To be honest, I haven’t thought about a dedicated sound card in quite a while. On-board audio solutions have really improved in the last 10 or more years; so much so that I don’t even have another soundcard in my inventory of parts to use if I wanted or needed to. When I built my first PC back in 2002, you HAD to get an add-in sound card if you wanted any semblance of quality audio, which led me to buying a Creative Sound Blaster card to go with my Athlon XP system. Well, here we are 20 years later, and Creative is still a major player in the PC audio game, and in this review we are taking at look at the Sound Blaster X4, a 7.1 external USB DAC and amp sound card. We have looked at the X3 previously, so follow along as we take a look at the latest version of this line of audio devices from Creative.
Special thanks to Creative for providing the Sound Blaster X4 review sample!
Specifications
Packaging
The Sound Blaster X4 is packaged in a small retail box with an image of the unit on the front, along with a list of some of the more pertinent features. This list of features makes it easy to scan the shelves in a retail environment and find a product that might fit your needs, depending on the feature set.
Out back we have another list of features, this time with more information regarding each one, in multiple languages.
Opening the box up, we find the X4 front and center, held in place by a form-fitting cutout and a foam ring attached to the lid of the box. It is a nice unboxing experience, but nothing too fancy.
Inside we are provided with not just the X4, but multiple printed items like a warranty card, and multiple user guides for the sound card itself, as well as some of the software that can work in tandem with it. The Sound Blaster X4 also comes with a 2m USB-A to USB-C cable for power and connectivity to your PC or console, as well as 1m optical cable.
