A while back I had the chance to check out the E1 from Sound Blaster. This was a small portable headphone amp that also doubled as a portable USB sound card. You could hook it up to our phone or portable gaming devices to increase the audio quality or if you wanted you could plug into your laptop or PC. Well Sound Blaster has been busy, after the introduction of the E1 they went on to introduce a Bluetooth version (the E3) and also the E5. What’s the E5? Well the E5 takes the same idea but rather than a sound card you get a full DAC (Digital Audio Converter). You get the same features of the E1 and the E3 but they really stepped things up even more on the audio quality side of things. Of course we can’t take their word for it, let’s dig in and see what the E5 is all about.
Product Name: Sound Blaster E5
Review Sample Provided by: Sound Blaster
Written by: Wes
Pictures by: Wes
Specifications |
|
Output |
Stereo |
Audio Processor |
SB-Axx1 |
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) |
120dB (DAC) |
Max. Playback Quality |
Stereo Direct playback/recording sampling rates: 24-bit / 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4 and 192kHz DSP playback/recording sampling rates: 24-bit / 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 kHz Mic recording: 24-bit / 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 kHz Optical In: 24-bit / 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96kHz |
USB Audio Streaming from Mobile Devices |
iOS Playback/recording: 24-bit / 44.1, 48 kHz Android Playback: 16-bit / 44.1 kHz |
Max. Recording Quality |
24-bit / 96kHz |
Max. Headphone Output |
High Gain - 120-600Ω (Gain: up to 15 dB) Low Gain - 32-120Ω (Gain: up to 5 dB) |
Battery Life |
Up to 8 hours |
Connectivity Options (Main) |
microUSB Line / Mic / Optical In: 1 x 3.5mm jack Headphone Out : 2 x 3.5mm jacks Line / Optical Out : 1 x 3.5mm jack USB Host Streaming: 1 x Type-A USB Port |
Bluetooth |
Bluetooth 4.1 |
Bluetooth Multipoint |
Two Devices |
Bluetooth Profiles |
A2DP (Wireless stereo Bluetooth) AVRCP (Bluetooth remote control) HFP (Handsfree Profile) |
Max Channel Output |
Stereo |
Audio Technologies |
SBX Pro Studio, CrystalVoice |
System Requirements |
Windows Intel® Core™2 Duo or AMD® equivalent processor (2.8 GHz or faster recommended) Intel, AMD or 100% compatible motherboard Microsoft® Windows® 8.1/8.0 32/64-bit, Windows 7 32/64-bit, Windows Vista® 32/64-bit SP1 or higher 1GB RAM >600 MB of free hard disk space Available USB 2.0/3.0 port (High Speed recommended with driver) Macintosh Macintosh running Mac® OS X® 10.6.8 or higher 1GB RAM >600 MB of free hard disk space Available USB 2.0/3.0 port (High Speed recommended with software) iOS iPhones/iPads running iOS 6.0 or higher for Bluetooth^ iPhones/iPads running iOS 6.0 or higher for USB Host Audio streaming via Lightning port ^ Devices must support Bluetooth 4.1 (Low Energy) or higher Android Phones/Tablets running Android 2.3 or higher for Bluetooth Phones/Tablets running Android 4.1 or higher for USB Host Streaming |
Package Contents |
Sound Blaster E5 Quick Start Leaflet Warranty Leaflet microUSB Cable Desk Stand 2x Elastic Band Mini TOSLINK cable |
Warranty |
1-year limited hardware warranty |