Creative's long awaited new line of sound cards is here. Today, we take a thorough look at the new entry-level model called "Sound Blaster Z". The sound card comes equipped with the new Sound Core processor and Creative even bundles it with a decent microphone.

I bought this card because Win 10 wouldn't let me run all the sound software that came with my MB and I figured it seems to be modern and very popular but now I realize it's popularity is probably ONLY due to their marketing.

Nice to look at; Pretty gold connector jacks; Great marketing team; Pushes extremely loud and decently clean sound out to headphones and speakers

Yes, that red light is obnoxiously bright; Loud popping through outputs when powering on/off PC; The control panel is extremely awkward; Only one audio stream in, only one out at a time (but we should know that from the description); Latency on the microphone is horrific and unpredictable

This sound card is very good, after I installed and configured it I just noticed the difference between my onboard and this one. The effects are good, the SBX Pro Studio is very powerful, there's some issues as driver supports from Creative, they don't continued supporting these cards so much, but...

Very good performance to price ratio. Very pleased with ease of setup and features. Good speakers will benefit from a sound card.

good clear definition from my setup; Good price to features ratio

Red led light; if you don't want your box lit up

I got this sound card to replace my Asus Xonar DG which died on me. The difference in sound quality between this card and the Asus is quite noticeable. Much more clarity and crispness in the high end. Bass seems punchier and more detailed.

Great sound; Excelent gaming and music performance; great software

Plugs on the back are poorly labeled; You need the manual to know what's what; No option for a front CD drive panel

Replaced my dead Auzentech X-Fi Forte and I was very skeptical of the SQ this card would provide. I was pleasantly surprised by how awesome this card sounds when dialed in! Even better that Windows 10 actually recognizes it and the drivers work (Auzentech required 3rd party drivers but still sounded...

this was a perfect step up from my Audigy 2 zs. excellent sound,decent price,5 minute install for hardware and software. The 3d aspect of this card will blow your mind, it took songs of mine that I thought the 3d sounds I put in were gone. nope it was all there extra crisp, clean and clear.

It's great if all you're doing is listening to music.. but if you need it to use skype, vent, etc, then no. I thought maybe mine was just faulty, but after reading online it seems that others have had the same problem.

Gaming with the Sound Blaster Z is truly a spectacular experience. The Sound Blaster Z is an ideal all-round solution for your PC gaming and entertainment needs. It comes complete with the Sound Blaster Beamforming Microphone for crystal clear voice communication.

Well Built; Lighting; Great sound quality; Beam mic

Better than Onboard but with todays tech; not substanitially; no light control :

OEM product No software or Installation disc, must go to Sound Blaster site to download any help! They then want to sell you add on items! I did install my board OK! The reason for only 3 stars is that I thought it came with installation software!