_^
 
Dec 8, 2014 at 6:14 AM Post #57 of 61
Well, I wish I could buy it... The Pan-EU store, all of a sudden, no longer ships to me... What a bummer.
Sent a mail to Creative about it... Surprisingly, no response yet -_-
 
Dec 8, 2014 at 8:52 AM Post #58 of 61
Does the German store ship to you? 
 
Dec 8, 2014 at 9:02 AM Post #59 of 61
  Does the German store ship to you? 

Nope. The German/Deutsch store only ships to Germany/Deutschland. So do the rest country-tailored stores 
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If anyone was willing to be a proxy for me [the price + shipping around 20$ I'd assume] I'd totally take one up on it. But then I wonder how the warranty would be...
 
Dec 9, 2014 at 7:16 AM Post #60 of 61
Hi, Where do you live again?
 
I can try to check with Singapore Creative Side if they ever have any information for your country and your area of stay.
 
U can post ur email here if you want. i can past it to the creative team
 

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