Creative Soundblaster X4: Gaming effects AND audiophile sound?

A review of the Creative Soundblaster X4 including how it performs for music and audiophile purposes, sound effects and virtual surround sound, battle modes and gaming features to improve competitive gaming success.

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00:00 Glamour video
01:04 Introduction
02:23 Pricing and product tour
05:00 Sound quality (audiophile)
06:02 Sounblaster X4 vs EarMen Eagle
08:54 Super XFi app and functions
28:35 Gameplay: Satisfactory
36:50 Music & movie effects
41:40 Final conclusions

Reviews filmed using:

#audiophile #audioreview #gaming

[tycheesey]

The Sound Blaster Pro sound card in the early 1990s was my gateway drug into the audio world. The journey has been very expensive ever since. :)

[eLcHiNoChannel]

Great review Lachlan! This was a unexpected and pleasant surprise.

I used to pair a Hel 2E with the Dolby Access App to get good sound quality with "gaming" features/optimizations and of course Dolby Atmos for Headphones. Things like EQ Presets optimized for Gaming, Music, Movies added that level of sound enhancements I needed for PC Sound and Gaming in general.

Something like a Fulla E + Dolby Access would be right at this price bracket and I don't think too far behind my original setup. I wonder how the sound quality of that pair would compare to the Soundblaster.

As you know, I recently upgraded from the Hel 2E to the Playmate 2 for gaming. I understand it is a whole different price bracket. I consider this latest setup "end-game" for me and I couldn't be happier with it. Thanks again for pointing me to Burson.

[Linkale_]

I've been using a sound blaster g5 for years now. It doesn't have super xfi but it has the accoustic engine's virtualization. From what I understand, you choosing 7.1 virtualization and surround sound are two different things. The first one is how many speakers you supposedly have. For instance, if you choose 5.1, games will detect a 5.1 system. If you choose, say, 5.1 or 7.1 while you have surround sound off, the sound will be stereo. I don't know the logic in that, it just is. The number on the surround sound setting is how wide your stage is (how "far away" the virtual speakers are). This is getting confusing but I'll try to make it simple:

-stereo and no surround: stereo
-7.1 and no surround: stereo but games detect 7.1
-stereo and surround sound: stereo but the sound stage is wider (as wide as the number you choose surround sound to be)
-7.1 and surround: virtual 7.1

At least that's true in my experience and testing, I could be wrong

[phillipmorris]

so happy you did this ive had the same curiosities as you since switching to an external dac (dilvpoetry dt-1) its really decent for the price you should check it out.
i really do miss the dsp functions especially crystallizer, i was hoping that you would use the spdif out to a better dac to see if you can get better sq and keep the dsp, also even maybe if the x4 would even act as an additional usb filter, pc-x4-dac vs pc-dac better worse neutral maybe if you find time you can let us know
thanks for sharing

[-ANJ.]

Nice video! I don’t know if there’s much interest, but I would definitely be interested in hearing your thoughts on other “gaming” audio devices. The new Audeze Maxwell is a very interesting offering.

[gohanpcgamer]

Will you be reviewing the Soundblaster X5, which as an RCA output for connecting to a Stereo Amplifier, it seems most of these PC DACs are focused on headphones rather then speakers, for there is no RCA analog output on the X4. Its very confusing how to get PC audio into a Stereo Amplifier out to passive speakers.

[johnmachter]

Nice video.
I miss any mention of using it aa a 5.1 soundcard (lineout) for active 5.1 7.1 home cinema speaker usage :(

[Jaytiss]

I'm actually really interested in the creative x5 and what you think of it.

[djphilmiller]

Great video 😊 I’m using stereo also as I’m a Dj, after using line out I found the sound low so I switched over to the headphone ! that also was low but after changing to High Gain the sound is perfect. Cheers

[brandonburr]

Had to comment and add my experiences with a old shuttle pc gaming pc I bought many years back that has a upgraded sound blaster audigy (one of the first generations I think) sound card. Added foobar 2000 as an experiment with some flax files and was sorta shocked how well it drives my efficient audeze lcd X planars. Haven't tried some of my inefficient high impedance headphones as that wouldn't be fair but I was shocked how noiseless the background was with how much noise gaming pcs can generate. Just for fun, I looked up some of the specs on some of these cards were pretty decent for the day. Thanks for the review !

[brothatwasepic]

Hey Lachlan I just shouted out to you on my vid for my huge surprise to my father tomorrow who is struggling from Meniere's disease yet he absolutely loves his music even if it makes him dizzy. Thanks for the years of teaching me through your channel. I'll tell you how it goes. I have saved and saved and hopefully the surprise Utopia 2022 tomorrow will be perfect for my poor 75-year-old Dad! Have a good one. ❤

[eugene]

Thanks for the review. Do you think I'd be able to use software functionality if i used the optical out to my external dac?

[matthewhanson]

Thank you for this long form in depth review!! So many graphics card reviewers and so few for sound cards. I have the X3 model from Creative and I love it. is the audio significatily better than the onboard sound? not really but thats not why its so great. Its Creatives software suite and support for analog 7.1 that do it for me. The app give you huge control of the sound, from sampling rate, Linear and other filters, a fairly effective eq, distance amplitude and crossover adjustment. Use all of these and you can really tailor a system to work perfectly in your enviroment. additionally the crossover is not a cutoff but a blend, even improving bass repsonse past the low pass filter of the sub itself, not sure how but it works and doesnt take away from the main speakers. Mine is set at 175 and I'm able to localize the sub to the front soundstage down to 60 hertz. it can even pan with the stereo image. I also LOVE the surround upmixing effect; I'm a big fan of immersive audio, used to use the Matrix button on my Logitechs and Dolby upmixing on different receivers. I listen to mostly electronic music and mostly in this way. For a guy who cant afford an atmos processor this is awesome, and the best experience in immersive audio I've had. The night mode works great for late night gaming and movies too, changes audio a bit but not distortion just aggressive leveling, more tolerable than the earful my upstairs neighbors would give me either way. All in all It may be a poor unit for headphones but its amazing for home theater pcs. Admittedly their is free software out there that can do similar things. but the interface of this is far more consumer friendly the diy semi pro audio software, that is frankly unapproachable to most people

[MaZEEZaM]

Please try to list Australian pricing.

[HOT-R_]

I can't get the sound to the speakers at all. hi-fi system with a denon receiver, but the sound is not output at all. I installed the x 4 as the default input device, wherever possible . there is sound through headphones, but there is silence in the speakers, although Windows shows that the sound is coming . can you tell me what the problem might be? or maybe the problem is in the X4 itself? the motherboard has USB 3.2 version, maybe it doesn't fit? msi z790 edge wifi motherboard

[guillermokunzel]

15 a 20 años atrás la mejor alternativa para PC la tenían
Asus Xonar card and
Creative SoundBlaster

[Jamie]

I have the X3> SPDIF > DAC/AMP. All the control, GUI, surround and fantastic sound yet I don't use any of the hardware in the Soundblaster. Be nice if I could've just bought the software.

[reaperman]

Finally a worthy review it's a awsome little buddy.. i actually use it with iloud micros and hd599 while the ilouds profit from the cristilisation and the bass enhancement my headphones are either used with surround or pure - its better than a inbuild soundcard and even i can hear that without beeing audiophile and i guess as long as your not its enugh for anyboodys need

[stewienewie]

A suggestion I'd make is to use text or subtitles during the game, your voice makes it quite difficult to hear the sound that you're demoing.

[BatteryAzz]

A tip for future videos, maybe use Voicemeeter with or without virtual audio cable to record your desktop audio directly (after DSP).