Creative Sound Blaster E3 USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier Review

Conclusion
The Sound Blaster E3 is one impressive unit, so many options and features. It allows you to turn anything that uses a 3.5mm jack into a Bluetooth wireless system. In addition to this it works with any headphones that use a 3.5mm jack and doubles wireless headphones. I was able to roam around the house with my phone on the charger and I was able to play, pause change tracks and adjust the volume through the E3. Being a DAC it also supports high quality and low latency Bluetooth audio codec’s AAC, SBC and aptX. Also being able to use the E3 as a USB soundcard for my laptop was an added bonus, especially when my gaming headset died I was able to use my Marshall Headphones through the E3 as a headset and continue gaming.

Beyond this the E3 was incredibly easy to setup with it’s always on Bluetooth discovery that would automatically connect to my device and as soon as I would hit play it would open the media player and start playing. It was also able to have it connected to the PC and also to Bluetooth at the same time and there was several instances where it paused what I was listening to on the PC when I had a incoming call, I found this to be a very useful feature since when you’re listening to something or watching a movie it is easy to miss a phone call. The aesthetics of the E3 and layout of the buttons were also wonderful and I love that the design looks fantastic but also blends into most clothing. Considering most of the time I was using the E3 it was clipped to my pants, this was huge because it allowed me to use my favorite headphones wirelessly and still have control of what I was listening to.

Now while the E3 might be viewed as a bit pricey at 129.99, the value and benefits that it gives you are well worth the cost. The multitude of options and possibilities that it gives you is amazing since you can use it as a USB sound card one minute and the next be using it as a Bluetooth wireless receiver the next or have both so you never miss a important phone call while listening or watching something can be crucial. It was also very durable and withstood several drops. Also being able to plug two headphones into the E3 is an added bonus and I did test this on a trip while watching a movie with a friend. As result of its attributes the Sound Blaster E3 earns a 9 out of 10 score from ThinkComputers and proudly lives up to Sound Blasters legacy for audio excellence.

rating9 10 small

Pros:
– High quality and low latency wireless audio codec’s supported (AAC, SBC and aptX)
– Dual headphone outputs
– Connectivity options
– Simple setup and use

Cons:
– None