Creative Sound Blaster X4 - External USB DAC and Amp Sound Card Manual

OVERVIEW

Front View

1. Volume Control Knob
2. Microphone Control Button
3. Mode Button
4. Super X-Fi Button
5. LED Ring
6. Microphone-in (Mono)
7. Headphones / Headset Jack

Back View

8. Front-out (L / R)
9. Side-out (L / R)
10. Rear-out (L / R)
11. Center / Subwoofer
12. Line / Optical-in
13. Optical-out
14. USB-C Port

CONNECTIVITY

1. Microphone
2. Headset
3. Headphones

4. 2.1 Analog Speaker
5. 7.1 Analog Speaker System
6. 5.1 Analog Speaker System
7. Mobile Device
8. Digital Audio Player
9. AV Receiver
10. USB Wall Power Adapter*
    * DC 5V, 1A (not included)
11. PC / Mac
12. Nintendo Switch™ Dock
13. PS5™
14. PS4™

1. Front
2. Side
3. Rear
4. Center / Subwoofer
5. Line-in
6. Optical-in*
7. HDMI to Optical Converter
8. HDMI Cable
9. Optical-out
10. USB-C to USB-C Cable
11. USB-C to USB-A Cable*

*Included

BUTTON FUNCTIONS AND LED INDICATORS

1. Volume Control Knob
   
   Turn the knob left / right to decrease / increase playback's, microphone's or Audio Balance's volume. Press and hold to initiate Bluetooth Pairing*.
   *Bluetooth connection is reserved for device control and Super X-Fi profile upload only. Audio streaming is not available via Bluetooth

   BLUE	Playback Volume
   RED	Microphone Volume
   GREEN / ORANGE / CYAN	Audio Balance
   WHITE	Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Connection

2. Microphone Control Button
   
   Press once to switch to Mic control. Use Volume Control Knob to control Mic Input Level. Press the Volume Control Knob once to mute Mic.
   Press and hold to activate / deactivate Audio Balance.

   LED OFF	Mic Input – Off
   RED	Mic Input – On
   GREEN	Audio Balance – On

3. Audio Balance
   
   Press and hold the Microphone Control Button to enable / disable Audio Balance. Turn the knob clockwise to increase your game's audio level while reducing chat's volume audio. Turn the knob counterclockwise to increase your chat's volume level while reducing the game's audio level. Press the Volume Control Knob once to reset the balance.
   *Audio Balance is available on PC, Mac, and PS5 / PS4 only

   GREEN	Audio Balance – On
   ORANGE	Audio Source – Sound Blaster X4's SPDIF-out endpoint
   CYAN	Audio Source – Sound Blaster X4's speakers endpoint

4. Mode Button
   
   Press to cycle through EQ modes. When Super X-Fi is disabled, users may select from three different EQ modes by pressing the Mode button. When Super X-Fi is enabled, only EQ for SXFI mode is available.
   You may also customize and assign their own EQs to any of the EQ modes on the Creative app to better suit your preference.

   LED OFF	EQ – Off
   GREEN	EQ for SXFI* *Only available when Super X-Fi is enabled
   WHITE	Mode 1 – Music
   PURPLE	Mode 2 – Movies
   BLUE	Mode 3 – Footsteps Enhancer
   ORANGE	Direct Mode (Press and hold)

5. Super X-Fi Button
   
   Press and hold to switch between Line-out (Speaker) and Headphones-out. While in Headphones mode, press once to enable / disable Super X-Fi.
   Set up your Super X-Fi profile by following the instructions provided under "Setting Up Super X-Fi".

   LED OFF	Line-out (Speaker)
   GREEN	Headphones-out: Super X-Fi – On
   BLUE	Headphones-out: SXFI BATTLE Mode – On
   ORANGE	Headphones-out: Super X-Fi – Off

AUDIO BALANCE SETUP

PC Setup:

• Settings > System > Sound > Sound Control Panel > Playback Tab > Speakers (Sound Blaster X4) > Right Click Speakers... "Set As Default Device"
• Settings > System > Sound > Sound Control Panel > Playback Tab > SPDIF Out (Sound Blaster X4) > Right Click SPDIF Out... "Set As Default Communications Device"

Mac Setup:

• System Preferences > Sound > Output > "Sound Blaster X4 Speakers"
• Application's Audio Output Settings > "Sound Blaster X4 SPDIF Out"

PS5 / PS4 Setup:

For more information, please visit creative.com/support/SBX4

SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD

Personalize your audio experience with Sound Blaster X4 on the Creative app. Download the software and its user manual at creative.com/support/SBX4.

Creative app

PC

Download the Creative app for your PC from creative.com/support/SBX4 to gain complete control of your audio experience with the Sound Blaster X4.

iOS and Android

Control your Sound Blaster X4 even while it's connected to your console! Simply download the Creative app from Apple's App Store or Google Play Store to start.

With the Creative app, you can:

• Access and control our all-new SmartComms Kit's suite of smart communication features such as VoiceDetect, NoiseClean-in, and NoiseClean-out to improve your online communication experience
• Personalize audio effects with Sound Blaster Acoustic Engine's sound mode features such as Surround, Bass, Crystalizer, Smart Volume, and Dialog Plus
• Experience professionally-tuned audio presets for movies, music, and games
• Set up speakers and headphones' configurations
• Adjust playback and recording settings

*SmartComms Kit and Sound Blaster Acoustic Engine are currently available on PC only

SUPER X-FI PERSONALIZATION

Unleash the performance of Super X-Fi with SXFI App. The app allows you to personalize your Super X-Fi profile through an advanced Head & Ear-Mapping process for a complete Super X-Fi experience.

Download SXFI App from:

iOS App Store

Google Play Store

TECHICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Wireless Type: Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
• Maximum RF Output Power: 4 dBm
• Operating RF range: 2402–2480 MHz
• Input: 5V 1A
• Operating Temperature: 0–40°C

OTHER INFORMATION

Please visit creative.com/compliance/SBX4 for user guide and safety and regulatory information.

PRODUCT REGISTRATION

Registering your product ensures you receive the most appropriate service and product support available.

You can register your product within the Creative app or at www.creative.com/register.

Keep this document for future reference.

PN 03SB181500000 Rev B