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Artistic would not have an enormous presence in western markets, however it’s a main participant in Asia. The Sound Blaster sequence has a wealthy heritage of delivering standout audio merchandise at a great worth, and it began out making sound playing cards that could possibly be plugged right into a PCIe interface. I’ve fond recollections of utilizing the Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty sound playing cards again in school, and the model has diversified into a number of recent classes lately.
In what’s a pure evolution, Artistic makes Sound Blaster DACs as of late, and the X5 is the model’s most formidable providing but. The X5 comprises two Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs and customized amps that permit it to effortlessly energy any headset, together with demanding planar choices.
The Sound Blaster X5 retails for $295 on Amazon, and that places it squarely within the vary of most mid-range DACs offered by Chinese language manufacturers. I believe Artistic backed itself right into a nook with the X5, as a result of although it has a whole lot of customized options that you aren’t getting in different DACs, it would not fairly measure as much as its quick rivals.
That is evident within the design. The X5 has a plastic construct and a entrance fascia that is busy with buttons and ports, with a big quantity dial on the precise. There is a display screen that exhibits connection particulars and playback data, and also you get devoted 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced connections alongside a mic in possibility that indicators the model’s gaming-focused underpinnings.
You get toggles to regulate the acquire, change between PC and console, configure the EQ, DSP, and change sources between the ports on the entrance and people on the again. There’s even a knob to regulate the quantity of the mic, and a mute button. Clearly, a whole lot of consideration went into the feature-set of the X5, and it is not missing on this space.
On that be aware, you get optical in/out, together with RCA out and in and USB-C in addition to USB-A connectivity. What I like concerning the X5 is that it may be powered by way of the USB bus, so there is no want to attach it to an exterior energy supply. This versatility means you need to use it with nearly any machine, and that is why there is a toggle to change it to console mode up entrance.
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And whereas the construct high quality is first rate sufficient, the plastic chassis is noticeably gentle, and that is not what you need in a DAC. It would not really feel as sturdy as different DACs, and Artistic ought to have used a steel enclosure right here — similar to each different DAC producer. Even $150 DACs just like the Fiio F5 Professional really feel way more sturdy in consequence, and though the X5 has rubber toes on the backside, the unit strikes round while you’re connecting IEMs or headsets.
I related the X5 to my Home windows machine by way of USB-C, and I did not see any points on this regard. However what’s annoying is that the quantity knob is tied to the Home windows quantity, so in the event you manually change the quantity in Home windows, it would not translate to the machine. To make issues much more complicated, Artistic would not present Home windows quantity on the panel, as a substitute highlighting the decibel stage. In the end, it simply makes altering the quantity convoluted than it must be.
Relating to the sound high quality itself, the X5 has quite a bit to supply. The DAC has a impartial signature and permits headsets and IEMs to shine, however this being Artistic, you get adjustable EQ and a wide selection of preset modes that change the dynamics of the sound to a big diploma. This is not often a characteristic you get on many DACs, however if you’d like straightforward configurability of the sound, the X5 has a lot to supply.
On that be aware, the X5 has Bluetooth connectivity, and there is a devoted button that kicks the unit into pairing mode. Connecting by way of Bluetooth is about as straightforward because it will get, however the principle difficulty on this space is that it would not have any AptX codecs or LDAC, so that you’re restricted to SBC and AAC. Different Bluetooth-enabled DACs on this section supply a minimum of a number of high-res codecs as customary.
The X5 delivers 313mW of energy at 150Ω, and whereas that is not as excessive as different DACs — Fiio’s K7 goes as much as 500mW at 300Ω — it is sufficient to drive nearly any headset. On the entire, I did not see any points with the sound itself, and the customizability is a key differentiator.
That stated, my present suggestion within the sub-$300 section is the Fiio K7; there is a Bluetooth-enabled model of the DAC that prices $249 on Amazon, and it has a significantly better design with a steel chassis, sounds nice, and consists of all of the connectivity choices you need.
Total, Artistic received quite a bit proper with the Sound Blaster X5, however by positioning it on the $300 mark, the model basically priced itself out of competition. With loads of different choices obtainable at this worth level, I do not actually see why anybody would select the X5 — except you want a DAC that may be powered straight by way of the USB bus or need to use one with the PS5. Outdoors of those use circumstances, you are higher off going with Fiio, Schiit, or SMSL.
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