Comments on: Creative Sound Blaster E5 USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier Review

By: Algoree

Algoree — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 16:15:48 +0000

Think this should be the last time I buy anything from the cheap company Creative. Because I got the Creative E5, it sounded inferior to my Xiaomi phone! It’s better off without the E5 which sounds overly cooked. I used it on JBL Pro , Xiaomi pro, JBL UA, Klipsch etc earphones. Now after some usage with my laptop, trouble is it connects to USB but runs on BATTERY at all times, and now the battery cannot catch on with the USB charge fast enough (I used pc and laptops all can’t) and it will keep shutoff hence I can hardly use IT!
CHEAPO product and it’s overpriced. I regretted buying from CREATIVE YET again!

By: Bea

Bea — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 01:45:40 +0000

Yeah crappy housing. AND the USB in is noisy when used as PC DAC.
I noticed the analog out is noisy anyway but only if you use a cheap power supply.
Anyway too much cramped in a tiny almost melting plastic box.
Typical soundblaster 48kHz standard sampling rate which they ‘ve seem been using forever.
However excellent Bluetooth implemented and in the right circumstances the sound is really good.
I like mine also drilled it full of holes used in a ventilated place.
There’s nothing out there with CS4398 and all the connectivity. I think the chip they used still beats newer designs.
Still the price you pay is too high.

By: Brea Toa

Brea Toa — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 01:56:31 +0000

The person before nailed it. Good sound and connectivity bad a flawed design. After longer use in elevated temperatures the battery will bulge. Google the foto’s. Mine still works after a few years but it’s damn ugly. Well that’s because I drilled the crappy housing full of ventilation holes.

By: Broodrooster

Broodrooster — Fri, 18 May 2018 00:06:03 +0000

This is a nice device all positive things have been mentioned. But not the heat issue. Especially while driving a headphone while charging the casing gets hot. It’s made of thick plastic so imagine the temperature of the components especially the battery. If a li-ion accu gets too hot it can have a runway effect. Energy in the accu will produce more heat instead of current. The accu damages while expanding its volume in the small caging. Resulting in a bulging case. Solution drill the casing full of holes for ventilation.
By by looks but at least the thing will work for years to come instead of months.
Bad thing regarding the price tag. O and no warryon the battery :/

By: Tom Wuergler

Tom Wuergler — Sun, 22 Jan 2017 13:23:59 +0000

I got this unit some weeks ago and just wanted to say it is fabulous. The reason why headphone amp A sounds better than amp B has close to nothing to do with the DAC (they are extremely high-end anyway) but with the amplifier used. These days manufacturers can simply rely on amazing silicon like the TI TI6120A2 used in this device. I would have been willing to spend much more for a headphone DAC but I am glad I got this one.

Soundblaster delivers: great, hassle-free integration (e.g. no camera connection kit required for iPhone users – the Lightning cable is all you need), impressive connectivity (Bluetooth / AptX really is an impressive combination – I am currently listening to Chesky’s 30th anniversary collection record and cannot believe a Bluetooth connection is involved). I don’t need to elaborate on sound quality since it’s simply outstanding.

Driving my fairly demanding Sennheiser HD 580 headphones seems to be the easiest thing for the E5. It is very important to note that for 120 ohms and up the gain setting should be switched to ‘high’.

All perfect then? Not quite. Charging the device is a bit slow if it is done using a mobile computer. This is *not* a major problem since one can remain independent for approx. 7-8 hours. That means 1-2 weeks for me.

The 2nd shortcoming is related to having to drag two devices around (mobile phone + amp). That’s ok when going on holiday but not on a daily basis. I am seriously considering to leave the device in my office and keep on using my receiver’s headphone output at home. As far as listening on the go is concerned I will not bother upgrading my iPhone 6 since background noise in the city does not justify something as high-end as the E5.

By: Jason Bray

Jason Bray — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 01:35:38 +0000

“Cons

Charge phone when connected via USB.”

I think what the reviewer is saying is that the Creative-E5 fails to charge his Note 4 while being used as it is designed to do.
I would love to have verification on this as I also have a Note 4 and am only hesitating to purchase because I am unsure of this fact
I need a solution that will allow my Note 4 to Charge while playing audio via the DAC

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 00:58:24 +0000

Nice review, but…

“Cons

Charge phone when connected via USB.”

“A tip for using it with a wired mobile connection is that double pressing the power button will disable charging. This will prevent both the E5 from charging your phone and any device from charging the E5.”

This feature came with a firmware upgrade for the E5 in May 2015.