[shuto77]

Honestly, I think it will depend on how sensitive the speakers are.

I've had a pair of Polk M40 bookshelf speakers for years, and I was satisfied with those when I connected them to the X7. More recently I picked up a pair of Chane bookshelf speakers, and they very obviously need more power than the X7 can handle. In a bit more of a rare use-case scenario, I have some vintage Stax earspeakers which are basically on-ear headphones you have to hook up to speaker amp taps... Okay, so maybe the X7 isn't a BHSE, but nothing else is nearly as convenient for setting up on my "office" desk, and the Stax still sound really reference-special.

I haven't heard Creative's XM7, but basically they were designed to suit the power specs of the X7. Most any other speaker with similar ohms and sensitivity would probably also perform well with the X7. Something like my Chanes which require more power will roll off the bass impact early and have a lackluster dull and hollow sound. I tried to say this in my review: the X7 is ideal in dorms, apartments, and other small environments where the X7's form factor is a big benefit, and you have the option to easily access it for use with headphones.

Regarding the headphone amp... Sure, other amps can outperform the X7, but the X7 is an upgrade over most of the entry-level priced stuff AND supports surround processing. Compared to something like a Schiit M&M stack, I hear an improvement in the DAC of the X7, maybe the Magni amp is a small upgrade but a bit bright for my tastes, could be better with the Uber versions but then you basically are spending closer to the prices I've seen on Massdrop for the X7 for vanilla devices without the features offered by the X7. If you're a gamer with a mid-fi headphone, like me, you won't need a headphone amp like the Mixamp or Recon3D needed extra amplification connected to the headphone jack, compared to those the X7 has a great amp. Just maybe not "endgame."

Yes, I hear you. On one hand, I'm glad that gaming audio hasn't developed to the extent the rest of the hobby has, with $3,000 headphones and $5,000+ amps.

For me, the X7 is a nice device, since it's good for gaming, is powerful, flexible and drives bookshelf speakers.

It's just too bad no one like oppo or Sony, or one of the big-time avr makers isn't doing a headphone-centric avr. The closest is probably the no-frills NAD 1050. I wonder if anyone here has compared the X7 to the NAD. The NAD 3020 is to home theater what the X7 is to gaming, but some who've compared the two say the 3020's headphone performance is poor.

It's just so crazy that there are so many good avrs for ~$600, but their headphone performance blows.
/rantover

I suppose I miss my Pioneer VSX-1121 sometimes.

Edit: Sony is the obvious choice here, since they're currently making great avrs around $500 why not do a PS4 gaming avr, and swap out the speaker amp for a high-quality headphone amp.

#rantreallyoverthistime

 

[Evshrug]

Older receivers actually used to have pretty good headphone jacks, but most just use the same speaker amp and a bunch of resistors to lower the gain (and sound like crap). I actually like the headphone-out of my Yamaha receiver, but I don't like it's built-in surround DSP as much as SBX.

Apparently Sony did make their own headphone DSP to put into their AVRs and wireless headphone systems, but it wasn't very good. The amps in their AVRs might be good, I just don't know because a guy can only have so much stuff!

The NAD 3020D and the original 3020 from decades ago are considered classics for stereo. Read good things in Stereophile.

 

[kennyj]

Honestly, I think it will depend on how sensitive the speakers are.

I've had a pair of Polk M40 bookshelf speakers for years, and I was satisfied with those when I connected them to the X7. More recently I picked up a pair of Chane bookshelf speakers, and they very obviously need more power than the X7 can handle. In a bit more of a rare use-case scenario, I have some vintage Stax earspeakers which are basically on-ear headphones you have to hook up to speaker amp taps... Okay, so maybe the X7 isn't a BHSE, but nothing else is nearly as convenient for setting up on my "office" desk, and the Stax still sound really reference-special.

I haven't heard Creative's XM7, but basically they were designed to suit the power specs of the X7. Most any other speaker with similar ohms and sensitivity would probably also perform well with the X7. Something like my Chanes which require more power will roll off the bass impact early and have a lackluster dull and hollow sound. I tried to say this in my review: the X7 is ideal in dorms, apartments, and other small environments where the X7's form factor is a big benefit, and you have the option to easily access it for use with headphones.

 
Regarding power... do you have the LE version?  If not, have you considered the upgraded power supply?  Looking at the specs, I seem to recall thinking that the output was underpowered stock on the standard version (and I think I even remember seeing a review that came to that conclusion in testing.)  I have the feeling that the stock setup was intended to be just good enough to drive headphones, or the small, cheap speakers that have come with a lot of computers over the years, and not burn out if someone hooked up a pair of bookshelf speakers.

 

[shuto77]

Regarding power... do you have the LE version?  If not, have you considered the upgraded power supply?  Looking at the specs, I seem to recall thinking that the output was underpowered stock on the standard version (and I think I even remember seeing a review that came to that conclusion in testing.)  I have the feeling that the stock setup was intended to be just good enough to drive headphones, or the small, cheap speakers that have come with a lot of computers over the years, and not burn out if someone hooked up a pair of bookshelf speakers.

I'm running a pair of Pioneer SP41s at the moment, the higher-end budget bookshelf speakers that Andrew Jones did in 2011-ish. They sound fine with.

If I stick with the X7 once I move, I'll definitely get the upgraded power supply to drive a pair of decent tower speakers.

A lot can change in 6 months, so I may always change my mind.

 

[fidai]

  Hi everyone. I don't see any real reviews out there for the X7. I have read probably 4 introductions that all say about the same thing. Nevertheless, I just built a new computer and hadn't bought a sound card  since it didn't fit with two 980GTX GPUs. So I was looking for a place to buy this X7 and found that it was only available on Amazon. They have it listed for the $399.99 price which is what they have been saying it would sell for. The only other place that was selling the X7 was the manufacturers site at creative.com. So what am I writing in to talk about?
 
CHECK THIS OUT! I went to the Creative site and put the X7 in my shopping cart. I went to check out and it gave me $120 off!! That's 30% off on a just released product! I was stoked. I'm hoping that perhaps any of you that are on the fence may read about this deal and jump on it. I think this is an outstanding price. Good luck!

This exactly what happened to me , they also gave me free shipping to Hungary (Ordered from creative EU site). I ordered the limited edtion, It should be here on Dec 7.

 

[halcyon]

X7 Windows / PC ownders, can you confirm:

Current X7/drivers
 
- does not allow output of headphone virtualized sound (SBX Pro Studio ) via the line out / optical out (that is, you can't output headphone virtualized sound to an external DAC/headamp)?
 
- X7 does NOT suffer from the channel swapping problems of Sound Blaster Z sound card series (where channels would be mysteriously swapped during 3D headphone gaming)
 
- There are not crackling/popping/stuttering issues in heavy 128 audio stream games using the PC-USB connection and headphone virtualization modes?

I'm "so close" to ordering this, I would just like to know that the old issues are not there.

If anybody has any ideas, whether the "headphone virtualization output" feature of G5 will be brought to X7, please let us all know.

 

[Yethal]

X7 Windows / PC ownders, can you confirm:


Current X7/drivers

- does not allow output of headphone virtualized sound (SBX Pro Studio ) via the line out / optical out (that is, you can't output headphone virtualized sound to an external DAC/headamp)?

- X7 does NOT suffer from the channel swapping problems of Sound Blaster Z sound card series (where channels would be mysteriously swapped during 3D headphone gaming)

- There are not crackling/popping/stuttering issues in heavy 128 audio stream games using the PC-USB connection and headphone virtualization modes?


I'm "so close" to ordering this, I would just like to know that the old issues are not there.


If anybody has any ideas, whether the "headphone virtualization output" feature of G5 will be brought to X7, please let us all know.

Yes

No

You can't have 24/192 stream with SBX engaged. X7 runs ar 24/86 max when sbx is on

No info so far on the sbx to line/optical out

 

[halcyon]

Yes

No

You can't have 24/192 stream with SBX engaged. X7 runs ar 24/86 max when sbx is on

No info so far on the sbx to line/optical out

Thank you. Can you clarify:
 
'Yes' means that there is NO headphone virtualization output via Line/optical out?
 
Audiostreams: I meant concurrent playing sounds at the same time. X7 specs say "EMU32 bus capable of processing up to 32 concurrent audio streams". Is this limited to a lower number when using SBX? I did not mean 192Khz sampling rate or 24bit depth, but the amount of concurrent audio streams that the device can handle

Thanks!
 

 

[halcyon]

Answering myself on the crackling/popping issue, which has plagued Creative sound cards for ages (say 15 years?):

http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-5-31-2015-beyer-cop-and-shure-1540-added/33270#post_12149056
 

In fact, my X7 pops and crackles if I play 24/96. I had to lower to 24/48 which gives me no pops or crackles. And guess, what? My stuff sounds the same. You literally need to look for 24/96 audio files to gain that benefit. Hell, I'm the type who's happy with 320kbps MP3s.

So, YES Creative sound Blaster X7 - at least via the optical input - does crackle/pop  - if the sampling rate is higher than 48kHz.
 
 
 

 

[Yethal]

Thank you. Can you clarify:

'Yes' means that there is NO headphone virtualization output via Line/optical out?

 
Audiostreams: I meant concurrent playing sounds at the same time. X7 specs say "EMU32 bus capable of processing up to 32 concurrent audio streams". Is this limited to a lower number when using SBX? I did not mean 192Khz sampling rate or 24bit depth, but the amount of concurrent audio streams that the device can handle
Thanks!

It's not limited when using sbx. Only max sample rate is lowered with sbx on. And no' the x7 does not send headphone surround to optical or line out. As for the popping, I've never experienced it myself as far as I remember.

 

[alfa42]

OMG!
 
First I conviced myself to get an STX II (and far future mod with Burson op-amps) for the future build, then I changed my mind for a O2+ODAC / JDS Labs - The Element. Now I'm leaning towards the SB X7 (1 omph output impedance AND line-in for mic is SO SWEET).
 
I have to get my audio-life together in the next months and decide which options should I get. LOL.
 
The only drawback that I see in this is the brand itself. It's Creative and it's pretty new which means bad driver support for Linux systems

 

[Yethal]

   
The only drawback that I see in this is the brand itself. It's Creative and it's pretty new which means bad driver support for Linux systems

ALSA recognized it as a 5.1 device and played test sounds correctly.

 

[alfa42]

  ALSA recognized it as a 5.1 device and played test sounds correctly.

 
Wow. That is a very pleasant surprise! Thank you, Sir.

 

[Imperatore]

Is there  way to use a mic yet with this and PS4?  I'm sure I read somewhere you can use a y splitter and fiddle something but I cannot find the article. Might have been a bluetooth dongle workaround actually.

 

[Yethal]

Is there  way to use a mic yet with this and PS4?  I'm sure I read somewhere you can use a y splitter and fiddle something but I cannot find the article. Might have been a bluetooth dongle workaround actually.

Creative bt-w2 bluetooth transmitter works beautifully.