Taking a step up from the EVO Zx, we explore the differences provided by the powerful Creative EVO ZxR and see why it deserves your attention.
Product on review: Sound Blaster EVO ZxR
Manufacturer & Sponsor: Creative
Price: MSRP £249.99
The bigger brother to the impressive Sound Blaster EVO Zx comes in swinging several new and improved features. On first glance the EVO ZxR has very similar aesthetics to its stablemates. Though on closer inspection, the ZxR is noticeably larger than the Zx and has additional buttons and features not previously seen.
New features we find exclusive to the ZxR include Active Noice Cancelling (ANC), a talk-through function as well as full spectrum 50mm drivers. Of course many features previously explored such as Near Field Communication (NFC) are still present.
Overview by Creative
How do you enhance audio fidelity from a pair of headphones? Harness the power of audio processing right on your headset! Thanks to the built-in SB-Axx1™ audio processor of the Sound Blaster EVO ZxR headset, you get vastly improved audio delivered to your ears in real-time. Be amazed by what you hear, even if it’s from the most compressed sources.
Specifications & Features
Audio Drivers
50mm FullSpectrum
Headset Frequency Response
20Hz ~ 20kHz
Headset Battery Life
Up To 8 Hours
Audio Technologies
SBX Pro Studio, CrystalVoice
Interface
Bluetooth, 3.5mm Stereo Input, USB
Supported Operating Systems
Mac OS X v10.5 and above, Windows® 8, Windows® 7, Windows® Vista
PACKAGE CONTENTS
Sound Blaster Evo ZxR
Micro USB-to-USB cable – Length: 1.8m (5.91ft)
4-pole analog cable – Length: 1.2m (3.94ft)
Cable length: 1.2m (3.94ft) plus splitter adapter 0.6m (1.97ft)
USB Power Adapter and plugs
Airplane Adapter
Portable carrying case
Quick Start leaflet (Software installation with user guide will be available via online)
50mm FullSpectrum
Headset Frequency Response
20Hz ~ 20kHz
Headset Battery Life
Up To 8 Hours
Audio Technologies
SBX Pro Studio, CrystalVoice
Interface
Bluetooth, 3.5mm Stereo Input, USB
Supported Operating Systems
Mac OS X v10.5 and above, Windows® 8, Windows® 7, Windows® Vista
PACKAGE CONTENTS
Sound Blaster Evo ZxR
Micro USB-to-USB cable – Length: 1.8m (5.91ft)
4-pole analog cable – Length: 1.2m (3.94ft)
Cable length: 1.2m (3.94ft) plus splitter adapter 0.6m (1.97ft)
USB Power Adapter and plugs
Airplane Adapter
Portable carrying case
Quick Start leaflet (Software installation with user guide will be available via online)
The highest fidelity in audio
Massively powerful
Get ready to unleash the full power and clarity of your audio.
Sound Blaster EVO ZxR’s FullSpectrum™ 50mm audio drivers are capable of reproducing the full audible range of the audio spectrum, so you won’t miss a beat.
Hear it, just the way you like it
Like your music punchy? More bass? Or want more immersive surround effects from your movies?
Make these real-time playback adjustments by simply changing your audio settings with the Sound Blaster Central app, and then hear your audio come to life.
Shut out that noise
The headset’s ear cups cover your ears entirely, effectively shutting out external noise, while the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature detects and cancels out the ambient noise electronically.
Keep talking
Want to hear someone without taking off your headset? Simply press the TalkThrough button and continue conversing.
High-fidelity audio streaming
With the headset supporting aptX® and AAC technologies, you’re assured that the audio content transmitted over Bluetooth® is crystal clear.
Enjoy your headset even more!
With the Sound Blaster EVO ZxR, u can even experience cinematic, virtual 7.1 surround sound when you connect the headset to your PC or Mac!
Clarity in voice communications
Communicate with confidence and be understood. The integrated dual beamforming microphones work in tandem with the headset’s advanced CrystalVoice™ technologies to make sure you’re always heard clearly.
Ambient noise and echoes picked up by the microphones are reduced drastically. Likewise, unwanted noise from incoming calls is also being eliminated. CrystalVoice creates an acoustic zone that picks up only your voice and nothing else, so you can still be heard with amazing clarity in noisy environments.
HD Voice
Enjoy improved audio clarity for your voice calls through your mobile phone or VoIP service as Sound Blaster EVO ZxR supports wideband Bluetooth technology, which enables more details of the voice data to be transmitted.
* HD Voice functionality is dependent on the mobile device and service operator.
Voice commands, now more accurate!
Remember the occasions when you tried in vain to instruct some voice-activated application to perform a task? With high-quality voice pickup and all the voice technologies packed into your headset, your commands can be transmitted accurately all the time.
Love to chat?
Use Sound Blaster EVO ZxR as a VoIP headset while connected to your PC or Mac®.
Absolute Ease And Convenience
Tap and play, easy!
Simply tap your Near Field Communications (NFC)-enabled device on the headset for easy, one-touch Bluetooth pairing.
Sound Blaster EVO ZxR supports up to two Bluetooth connections simultaneously, which is great if you’re watching a movie on your tablet but wish to instantly switch to answer a call from another paired smart device
Connect in more ways than one
Besides Bluetooth pairing via NFC or the conventional way, you can also connect the headset to your PC or entertainment devices using the USB 2.0 connection, or the analog 3.5mm jack.
Use the included analog cable for direct connection to your portable media player, or swap it with your own cable of a different length.
Personalise audio to your liking
Get the most out of your Sound Blaster EVO ZxR headset with the Sound Blaster Central app, from www.soundblaster.com. The Sound Blaster Central app for smart devices gives you unprecedented audio controls and enhancements right in the palm of your hand.
Up to 8 hours of playtime
Enjoy your music wherever you go as the built-in rechargeable battery has enough power for up to eight hours of continuous wireless audio playback.
Low on power? Conveniently charge the headset via USB and continue to enjoy high-quality audio while doing so.
Designed for easy storage, for your convenience
For easy storage and maximum portability, the headset folds flat and can be kept in the handy carrying case.
SPLIT YOUR AUDIO OUTPUT AND MICROPHONE INPUT
To use this product with notebooks or PCs with separate audio and microphone connectors, you may use the Sound Blaster Audio/Mic Splitter Adapter (available separately).
Packaging & First Look
Packaging front
Similar to the packaging we saw with the EVO Zx, classy black and red with the gold Sound Blaster logo.
Information found on the rear
On the back we find details and information about the product.
Included quality carry case
Unlike the Zx, the ZxR doesn’t fold, but does lay flat. Inside the box the EVO ZxR is contained inside a good quality carry case with the Sound Blaster logo.
Included accessories
Accessories galore, including quick start guide, USB to micro USB cable, 3.5mm-3.5mm, a 3.5mm splitter, an aeroplane adaptor as well as two different plugs for charging with the USB adaptor.
Overview of the EVO ZxR
Closer Look
Side view
As with the Zx we find the microphone and most other functions bundled on the right side earcup.
Function buttons
We find the power/SBX button, ANC on/off and TT (talk through) as well as the skip track buttons. The whole centre area is a multi funtion button where you can hold for bluetooth pairing, or tap your NFC device.
Ear cup joint is a little different to the EVO Zx
Here we see how the ear cup joint doesn’t allow folding and is overall seems like a stronger joint compared to the Zx.
Blue for Bluetooth
Size comparison between EVO Zx and ZxR
The size difference as previously mentioned is fairly substantial and is difficult to notice without a side by side comparison. The larger ear cups contain the larger 50mm drivers and should completely cover your ears unlike the Zx which were close to being ‘on ear’.
Performance Testing
Setup, Design & Observations
The build quality is good and firm with quality plastic with metal reinforcement, and seems just a little heavier than the EVO Zx. The earcups are large and surround your ears and the soft leather is very comfortable, this time for those who wear glasses too. An observation to note would be, that unlike with the Zx, when using the 3.5-3.5mm jack, into a PC the sound quality gets distorted and strange, this is solved by using the splitter included to separate the microphone and stereo channels. Otherwise setup is identical to the EVO Zx in regards to NFC and pairing as well as software/drivers.
ANC and Talk-Through
Having experienced ANC with the ASUS ROG Vulcan, I was unsure of what to expect. ANC works by pumping your ears with sound waves specifically selected to cancel out external noise. With the Vulcan, it was audible as ‘hiss’ and slightly dampened the audio quality. After testing out the EVO ZxR, there was no additional noise experienced, but simply ‘felt’ as ‘pressure’ and a dip in surrounding noise, significantly so. The ANC didn’t interfere with the audio playback quality either. Ever felt the need to cut out your partners voice? (Well not quite at that level but nearly there!). Most notably I discovered that the ANC did a great job at cancelling noise from PC fans as well as cutting down the noise from busy roads while out and about.
If you have ANC enabled, you can then use another feature called Talk-Through (labelled TT). External microphones on the ear cups pick up and amplify surrounding noises allowing clear conversation with others around you without having to take off your headset. Once turned on, it mutes any music or audio you are listening to, then resumes once you turn it off. Fun for catching people out who are trying to talk to you.
Multi-Media
One of the largely noticeable differences between the EVO Zx and the ZxR while listening to music is the sound stage. The ZxR with larger earcups and likely different driver positioning, there is definitely a step up in quality of engagement you experience with the music. Listening to various music playlists on a mobile device, it becomes clear that there is a much deeper, warmer, smooth buttercream bass, but this comes with slightly dipped highs. Same rang true using USB and jack via PC. Using SBX and the various creative technologies you can create an excellent balanced audio to suit your preference however and certainly doesn’t fall short of bettering the EVO Zx, still, some may prefer the sound of the 40mm drivers.
In gaming, the EVO ZxR supports virtual 7.1 via USB and can give an immersive and dominant audio experience as you would expect from a good gaming headset.
Microphone
The microphone was exceptional and transmitted voice conversation clearly and competently through mobile, team speak and skype.
Conclusion
High end headsets become a matter of subjectivity and use. Do you love audio? Do you require a product that can provide excellent audio in every aspect of your day to day life? Do you really want to do away with those pesky cables?
The Sound Blaster EVO ZxR can tick pretty much every box one can think of at this moment in time. However, in function, it is pretty steep in cost compared to some mid to high end gaming peripherals that could arguably provide a similar sound experience. Even though you can find the ZxR at high street prices which can be up to £40 less than the MSRP, it becomes a matter of ‘How much value’ does it represent to the person using it. Whether it is for gaming or on the go, the Sound Blaster EVO ZxR can do it all very well, wirelessly or wired and will look good doing it, but if you are not using it for all these things, then the value of such a product rapidly decreases.
Many of the new features are an impressive addition, notably being the ANC and Talk-Through, which are useful and well thought out. Critically, there is only one disappointment to this product that I can consider at this price, that is, it contains too much plastic. Like with the EVO Zx the plastics are high quality, but the ZxR is moving into an area where customers will expect next level quality and the use of aluminium.
The Creative EVO ZxR looks sexy, feels sexy and gives luxuriantly rich bass and comfort that can be used in any situation. The ANC is surprisingly effective and the talk-through feature, genius. Gold all over.
Pros.
+ Excellent 50mm Driver performance
+ Rich and powerful bass
+ Comfortable
+ Gorgeous aesthetics
+ Long battery life
+ Dual wireless pairing
+ Versatile connectivity
+ Excellent microphone
+ Excellent supporting bundle inc. carry case
Cons.
– Price
– Plastic
+ Excellent 50mm Driver performance
+ Rich and powerful bass
+ Comfortable
+ Gorgeous aesthetics
+ Long battery life
+ Dual wireless pairing
+ Versatile connectivity
+ Excellent microphone
+ Excellent supporting bundle inc. carry case
Cons.
– Price
– Plastic
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net. Thanks to Creative for providing today’s review sample.
