That’s not enough to prevent me from connecting an SB X7 to my home-theater PC, because Creative’s box has higher-end DACs and a much better headphone amp than my A/V receiver does (and my A/V receiver can't perform as a USB audio device). The chip can decode audio bit streams with up to 24-bit resolution and at sampling rates up to 192kHz.Īs I mentioned in my intro, the SB X7 can’t decode Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio, in part because it’s not outfitted with an HDMI input and output (TOSLink doesn’t provide sufficient bandwidth for those codecs). The SB-Axx1 is a DSP (digital signal processor) that’s capable of voice processing, audio enhancement, audio effects, and decoding Dolby Digital soundtracks. Want to change the Sound Blaster X7's tonal color? Pluck out its op/amps and replace them with your favorites.Ĭreative’s SB-Axx1 audio processor forms the heart of the Sound Blaster X7, which renders it suitable for PC gaming as well as critical-listening sessions. Just tap your device against the side of the cabinet. The box can support two Bluetooth devices at once, and it supports NFC (near-field communication) Bluetooth pairing. If you prefer wireless streaming via Bluetooth, the SB X7 supports that, too, using your choice of the aptX or AAC codecs. The SB X7 has a micro USB connector (with asynchronous mode and ASIO support to reduce jitter and latency respectively) for streaming digital audio from a Mac or PC, and a USB Type A receptacle that can host a tablet or smartphone if you want to stream audio from those devices. You can connect both analog and digital audio sources using stereo RCA jacks and TOSLink optical inputs. A Texas Instruments TPA6120A2 headphone amp can drive two sets of headphones that present up to 600 ohms of impedance (there’s one 1/8-inch and one 1/4-inch headphone jack on its front panel). If you’d like to customize the SB X7’s sound, opening a trap door on the bottom of the box exposes socketed operational amps that you can replace. There's a microphone array behind the grill under the volume-control knob. If you have your own favorite mic, a front-panel 1/8-inch connector can accommodate it. The box also has a microphone array built into its front panel for gaming, VoIP calls, video conferencing, and speaker calibration. You can also deploy passive stereo speakers and a powered subwoofer, because all of its inputs and outputs can be used simultaneously. If you’d prefer to use self-powered speakers, you can bypass the internal amp and connect up to six powered speakers (front stereo, rear surrounds, a center channel, and a subwoofer) using its line-level outputs. Using 8-ohm speakers? Creative rates the amp at 27 watts per channel with the stock amp, but it doesn’t provide numbers for the optional PSU. Upgrade to Creative’s optional 24-volt, 6-amp power supply and you can drive 4-ohm speakers at up to 50 watts per channel. The Sound Blaster X7 can connect to almost anything in your entertainment center.Ĭreative rates the amp to deliver 38 watts per channel to 4-ohm speakers with the included 24-volt, 2.91-amp power supply.
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