Creative Sound Blaster EVO (sans audio cable)

So what happens when you’re given something to review but it’s incomplete? Like, say a set of headphones but without the audio cable? Well, I learned that the show must go on. Review away!

Creative has a long history of providing decent and affordable sound systems (remember these?), but I personally wasn’t aware they also made gaming headsets. The Sound Blaster EVO is their most basic entry in the “EVO” line of headsets, but is there more to it than the flashy red exterior?

I’ll be honest here. I don’t really know what to look for in sound quality. Aside from obvious variances in bass/treble levels and maintaining fidelity at loud volumes, my ears don’t tend to differentiate between headphones very easily. In a way, that can be a good thing; not many people I know are true audiophiles, so I assume the way I hear music is pretty much the same as anybody else’s. 

That said, the Creative Sound Blaster EVO made me hear little details of music that I never noticed before. I have a pair of Urbanears Zinken headphones that I use as my main listening tool, and they suit me just fine – as well they should. But with the EVOs, I heard more. Maybe it’s all in my head, or maybe it’s the “40mm FullSpectrum™ audio drivers” which “are capable of reproducing the full audible range of the audio spectrum.” It’s hard to pin down, but if I had to identify it I would say that the percussions in tracks seemed to have more bite, and vocals were clearer. Now, I’m no expert so please correct me if I’m wrong, but perhaps connecting the headphones to my PC and smartphone through USB rather than 3.5mm output jacks helped.

And yes, I was able to connect the EVOs to my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 through USB with the help of an OTG cable. With it, I could listen to music and movie audio, but not make calls; Android doesn’t have drivers to support external microphones over USB, so it just won’t work. As for audio quality, it’s pretty much the same as over PC. There’s a very slight hiss (unnoticeable except during complete silence) that kind of sounds like pre-amp noise when recording with unbalanced microphones, but that’s it.

Speaking of microphones. This is where, in my opinion, the EVOs shine.  First of all, you’ll notice something quite unusual for a headset. There’s no mic boom, which is great for several reasons: there’s nothing to get in the way of your face; there’s nothing to detach during travel, meaning you don’t have to worry about losing your mic boom; it looks like you’re wearing a regular set of headphones rather than walking around like a telecommuting call center worker. This mic test should help give you an idea of the quality; I’m trying my best to speak as close to a whisper as possible here, because I’m in an office where people are actually working:

Creative advertises the product as using “integrated dual beamforming microphones” and “advanced CrystalVoice™ technologies” that make you sound loud and clear to people on the other end. Unfortunately, because of the lack of an audio cable I didn’t get to test this out on the phone. However, I did get to talk to my buddy on Google Hangout, and he said that it’s probably the best, clearest VOIP experience he’s ever had, beating out the dual microphones integrated on my Logitech C920 webcam at home. He said it’s so clear and free of white noise that he could probably hear me fart. We didn’t get to test that out, but he did hear me whisper an obscene reply, and he appropriately called me out in response. Sorry, Marc.

But this is marketed as a gaming headset. How does it perform in games? Well, it’s hard to say. On the one hand, it’s functional. Playing Counter Strike: Global Offensive with them on enabled me to hear the footsteps of nearby enemies, from behind walls but I had some trouble pinpointing their exact locations – these aren’t surround-sound headphones, so that’s to be expected. Gunfire sounded really, really good, too; the reverberating bass exaggerated every shot, especially with the AWP rifle. On the other hand, I wouldn’t really say these are the best gaming headphones – just really good ones.

However, for extended gaming sessions, I can see these being a great purchase. Unlike my Urbanears Zinkens, the EVOs are very comfortable to keep on my larger-than-average noggin over long periods of time. Because the earcups go around my ears instead of over them (circumaural instead of supra-aural), and because the grip isn’t tight and vice-like, my ears don’t feel uncomfortable pressure. The EVOs are relatively light, and after a while it feels very natural to wear. The lightness shouldn’t be mistaken for flimsiness, though. This thing is durable, and underneath the headband’s faux-leather padding and plastic is solid metal.

Setup is a breeze; just plug and play on PC. Windows 7’s default audio and communications drivers are used, and any EVO-specific device drivers appear to be included in the headphones, so there’s nothing to download. You don’t have to install the suggested software to go with it, but apparently if you do you can get virtual 7.1 surround sound. I can’t vouch for the setup experience on Linux or Mac, though, so YMMV.

The Creative Sound Blaster EVO is a gaming headset that sounds as good as it looks – and because both audio quality and aesthetic design are both semi-subjective, allow me to clarify: These are pretty darn good. But are they worth the Php 6,999.00 asking price? Well, that’s really up to you. There are other choices in this price range, but each one is uniquely styled and has enough differentiating features to make them stand out from each other.