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Creative Labs SXFI DAC/Amp

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Creative Labs SXFI DAC/Amp

Name: Creative Labs SXFI DAC/Amp
Brand: Creative Labs
SKU: creative-super-sxfi-dac-amp
Price: 150 USD
Availability: OutOfStock
Rating: 4.5 (6 reviews)

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Product Description

When the Creative Labs SXFI AMP is connected to headphones, it delivers audio that rivals a high-end multi-speaker sound system, or even a real cinema experience. Praised by PCWorld, CNET, TechHive, Tom's Guide, and many others, the company's Super X-Fi technology had everyone floored at CES 2019, winning an unprecedented 14 "Best of CES" awards Read More

Customer Reviews

4.5

(6 reviews)

(4)

(1)

(0)

83% would recommend to a friend

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Seeing_Red

Sep 24, 2020

Verified Buyer

Disappointing 3D effect, decent dongle DAC/AMP otherwise

I've used several different "gaming audio" or simulated surround sound, DSP powered thing-a-ma-bobs. This is probably the worst implementation of the ones I've tried and I mostly bought it for that function alone. For context I did update the firmware, remapped my head a multitude of times, and tried out several of the headphone profiles. All ended the same result, it adding way too much reverb. It's like I'm trying to watch a movie or play a game in a public bathroom with small speakers. It's to the point where it sounds terrible. I've tried them using them with Sennheiser HD 650s, Beyerdynamic MMX300s, and even as a DAC feeding my Stax L300 Limiteds. I tried them all with different headphone profiles. I didn't really expect the profiles to fix the reverb since they are just EQ tweaks after the fact and probably won't affect the underlying HRTF that's calculated when you map your head. And I'm a normal looking dude, no hunchback of Notre Dame skeletal deformities to speak of. Pro: Aside from the disappointing X-Fi performance, it's a decent little DAC/amp on it's own. I'm not sure how clean the DAC is since it hasn't been measured and I don't trust manufacturer spec sheets since they could just be quoting the chipset manufacturer, but it sounds clean. I don't feel like A/Bing against my SMSL SU-8 so I'll just stick with that. Has plenty of power for it's size. I didn't feel like I ran into any walls with it driving full-size headphones. It's performance with X-Fi off is its redeeming factor. Then again, there are $40 dongle DACs that have measured well like the Meizu Hifi Pro and TempoTec Sonata HD Pro. For the curious here is a ranking of the other spatial thing-a-ma-bobs I've used and my impressions:

WavesNx with any damn DAC/amp as you please - basically the engine that powers Audeze Mobius as a $10 PC app. I've heard CanOpener Studio is actually better, but haven't tried it.
Sennheiser GSX1000 - decent sound without too much reverb, but no power. Recommend using an external amp to get the most of it. Even with an amp, the DAC is a bit lacking on the resolution side compared to dedicated high performance budget DACs (SU-8, E30, D10S).
Audeze Mobius - decent surround capability that sounds great with movies. The limitation is you have to like the headphones in the first place. Given they are closed back the soundstage is not wide. It may also be due to how they handle 2 channel audio sources. It sounds like having speakers 3 ft apart and directly in front of you.
Astro MixAmp (original) - everything about this DAC/amp is awful, but it does spatial audio well. Basically no power and a high noise floor make it terrible for external amping. It's an Astro product, expectations are low. It also came out years before any of these other products.

Recommends this product? No

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TheRequiem

249

Aug 26, 2020

Verified Buyer

SX-FI is Lit

I personally love the sound effects of X-Fi, its brilliant. Its especially perfect for games and movies, not so much musically, but thats not what they were designed for.

Recommends this product? Yes

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2345645624356

108

Jun 26, 2020

Verified Buyer

good DAC + head phone amp, 3D x-fi is silly gimmick, included headphones weak

I really like it as as everyday portable DAC+amp. Durable and reliable and simple. The headphones are pretty mediocre, I never really used them and gave them to my girlfriend and she likes them though I guess it wasn't a waste. 3d xfi is a fun example of worthless technological side streets. Interesting but basically useless, very rare to find any music that actually sounds better with it enabled. Fun to play around with it for a while but eventually stopped bothering with it. It is worth buying at lower price point imho

Recommends this product? Yes

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ecoleman

766

Apr 9, 2020

Verified Buyer

Fun 3d sound

Good little DAC with and added bonus of the SXFI. I love watching movies on my phone with this, it really enhances the overall sound.

Recommends this product? Yes

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nbkpwr6

Apr 6, 2020

Verified Buyer

Fantastic sound, 3d sound, improved bass

Although the sound is very much modified from the original with the enhancer enabled, in certain songs it actually sounds terrific, with a wider sound stage, improved bass and just makes it funner to listen to. I have it paired with my JVC Z Series HA-SZ2000 (Bass monsters) and normally I need a headphone amp (on top of the DAC) to boost the output and also normally need to EQ the output to even out the bass and treble, but somehow this SXFI Dac/Amp gives me pretty darn close without having the need to do either of these things. I love it!!

Recommends this product? Yes

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