For listening to music from your mobile phone (with me: Samsung Galaxy Note 3) I was therefore a long time is available on the search for a solution that digitally sends a signal and in decent quality and with sufficient power, so that "big" headphones as the T90 or T5p adequately served. Sure, there's now available from various established manufacturers like Onkyo and Teac similar devices that connect via USB as an independent DAC with the phone, but first arises as much Kabelwirrwar (connection via Bluetooth does not support most of these devices), the road just a nuisance is, and second, the prices range from 250 to 300 euros, which I am currently not willing to spend. On the Creative E5 I was under an Amazon Lightning offer attentive, where he was offered an additional 20% below its regular (and, I think, already cheap) price. My expectations were not very high, but considering the bargain price I decided to try it out at least once.
And I was pleasantly surprised!
First off for handling: The integrated battery is charged at MicroUSB (eg on a conventional cell phone charger). Itself very well. Although the charging takes 5-6 hours easy, but I can live with. The Bluetooth pairing functions without problems right away. Even after switching off and on the connection is made with the once paired phone within a few seconds. The link will remain stable and not suffer from occasional interruptions (unless you move away too far from the phone). Perfect, so should be's.
In addition to the power button (on the also - only once necessary - pairing can be initiated with the source device), there is otherwise only one button to SBX Pro Studio (the processor) on or off, and a slide switch for the gain performance (5 dB for - tend to low-- headphones with good efficiency, 15 dB for - tend high-resistance - headphones with low efficiency). Three white LEDs provide information on the battery status information. The volume is classically set with a knob (and / or on the "Bluetooth-volume" control of the mobile phone).
The E5 per se is unexpectedly easy. A Corda Step Dance is eg more difficult, what one hand originates from stable aluminum housing, but on the other hand, probably by the elaborate electronics (as is for example in Step Dance a small armada of buffer capacitors for rich playing spikes installed). Nevertheless: In the E5's processing standard nothing to complain about. The plastic is high quality, which fits very precisely, the jacks and controls make a stable and long-lasting impression. The underside is covered with foam rubber, so that the unit is not as fast slipping even on smooth surfaces to and fro. And the road has low weight anyway more advantages than disadvantages.
Of inputs and outputs, there are 2 3.5 mm headphone outputs (the volume but can not be controlled separately), a USB host-output (to connect a DAC wired to a mobile phone or tablet), a microUSB 2.0 jack (for charging and connecting to a PC as a DAC), a combined 3.5 mm jack for analog or optical input and another combined 3.5 mm jack for analog or optical output. A high-quality USB cable (USB 2.0 A-Male to B microUSB connector) (for wired coupling to most cell phones) as well as an optical cable (for the purpose of connecting to a stationary audio equipment, so can the E5 as Bluetooth -AP use to feed music from iPhone, iPad or Android device in the home system) are included, also have a plastic stand and two sturdy rubber to bind the E5 if necessary "piggybacked" to the mobile phone. Merely as an owner of a Grade 3 (like me) or one of the few devices that use a microUSB 3.0 port, you have to have an extra cable to buy (or simply use the one supplied with the phone) to connect the E5 wired ,
The port-diversity is so great. I have tried so far but only to connect via Bluetooth (with aptX), because the wired connection's by no means inevitable, technically or qualitative point of view: The connection via Bluetooth is just extremely practical, since no Kabelwirrwar arises, and the quality ( with aptX, as far as the phone supports) so good that you liked the last few percentage points quality that brings a wired connection MAY be omitted.
Sonically like are the ghosts at the E5: With deactivated Sound Processor (SBX off) the sound is in fact only times disappointing: small, slightly overcast (as when the music plays behind a curtain), a little force and lifeless. (That may be the reason why here have bagged the device again some reviewers.) The E5 actually needs the sound enhancement by the sound processor. Here at "Hardcore" -Audiophilen usually not so funny, because after their creed a device must also without any "distortion" sound good by Sound Processing. The more pragmatic listeners wrinkles perhaps a little forehead, studied the device but curiously on. And it's worth it ...
So, at first load and open the "Sound Blaster Central" app. Here, a veritable piñata doing: Who SBX Pro Studio activated and sensitively with the "Crystalizer" and "Bass" play settings, can experience how the curtain rises, the sound much more powerful and vivid will without having the same unrealistic is falsified. Clear, may exaggerate one does not, but even in my class headphones (T90 and T5p) a Crystalizer setting of 50% and a bass adjustment of 56% is currently listening properly. Who headphones with larger deviations from the ideal flat frequency response, this can have a 10-band equalizer (not parametric, but that really plays with 10 bands also no longer matters) to compensate. Wow! In my headphones the equalizer remains of course.
The "Surround" function is, at least for the stereo lovers, superfluous. In my case it is disabled, being more disadvantages than advantages in bringing stereo. The same applies to the "Dialogue Plus" feature as well as all "Crystal Voice" features. The latter may be good at special material as audiobooks or bad abgemischtem material for music in general is allowed it disables better.
IMPORTANT: Definitely steer clear of the "Smart Volume" feature !! These works (at least in the current version) is simply not true: It produces namely, among other strange sound effects (a sudden completely dull and quieter sound), an extremely annoying noise deutlichst already at mittellautem musical material is audible! In another review it is mentioned; the reviewer has returned the equipment so, but he should have just disable "Smart Volume", because then the noise to hear any more (even in quiet passages, or in "break" position). Maybe there's even once a software update that corrects this error, but frankly, I do not care, because "Smart Volume" and the concomitant dynamics limit is not always my thing and IMHO only of interest to people who are part of the operate on the home system and at night may not annoy the neighbors with peaks.
If you have then in the app their favorite settings "zurechtgefummelt", you can save them to a profile, and also the last activated settings are maintained in the E5 hardware. Extremely practical, because as can be several individual settings for various source devices and headphones detect and restore with a few taps.
How is the sound now absolutely classify?
Even considering the price range is clear that the E5 to my many expensive PC high-end chain does not reach or even trumps. Since then missing but the last 10-20% precision and fine dynamics. But "bad" is the E5 so far, quite the contrary: He hits really bravely. Rock, Pop and Jazz are vivid and make really fun, airiness and spaciousness are at a high level. T90 and T5p be driven in the low gain stage easily at harmful levels, without there would be distortions. A really weak-efficiency headphones I have not, unfortunately, but I'm pretty confident that the E5 also provides for the sufficient power.
For the sound alone, I would, in absolute terms give, solid 4 stars.
The affordable price, the flexible input and output options and the almost perfect opportunities involved for highest sonic quality via app, 5 stars for the overall package are earned more than honest.
Only annoying is permanently installed and is not (at least not self) replaceable battery. If this gives up the ghost in a few years, is more than something with an external battery pack. A replaceable battery, possibly even standard AA cells, the royal road would have been here. But still: High quality lithium-polymer batteries (and such a type is installed in the E5) be 2,000 to 3,000 charge cycles and to keep in my experience with other devices quite 10 years or longer before you show serious weaknesses. So I'm on this point rather little worries.
Clumsy is certainly that (according to a statement on the other reviews, I myself have not tried it yet) when connected to the phone via USB forcibly of the phone battery is charged from the E5 battery. I close - hypothetically - my almost empty Note 3 with 3200 mAh battery on the E5 on, while the E5 battery is by no later than 2 hours, the cell phone battery again (almost) full but completely sucks, and it would have been then with listening to music. I would like to see but that the charging function would be switched off.
The "Smart Volume" feature of the permanently installed battery and forced charging of the mobile phone when connected via USB are then but already the single hair that I've found in the soup. Otherwise, the E5 is a very good device that is worth every penny. Full recommendation from my side.
Thank you have persevered this far. I hope my review is helpful to you. If so, I am pleased with a click on the Yes button.
