Sound BlasterX G6
7.1 HD Gaming DAC and External USB Sound Card with Xamp Headphone Amplifier for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC
VIDEO
Features
Overview
Upgrade your game! An amazing upgrade over our well-received Sound BlasterX G5, the Sound BlasterX G6 immediately improves your audio, giving you a much more enjoyable experience compared to what you get from default motherboard audio or any other USB Gaming DAC in the market.
The USB sound card works with PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, and combines a virtual 7.1 32-bit/384kHz, 130dB USB Digital Audio Converter (DAC) with our awesome Xamp discrete headphone amplifier for incredibly detailed audio. It also boasts Dolby Digital decoding, virtual 7.1 surround sound, game-voice volume balancing, Scout Mode, and Sound Blaster's 30 year legacy of impressive sound enhancement technologies.
All this comes together to make the Sound BlasterX G6 an incredible audio upgrade for both gamers and music and audio enthusiasts.
Works with Everything
It doesn't matter which camp you're in - PC or console - we've got you covered. The Sound BlasterX G6 features a wide array of connectivity options - optical, USB, and even line-in - which means your gaming audio will be instantly improved whether you're on PC, PS4, Xbox, or even a Nintendo Switch.
PICK YOUR WEAPON
Impressive Surround Sound and Accurate Positioning
With support for Dolby Digital decoding* and 7.1 virtual surround sound, the Sound BlasterX G6 reproduces your opponents' footsteps, gunshots, and other audio cues with remarkable accuracy.
PS: Environments and music sound great too!
*Dolby Digital decoding is available via optical connection.
Supports Scout Mode
Activate Scout Mode to give yourself a distinct tactical advantage! This tried and tested technology enhances important in-game audio cues - such as footsteps and weapon switching sounds - allowing you to quickly and accurately pinpoint your opponents' location before they pinpoint yours!
Convenient Controls
The Sound BlasterX G6 is designed to make things easy. The single audio wheel controls both the gameplay audio and your mic volume for easy balancing. Buttons on the side control processing profiles and Scout Mode, and switching between headphones and speakers is easy via the Sound Blaster Connect software.
Serious Sound Performance
We're not joking about our sound quality. The Sound BlasterX G6 was designed for the most discerning gamers and built with components that would impress even audiophiles.
Xamp Discrete Headphone Amplification
The jewel in the Sound BlasterX G6's proverbial crown is our custom-designed Xamp discrete headphone amplifier. As opposed to single amplification found in other gaming DAC amps, Xamp amplifies both audio channels individually. You'll enjoy more detailed audio on highs, mids, and bass.
Xamp will drive any gaming headset excellently, but it goes even further than that. The ultra-low 1Ω output impedance perfectly drives performance-grade sensitive 16Ω in-ear monitors all the way to studio-grade 600Ω headphones.
VENTUREBEAT
The amp makes all kinds of headphones sound amazing. Your games will sound more dynamic, your movies will come across as more cinematic, and your music will pop with far more energy than you get without an amp.
- Reviewed Xamp on the Sound BlasterX AE-5
UNLOCKED
The Xamp headphone amp is extremely good and produced warm and full sound with outstanding imaging that made me imagine all the instruments being played when I closed my eyes.
- Reviewed Xamp on the Sound BlasterX AE-5
Audiophile-grade Specifications
The specifications of the Sound BlasterX G6 are impressive. It serves as a 32-bit 384kHz* DAC with an ultra-high dynamic range of 130dB. The DAC features an oversampled multi-bit modulator with mismatch shaping technology that eliminates distortion, ensuring that audio is streamed with the highest level of detail and fidelity. The Sound BlasterX G6 also supports hi-res PCM and DoP audio formats.
*Other inputs are not available in 32-bit 384kHz (Direct Mode) playback.
Meet The Family
G6
G5
G1
REVIEWS
Windows Central
The Creative Sound BlasterX G6 transforms the way you experience audio on PC and console...What makes the G6 so good is how you can pair it with some $150 cups or a cheap $20 headset from Amazon and you'll be able to tell a difference when migrating from onboard audio on your PC. Having the ability to hook up your console and the Nintendo Switch makes this a must-have for anyone looking to — quite literally — boost their audio experience.
4.5 star out of 5
Vortez
Performance is where the Sound BlasterX G6 shines, the audio quality delivered by the G6 is superb, it was an immediate improvement over the MSI motherboard we tested it against, and it enhanced every single aspect of the sound. The bass became richer and fuller, the treble was cleaner and more detailed, vocal production became more powerful, and the highs were heightened as well.
Vortez Premium Award
Tech Radar
We noticed an audio boost immediately once we fired up the G6...even aged gaming headphones will feel like they got a newer lease on life from the G6. We had fun with the G6 and recommend it first to gamers looking to boost sound quality and gain a competitive edge.
4 out of 5 stars
Customer Reviews
R. Intravaia
I have an ASUS ROG laptop and I bought this mainly since the headphone/mic jack is on the right side of the laptop and that's where I have my mouse since I'm right handed. Bad design imho. I wasn't actually expecting to be able to hear the difference since I spent a lot of my childhood listening to loud music and now I can't hear well enough to call myself an audiophile. However, I was really impressed at the difference in game play this little device makes. It's a clear and impressive difference. I'm really surprised at how well the 7.1 option works even though I have only 2 speakers for my laptop.
A Closer Look
Specifications
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Weight
- 144 g
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Interface/Power
- USB 2.0, USB Bus Powered
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DAC
- Dynamic Range: 130dB (A-weighted), THD+N: ~0.0002%, Sampling Rate (DSP Playback): PCM 16/24/32-bit / 44.1, 48.0, 88.2, 96.0kHz, Sampling Rate (Direct Mode Playback): PCM 16/24/32-bit / 44.1, 48.0, 88.2, 96.0, 176.4, 192.0, 352.8, 384.0 kHz, DoP 24-bit / 176.4 , 352.4 kHz
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ADC
- Dynamic Range: 114dB (A-weighted), THD+N: 0.0006%, Sampling Rate (Mic-in): 16/24/32-bit / 44.1, 48.0, 88.2, 96.0, 176.4, 192.0 kHz, Sampling Rate (Line-in, Optical-In): 16/24/32-bit / 44.1, 48.0, 88.2, 96.0, 176.4, 192.0 kHz, Output Impedance: 1 Ω, Supported Headphone Impedance: 16 - 600 Ω, High Gain: 150 - 600 Ω (+14dB), Low Gain: 16 - 149 Ω (+0dB)
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Audio Technology
- SB-Axx1™
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Connectivity Options (Main)
- 1 x ⅛″ Line In/mini TOSLINK In Combo Jack, 1 x ⅛″ Line Out/mini TOSLINK Out Combo Jack, 1 x ⅛″ Headphone/Headset Jack, 1 x ⅛″ Ext. Mic In Jack, 1 x microUSB port for PC/Mac
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Audio Technologies
- Scout Mode
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Supported Operating Systems
- Windows® 7, Windows® 8, Windows Vista®, Windows® 8.1, Windows® 10, Mac OS X v10.8 and above
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Included Accessories
- microUSB cable, Mini TOSLINK Cable
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Dimensions
- 111 x 70 x 24 mm
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ASIO
- Playback & Recording
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Recommended Usage
- Gaming
System Requirements
- 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, Windows 7 32/64 bit
- 1GB RAM
- >600 MB of free hard disk space
- USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 port
- Mac OS X® 10.9 or higher
- 1GB RAM
- USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 port
- Firmware Version 5.0 or later
- Available USB port
- Available Optical Out port (for Dolby Digital decoding)
- Xbox OS Version 10.0 or later
- Available Optical Out port (for Dolby Digital decoding)
- External USB Power (not included)
- Voice communications not supported
- Switch OS 5.0 or later
- Available 3.5mm headphone port
- Available USB port (in docking mode)
- External USB Power (not included)
- Voice communications not supported
Package Contents
- Sound BlasterX G6
- 1 x Optical Cable
- 1 x MicroUSB Cable
- Quick Start Leaflet
- Warranty Leaflets
Warranty
1-year Limited Hardware Warranty
Featured Questions
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Does the Sound BlasterX G6 have a built-in battery?No. The Sound BlasterX G6 requires power supplied via a microUSB cable to work.
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Is the Sound BlasterX G6 portable?While the Sound BlasterX G6 is small, lightweight, and can be carried easily, it does not have a built in battery and requires power supplied via a microUSB cable to work.
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Is the Sound BlasterX G6 a DAC?Yes. The Sound BlasterX G6 is a 32-bit 384kHz DAC with a DNR of 130dB.
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What mics are good to use with the Sound BlasterX G6?The Sound BlasterX G6 supports any 3.5mm 3-pole jack external microphone (mono).
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Is the Sound BlasterX G6 driver windows certified?The Sound BlasterX G6 driver for Windows is WHQL certified. The Sound BlasterX G6 will be easily detected and drivers will be automatically installed / updated via Windows Updates.
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Does the Sound BlasterX G6 work with Mac?The Sound BlasterX G6 can work on Mac OS X. However, there is no Sound Blaster Connect software for Mac OS X.
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Does the Sound BlasterX G6 work with Mac's USB-C ports?As the Sound BlasterX G6 uses a microUSB port, users will require a USB-C to microUSB cable to connect the Sound BlasterX G6 to a Mac.
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Does virtual surround work with consoles like the PS4, Xbox and the Nintendo Switch?Virtual surround only works when connected to PC.
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Does Sound BlasterX G6 support EAX ALchemy?Yes. The Sound BlasterX G6 works with Creative Alchemy that allows users to run their favorite DirectSound3D games with full hardware-accelerated 3D audio and EAX support.
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Does the Sound BlasterX G6 support What-U-Hear?Yes, the Sound BlasterX G6 supports What U Hear.
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Does the Sound BlasterX G6 work with Linux?Creative Labs does not provide an official Linux driver. However, as the Sound BlasterX G6 is essentially a 2-channel USB DAC, the default Linux audio driver should support it. As with Mac systems, users will not have access to BlasterX Acoustic Engine and RGB features as these are only available on PC.
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Will the Sound BlasterX G6 work with my PS4 and Xbox One? Will chat work with a console connected to this instead of PC?You may connect the Sound BlasterX G6 to the PS4 via USB and to the Xbox One via optical-in.
Chat is supported on the PS4. Unfortunately, chat is not supported on the Xbox One or Nintendo Switch.
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Is there a way to toggle output between connected headphones and speakers?There is a software switch to toggle between headphones and speakers. This switch is found within the Sound Blaster Connect software for the PC.
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Can audio processing/SBX effects be applied to the optical output on the Sound BlasterX G6?The optical output is capable of carrying audio processing/SBX effects when in normal mode.
However, when SPDIF-Direct is selected, the optical output will not have audio processing/SBX effects.
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Can I connect the Sound BlasterX G6 to a USB 2.0/3.0 Hub?It is recommended to connect the Sound BlasterX G6 directly to the USB 2.0/3.0 port of the PC. Connecting the Sound BlasterX G6 to a USB hub may yield unforeseen issues. Even a powered USB hub is limited by the power capacity provided by the power adaptor of the USB hub, which is typically 5V 2A or lower. Each of the USB ports on the hub may not deliver the maximum 500mA when the hub is fully connected.
