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

Software support is provided through the familiar Sound Blaster application.  I recommend downloading the latest version when upgrading your Sound Blaster devices. This review uses Version 1.2.1.02.00.  We immediately upgrade the G8 firmware to Version 1.1.250218.936 released on 6/30/25.

When properly connected via the USB-1 port, you will get the following modules: Sound Mode, Acoustic Engine, 10 band Equalizer (EQ), CrystalVoice, Direct Mode, Scout Mode, Decoder and a Mixer.

In Headphone mode, the G8 can produce an ultra-low headphone impedance of 1Ω and drives headphones and in-ear monitors from 8Ω to 600Ω effortlessly.

For more information, visit our Sound Blaster X5 Review.

Testing audio quality is very subjective and cannot be measured without thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment.  Even then, no two people hear sound quite the same way.  Still comparing audio provides a way to determine how clearly you might hear different instruments on a music track or how well you can identify direction in a surround sound game.

For gaming testing, I connected my trust Sennheiser PC 363D headphones in and played some extended sessions of Battlefield 2042. I set the sound mode to Gaming but also discovered a Battlefield Series setting in the supported games list. Both updates the Equalizer settings and enable Scout Mode by default. Sound clarity was outstanding providing crisp directional audio. Identifying the direction of gunfire or enemy footsteps has never been easier!

To test the audio, I used my Sennheiser HD 6xx headphones.  I tested in both Direct mode and in the Music preset. The HD 6xx headphones are an industry recognized 300ohm setup that really thrives under the individually amplified audio channels.

I fired up some of my favorite FLAC recordings. As always, I like to start with Pink Floyd’s Money to get a good impression of the richness of the sound stage and the positioning.  Rifling through test tracks continued to impress! Without adjusting the equalizer, the sound is rich and neutral.

To test the G8 as a preamp/DAC I connected the subwoofer from our recent subwoofer project  and a set of Creative’s E-MU XM7 Speakers. Sound was just as clear as my Sound Balster X5 and the sound stage was just as good as some of my full-sized audio devices.

The Sound Blaster G8 Hi-Res Gaming DUAL USB DAC and Amp shows just how far the Creative engineers have come. The level of sound quality in such a small device is astonishing. With support for SBX Pro Studio and a new custom-designed Xamp discrete bi-amplifier, the G8 easily handled both my gaming and audiophile headphones.

Adding in the Dual input options and the G8 is eager to handle your streaming needs as well. While the G8 is clearly targeted at gamers and streamers, I can easily recommend the Sound Blaster G8 for anyone looking for a small but powerful external DAC solution. It packs a lot of power into a small, easy to use package.