Creative SoundBlaster G8 Review: It’s Been Awhile, 2019

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Greetings mate and Welcome aboard!

Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions, so…

If you’re at all familiar with this website, you’ll know I’ve recommended Creative’s SoundBlasterX G6 as my top overall choice for gaming since I first received it in 2019.

It’s a fantastic product, but recently I got a chance to try the G8; a DAC with similar features and a radically different overall aesthetic.

Today we’ll find out if it’s worth a purchase; covering everything from build quality, versatility, form factor, sound, price to performance, overall value, and more.

By the time you’re finished reading this, you’ll know if it’s a viable option, and if it isn’t, I’ll point you in the direction of something that is.

Deal?

Cool.

Let’s dive in.

All specs, box contents, and pricing towards the end.

Build

The first thing that jumps out at you is how much more intuitive it is than the older G6. Everything is right there at your fingertips and it makes set up a breeze. With the G6, the switches were on the side, and in the dark playing video games, it was a bit of a pain to decipher what was what.

The G8 instead features large buttons on the top of the unit and they’re much easier to read and adjust. Even so, one thing I found annoying about the G6 was its lack of a power on/off switch, and unfortunately, the G8 follows suit. So when you’re ready to turn it off, you’ll have to unplug it which can be a bit annoying.

Despite that, the unit itself is small and compact, so you can pretty much place it anywhere and it also adds a nice flare to your setup without being overly flamboyant or showy.

It just reminds you of a workstation, and for me, that makes me think about making beats; probably the thing I love most in this world.

It also feels more robust and less plasticky than the G6, and though I’ve never had any issues with 6, the G8 at just a shade over a pound (1.19) seems sturdier, heavier, and better designed. Moreover, SoundBlaster’s logo illuminates quite nicely and looks rather handsome in the dark.

That said, while the LED light is pretty awesome, Creative missed out on an opportunity to provide more color schemes and modes as the only option is white.

Sexy

Moving on, once again we have some nice padding on the bottom, and though it stays in place pretty well, you will experience it move a little from time to time. Nothing to freak out about but should be noted.

Because it’s gorgeous and understated, I can’t dock too many points here.

All knobs and connections feel great, and to be quite honest with you, I love to look at it and play with it. It’s very inviting and almost seductive in a way.

OH BEHAVE!

The large volume potentiometer on the right is perfect, and the smaller game/voice knob enables you to quickly and easily calibrate in-game music and voice chat (called “GameVoice Mix”); which tailors to your specific headphones and unique vocal inflections.

And, the knob sort of snaps into place when you’re at 12 ‘o clock: a really thoughtful feature from Creative and very useful for OCD homies such as myself.

Below that are 3 buttons: SBX, Mode, And HP/SPK (Headphones/Speakers).

The HP/SPK button allows you to toggle between headphones or active speakers like the FiiO SP3 or Eris e3.5), the middle button enables direct mode, and the left button cycles between Scout Mode (Blue), the Acoustic Engine (White), and OFF.

White is essentially surround sound, and it does result in a livelier, more open presentation. You can adjust all of this with the Creative App as well.

Take a quick tour of the App:

Direct mode simply bypasses all of the effects and gives you the sound as is. Great for snobs like me but I can’t lie, the features on this thing are fun. It’s why I’ve recommended the G6 for so long and the G8 is even dandier.

In addition to Surround, the app provides a crystalizer, bass boost, smart volume, and a dialog button.

According to Creative, the Smart Volume intelligently minimizes abrupt volume changes by automatically adjusting the loudness of your audio playback. Dialog+ enhances voices in music and movies for a drastically clearer vocal range.

All of the settings can be useful, but you’ll likely find yourself using Surround and Crystalizer the most if I had to guess.

Making a glorious return, Scout Mode is a nifty feature and personal favorite of mine as it opens the soundscape and allows you to hear more of what’s going on like Marvin Gaye; whether in game, watching a film, or listening to music.

The G8 doesn’t have “X” in its name, but like the SoundBlasterX G6, it too contains Creative’s custom-designed Xamp discrete bi-amplifier which drives the left and right channels individually.

FiiO FT1 w/ G8

Required Reading: FiiO FT1 Review: The Definition Of A Perfect Value Proposition

I find the Surround mode perfect for watching shows and movies, contributing to a deeper level of immersion and intimacy with regard to dialogue, voices, and overall environmental cues and sounds. A lot of this depends on the headphones and their own Soundstaging capabilities, but the G8 undoubtedly helps and sounds excellent regardless.

“The Chosen” is a perfect example of a series that benefits greatly from this feature, as it’s a lot more interesting and engaging to watch. You’ll start to hear all sorts of notable artifacts, ambiance, indecipherable dialogue, and plenty of background stuff that you’ve never heard before. Interestingly enough, this actually helps me concentrate better as I’m hyper-focused on hearing everything I can.

In this way, the G8 is incredibly useful for a myriad of different listening scenarios (mixing, film, gaming, general listening, etc.) and, like the G6, proves itself a valuable commodity over time.

Back Panel

This is where it really starts to get fun, as the G8 only improves on the versatility of the G6.

In addition to dual USB-C inputs which allows you to stream audio from 2 USB devices simultaneously (your PC and phone for example), there’s an HDMI ARC for use with consoles, TVs, Soundbars, AV receivers, etc. an optical output (also can be used with an A/V receiver), an optical input for use with a console like my PS4, a low/hi gain switch, the optical/arc switch, a line out (for use with active speakers as discussed) and a line input (tablet/mobile device).

Front Panel

Like the G6, the front contains dual 3.5mm jacks (one for your mic and the other for your headphones). This makes it easy to use something like a Mod Mic or V Moda Boom Pro, and unlike other overpriced stupid DACs (cough Burson Playmate cough) the G8’s mic jack actually, you know, works.

That said, I would have liked to see Creative include a splitter in the package for those who don’t have one lying around like me.

Test coming soon///

Still, when taking everything into account, that’s a whole heck of a lot of value in such a tiny cute package, and, if you know me, you’ll know I’m a value WHORE.

I love useful products, and the G8 certainly fits the bill and then some.

You can easily connect it to active speakers like the FiiO SP3, a Soundbar like the GS5, and pretty much anything with some sort of auxiliary or optical input.

If that wasn’t enough, its low output impedance (1Ω) and loads of power make it extremely valuable for driving any headphones up to 600Ω. So basically all 20+ of mine that I have lying around. In short, you can expect a clean, neutral, true-to-the-source backdrop for anything you may be using it for.

Put simply, the G8 is one of the most versatile DACs I’ve tried, with value through the roof and a price-to-performance ratio to match.

Final Verdict

Speaking of price, the G8 sits at around $149 and represents a perfect step up from the G6 without having to fork over your kidney in the process.

With all of the improvements, and at only around $40-50 more (advertised on Creative at $149.99), it’s one of the easiest purchases you can make and I recommend it wholeheartedly without question. It will also be replacing my longtime gaming favorite G6, even though both are still good products.

Creative SoundBlaster G8

Price: Check Amazon! | Check Creative!

In The Box

1 x Sound Blaster G8

1 x QSG/Warranty/Compliance Leaflet

2 x USB-C to C cable (1.5m)

Specifications

GameVoice Mix: PS4 and PS5 (PS5 requires optional HDMI to SPDIF converter)
Controls: Master volume dial, GameVoice Mix dial, Headphone gain switch, SBX button, Mode Button, HP / SPK Button, Opt-In / HDMI ARC mode switch
Dimensions: 125.7 x 90.7 x 52.4 mm
Headphone Amp: Output Impedance: 1Ω
Audio Technology: CrystalVoice, Sound Blaster Acoustic Engine, GameVoice Mix, Discrete Xamp Bi-amplifier, Dolby Audio
Platform: USB 2.0, USB 3.0
Max Channel Output: Stereo
Supported Operating Systems: Windows® 10, macOS 10.15 and above, Windows^® 11
Included Accessories: 2x USB-C to USB-C Cable
DAC: Dynamic Range (A-Weighted): 130dB, THD+N: 0.00018%
ADC: Dynamic Range (A-Weighted): 114dB, THD+N: 0.00056%
Max. Playback Quality: Direct Mode: Playback (Stereo): Up to 16/24/32-bit, 44.1 kHz, 48.0 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96.0 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192.0 kHz, 352.8 kHz, 384.0 kHz. Playback (5.1/7.1): Up to 16/24/32-bit, 44.1 kHz, 48.0 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96.0 kHz, DSP Mode: Playback (Stereo): Up to 16/24/32-bit, 44.1 kHz, 48.0 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96.0 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192.0 kHz, 352.8 kHz, 384.0 kHz. Playback (5.1/7.1): Up to 16/24/32-bit, 44.1 kHz, 48.0 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96.0 kHz
Connectivity Options: (Main): 1 x TOSLINK Optical In, 1 x TOSLINK Optical Out, 1 x 3.5 mm Line-in, 1 x 3.5mm Line-out, 1 x 3.5 mm Mic-in, 1 x USB C (USB-1) power/data jack for PC/Mac/Consoles, 1 x USB C (USB-2) power/data jack for Consoles and mobile devices, 1 x 4-pole Headset jack (3.5mm, CTIA), 1 x HDMI ARC
Output Impedance: 1Ω
Power: USB 2.0 / 3.0, USB Bus Powered
Recommended Usage: Gaming

Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this Creative SoundBlaster G8 Review and came away with some valuable insight.

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