Sound BlasterX G6 Hi-Res 130dB 32bit/384kHz Gaming DAC, External USB Sound Card with Xamp Headphone Amp, Dolby Digital, 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound, Sidetone/Speaker Control for PS4, Xbox One

Let's get one thing out of the way - I am NOT an audiophile. However, I am a person who owns and uses a variety of headphones and ear buds. I am also a person who is a bit hard of hearing. Before I purchased the Sound Blaster X G6 external sound card, most of the headphones I used just weren't loud enough.I had a pair of wired earbuds that I've had for several years that were loud enough for me to truly enjoy music, video games, movies, and other media on any of my devices. Unfortunately, last month, the cord developed a short in it, which pretty much rendered the earbuds useless. That prompted me to replace the earbuds. Initially, I was going to purchase the exact same pair (if it ain't broke, don't fix it). Well, wouldn't you know, the company is no longer in business.This sad fact eventually lead me to investing in a pair of wired Inner Ear Monitors or IEMs which are an upgrade from your standard earbuds but not as expensive as the top of the line, noise cancelling, name brand earbuds endorsed by rappers and rock stars. I did my research and bought two pair of IEMs that had impressive reviews, but did not break my budget. While one pair of the IEMs was just loud enough to be useful for me, the other set just didn't cut the mustard when it came to the volume level. I broke down and purchased a different brand of IEMs and the new pair had great sound, but also not enough volume.I really didn't want to spend money on another pair of IEMs, regardless of their inexpensive cost (it was starting to add up). I was researching an app that could increase the volume of the content that I play on my phone, when I found a post that talked about the Sound Blaster X G6 External soundcard, and how it was able to really enhance the user's experience playing video games. I changed the topic of my search to the Sound Blaster X G6 and I found a ton of articles and videos about how people were blown away by how different their experience was by using this portable little plug and play device.Needless to say, I had to hear it for myself. I purchased my device and was pleased with the compact size of the unit. The portability allows me to use this device in more ways than I anticipated. I can connect it to my android phone by using a USB C to 3.5 mm adapter that can be purchased for less than $20.00. That allows me to use it anytime I consume media on my cell phone. I can also use it with my laptop computer by connecting it directly using the included microUSB cord included with the package. I can also use it when I play video games or watch movies on my PS5.There is one caveat. Since this product was released before USB C became the standard type of port to power / charge devices, the Sound Blaster X G6 still uses a microUSB port to supply power to the unit. You can plug the microUSB cord into the same plug in wall charger that you use for your cell phone. You can also supply power through an open USB port on your computer or video game console. A third option which I hadn't initially considered was that it's possible to use a portable charging bank to supply power to the Sound Blaster X, at least until the portable charging bank has used up all of it's stored power.I suggest investing in either a usb extension cord with an A Male to A Female connection or an extra long microUSB cord for maximum portability. That way, you can plug the microUSB up to the wall or other power source when you are laying in bed or away from a laptop or other device with a powered USB connection.I've had the device for several weeks and I can honestly say that it works wonders for me, especially for my hearing condition. I have trouble hearing high frequencies and also some of the low end bass frequencies. With the Sound BlasterX G6, I can purchase any pair of IEMs and feel confident that I can have more than enough audible space to increase the volume to my liking. You can also connect the device to your computer to adjust the internal settings and EQ to fine tune the sound to your liking., The unit saves your adjustments and settings, even when you are not connected to that same computer.Overall, this product seems like it was made for me. It has made several pairs of IEMs and over the ear headphones that I own sound vibrant and alive. I would recommend this product to anyone who would like to enhance their audio listening experience.

This DAC is geared towards gaming but it great for general use as well. I was just looking for a decent usb sound card to add to my USB switch that transfers my peripherals between my work and home computer. Obviously this is extremely cheap in comparison to true audiophile equipment but I was not looking to spend that much. This one had stellar youtube and online reviews for the price point and is considered a jack of all trades, not necessarily the best at all or any particular area but a really great value overall and punches well above it price point. I wasn't getting this to drive better headphones or any particular feature set it had. Just all the reviews for the sound cards under a $100 weren't convincing they were that great (such as the sound blasterx G5) and I wasn't sure what all I wanted to use this for so I decided to spend the extra $40 to upgrade to this model. I needed this to primarily drive my desk speakers and then an additional port to drive my 4-pole headset (believe it or not but a 4-pole 3.5mm port on a sound card is not too common even though most headphones come this way). The one thing that would have been nice on this unit is if it had a physical button to toggle between the line out on the back and the headset port on the front. Essentially I have to unplug one of the ports to get the audio to transfer to the other port but thats a miner issue. I was honestly impressed how much louder and how much clearer (especially back ground audio in songs) or better the audio sounded from this card compared to my PC or Mac's onboard solution. It even conditions the microphone. I called a few colleague's over slack and discord to test the difference between the computers built in port and this sound card. It was night and day, everyone I talked to said the audio was much clearer, quality was better, no hiss in the background or static in my voice. This solved problems that I wasn't even thinking about. I thought it was just because it was a $30 headset is why the microphone was just passable for use but apparently a sound card can take that cheap headset and make it sound decent. I am not saying this is going to make the $10-20 microphone beat a $120 Mic but it can definitely get it half way there. For general use I use direct mode for the sound card to just condition the audio coming from the source with no filters but when I play first person shooters I enable Scout mode which really help isolate in game movement sounds and bring them to the forefront, dampening other sounds and background audio. It works springily well. Obviously I am not an expert on this kind of gear but I noticed a pretty drastic difference in my Mic and audio performance playing with the settings and feel the $140 was well worth it.

It's a great card a small one with fantastic features also it allows you to listen to music if you have it pay it with a great stereo amplifier now gaming is really good I'm using my in ears from KZ I'm so happy the sound is great I don't use the features of the sun blaster control panel too much because I think they are not worthy just let it direct sound for music and turn it off for gaming