CONCLUSION

   As always i used two stereo speaker sets (2.0) and two surround sound speaker sets (5.1/7.1) to test the card at hand and the results weren't a surprise really. Just for the record in order to have a more complete opinion i used the Sound Blaster Z SE with several games (World of Warships, Cyberpunk 2077, Forza Horizon 4, Star Wars Squadrons and Death Stranding), numerous Blu-Ray UHD movies and even uncompressed FLAC audio tracks. Starting with direct stereo mode there's a good gap in audio clarity and accuracy between the Sound Blaster Z SE and cards like the Sound Blaster AE-9 and the NU Audio Pro but that gap slowly drops when comparing the Z SE with the AE-5 Plus or the AE-7. Yes, the AE-5 Plus and AE-7 do have a small lead especially in highs and even bass but you'll only notice if you actually pay attention and at high volume levels. That's not the case however with the AE-9/NU Audio Pro models which offer much richer mids, highs and even lows (depends on the input however - you may not notice this with games, not as much as UHD movies and uncompressed FLAC tracks). Where things change drastically however is when all cards are connected with surround sound systems, yes there's a slight change in how these sound cards behave (more emphasis for example in highs or mids) but quality and accuracy is not that much different. Granted you may hear sounds from the left/right and rear channels slightly clearer when using the AE-9 and/or the NU Audio Pro cards but this is by no means a game changer. Audio quality, accuracy and volume levels also vary when using a pair of headphones with these cards with the AE-9 in the lead followed by the NU Audio Pro and the AE-7 close behind. Granted both the AE-5 Plus and the Z SE do a good job with most low/mid-range headphones but you can clearly hear the difference in detail and volume especially when using a good pair of headphones.

   Since the Creative Sound Blaster Z SE is meant to replace its predecessor its launch retail price tag couldn’t be far and so you can currently find it for USD109.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 99.99Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). Now since I never did get the first Sound Blaster Z I can’t really compare it to the Z SE (both the SBX and EQ profiles however should change/improve the entire experience), what I can say however is that the latter is massively better than any onboard sound card today. I also can’t avoid talking about the bundled microphone of the original Sound Blaster Z which for some strange reason Creative didn’t include this time over. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind much at any other point in time but now with so many people working remotely that microphone could be very useful. This however for me is the sole serious drawback of the Creative Sound Blaster Z SE and since it does offer very good audio quality and a plethora of features without breaking the bank it clearly deserves the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Audio Clarity / Detail
- Good 3D Positioning Audio
- Creative 3D Enhancements
- Analog & Digital Surround Sound Outputs
- Sound Blaster Command Software (Available Settings)

CONS

- No Bundled Microphone (Unlike the Original Sound Blaster Z)
- No Backplate