Sound Blaster G8 Hi-Res Gaming DUAL USB DAC and Amp

While motherboard manufacturers continue to improve their onboard sound solutions, I still find myself using an externa Amp/DAC solution.  There is something about having the controls at your fingertips no matter what you have open. Fortunately, the engineers at Creative continue to up their game.

Today we will be looking at their latest external Amp/DAC, the Sound Blaster G8 Hi-Res Gaming DUAL USB DAC and Amp. The G8 is smaller, better and comes with a few new tricks up its sleeve!

Coming from my trusty Sound Blaster X5, the G8 is positively tiny measuring in at 125.7 x 90.7 x 52.4 mm (~4.95 x 3.57 x 2.06 inches). Most of that dominated by the two control dials. The general shape is tapered like a keyboard with a set of two long feet to keep things from shifting around.

The color scheme is a modern two tone mix of black and metallic grey plastics. The weight is surprisingly light at 265g (~9.35 Oz) making it one of the lightest DACs I have used. Technology!

Let’s take a look at what the G8 offers.

• Dual USB Audio Input and Mixing
• Up to 32-Bit / 384 kHz Playback
• Proprietary XAMP Dedicated Amplifier
• Sound Blaster Acoustic Engine
• Scout Mode
• Vast Connectivity Options

GameVoice Mix:

• PS4
• PS5 (PS5 requires optional HDMI to SPDIF converter)

Controls:

• Master volume dial
• GameVoice Mix dial
• Headphone gain switch
• SBX button
• Mode Button
• HP / SPK Button
• Opt-In / HDMI ARC mode switch

Dimensions: 125.7 x 90.7 x 52.4 mm

Headphone Amp: Output Impedance: 1Ω

Audio Technology:

• CrystalVoice
• Sound Blaster Acoustic Engine
• GameVoice Mix
• Discrete Xamp Bi-amplifier
• Dolby Audio

Platform: USB 2.0, USB 3.0

Connectivity Options (Main):

• 1 x TOSLINK Optical In
• 1 x TOSLINK Optical Out
• 1 x 3.5 mm Line-in
• 1 x 3.5mm Line-out
• 1 x 3.5 mm Mic-in
• 1 x USB C (USB-1) power/data jack for PC/Mac/Consoles
• 1 x USB C (USB-2) power/data jack for Consoles and mobile devices
• 1 x 4-pole Headset jack (3.5mm, CTIA)
• 1 x HDMI ARC

Headphone Amp: Output Impedance: 1Ω

Max Channel Output: Stereo

Supported Operating Systems:

• Windows® 10
• macOS 10.15 and above
• Windows® 11

Included Accessories: 2 x USB-C to USB-C Cable

DAC: Dynamic Range (A-Weighted): 130dB, THD+N: 0.00018%

ADC: Dynamic Range (A-Weighted): 114dB, THD+N: 0.00056%

Power: USB 2.0 / 3.0, USB Bus Powered

Recommended Usage: Gaming

Direct Mode:

• Playback (Stereo): Up to 16/24/32-bit, 44.1 kHz, 48.0 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96.0 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192.0 kHz, 352.8 kHz, 384.0 kHz
• Playback (5.1/7.1): Up to 16/24/32-bit, 44.1 kHz, 48.0 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96.0 kHz, DSP Mode:
• Playback (Stereo): Up to 16/24/32-bit, 44.1 kHz, 48.0 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96.0 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192.0 kHz, 352.8 kHz, 384.0 kHz
• Playback (5.1/7.1): Up to 16/24/32-bit, 44.1 kHz, 48.0 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96.0 kHz

• Mic-in: Up to 16/24/32-bit, 44.1 kHz, 48.0 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96.0 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192.0 kHz
• Optical In: Up to 192.0 kHz
• Line-in: Up to 16/24/32-bit, 44.1 kHz, 48.0 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96.0 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192.0 kHz
• What-U-Hear: Up to 16/24/32-bit, 44.1 kHz, 48.0 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96.0 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192.0 kHz

Creative is the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products. Founded in Singapore in 1981, Creative started with the vision that multimedia would revolutionize the way people interact with their PCs.

Famous for its Sound Blaster sound cards and for launching the multimedia revolution, Creative is now driving digital entertainment with cutting-edge audio solutions, premium wireless speakers, high performance earphone products and portable media devices. The company's innovative hardware, proprietary technology, applications and services enable consumers to experience high-quality digital entertainment - anytime, anywhere.

Since launching the phenomenally successful Sound Blaster sound cards and setting the de-facto standard for PC audio in 1989, Creative has been able to leverage on its leading-edge audio technology, a huge user base of 400 million, and strong brand name to expand into the exciting lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment (PDE) market.