Creative Sound Blaster E5 USB DAC/Amp Combo Discussions | Drop

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Creative Sound Blaster E5 USB DAC/Amp Combo

Audiophile

FULL DISCUSSION

GrizzledGeezer

Sep 18, 2017

My E5 came Saturday. The optical input works fine with my Sony D-FJ75TR Discman and iRiver H120 jukebox. Whether its sound (through Yamaha YHD-1 planar-magnetic headphones) is superior to that from these devices' headphone outputs isn't clear. But it certainly isn't inferior.
What is inferior is the horrible user documentation. I'd gone through it before ordering, but it turned out even worse than expected. It's apparently written by someone whose native language isn't English, and who commits the greatest technical writing sin of all -- assuming the reader already understands how to use the product.
The failure to explain the distinction between the USB Host and USB connections is annoying. Worse is its failure to explain why all the functions of Sound Blaster Central aren't available (particularly Crystal Voice) . It's garbage documentation, written by someone who thinks that because he can use a word processor, he's a qualified technical writer. Be prepared for a long learning curve.
The optical cable supplied is "defective". Like too many so-called TOSLINK cables, it doesn't click into place. And as for cables, the manual says the USB Host cable isn't supplied. Wrong. The orange charging cable works just fine.
The most-important part of any product is the user manual, yet it receives the least attention from most manufacturers, because producing a good one takes time and money. Very few companies get it right.

Sep 18, 2017