Creative Sound Blaster GC7 Review

How Much Does it Cost?

The Creative Sound Blaster GC7 Game Streaming DAC Amp ft Programmable Buttons, Super X-Fi, 7.1 Virtual Surround, BATTLE Mode, Scout Mode, GameVoice Mix, Dolby Audio, for PC, PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox is available right now from a few select retailers. It’s normally on Amazon, but the stock has sold out at this time in the UK, but it’s $169 in the US. However, it’s available directly from Creative for just £134.99.

Overview

Creative certainly has an interesting product here, but one that I think I may have somewhat misjudged. I thought it was more tailored towards the professional streamers out there. However, I think it’s less serious than that in retrospect, but that doesn’t mean its performance isn’t fantastic. It has some exceptional microphone processing, and even with a cheaper Turtle Beach headset microphone right up to a standalone desktop mic, the difference was profound. Further enhanced with the noise reduction and EQ technologies specific to the microphone levels, very impressive stuff for a bit of gaming hardware.

However, while it’ll make you sound like a pro, having quite a few of the settings in the software makes it tricky to configure more things on the fly. It’s tricky to explain, but this is more for gamers who want to occasionally stream rather than pro streamers who occasionally want to game. It’s a bit more on the fun side in terms of functions, but that’s hardly a bad thing, and that appeals to me greatly from a fun and social aspect.

The greatest thing about this, however, and this is the main reason anyone would buy one, is the AMP/DAC combo. For starters, running from a single USB cable to your PC makes it super easy to configure. The software is a bit of a pain the butt, but once it’s configured how you like it, you really won’t have to bother again. The SXFI technology is as brilliant as ever. Interestingly, I have several SXFI headsets here, including the flagship SXFI Theater, which is £180 on its own and has SXFI built in. However, wired to the GC7 and letting this do the heavy lifting, it sounded even better. However, this is thanks to Acoustic Engine and the more powerful EQ on the GC7. I can really crank some incredible bass on this, and there’s even more warmth and detail in the mids and highs too. If you really love your movies and music, you’re going to love this.

Of course, it’s not the flagship audio chip from Creative. They have models with 32-bit sound and others amps, but the AKM4377 does 24-bit / 192 kHz PCM which is plenty. For the latest 4K movies, the highest quality you get from streaming platforms, and what games are likely to support, you’re not falling short here. Plus, getting this level of processing at this price range is really damn impressive, especially with the inclusion of Dolby Audio.

Should I Buy One?

Do you find yourself listening to a lot of music or chatting on discord a lot while gaming? Do you like to change your EQ quite frequently to suit whatever music, movies or games you are playing? Do you like powerful sound, full of detail and with the best surround processing (SXFI)? Well if the answer is yes to all of that, the Sound Blaster GC7 is a mighty addition to your setup. Ticking all the right boxes for the enthusiast gamer that likes to dabble with a bit of streaming, while also ticking the right boxes for movie and music lovers who want things to sound their best without spending a small fortune.