NJM2114D is dual channels op-amp, and LME49710 is single channel op-amp. Choose appropriate op-amp for proper replacement.

The Sound Blaster X7’s Bluetooth feature is only for receiving audio signals from Bluetooth devices, it can’t be used for transmitting audio signals to Bluetooth speakers and headphones.Main stereo line output is using Burr-Brown PCM1794, while the surround channels are using 2x Burr-Brown PCM1793. I didn't test the surround channels, only the stereo line output from the Burr-Brown PCM1794. Tonal balance, clarity, perceived detail and dynamic are excellent, and pretty close with the micro iDSD performance. The difference is more on the imaging & micro detail, where iDSD sounds a little more spacious with better layering and instrument separation. The treble is also slightly smoother on the iDSD, and overall slightly more refined. But overall perceived sound quality is pretty close. Considering that ifi micro iDSD is a very sophisticated audiophile oriented DAC, for the Sound Blaster X7 as an all-in-one solution, to achieve line output sound quality that is pretty close to ifi micro iDSD performance is quite a remarkable achievement. And the tonality can even be tuned further by Op-Amp rolling. In the end, though, if you are looking to upgrade your audio and have more than one source you want to use, the Creative Sound Blaster X7 is a great choice.

The 3 pairs of speaker were setup in a 4x7 meters meeting room. The floor was carpeted, and some part of the walls covered with thin sound absorbing material. The room was not totally damped or dry, but acoustically less reflective. There was a large glass panel behind the speakers that normally used as whiteboard. Using foobar WASAPI driver, the sampling rate of the optical SPDIF output will be adjusted accordingly to the sampling rate of the played file. Only song files with 44.1, 48, and 96 kHz sampling rate are supported. I like Dialog Plus for movie. Tried to watch a full movie with it, really effective to make the dialog sounds clearer. Be really careful when unplugging the op-amp. Op-amp pins / legs are easily bent when we are not careful.stars for the speaker output sound quality using the standard 69.84 watts power adapter, and 4 stars when using the high power 144 watts power adapter. Don't know about SQ differences between USB and PCIe. My guess there is not and the actual implementation is much more important than the protocol is send over. High power, 144 watts power adapter, while the standard edition comes with the 69.84 watts power adapter. RMAA test is only as good as the quality of the audio interface used for the measurement. And in most cases, only useful for verification purpose of the audio quality within the 20Hz to 20 kHz range. For example, most audio interface line input only have linear frequency response up to around 20 kHz, or probably up to 50 kHz at higher sampling rate. So if I measure an amplifier with flat frequency response up to 100 kHz (which is common), RMAA test result using the 50 kHz audio interface, will only shows frequency response up to 50 kHz. So in this case RMAA test result doesn't reflect the frequency response of the amplifier under test, but the frequency response of the line input of the audio interface. Once again, please take note, RMAA test is only for verification purpose, and not accurately reflecting the real specification of the equipment.

Smart design and quite useful for earphone and light weight headphone. Too flimsy for large and heavier headphones.

Bluetooth 4.1 low latency is built-in, letting you connect a Bluetooth device to effectively turn any connected speakers into wireless ones. An NFC pairing point on the side pairs compatible devices in a matter of seconds. Because the X7 uses the less-lossy aptX codec, it should maintain the audio fidelity of your source, and the low latency component ensures there’s minimal delay. This is crucial if you’re watching movies with the audio synced through Bluetooth, and in our testing worked perfectly. Purist audiophile probably considers the audio processing features in X7 are not necessary features. The fact is, Sound Blaster X7 is not only designed with gaming and movie in mind, but also has included some important features for audiophile, such as: There is a switch behind the Sound Blaster X7 to switch modes between driving a pair of 4-ohms or 8-ohms passive speakers. [3] The Sound Blaster X7 is a USB audio device that can work without a computer. It was announced on 3 September 2014. It supports Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X computers but requires a power supply to work. The Sound Blaster X7 has the SB-Axx1 sound chip built-in. Android and iOS devices can change SBX Pro Studio audio settings with the Sound Blaster X7 Control app.

Sound Blaster Services manages the communication between an Android device and Sound Blaster devices. It supports simultaneous access from multiple applications, thus eliminating conflicts. It also allows third party application developers to develop applications for the Sound Blaster range of products. If you've used a Creative piece of hardware in the last few years you'll no doubt be familiar with Creative's line of Sound Blaster control center apps for PC, Mac, iOS and Android. The X7's desktop app is a little cleaner than most, and the mobile apps are easy to use. After a few weeks with the Sound Blaster X7, I don’t think its hardware features or software offer a must-have draw for gamers with modest audio setups (though I do love its detachable headset stand, as minor a feature as that is). It’s a cool piece of hardware to have on your desk, assuming space isn’t an issue—the large metal volume knob feels great to spin and can mute music with an easy press. It sounds great and has the power to support some serious speakers. Audiophiles will be happy to hear that its op-amps are easily accessible via a flap on the bottom. Bass enhancement sounds good and probably the most useful feature. The range of bass frequency to be boosted is adjustable by the setting of the low pass filter, in the range of 10Hz to 500Hz.iPhones/iPads running iOS 6.0 or higher and support Bluetooth 4.1 (Low Energy) or higher for Bluetooth connectivity Micro iCAN has the smoothest treble among the 3, and SB X7 treble smoothness is somewhere in between micro iCAN and micro iDSD headphone output. SB X7 treble is smoother then micro iDSD, less edgy, but micro iCAN is smoother. When not compared, IMHO Pioneer BS22 is a good sounding speaker. Especially for the price, I don't really have anything to complain. Probably I would like to hear better bass, but probably that's all a pair of 4 inches woofers can do. But when compared to E-MU XM7, I prefer the XM7 over BS22 for better sound quality as described previously.