Creative doesn't have a huge presence in western markets, but it is a major player in Asia. The Sound Blaster series has a rich heritage of delivering standout audio products at a good value, and it started out making sound cards that could be plugged into a PCIe interface. I have fond memories of using the Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty sound cards back in college, and the brand has diversified into a host of new categories in recent years.
In what is a natural evolution, Creative makes Sound Blaster DACs these days, and the X5 is the brand's most ambitious offering yet. The X5 contains two Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs and custom amps that allow it to effortlessly power any headset, including demanding planar options.
