Sound Blaster G3 Review - Best soundcard for Playstation & PC?

Not a technical review, but sharing how the G3 works in different scenarios that I have encountered. I use this mainly on my PS4 and PC. If you want to use the G3 on a PS5 or Mac, check out the Detailed Guide listed below.
Technical Specs: tinyurl.com/2p9x8f5p
Detailed guide on how to setup the G3: tinyurl.com/yc465zn9
Purchase Links:
INTERNATIONAL
amazon: tinyurl.com/3n2sdsr6
MALAYSIA
Lazada: tinyurl.com/y6736uxf
Shopee: shope.ee/7KMK1CMSNG
Chapters:
04:18 - using it in on my Playstation
05:08 - mixing mode
06:09 - optical out from Playstation (diagram)
06:27 - Playstation audio settings
07:50 - PC mode (diagram)
09:01 - software
13:24 - summary
Music by Streambeats: www.streambeats.com/

[@shaiyahtimmons3122]

Very well done

[@KRATOS_XIX]

Thank you for this informative video

[@AndyKow]

Glad it was helpful!

[@DhruvNaik]

Thank you for this review! I have purchased the G3 for my PS5. Excited for the equaliser feature to see if I can hear more footsteps. I've recently purchased IEMs for gaming, the Truthear zero crinacle edition, and wanted a decent solution to get audio from the ps5 and microphone input. I've got a mod mic from ages ago which I'll try out. You should have more subscribers for the in-depth review you have here!

[@AndyKow]

Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed it. Plugging into the PS5 is straight forward using the USB-C. I have the Truthear Zero too, use it when i don't require a mic.

[@DhruvNaik]

​@@AndyKowawesome good to hear :). Even more excited to try out this combination of IEMs and DAC!

[@TheGwa10]

Did the G3 settings help you hear more footsteps?

[@DhruvNaik]

@@TheGwa10 I can't say definitively that it helps. The ability to change EQ is a great feature but I think with good headphones and the clarity the G3 already provides before EQ settings is already good enough. Sometimes it helps if you have a game like COD where there are lots of explosions etc to dial down a bit of the lower bass.

[@AndyKow]

@@TheGwa10 i really depends on the game your are playing. Apex Legends - yes definitely. Warzone - after some updates the audio seems a bit broken, but you definitely can make out the footsteps more clearly compared to not using the G3. DayZ - works well for me

[@VinnyUnion]

It does what it advertises, it blasts audio at high volume. Jokes aside this thing is great. Plain and simple. Has official cross platform support by the manufacturer. Also that equalizer makes it sound more crisp on and device from the getgo with the lightweight plastic chassis perfect to be carried in a bag.

[@dibarbosaa]

Hi, I have a very old Fiio E7 dac/amp, but it has very good bass for my ears. With this G3 will I get a bass gain compared to the onboard pc? Does it do a good job for music?

[@AndyKow]

That's a good question that is going to be hard to answer. There are a few factors that come into play here. But to answer your question in general, Yes it does a good job for music, only because you have the ability to tweak the settings to your liking. Also a huge Yes it will help with more bass compared to the onboard audio. Some things to consider: Number 1 | may or may not help - the type of Headphones, Earphones or IEM's that you use will greatly enhance the quality of the sound pumping out from the G3 Number 2 | G3 is trying to be an all rounder compared to Fiio which focuses on music, so you may not get the same refinement of audio, unless you play and tweak the G3 settings Number 3 | Personally I haven't used the E7 DAC but from what I have experienced before, any DAC that is music focused tends to do better than other gadgets that are focused for more overall general usage, once again you can tweak to your liking, but I haven't done any comparison to an actual dedicated DAC.

[@vaseelanm]

Hi Andy. In regard to the Chat Mix and PS5... given the limitation of not having the Optical Out is this really a problem? The PS5 has an option to control the chat mix (in party chat not game chat) in the audio settings. Will this function work if connecting via the DAC? or is only a feature when plugging into the controller directly? Is the DAC's chat mix something to give you control of Game Chat volumes?

[@AndyKow]

Hey @vaseelanmoodley2299, thanks for the question. I would say no. Not having the optical out on the PS5 does not cause any problems. You can use the DAC plugged into the unit and just control the mix within the PS party chat. The real benefit of the optical out from the PS is that you can isolate the Chat Audio (optical) to one channel and have the game audio (USB) on another channel and control the mix directly from the DAC unit itself by just using your thumb. Another benefit to having the optical-in is when you do connect to a PC or another audio device that allows optical out and you want to feed that audio into the PS. But you don't need to use the optical cable as a 3.5mm connector will work as well in the same port on the DAC. eg 3.5mm PC to 3.5mm DAC. Hope this helps. If you have any further questions, shoot :D

[@vaseelanm]

@@AndyKow Thanks for your quick response. This does help. I am looking at grabbing the Logitech G Pro X headset (wired) and it comes with its own DAC which unlocks presets and eq tuning. I believe that one could set the eq etc. on pc and the saved profile will remain when plugging into the console. i stand to be corrected on this. Do you think it is worth buying a supplementary/alternate DAC? - possibly Sound Blaster G3 which allows eq tuning via mobile app on the fly.

[@KRATOS_XIX]

Hello Andy! What is the purpose of the Creative app? Because it can't detect my G3. Am I missing out on features if I cant connect to it? The only app that works on my G3 is the SB Command. Thanks in advance and Happy New Year!

[@AndyKow]

I've checked out both apps before, think they connect the same way. But in any case you aren't missing out on any features are they both provide the same necessary tools.

[@KRATOS_XIX]

@@AndyKow Thank you Andy!

[@johncole4882]

I'm getting conflicting information about whether or not this is compatible with PS5 because it doesn't have an optical output. I'll only be using headphones without a mic. Anyone know?

[@AndyKow]

Hey John. I have confirmed that the PS5 does NOT have an Optical TOSLINK Port. It uses HDMI for both video and audio. The G3 is still compatible with the PS5 if you plug it into the USB port and it works like an external sound card giving you options to plug your headphones to get all audio. Just make sure all audio is outputting to the G3 and you should be good to go. Hope this helps.

[@techroom6701]

The Sound Demo of G3 you can find here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqCXoKqen9NjbJY

[@AndyKow]

Thanks for sharing.

[@Bennyblades44]

Hey if you see this do you know if there is a delay with the mic monitoring like on the g6? I’m using an old Astro mixamp currently and trying to find a decent solution for side tone so I don’t yell at night and wake my roommates up lol

[@AndyKow]

Hey Benny, so far I haven't noticed any delay when mic monitoring. But then again I am running a simple setup.

[@younusyounus3873]

Thanks for your review. I wonder if can I connect external source by Line in and record in my laptop?

[@AndyKow]

Tested and the answer is YES. Any souce you plug into the Line In will be picked up on your laptop as long as you change the mic input to Line In from the G3. Hope this helps.

[@younusyounus3873]

@@AndyKow 1000 Thanks 🙏

[@younusyounus3873]

@@AndyKow I have another question please 🙏. Can I remastered audio songs by use creative blaster g3 and software I need some information to help me because I have many 16bit flac albums to convert 24bit 96khz.

[@KRATOS_XIX]

Hi Andy! How do you increase the volume for the G3 when using the SB Command app on your phone? For the life of me, I can't seem to find it LOL 😂 I got the Sound Blaster Command app from Play Store. Thanks in advance.

[@AndyKow]

Hey Kratos. You should see the mic and volume icon at the bottom of the app. It's clearly visible and once its connected to the device you can adjust both mic and volume levels.

[@KRATOS_XIX]

@@AndyKow I got it. Thanks man. You're awesome.

[@KRATOS_XIX]

@@AndyKow Sorry! What I meant is the EQ volume booster if that makes any sense. I heard from someone that you can boost the EQ even more if you crank it up to 9 or something? I forgot who I heard that from though 😂

[@AndyKow]

Yup you heard right, so you select one of the profiles by tapping the Equalizer - that will bring you to another section where you can adjust the Bass, Treble and Gain (if i'm not mistaken) if you boost that last one up the volume of the headset will increase.

[@KRATOS_XIX]

@@AndyKow Thank you for helping me, I really appreciate it. Keep these awesome video coming.

[@K0vasz]

does it improves noise ratio/clarity compared to a motherboard audio?

[@AndyKow]

Good question, I haven't tested that before. Come to think of it, I haven't noticed any noise issues when using both on-board and the G3. Clarity, really depends on what headset you plug into it and also what EQ settings you set through the app. If you're talking out of the box, I'd say the clarity is great.

[@amanwithashotgun7341]

Is SB G3 it enough for dt 990 pro 250 ohm

[@AndyKow]

I personally haven't tested the G3 with a high ohm requirement, but the G3's amp is able to support all headphones with impedance of up to 300 ohms. Try purchasing at a store with a return policy just in case :D

[@dhonzlimlingan0118]

mobile phone call of duty mobile.. did you hear enemy footstep?

[@AndyKow]

Let me check that out and get back to you.