INTRODUCTION

   If you've been following my reviews over the years then it shouldn't surprise you to hear that I’m no fan of wireless connectivity and the reasons behind that haven't really changed. So as usual wireless devices tend to fall back compared to their wired counterparts in 3 key areas, signal quality and strength and battery life (also some wireless devices are easy to hack/gain access to). On the other hand, however there's no denying that the cable-free approach is also extremely convenient so at the end of the day it all comes down to the needs and requirements of each individual. A couple of months ago Creative enriched their wired line of gaming headsets with the SXFI GAMER flagship model which reached the lab shortly after that.

   Creative is a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products. Famous for its Sound Blaster® sound cards and for driving the multimedia revolution - which established a user base of 400 million - Creative drives digital entertainment with cutting-edge audio solutions that include premium wireless speakers, wireless headphones, powerful audiophile-grade digital amplifiers and next-generation home-theatre systems. Aiming at the new mobile networked generation by bridging the worlds of the computer, smartphones, and tablets, Creative continues to reinvent the Sound Blaster, with its ground-breaking Sound Blaster Roar series and USB-audio class of products such as the Sound Blaster X7.

   As the name suggests the SXFI GAMER features Creative's 2nd generation Super X-Fi headphone holography a rather unique technology which makes use of both complex algorithms and head and ear mapping to "simulate" the detail, realism, and spaciousness of a high-end multi-speaker system. As for its specifications the SXFI GAMER is based on two 50mm neodymium dynamic stereo drivers (frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz with 32 Ohm impedance) and also features a detachable unidirectional microphone (frequency response of 100Hz-16KHz with -42dB sensitivity and 2.2 KOhm impedance) which Creative calls the CommanderMic, earcup controls and a detachable USB-C Kevlar braided cable. Of course, RGB lighting couldn't be absent from a brand new gaming headset so Creative has placed RGB LED rings on the exterior of both earcups (16.7 million colors) which the end user can control via the SXFI control software (2 available effects, single color or rainbow pulse mode). So, let's see what Creative has brought to the table with their latest SXFI GAMER USB-C Gaming Headset.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Most of the front of the box is taken by a product picture.

The product specifications and bundle contents are printed on the left side.

A few words about the Super X-Fi android/iOS app are located on the right.

At the rear of the box we see a product drawing which is used to showcase the features and specifications of the SXFI GAMER.

Once you open the box you will find a piece of cardboard with a few words about the product on it.

Along with the SXFI GAMER headset and its detachable microphone inside the box Creative has also placed a USB-C cable, USB-C to USB-A adapter, 3.5mm cable, warranty information paper, SXFI app usage instructions and the quick start guide.

THE SXFI GAMER

Without the microphone the SXFI GAMER weighs 336g and is primarily made out of plastic, aluminum (frame) and leatherette.

In terms of size we're talking about a mid to large sized model as you can all see from the above picture.

The exterior of both earcups features two rings and the Super X-Fi Headphone Holography text three times (RGB LEDs are placed beneath the rings).

Just over both earcups Creative has also placed the product name.

Around the left earcup we find the on/off/effect button for the LEDs, microphone port, USB-C port, 3.5mm port, microphone mute button, volume control roller and the SXFI on/off button.

With the flexible detachable microphone attached the headset now weighs 349g (the CommanderMic comes ready with an integrated pop filter).

Very large left and right markings are printed on the interior of the large leatherette earpads.

The headpad is also dressed with leatherette and features a good amount of memory foam padding inside.

Creative has placed their logo on the exterior of the headband as pretty much expected.

The USB-C to USB-A adapter is tiny and will certainly come in handy for many people.

The headband extends up to 40mm per side (80mm total) via 12 increments (11 visible ones).

SXFI CONTROL SOFTWARE

The SXFI control software is available from the official product support page.

The very first thing you should do after you install the software is check and see if there's a new firmware update for the headset as seen above.

After that you can either download the SXFI App on your smartphone and create a new head/ear mapping or use an older one which will be saved to your account (i used the one i made in March).

The equalizer tab allows you to choose between 5 different presets and trust me when i say you will need to pay extra attention here for the optimal results.

From the lighting tab you can choose which color you'd like for the exterior of the earcups (unfortunately there's basically only two effects which you can choose by pressing the button on the earcup).

Inside the setup tab you can choose the number of channels you'd like simulated (5.1 was the most balanced for me) and you can also set the levels for the speakers and the microphone.

From the lower left corner, you can choose between regular Super X-Fi, Super X-Fi BATTLE Mode and disable Super X-Fi entirely (according to Creative the BATTLE mode enhances environmental imaging, audio cues, distance projection and directionality).

Nothing new really under the settings tab, from here you can choose the language, change the software theme/looks, enable/disable automatic load with Windows and check for new software and firmware versions.

The two RGB LED rings may not excite but they do look nice.

CONCLUSION

   I ended up using the SXFI GAMER for a total of 14 days with several game titles (Death Stranding, Mafia Definitive Edition, Star Citizen, World of Warships and more), FLAC audio tracks and a few 4k movies and I have to admit that it did better than expected (always for its price range). First of all, let me just say that unless you use the SXFI App and map your ear canal the SXFI GAMER will underperform so this is obviously the very first thing you should do once you get it. That being said there’s also the issue of the SXFI BATTLE mode which according to Creative improves positioning audio and emphasizes some frequencies which can benefit the gamer. Well they are right it does improve positioning audio and by boosting lows you can hear footsteps and sounds you wouldn’t normally hear a lot easier. At the same time however it also boosts bass levels and that’s something you may or may not enjoy that much. Overall audio performance (clarity and reproduction) is very good for this type of headset (even more so if you take into account its current price tag) even when used without the holography feature. As for the CommanderMic I can’t say that it really stood out in my tests. It did perform well and as you’d expect from any microphone however and believe it or not that’s not the standard in this industry as of now. Moving to the RGB lighting as already pointed out that’s nothing to get excited over (would be nice if the entire exterior of the earcups was illuminated and with more than just 2 available effects) but that’s not what I’d call a crucial aspect of any headset.

   So how much does the brand new SXFI GAMER by Creative cost? Well you can currently get it for just USD129.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 158.42Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which reflects exactly what you’re getting in return. Yes, there are better gaming headsets out there if you’re willing to climb even higher in price but at this moment in time the SXFI GAMER is certainly amongst the best sub 200USD/Euros models in the market and for that it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Good Build Quality
- Super X-Fi Technology (Realistic Surround Sound)
- Crisp And Accurate Mids & Highs
- SXFI BATTLE Mode
- Comfortable
- Detachable CommanderMic
- RGB Illumination

CONS

- PC Only Super X-Fi Enhancements
- Just 2 RGB Effects