At first we would like to thank Creative for offering us a sample of their Chat USB On-ear Headset with Noise-cancelling Mic 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.”

 

CONVERSE CLEARLY

The Creative Chat USB headset ensures clear quality and reliability with every call, made possible by a noise-cancelling boom microphone that can filter out unwanted ambient noise in loud environments. This allows you to focus better while capturing your voice effectively, so you can be heard clearly for an uninterrupted call experience.

MUTE / UNMUTE WITH EASE

Don't get caught fumbling your way trying to mute or unmute yourself in a meeting. Simply pull the rotatable microphone down to unmute, and push it back up to its original position to mute. The swivel-to-mute function is easy to use, and you will know exactly when you are muted. Alternatively, the Creative Chat USB also comes with a physical mic mute button on the inline remote to toggle between mic mute and unmute.

HEAR YOURSELF ACCURATELY

People have the tendency to speak louder than usual when they can't hear themselves; we know because we are guilty of it too. With the built-in mic-monitoring feature, press and hold to hear yourself clearly without the constant need to raise your voice. Speak as you would naturally and with confidence in any other calls with Creative Chat USB.

COMMUNICATE SMARTER WITH SMARTCOMMS KIT

For Windows 10/11 users, you can download the Creative app and access the all-new SmartComms Kit!

Simplify the way you communicate with the help of a suite of smart communication features specially designed for online calls. With features such as VoiceDetect, which automatically detects your voice and automatically unmutes the mic as you speak, and NoiseClean, a feature that aptly cancels out any unwanted static background noises during online chats, enjoy more productive and less disruptive calls with just a few clicks of a button.

FOR WORK AND PLAY

With a convenient plug-and-play USB-C interface, the Creative Chat USB headset lets you enjoy enhanced digital audio quality without any interference! To start listening to music or engage in seamless voice chats, simply plug the headset into an available USB-C port on your PC or Mac.

Not forgetting cross-platform connectivity, Creative Chat USB also works with gaming consoles such as PS5™, PS4™, and Nintendo Switch™! Don't worry if you only have access to USB-A ports, we have also included a USB-C to USB-A converter to get you started.

INTUITIVE CONTROLS

Always stay in control with Creative Chat USB's intuitive inline remote! The convenient controls are right at your fingertips, so you can easily make volume and mic adjustments, play or pause music, and answer incoming calls* with a press of a button.

The LED indicator on the remote also lights up in red to provide quick confirmation of the mute feature when activated.

OUTSTANDING AUDIO PERFORMANCE

Engineered with a pair of 40 mm Neodymium drivers, the Creative Chat USB headset has been meticulously designed to deliver crystal clear audio clarity and impressive audio performance with a punchy bass! Whether it be for conference calls during work hours or entertainment breaks in between, you're all set to enjoy crystal clear audio playback all day.

PERSONALIZE YOUR MUSIC

Listening to your favorite music is an intimate experience. Further up the ante of the USB-C headset and customize your EQ on the fly with graphic EQ customization, audio playback, and more via our all-in-one Creative app!

COMFORTABLE FIT

Affixed with hyper-soft plush foam earpads and headband padding, Creative Chat USB is designed with a comfortable fit for long listening sessions and a lightweight metal body frame to complement all-day use. The USB-C headset also offers a flexible adjustable headband that will sits comfortably on your head.

 

Interface: USB-C

Product Type: Wired Headset

Weight: Headset: 206 g (7.26 oz)

Color

Headphone: Black, USB cable: Black

Frequency Response: 20–20,000 Hz

Cable Length: 2.1m / 6.9 ft

Driver: 40 mm Neodymium Driver x 2

Wearing Style: On-ear

Microphone: Frequency Response: 100–10,000 Hz

Sensitivity: - 42 dBV / Pa

Type: Noise cancelling condenser x 1

Operating Temperature: 0–45°C

Supported Operating Systems: Windows® 10/11

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: For USB Audio

Windows® OS: Intel® Core™i3 or AMD® equivalent processor, Intel, AMD, or 100% compatible motherboard, Microsoft® Windows 10 32 / 64-bit or Windows 11 64-bit, USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 port

Mac® OS: Mac OS X® 10.14 or higher, USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 port

PS4: Firmware Version 6.0 or later, available USB port

Nintendo Switch: Switch OS 5.0 or later, available USB port (in docking mode)

(Voice communications is title dependent)

Android: Android OS Version 8.0 or later, available USB-C port

Support audio streaming and mic path via USB-C port

iPadOS/iOS Devices: iPad Pro (2018 models onwards) - iPadOS 13 or later, available USB-C port

Support audio streaming and mic path via USB-C port

 

PACKAGE CONTENTS

1 x Creative Chat USB

1 x USB C to USB-A Converter

1 x Quick Start Guide

1 x Compliance Leaflet

1 x Warranty Leaflet

 

WARRANTY

2-year Limited Hardware Warranty (EU Countries)

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

 

In this article we will look at another cost-effective headset from Creative meant for conferences, work from home environment, with an integrated microphone sporting swivel-to-mute function and lots of filters to make sure you are heard properly on the other line. Given the 40mm Neodymium drivers, and USB-C/USB-A interfaces, the Chat USB can be also connected to the well-known consoles to enjoy games and other multimedia content without switching to another pair.

 

The product is shipped inside a very compact cardboard enclosure which shows the main product on the frontal side, along with the main product highlights:

 

 

 

Some of the technical specifications are listed on the side, along with the supported platforms:

 

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Further down, we will note the package contents:

 

 

 

We will also learn that the product is fully compatible with the well-known conference applications:

 

 

 

Creative informs us to use the supplied software for accessing all the product features:

 

 

 

A small product description can be spotted on the back, in multiple languages:

 

 

 

While the headset is held secure inside a black plastic mold, the rest of the bundle is available in a transparent plastic bag:

 

 

 

In terms of documentation, we will receive the product Quick Start Guide, the Smartcomms Kit Guide, a Limited Warranty leaflet but also a Worldwide Compliance leaflet:

 

 

 

The manual lets the user know on the main product components but also how to use the multiple functions of the in-line remote:

 

 

 

SmartComms Kit really helps with filters during online calls and is integrated within the main application. Here we will be able to activate mic mute/unmute thanks to the Voice Detection feature but also reduce background noises for outgoing and incoming audio:

 

 

 

 

Since the headset is offered with an USB-C interface, there could be quite a bit of devices out there still sporting only USB-A, so Creative has included an adapter as well:

 

 

 

 

Since we are talking about an on-ear headset, its dimensions are quite compact:

 

 

 

On the outside of the earcups we will find a brushed aluminum layer, which gives the product a premium look:

 

 

 

The steel-reinforced headband is fully adjustable, so it can fit a lot of head sizes and shapes:

 

 

 

The hinge allows the earcup to move to a certain degree as well:

 

 

 

Creative has used thick and soft plush foam for the earpads, which is very comfortable even during longer chat sessions. The inside comes with multiple cutouts on the leatherette, which reveal the inner, orange-colored layer. The same type of padding is applied for the headband as well!

 

 

 

The USB cabling coming outside of the left cup is not removable:

 

 

 

The swivel-to-mute function is very handy during conferences and we could hear a small click when it is activated (the electrical contact inside the chassis):

 

 

 

The noise-canceling microphone comes with a flexible body, for adjusting it in the right position:

 

 

 

 

The multifunctional in-line controls do allow power on/off, playback, calls and microphone actions:

 

 

 

 

The thinness of the cable between the headset and the remote differs from the rest, being thinner:

 

 

 

 

The cable ends up with a regular USB-C connector:

 

 

 

The supplied adapter is easy to install:

 

 

 

Right after installing the dedicated software, we were prompted to install a driver update as well:

 

 

 

The interface comes with a clean design and depending on the model of the headset we will also get modules to work with:

 

 

 

Sound Mode area comes with predefined EQ settings and we have quite a bit of presets to choose from:

 

 

 

Next, we do have the Acoustic Engine, which comes with the filters you would usually expect from a dedicated sound card (Surround, Crystalizer, Bass, Smart Volume, Dialog+):

 

 

 

The EQ can be configured with our own preferences and we do have separate controls for Preamp, Bass, Treble:

 

 

 

The SmartComms Kit really comes to help with the voice filtering and microphone mute during calls; some of these settings are already present in some chat applications such as Discord, but it is nice to see something similar implemented from the manufacturer:

 

 

 

The Mixer area does allow the user to set the volume for Playback and Recording:

 

 

 

The Playback area has its own dedicated menu as well:

 

 

 

Here we can set the needed sampling rate:

 

 

 

The Recording area is similar:

 

 

 

Sampling rates can be adjusted here as well:

 

 

 

The application has some configurable settings as well, from where we can check for driver updates or contact support:

 

 

 

The application also allows choosing the interface language, choose the appearance mode and more!

 

 

 

The dark theme looks quite interesting as well:

 

 

 

After working with the EQ settings and filters from inside the dedicated Creative application, we went ahead and listened to some YouTube video clips, vlogs but also documentaries. We were surprised how well the Creative Chat USB did sound like, with enough bass thanks to the 40mm drivers. While the product is mainly marketed for conference activities, it comes with enough capabilities to handle more tasks as well, such as using it for multimedia content consumption, but also gaming.

 

The microphone does a good job eliminating the noise around us thanks to the included filters and the swivel-to-mute function is very handy when we would like to perform the mute action even faster, without the need of looking for the in-line remote. Speaking of the remote, it can perform multiple functions in terms of multimedia controls but also for taking calls or enabling microphone monitoring.

 

All these interesting features with great comfort thanks to the thick padding on both earcups and the headband…but what is the price for that? Well, you would be surprised that the headset can be found online for just about 30 Euros, an excellent price/performance ratio in our book.

Creative Chat USB On-ear Headset with Noise-cancelling Mic is Recommended for:

 

 

 

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