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- #CREATIVE SOUND BLASTER E5 USB DAC/AMP COMBO FULL#
- #CREATIVE SOUND BLASTER E5 USB DAC/AMP COMBO SOFTWARE#
- #CREATIVE SOUND BLASTER E5 USB DAC/AMP COMBO SERIES#
Sad really that things like that can move a grown man but it occurred to me that most simply throw in a few blister pads for feet and call it a day but Creative actually came out with a rather useful little stand and holding device that is more than just ornamental. The funky little desktop stand though had me in raptures.
#CREATIVE SOUND BLASTER E5 USB DAC/AMP COMBO SERIES#
I still would love to see one more optical short cable around 5cm just for pure portability with say an AK series DAP but otherwise no complaints.
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Currently, the Aurender Flow came packaged with one which we are reviewing also and despite it being rather a bit more high end than the Creative one, the Creative cable is lighter and smaller and better for on the go. Not too many will throw in a decent optical cable. The USB cable and bands is pretty much standard for amp packages these days but kudos for giving the USB cable a splash of red and keeping the color scheme all Creative.
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#CREATIVE SOUND BLASTER E5 USB DAC/AMP COMBO FULL#
It was almost as if Creative was testing the waters for how both the technology and the position of the E range would be received because just before Christmas the big kahuna of the E series showed it’s rather handsome head in the shape of the Sound Blaster E5 and could be seen as a genuine crack at the audiophile market whilst at the same time holding, and adding onto, the full spectrum of features that we first caught a glimpse of in the Sound Blaster E3 and E1.
#CREATIVE SOUND BLASTER E5 USB DAC/AMP COMBO SOFTWARE#
Both Raoul and I still felt at the time that FiiO still had the edge when it came to pure sound performance in their own budget DAC/amp range but Creative had somehow pushed the envelope when it came to just pure ‘features per buck’ managing to throw in Bluetooth (aptX technology), mic, dual headphone outputs, an amp with a huge battery life, a DAC for the PC and a decent bit of software for both Mac and PC’s for using it all. Whilst not being totally blown away by their sound signature we thought the price point and feature set of both the E3 and E1 were extremely competitive as gadget packages for gamers and casual listeners. In mid-2014 we first got wind of a new series of budget-busting ‘do it all’ audio DAC/amps from Sound Blaster and luckily we were able to review the Sound Blaster E1 and E3.