INTRODUCTION

     If the onboard sound card of your motherboard doesn't seem to cut it you can always get the best possible audio results by opting for a high-performance PCIe sound card such as the EVGA NU Audio/Pro or the Creative Sound Blaster AE-5/7/9. Still even though internal sound cards have been around since the early 90's (and long before onboard solutions) external models are a lot newer and are of course aimed primarily towards more demanding laptop users. Personally, i was never much into external sound cards (owned at least 10 sound cards over the years, none was external) but since many of you asked i decided to take a look at the bestselling ones in the market and so today with me i have the latest GSX 300 Gaming Series model by EPOS Sennheiser.

   ΕPOS is an audio company developing and selling devices for business professionals and the gaming community. Based on leading and advanced technologies, the newly established Danish company EPOS will deliver high-end audio solutions designed for Enterprise Solutions and Gaming headsets – with design, technology and performance as paramount parameters. EPOS derives from Latin and ancient Greek and is used to describe epic stories, speech and poetry. The name encapsulates our dedication to create solutions that enforce ways of communication and unleash human potential through the power of audio. EPOS operates in a global market with offices and partners in more than 30 countries and builds on more than 115 years of experience in sound and innovation. Find more information about EPOS at www.eposaudio.com.

   The GSX 300 gaming series external sound card (or more accurately headphone amplifier) by EPOS Sennheiser (currently available in black and snow white colors) can be used to deliver both high-resolution 24bit/96kHz stereo (L/R) and 16bit/48kHz virtual 7.1 surround sound with the help of their Gaming Suite (comes ready with 4 different profiles). To provide a more "complete" product EPOS Sennheiser has also added advanced noise cancellation controls to the GSX 300 which can both greatly enhance the acoustic clarity and minimize background noises for improved microphone communication. The GSX 300 also comes ready with a large volume control knob, sound mode/profile selection button and an LED ring (blue/red) which shows which sound mode or profile you're currently using. Now i don't know which chip the GSX 300 uses but it does look interesting so let's see what it's capable off.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The GSX 300 gets shipped inside a small white box that has a product picture at the front right under the company logo and over the main features.

EPOS Sennheiser has printed the technical data of the GSX 300 on the left side and the bundle contents on the right.

A large product picture is also placed at the rear and used to showcase the main product features in 4 languages.

The product serial numbers, barcodes and certifications can all be found at the base of the box.

The entire bundle sits inside a formed piece of plastic.

Along with the GSX 300 you're also getting a 1.2 meter long USB-A to micro USB cable, warranty information paper, safety guide and the quick start guide.

THE GSX 300

The roughly 155g heavy plastic body of the GSX 300 measures 169mm in length, 142mm in width and 57mm in height.

Both in terms of design and materials the GSX 300 is pretty standard and as you can all see at the front, we have the sound mode/profile selection button, the volume control knob and the LED ring around it.

At the rear we see the micro USB port, 3.5mm audio output and the 3.5mm microphone input.

The GSX 300 sits on two long rubber feet which should keep it quite steady on your desk.

GAMING SUITE

Even though i downloaded the latest Gaming Suite from the EPOS website it immediately found an update upon installing it.

This isn't the first time I’ve used the EPOS Gaming Suite so once again from the first tab you can change the audio mode (stereo/7.1), choose one of the available profiles (music/esport/movie/flat), set the volume and do a sound test.

From the second tab you can adjust everything related to the microphone including the voice enhancer (warm/clear/off), gain, side tone and of course the noise cancelling features.

The last tab allows you to change the button function (surround/preset), enable/disable notifications and select another language for the software.

CONCLUSION

   The EPOS Sennheiser GSX 300 is a rather "basic" external sound card/headphone amplifier so right from the get go don't expect the same high-fidelity audio you can get from cards like the NU Audio/Pro or the Sound Blaster AE-5/7/9. Of course, the end goal is for you to get something better compared to what you have on your laptop (not so much your desktop since there are onboard sound cards which are just as good in performance and offer much better connectivity) and that's exactly what the GSX 300 delivers. I compared the GSX 300 with the onboard sound cards of all 4 laptops i have here and there was significant audio improvement all across the board. Virtual surround sound on the other hand didn't do it for me. Yes, for the most part you will also notice an improvement in that area as well but not nearly as much as you will with stereo so do keep this in mind (although i do expect most people would use it for its stereo capabilities regardless). As for the microphone end of the GSX 300 i have to admit that i spend very little time testing that aspect mainly because i don't have a really "good" 3.5mm microphone to sufficiently test it with. My sole “issue” with the GSX 300 came with some 1-2 second disconnections i had from time to time but since we’re talking about an external USB sound card i imagine these can’t be helped (still i had like 8 disconnections inside 2 full weeks so that’s far from a game breaker).

   At the time of this review the GSX 300 Gaming Series External Sound Card/Headphone Amplifier by EPOS Sennheiser retails for USD75.98 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 78.30Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which seems ok for what you’re getting in return. Bottom line the GSX 300 may not be on par with an internal PCIe sound card (neither in audio performance nor in features and available connectors) but it’s an affordable way for laptop users on a budget to improve their sound and that’s also the target audience I highly recommend it for.

PROS

- Overall Audio Quality (Compared to Onboard Laptop Sound Cards)
- Size / Weight
- Gaming Suite Enhancements
- Available in Black & Snow White Colors
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Virtual Surround Sound Accuracy
- Available Inputs & Outputs