Creative SoundBlaserX P5 Multi-Format Headset Review

Peter Donnell / 9 years ago

Final Thoughts

Price

The SoundBlasterX P5 Pro Gaming In Ear Headset is a premium product, so it does come with a premium price tag. At £52.20 @ Scan.co.uk (plus shipping), they’re obviously not that cheap, but still far better value for the level of performance you’ll find with many larger headsets of the same price.

Overview

I’m simply blown away with what Creative has to offer here. In ear headsets have been pretty good over the last few years, my go-to has always been the sets from Roccat, as they’re powerful, punchy and lightweight, but the P5’s are in a league of their own in more ways than one. The maximum volume is enough to give you a headache, but when dealing with quieter audio sources, you’ll be thankful they’ve got the power you need. When maxed out, the sound is distortion free and still sounds nicely balanced, while the bass offers up a lot of detail without drowning out the rest of the mix. I did find that they worked well with an EQ, so if you have the option to do so, they’ll handle a good range of adjustments with ease, allowing you to get the best sound possible.

The build quality is second to none, with a lightweight and durable braided cable, titanium coated drivers, some of the best silicone ear moulds you could hope for, and a sturdy in-line controller. Add to that the high-performance microphone, which is far superior to any in-ear headset microphone we’ve ever tested and easily on par with good quality microphones on larger headsets with boom mics. The addition of a Y-split cable to use the headset on PC is very welcome, and it gives the cable more length, and support for consoles, mobile devices and more only adds to the overall value for money.

While they excel at gaming performance and team chat, they offer up the kind of performance you would want for a decent set of mobile headphones for your music, or to watch a few movies on your desktop or tablet; solid all-round performance.

Pros

Lightweight
Great build quality
Stylish aesthetics
Braided cable
In-line controller
Multi-format support
Powerful microphone

Cons

None

Neutral

Quite expensive for an in-ear headset, but you get what you pay for
I felt that the mid-range frequencies benefit from an EQ boost, but this is a subjective thing

“If you’re looking for a competitive, lightweight and stylish alternative to larger headsets, the SoundBlasterX P5 is certainly the way to go. One of the best headsets we’ve ever tested.”