Creative Sound Blaster Z SE Internal PCI-e Sound Card and DAC, 24-bit / 192 kHz, 116 dB SNR, Discrete 5.1/Virtual 7.1 Surround, Dolby Digital and DTS

Picked this up in the sale for silly money. My motherboard didn't have an optical out, so I thought I would try a sound card at the same time as adding the optical port to my PC. The SB was on sale, so... The card arrives in a nice box with some basic instructions. You need to go to the SB website to download the software. Unlike older versions of SB cards you just get two applications now, the main one you want is the Command Center. Note that in all installations (with or without the Command Center) the card defaults to 5.1 output so is completely messed if you just plug the card in an some headphones. You need to switch the output to Stereo in the Command Center. The options are Stereo (2.0), 2.1, 4.0, 4.1 and 5.1. There are options for the type of speakers and of course headphones too. The application is simple and easy to understand. Offers the processing you would expect as well as direct mode (no processing at all). Of course you can also select the optical out from Windows (I couldn't see any way of selecting that from the application although there is probably some way). Sound is excellent. Surprisingly, it was much better than the sound from my motherboard. This was largely a tonal thing, as many audiophiles may understand that while quality is often down to money, tone can vary no matter how much you spend... or don't. I was driving a pair of Edifier 2000DB's, and while basic quality, they are capable of good sound, and certainly worked far better with the SB than with my motherboard. There was very little noise from the SB, and the optical connection showed no signs of the clicks that can happen when you change source applications. There were some feint clicks when the PC rebooted, but these were far better than I have heard with some combinations. All in all, it works very well. Money well spent. Highly recommended.

Horrible subtle buzzing sound when I first plugged this in. Only happened when the GPU was under load. Very annoying. Fixed it by printing a plastic spacer so the card would no longer contact with the case screw. Now the card performs very well, sounds great. It is compatible with Windows 10 (haven't tried any other OS yet). It has powerful outputs, if anything my only complaint is difficulty controlling the volume, my 250ohm beyerdynamic headphones can't handle more than around 5/100 volume under Windows. Installs like any PCIe card.

I've always had good quality sound systems and I've always gone for Sound Blaster soundcards to compliment the sound systems. I own 2 of these cards now, the latest purchase was to upgrade my Sound blaster Audigy card which was becoming more and more buggy in Windows 11. As soon as all the drivers were installed and the firmware was updated this worked perfectly alongside my Logitech Z906 sound system. Like all Sound Blaster cards the ability to tune the audio to your own personal preference is possible with little to no effort. The sound quality bump was also noticeable even from the Audigy FX so anyone upgrading from onboard sound will notice a massive difference. Installation is easy if you are comfortable working with PC components, if you are less comfortable I would recommend watching a video before installing, but this can be installed by most without the need of a professional. I think this is excellent value for money given the audio quality upgrade you get from this.

I have had no choice but to review a 1 star as i just could not get this to work on my system so to be fair wanted to review the pros and cons. I have a brand new high end I9 pc with windows 11. I had initially an Asus soar which was supplied and did not work.. so bought This one SoundBlaster Zse The price is good. I will say straight off the batt that Creative online support have been good and tried sending me reams of ways to get it to work. The thing is i really believe its a software update issue and the card probably is okay. That said i bought the uprated Creative pcie 5 plus which has worked straight out of the box so not therefore my system I believe they know there is an issue in that within seconds they sent me two pages of things to do to try and get it to work. The software itself is actually good. easy to use etc. It would work for a while and on restart would need to be taken off and reloaded etc etc. I got it to work in the end all the time BUT only on 2.1 and not 5.1 After very many hours i gave up. Having read the reviews my advice is that if you get it and it works fine its good value but bin it if not as you will waste too much time and just buy the uprated one.

I am NOT an "audiophile", just like nice sounding music. I bought this, as my motherboard (a gigabyte with Realtek sound) just sounded really "meh" when piped to my recently aquired Logitech z906 5.1 speakers. I felt there is some softness in the midtones. It just did not feel impressive. However, when i switch to optical direct to my speakers, bypassing the onboard sound, it was noticably better (though has its limitations too). And after trying to update my drivers, trying third party drivers and having crashes, faulty control panels etc going on forums for advise, being told my motherboard actually has great audio for onboard sound, I decided to bite the bullet and get this, as i have used soundblasters in the past (SBPro2, AWE32, Live5.1, Audigy 2ZS, and even a GC7) Wow! even without ANY processing on the soundcard (all SBX profiles and equaliser turned off in SB Command) the difference was night and day, I can now hear a far better midtones and sound overall, turning on profiles and EQ on a case by case basis improves it more. Easy to install, small confusion on the drivers, solved pretty quickly, and it was prety much up and running. I think its a perfectly decent card, and a good buy overall. the software and drivers are not intrusive, nor do they seem to bog the system down either. I knocked a star because of the driver issues, and that it really should have come with a headphone/mic extender (some older version apparently came with it). Worse, you are unable to even buy from creative the dock any more, as its no longer sold

I recently purchased a 2nd hand Sound Blaster Z from a seller on ebay. The seller asured me it was 100% fully working prior to sending it to me. Upon recieving ..the packaging wasn't the best, basically the seller went all cheap and sent it in a used amazon cardboard envolope with some bit of take on it pffff...And not to mention it wasnt even protected in a static bag or even in a bubble wrap!!! Upon installing on my motherboard & booting in to window 10 i found something a miss & was expecting Win 10 to automatically install its drivers by default which never happened. I then looked in Device manager & noticed the SB Z was not in there under sound ect!!! I then went to my motherboard Bios ,low & behold my motherboard did not detect the SB Z. I tried all 4 PCIE ports on my motherboard to no avail & the SB Z not being detected I then looked on Amazon for other options where i saw the SB Z SE ...Great i thought as this was a newer verion of the SB Z. I quickly ordered one with next day delivery. Upon installion to my motherboard the SB Z SE was detected instantly which was a plus side for me Then the newer drivers for windows 10 was a breeze & had more features than befor . I have been an avid SB fan for some time & never had any issues with there sound cards untill i received a faulty SB Z from a Ebay seller. Anyways the SB Z SE was just what i was looking for . Great sound card at a good price & worth the money.

I haven't had a Sound Blaster product in twenty years, but opted for this one on the basis of other reviews. I wasn't disappointed, this car is brilliant! I've installed it in a new PC, which is used for general purposes. It was easy to install and connect to. The software was easily downloaded and installed, and the interface is easy to set up and use. There are several settings, some of which I haven't yet used. I use it with headphones a lot of the time and it has a set-up for many brands, including the Sennheiser HD201 that I use. The sound is a huge improvement over my old PC. For when I want to use loudspeakers, I've used a pair of Creative Gigaworks T40 S2 powered speakers. The quality playing back music is on a par with my hi-fi system. A huge improvement on my previous PC which used an Asus card. I don't play games, but I suspect it would be good there too. An excellent product and well worth the money.

I brought this new model because my internal motherboard sound drivers triggered a BSOD - not good! I had suspected this for a while, but found the culprit when a specific driver filename appeared in a BSOD message while updating Windows. The accompanying software which can be downloaded from the website has a range of options, most of which I do not use as I have stereo speakers. It has Dolby and DTS encoding amongst other things. Like all sound cards you need to check that the software configuration matches your setup or you could find yourself hearing muffled sound (or no sound at all) when playing YouTube videos. One thing to note: no screws are included as common with many components, so make sure you have separate mounting screws to hand.

La Sound Blaster Z SE è una scheda audio e DAC PCI-e pensata per un'esperienza di intrattenimento e gioco ad alte prestazioni. Personalmente, stavo cercando un prodotto che potesse pilotare delle cuffie con jack da 3,5 mm da studio e ho trovato questa scheda per un prezzo che considero imbattibile. La scheda dispone sia di una uscita che di un'entrata ottica, il che permette di pilotare cuffie con un'impedenza fino a 300 ohm e di essere compatibile con numerosi giochi. In abbinamento a un paio di cuffie da studio, permette di superare qualunque cuffia da gaming presente sul mercato. Il programma di gestione della scheda dispone di molti parametri già preimpostati per i film e per quasi tutti i giochi competitivi esistenti. La scheda è facile da montare e da configurare e dispone di un sistema che amplifica i passi per ottenere un vantaggio sui giocatori avversari. Il prezzo è molto conveniente e, a mio avviso, non si può trovare di meglio sul mercato. Si tratta di un acquisto obbligatorio per chi gioca in maniera competitiva ed è utilizzata anche da persone che giocano ai videogiochi come professione. La Sound Blaster Z SE è in grado di pilotare un amplificatore per l'ascolto di audio come al cinema fino a 5.1 canali. Il processore audio utilizzato è il Sound Core3D e il rapporto segnale/rumore (SNR) è di 116 dB. La piattaforma supportata è il PC con PCI-e x1, mentre le opzioni di ingresso principale sono le seguenti: uscita altoparlanti con 3 jack da 3,5 mm, uscita ottica con 1 TOSLINK, ingresso ottico con 1 TOSLINK, cuffie con 1 jack amplificato da 3,5 mm e ingresso linea/mic con 1 jack da 3,5 mm. Le tecnologie audio supportate sono SBX Pro Studio, CrystalVoice, Scout Mode, codifica DTS Connect e Dolby Digital Technology. La scheda è compatibile con i seguenti sistemi operativi: Windows® 8, Windows® 10 e Windows® 11. La fedeltà audio è fino a 24-bit / 192kHz e supporta anche la tecnologia ASIO 2.0. In definitiva, la Sound Blaster Z SE è una scheda audio molto versatile e conveniente, ideale per chi cerca un prodotto di alta qualità adatto sia all'intrattenimento che al gioco competitivo. Le sue molteplici funzionalità e la facilità di configurazione la rendono un'ottima scelta per gli appassionati di giochi e audio ad alta definizione. Le specifiche tecniche del prodotto in questione, ovvero Specifiche TECNICHE: Processore audio Sound Core3D Rapporto segnale/rumore (SNR) 116 dB Piattaforma PC - PCI-e x1 Opzioni ingresso (principale): Uscita altoparlanti: 3 x Jack da 3,5 mm Uscita ottica: 1 x TOSLINK Ingresso ottico: 1 x TOSLINK Cuffie: 1 x Jack amplificato da 3,5 mm Ingresso linea/Mic: 1 x Jack da 3,5 mm Max potenza in uscita dei canali: 5.1 canali, 7.1 virtuale Tecnologie audio: SBX Pro Studio CrystalVoice Scout Mode Codifica DTS Connect Dolby Digital Technology Sistemi operativi supportati: Windows® 8, Windows® 10, Windows® 11 Fedeltà audio: Fino a 24-bit / 192kHz ASIO: ASIO 2.0 Pro: -Prezzo conveniente rispetto ad altre schede audio e DAC sul mercato. -Buona qualità audio fino a 24-bit / 192kHz. -Supporta cuffie con impedenza fino a 300 ohm. -Compatibile con molteplici giochi e film. -Facile da installare e configurare. -Ampia scelta di opzioni di ingresso e uscita. -Programma con parametri preimpostati per i giochi e i film. -Funzionalità Scout Mode che amplifica i passi per avere un vantaggio competitivo nei giochi. -Possibilità di pilotare un amplificatore per ascolto di audio fino a 5.1 canali. Contro: -Alcuni utenti hanno lamentato problemi di compatibilità con alcuni sistemi operativi. -La qualità audio potrebbe non essere sufficiente per gli utenti più esigenti in termini di audio professionale. -Potrebbero esserci problemi di interferenza con altre schede audio sullo stesso sistema. Inoltre, è importante sottolineare che la Sound Blaster Z SE è in produzione da molti anni e io stesso l'ho già acquistata due volte e subito revisioni, ma la scheda è rimasta la stessa, il che dimostra la sua affidabilità e popolarità tra i consumatori. Essendo un prodotto consolidato sul mercato, ci sono molte recensioni positive e riscontri degli utenti che testimoniano la qualità della scheda audio e la sua capacità di soddisfare le esigenze di gioco e intrattenimento. Il fatto che sia ancora in produzione e richiesta dagli utenti è un segno della sua validità e dell'attenzione che Creative ha per i suoi prodotti, mantenendo la Sound Blaster Z SE un'opzione valida per chi cerca una scheda audio di alta qualità e prestazioni. Con la Sound Blaster Z SE, non solo otterrai un vantaggio competitivo nel gioco, ma anche un'esperienza audio di alta qualità a un prezzo accessibile. Non è necessario essere un audiomane per apprezzare il suono cristallino che questa scheda audio produce! Sarei molto grato se poteste lasciare un feedback positivo se il mio aiuto vi è stato utile. Grazie per la vostra considerazione

Has a very good software 👏🏻👍🏻

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 estrellas) Quiero compartir mi experiencia con la tarjeta de sonido interna y DAC PCIe Creative Sound Blaster Z SE, que ha elevado mi experiencia de audio a otro nivel gracias a su calidad de sonido inigualable y sus funciones avanzadas. La instalación de la tarjeta de sonido fue sencilla y rápida. La conecté a mi placa base mediante el slot PCIe correspondiente y, en poco tiempo, pude disfrutar de un sonido excepcional en mis juegos, películas y música. La tarjeta de sonido Creative Sound Blaster Z SE ofrece una calidad de sonido de 24 bits/192 kHz, lo que significa una reproducción de audio clara y detallada. Además, quiero destacar que la salida de audio digital permite una experiencia de sonido envolvente 5.1 de alta calidad. Pude disfrutar de un audio envolvente y realista en mis juegos y películas, sumergiéndome por completo en la acción. El software que viene incluido con la tarjeta de sonido es realmente impresionante. Me permitió ajustar y personalizar los parámetros de sonido según mis preferencias. Pude cambiar rápidamente entre sonido Dolby Digital y DTS, adaptándome a diferentes contenidos y optimizando la experiencia de audio en cada caso. Además, la interfaz del software es intuitiva y fácil de usar, lo que facilita la configuración y los ajustes personalizados. Un consejo útil es aprovechar al máximo las capacidades del software incluido para personalizar y ajustar el sonido de acuerdo con tus preferencias y el contenido que estés reproduciendo. En resumen, la tarjeta de sonido Creative Sound Blaster Z SE ha superado mis expectativas en términos de calidad de sonido y funciones avanzadas. La reproducción de audio es excepcional y la capacidad de cambiar rápidamente entre sonido Dolby Digital y DTS agrega un valor adicional a la experiencia de audio. Por todas estas razones, le otorgo una calificación de 5 estrellas.

Habe mir die Soundkarte hauptsächlich geholt fürs Zocken, surfen, bisschen Musik hören am PC. Installation unter Win10 funktioniert problemlos und dauert keine 5 Minuten! Einfach das aktuelle Soundblaster Command Installation File direkt von der Creative Seite saugen und installieren. Danach einfach die Anweisungen befolgen und man muss 2-3x den PC neu starten. Danach läuft die Soundkarte einwandfrei! Gibt auch keine Probleme wenn man den PC in den Ruhemodus fährt oder sonstiges. Weiß nicht was hier andere mit Ihren PCs treiben, bei mir läuft die Karte astrein! Je nachdem was man in der Software einstellt kann man einen echt satten vollen Sound herausholen aus der Karte. Über Klinkenanschluss bekommt man einen recht kräftigen Bass auf die Lautsprecher/Headset. In Games wie Battlefield, Call of Duty usw. fliegen einem die Raketen somit wortwörtlich um die Ohren! Über die Software kann man sich natürlich alles mögliche einstellen, gibt genug Profile und equalizer. Man kann sich alles ganz gut anpassen. Je besser die eigene Soundanlage / Headset ist, desto besser wirds natürlich ! Mikrofon Aufnahmen sind ebenfalls sauber und klar, gibt keine Störgeräusche oder ähnliches von der Karte. Je besser das Mikrofon ist desto besser die Aufnahme natürlich! Für die Z SE gibt es auch für das Mikrofon sogenannte "Presets" die die Aufnahme klarer machen sollen, ist aber nur bedingt zu empfehlen. 2-3 Presets sind ganz okay und können die Stimme/Aufnahme optimieren, aber wahrscheinlich ist es ohne Presets besser. Muss jeder für sich wissen. Habe die Soundkarte auch mit der AE-5 Plus verglichen, auch eine klasse Soundkarte, aber für mich persönlich gewinnt die S ZE wenn man "vollen" Sound mag! Die AE-5 klingt auch klasse, aber ist nicht ganz so Basslastig wie die S ZE. Ist wohl Geschmackssache! Aber der Unterschied ist zu hören! Meine Empfehlung: Für Gaming/Movies = Soundblaster Z SE Für HighRes 32 Bit Sound/Musik und bei teuren Soundanlagen/Headsets = AE-5 Wer also am PC typische 2.1 Lautsprecher oder "Gaming" Kopfhörer unter 200 € hat der kann sich die AE-5 eigentlich sparen, da merkt man kaum einen Unterschied zwischen der Z SE und AE-5. Wer einfach guten kraftvollen Sound in Games haben möchte ist also mit der Soundblaster Z SE gut bedient!

Update apres 1 mois d'echange avec le support creative: l'entree optique (ou "SPDIF") ne supporte que le son PCM stéréo en entrée. N'esperez pas avoir votre source 5.1 transiter par la carte son. La carte son ressort sur l'analogique un semblant de 3.0. La voix est bien renvoyée vers le centre par la magie de la carte mais le surround est basculé vers l'avant. Ce n'est pas méga choquant mais c'est a savoir avant de passer son temps à tenter de resoudre le probleme. surement un DAC externe ferait un meilleur job, reste a avoir les bonnes connectiques. Un ampli + enceintes 5.1 me faciliterait la vie!! **** J’utilisais la sortie analogique 5.1 de ma carte mere asus P5QL pro (pc de 2008) vers le kit 5.1 inspire 5300. Mais j’ai change de TV recemment et le seul moyen d’avoir du son correcte de la source TV (plex, prime) etait d’utiliser une entree optique sur mon PC (ou acheter un ampli et enceinte). Donc j’ai achete la SBZ SE. L’entree optique marche bien et ca ressort vers l’analogique 5.1 (3 fiches jack 3.5). Ca lis aussi les medias de mon PC. La SBZ devient DAC et ampli en quelque sorte. Seul inconvenient: etre dependant de l’ordi pour changer le volume a distance (sinon avec un clavier sans fil ca fait le job) pour les sources de l’optique In. Je ne suis pas sur que le son soit plus clair en general, peut etre plus « propre » oui, mais ce qui est sur c’est que je n’ai plus de parasites dans les enceintes en montant a fond le volume sans piste sonore. Il y a un leger decalage entre l’image de ma BOX en HDMI sur la TV, sortie vers l'entree optique de lcarte son, qui est tres leger maisperceptible. Jen'ai pas d'option de decalage sur la BOX TV, cela doit venir du traitement du signal par lt TV. Je n’ai pas teste l’optique out. Ni le micro ni la sortie casque. Ma TV permet de renvoyer le son en bluetooth donc c’est plus simple pour brancher un casque d’ecoute ponctuellement (routage du son PC vers hdmi out du PC, hdmi in de la TV, bluetooth). Sans installer le soft specique SB ca marchait comme voulu sur windows 10. J’ai teste avec le soft qui installe aussi des drivers, mais je n’ai rien remarque de different a part les modes musique, cine, jeux qui changent un peu le son et bascule la stereo vers l’arriere et eclaircissent les musiques (ca peut meme renvoyer les voix d'une piste stéreo vers l'enceinte centrale). J’ai desinstalle car je n’en ai pas grand interet et ca fait un soft en fond de tache. Il y a effectivement un label DTS etc. Qui doit prendre sens avec l’optique out et un ampli, pas teste. La sortie son est sensée etre Hi-res elle fait 24 bits/192 kHz soit plus que le hi res, mais mes enceintes ou mes oreilles doivent pas etre performantes pour le sentir 😂