Creative Sound BlasterX H7 Review

Now that we know the build quality and comfort is up to scratch, we thought we would check out the software and give them some use.


At first, we tried this headset via USB with no software, and we would seriously advise against it. It sounded rather horrible; the bass was too heavy, the mids were muddy, and the 7.1 just made music terrible. Installing the software opens up a range of features and options that really do bring the headset alive. On the first screen we shall look at, we can see a huge range of preset audio profiles. These can either be imported from existing sources or created by yourself. You can use the Acoustic Engine to tweak the settings, and there are previews for FPS, music, and movies to check your sound before you save the profile and load up your media.


A more familiar screen is the EQ screen. This allows you to choose the range you would like, and you can choose between a whole host of presets again or create your own. Out of the box, the headset seemed a little bass heavy for me, but with a bit of tweaking using the equaliser, we ended up getting a really nice sound. Scout Mode is another feature that is bundled with the BlasterX software, and this supposedly allows you to hear your enemies from further away whilst gaming. Personally, I didn't notice a difference when using this headset; I didn't hear anything 'extra' while playing, and I didn't notice an increase in range. I could have just been playing games that are not enhanced by this feature, however.


As with most hardware released in the last year or so, the Sound BlasterX H7 has LEDs. They are more subtle than some, and they are not RGB, but they are certainly there. These LEDs can be controlled from the Illumination section, and there are a couple of effects to play around with, you can also turn the illumination off. As with all good audio software, there is a basic mixer to allow you to adjust volume levels and balance, and the Sound BlasterX is no different here. If you deal with multiple audio outputs, this could be useful to get balances correct.


As the Sound BlasterX H7 has virtual 7.1 surround, there are options to test and change these. I used the 7.1 surround whilst gaming and it worked well; I got a good sense of directional audio and could tell where the bullets and footsteps were coming from. When playing music, disabling the 7.1 was preferable as it always is. Finally, the software also has a Voice FX screen. This is a good bit of fun and can be used to change your voice on-the-fly. Whilst using your VOIP software, this can change the way you sound completely. If you have ever used this kind of software before, there isn't anything new, but if it is your fist time, then your friends will get bored of listening to you before you get bored of it.

Conclusion

Overall, the headset does actually do well. The quality and comfort is acceptable, and being multi-platform between everything such as your phone and console means one headset can do everything. The software is well made and intuitive; nothing is confusing, and although there are some parts that could be improved on, as a whole it is pretty powerful. The Sound BlasterX H7 sounds good too. It doesn't compare to a good set of headphones at the same price, but for an all in one solution, it is a perfectly good option. Although I compared it to the HyperX Cloud series previously, there is a lot more control on what you actually hear; if you want something similar but a little more powerful, this is a good option. The price is a little bit on the steep side, but when you consider all of the pros and not needing so many headsets, we think it is acceptable, and we think a Recommended award is in order.