At first we would like to thank Creative for offering us a sample of their Sound Blaster G3 Portable External USB-C DAC Amp for testing and reviewing.

 

 

 

About Creative:

 

“Creative is the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products. Founded in Singapore in 1981, Creative started with the vision that multimedia would revolutionize the way people interact with their PCs.

 

Famous for its Sound Blaster sound cards and for launching the multimedia revolution, Creative is now driving digital entertainment with cutting-edge audio solutions, premium wireless speakers, high performance earphone products and portable media devices. The company's innovative hardware, proprietary technology, applications and services enable consumers to experience high-quality digital entertainment - anytime, anywhere.

 

Since launching the phenomenally successful Sound Blaster sound cards and setting the de-facto standard for PC audio in 1989, Creative has been able to leverage on its leading-edge audio technology, a huge user base of 400 million, and strong brand name to expand into the exciting lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment (PDE) market.

 

Creative is now well recognized as a global leader for product innovation in the audio and PDE segments, offering consumers a complete, high quality digital entertainment experience through Creative's hardware, software applications and services. Finding the perfect balance between form and function, Creative strives for every product to be a sensory feast for the eyes and ears.

 

Today, Creative is spearheading new product categories with its groundbreaking Sound BlasterAxx audio enhancement devices and solutions, highly-acclaimed Creative D5xm Signature Series of modular Bluetooth wireless speakers, Aurvana premium headsets, Sound Blaster wireless gaming headsets, and cross-platform Sound Blaster Recon3D for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC or Mac.

 

These products and solutions are marketed to consumers and system integrators through a worldwide distribution network that includes traditional marketing channels, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the Internet.

 

Moving forward, Creative's mission is to expand its leadership role in the lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment market, using groundbreaking technology and leading-edge designs for not just the technically-savvy consumers, but for everyone who enjoys entertainment. With strong focus on user-friendly interface, multiple features and cool industrial designs, the Creative brand is synonymous with lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment.

 

Creative's global corporate headquarters is located in Singapore, in the heart of the Asia-Pacific region. It has regional business units in the US (Milpitas, California), Europe (Dublin, Ireland) and Asia (Singapore).

 

Creative is a public listed company on the main board of the Singapore Exchange (SGX) since June 1994.”

 

Driverless Audio Upgrade

 

Powered by USB-C. Perfect for PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac.

 

An instant audio upgrade, the G3 is powered entirely via USB-C. This one dongle works directly across the different platforms that you own—PS4, Switch, PC, or even Mac. The best part? The setup doesn't get more straightforward than how we've designed the G3 to be—no special software, and no drivers needed. And to enjoy USB audio, simply plug in the G3 to your devices, and it will work straight out of the box.

 

For devices with the older USB-A port, we've provided a USB-C to USB-A converter. All that's required is for you to plug the converter onto the G3, and plug it into the USB Type-A port to hear improved audio quality.

 

Better Gameplay with GameVoice Mix

 

Game Better. Chat Better. Win Battle.

 

You have that pair of headphones. It's your absolute favorite, but why do you need to fork out so much more in order to get access to that ONE feature you covet?

 

The G3 debuts our latest GameVoice Mix*, a gaming feature often found only in products that are priced at a premium. The G3's GameVoice Mix gives you game audio / chat balance capabilities—all without having to let go of your existing headphones or hurting your wallet.

 

Chatting with your team while gaming on PS4? Balance your game's audio and teammates' chat volume as you wish. Without leaving your game screen, our GameVoice Mix volume dial allows you to easily increase your voice chat volume during a raid to hear your team better, or decrease the chatter and amp up your gaming audio during a particularly climatic scene on your game—simply plug in the G3 via the USB-C and Optical / Line-in port to better your gameplay.

 

Controls

 

One Hand. All Controls.

 

Built with form and functionality in mind, the G3 provides direct access to the independent mic and volume controls on each side of the device. While you're busy maneuvering in-game with one hand on the controller, you can make mic and volume adjustments instinctively on the other with just a single hand grip!

 

Customization

 

Footsteps Enhancer -> Hear, Then See.

 

In a game where each millisecond counts, waiting till you spot your enemies on screen will probably get you KIA. With the G3, gain the ability to hear beyond what you see with our custom-tuned Footsteps Enhancer, a customizable EQ that allows you to hear footsteps that pinpoints exactly where your opponents are.

 

On-The-Fly Mobile Remote

 

One App. All Controls.

 

Make on-the-fly changes to your audio settings directly on the G3 via your mobile phone! Without having to unplug or exit your game, you can remotely control your sound settings through the Sound Blaster Command mobile app.

 

Hate it when you are chatting with the team, but you can't tell if you sound too soft or too loud? Simply switch on the mic-monitoring feature via the mobile app, and control how you want to be heard, while hearing yourself.

 

And that's not all! You can also make instantaneous bass and treble adjustments, further customize your Footsteps Enhancer mode, or even adjust your volume and mic controls when your G3 is out of reach—all you need is Bluetooth® connectivity.

 

Audio

 

High-Quality Audio. Hear Better.

 

At the core of G3 lies a sound chip that supports high-definition audio performance, with the capabilities to drive studio-grade headphones of up to 300Ω. Combined with a super compact and lightweight form factor, this is the audio upgrade that's been missing from your console's setup.

 

 

 

Weight

Main Unit: 32g / 1.1 oz, USB Type-C to Type-A Converter: 4g / 0.1 oz

 

Dimensions

210 x 39 x 15 mm

 

Headphone Amp

16–300Ω

 

Dynamic Range (DNR)

100 dB

 

Playback Resolution

PCM 16-bit, 48.0, 96.0 kHz, PCM 24-bit, 48.0, 96.0 kHz

 

Recording Resolution

Mic-in: 16-bit, 48.0, 96.0 kHz

Mic-in: 24-bit, 48.0, 96.0 kHz

Optical In: 16-bit, 48.0, 96.0 kHz

Optical In: 24-bit, 48.0, 96.0 kHz

Line-in: 24-bit, 48.0, 96.0 kHz

Line-in: 16-bit, 48.0, 96.0 kHz

 

Platform

USB 3.0, USB 2.0

 

Connectivity Options (Main)

1 x ?″ Headphone-out Jack, 1 x ?″ mini TOSLINK Optical / Line-in Combo Jack, 1 x ?″ Ext. Mic-in Jack

 

Audio Technologies

CrystalVoice

Scout Mode

 

Supported Operating Systems

Windows® 8.1, Windows® 10

 

DAC

Dynamic Range (Stereo): 100 dB

 

Power

USB-C, USB Bus Powered

 

System Requirements

Windows® OS

 

Intel® Core™i3 or AMD® equivalent processor

Intel, AMD or 100% compatible motherboard

Microsoft® Windows 10 32 / 64-bit, Windows 8.1 / 8.0 32 / 64-bit 1 GB RAM

>600 MB of free hard disk space

USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 port

 

Mac® OS

 

Mac OS X® 10.12 or higher

1 GB RAM

USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 port

 

PS4

 

Firmware Version 5.0 or later

Available USB port (as Chat Audio Output)

Available Optical Out port (as Game Audio Output)

 

Nintendo Switch

 

Switch OS 5.0 or later

Available 3.5 mm headphone port

Available USB port (in docking mode)

Voice communications is title dependent

 

Android ^

 

Android OS Version 8.0 or later

Device must have built-in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) support

 

iOS ^

 

iOS Version 11.0 or later

Device must have built-in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) support

 

^ Use as a remote controller for Sound Blaster G3 on PS4 / Nintendo Switch only, does not support Bluetooth audio streaming

 

Package Contents

 

Sound Blaster G3

Optical Cable (1m / 3.28 ft)

USB Type-C to Type-A Converter

Quick Start Leaflet

Warranty Leaflet

 

Warranty

 

2-year Limited Hardware Warranty (EU Countries)

 

1-year Limited Hardware Warranty (Non-EU Countries)

Downloads

 

 

 

The new Sound Blaster G3 from Creative is a DAC Amp on USB, meant to enhance the audio quality on both PCs and consoles. In order to function it does not need any special drivers or applications, the operating modes being available for switching thanks to the included button/switches. While the product does feature an USB Type-C connector for connection to the latest devices, older computers/consoles can benefit as well by using the USB Type-C to Type-A adapter. By using this product, you can upgrade your current headphones/2.0 or 2.1 speakers with the latest technologies such as GameVoice Mix, Footsteps Enhancer, SBX presets which include the Acoustic Engine effects and more!

 

The product is shipped inside a very compact cardboard cardboard enclosure, which highlights some of the product features, along with the compatible platforms:

 

 

 

On the back, we will get to see a photo of the DAC inputs/outputs but also the connectivity options:

 

 

 

By removing the top packaging layer, we will reveal the main product, but also the adapter, sitting inside foam protective material:

 

 

 

Creative has also included a Mini-TOSLINK cable for enabling GameVoice Mix usage for PS4 and PS4 Pro consoles:

 

 

 

The documentation is composed of the Audio Survival Guide, but also a Worldwide Warranty leaflet:

 

 

 

The manual describes how all the functions can be performed via the hardware buttons, in driverless mode, but also how to connect to different devices:

 

 

 

The G3 has the size of a very compact battery bank, but is much lighter; a customizable EQ setting, named the Footsteps Enhancer Mode can be activated by pressing the top hardware button, which is accompanied by a LED ring as well:

 

 

 

On the left side of the unit we’ve got the microphone controls and to be more exact the volume control wheel and the microphone mute/unmute button:

 

 

 

The right side has a similar button/wheel arrangement, but only this time we are switching in two different modes:

 

-the Mixing mode allows usage of GameVoice Mix, for game audio / chat balance capabilities so you will be able to increase your voice chat volume while in-game or decrease the voice volume and increase the in-game audio effects for a higher immersion

-the Volume mode allows simple, unified audio volume control of all content, as on any regular headphone set

 

 

 

In the back, the DAC does come with a microphone jack (left), an Optical/Line-in jack (middle) but also a headphone/headset jack (right):

 

 

 

On the bottom area of the chassis we’ve will spot two small feet as well:

 

 

 

As noted, before, the Sound Blaster G3 is using an USB Type-C connector, which is easier to plug in, but an adapter is supplied as well:

 

 

 

The adapter does have a small footprint and you will hear a small click noise when attaching it to the DAC:

 

 

 

 

If used along with a computer, we can install Sound Blaster Command software, in order to customize the DAC options even more. The menus can be spotted on the left side of the GUI and the main, top option which can be spotted is SBX Profile. Preset profiles can be chosen from the top menu or we can customize the settings separately such as Surround, Crystalizer, Bass, Smart Volume or Dialog Plus (well known from the older Creative products):

 

Gaming

Music

Movies

Adventure and Action

 

Moving on to the EQ area, we will be able to choose from different presets or customize our own; the first preset is Footsteps Enhancer:

 

 

 

There are plenty of presets to choose from as well:

 

 

 

The Playback area will adapt the output for either speakers or headphones and we will be able to choose the default playback device as well. The Playback audio quality is selectable as well:

 

 

 

We can choose from the following:

 

 

 

The Recording area allows the user to customize the respective volumes, enable additional filters (Voice Clarity) but also modify our voice completely with funny morphs:

 

 

 

Voice Clarity Presets

Voice Morph Presets

 

Here are the available audio quality options available for selection:

 

 

 

Scout Mode, found with the older Creative sound cards and gaming headsets is back as well:

 

 

 

The Mixer area comes with plenty of volume sliders we can adjust:

 

 

 

From the software interface, we can adjust the GameVoice Mix setting as well:

 

 

 

If you do log in to the application, your settings will be saved to the cloud:

 

 

 

The supported products will be listed in the next tab:

 

 

 

From the Settings area, the user will be able to select a language for the interface, choose to run the application or not on Windows start-up, but also check for further updates:

 

 

 

Sound Blaster Command is also in charge of updating DAC firmware:

 

 

 

From the Device tab, we will be able to reset the settings to the factory ones, perform forced firmware updates but also check for new drivers:

 

 

 

The quite unique feature of this DAC consists of the possibility of connection to an Android/iOS device via Bluetooth in order to perform settings remotely via Sound Blaster Command mobile application. The interface is friendly and on the Dashboard we will be able to choose different options as soon as the G3 has been detected:

 

 

 

The Connect to Device menu will assist with the connection part of the setup:

 

 

As soon as the DAC has been connected, the application will read the current operating options from it and display accordingly:

 

 

Right from the comfort of our smartphone touchscreen, we will be able to choose one of the available EQ presets or customize our own:

 

 

The output can be configured for either speakers or headphones:

 

 

The configuration menus we were talking about before, can be accessed from the left side of the screen:

 

 

The microphone volume can be adjusted on-the-fly:

 

 

The entire Mixer options are available for easy configuration as well:

 

 

If your sound card is placed away from easy access, you can configure the GameVoice Mix volume from the software application as well:

 

 

The Settings area does allow the user to reset the settings to the default values or even perform firmware updates:

 

 

Finally, we do have the About screen, where we can check out the software versions but also the currently installed firmware details, along with the product serial number:

 

 

Test Setup

 

CPU: Intel I5 9700K Retail

CPU Cooler: Deepcool Captain 240 EX RGB AIO

Motherboard: Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming

RAM: Patriot Memory Viper RGB Series DDR4

Video: KFA2 GeForce GTX 1060 OC 6GB

Power Supply: Cooler Master 850W

SSD: OCZ Vector 150

Case: Cooler Master ATCS 840

 

In order to test the card performances, we have used RightMark Audio Analyzer and setup loopback between the front headphone output of the card and the back line in.

 

Remember! These results are not to be taken as reference because each computer system configuration can produce different noise levels, so you may obtain lower or higher performance results than the ones listed here.

 

16-bit, 44kHz

 

Creative Sound Blaster ZxR

 

Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1

 

Creative Sound BlasterX G5 7.1

 

Creative Sound BlasterX AE-5 Pure Edition

 

Creative Sound BlasterX G6

 

Creative Sound Blaster G3

Not applicable

 

16-bit, 48kHz

 

Creative Sound Blaster ZxR

 

Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1

 

Creative Sound BlasterX G5 7.1

 

Creative Sound BlasterX AE-5 Pure Edition

 

Creative Sound BlasterX G6

 

Creative Sound Blaster G3

 

24-bit, 48kHz

 

Creative Sound Blaster ZxR

 

Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1

 

Creative Sound BlasterX G5 7.1

 

Creative Sound BlasterX AE-5 Pure Edition

 

Creative Sound BlasterX G6

 

Creative Sound Blaster G3

 

24-bit, 96kHz

 

Creative Sound Blaster ZxR

 

Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1

 

Creative Sound BlasterX G5 7.1

 

Creative Sound BlasterX AE-5 Pure Edition

 

Creative Sound BlasterX G6

 

Creative Sound Blaster G3

 

Right after connecting the Sound Blaster G3 to our SteelSeries Arctis 1 wired gaming headset, we went ahead and fired up the Command application, for adjusting the necessary settings, along with the SBX effects and EQ. We did fire up Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and noticed an increase in overall audio quality versus the integrated audio of the DELL 7577 test laptop, but also better bass representation, like we would have made the jump to a mainstream USB headset. The EQ setting for detecting footsteps works well, as intended (increased treble, lowered mids and lows), but we would only keep activated for short time periods. In Trials Rising, the motorbike engines sounded much better with the SBX presets, while the different gun sounds were a delight in The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing as well.

 

While not having the same audio fidelity as the more expensive G6, the G3 is mainly aimed towards the console (PS4, Nintendo Switch) and PC gamers, which have already a nice analog headset but need a noticeable quality improvement and extra controls such as GameVoice Mix. The Sound Blaster G3 has the benefit of being able to function without any special drivers or software, thanks to the included controls on the chassis, but also the Android/iOS mobile application. The Control mobile app allows the user to work with all settings on-the-fly, even when the card is connected to the console, since the G3 is able to communicate via Bluetooth BLE.

 

The Sound Blaster G3 does not have issues supporting up to studio-grade headphones (300 ohms impedance), while the Mini-TOSLINK cable is offered in the package for enabling GameVoice Mix with PS4 consoles as well.

 

Of course, we can use the product for many other applications, such as connecting it to your media center and then plugging your 2.0 or 2.1 speaker system to it; the controls can be modified this way via either the Windows/Mac application or even simpler, from our smartphone while watching our favorite movies, TV shows or other multimedia content such as YouTube videos.

 

At the time of the review, the G3 could be found online for about 60 Euros.

Creative Sound Blaster G3 Portable External USB-C DAC Amp is Recommended for:

 

 

We would like to thank again to Creative for making this review possible!