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Bought the Sound Blaster E1 which is a portable headphone amplifier for S$29 (usual price: S$69) from the online Creative Store. They are having a sale online to coincide with the PC Show 2014.

Shipping is additional S$6 but if your orders are above S$60, it ships for free within Singapore.

As mentioned many many times, I am not really an audiophile. I bought the Sound Blaster E1 just to give it a try and because it is selling at S$29, it is a steal! After trying it, I am pretty impressed by it.

Using the Sound Blaster E1 out of the box (without doing any configurations), it will give you Creative’s SBX Pro Studio technology which includes:

• SBX Surround: With SBX Surround, an improved surround algorithm increases and expands the virtual surround spaciousness, allowing you to enjoy cinema-quality sound in the comfort of your home. Immerse yourself right in the middle of all the action.
• SBX Crystalizer: Hear sound so vibrant and so dynamic, being surprised is an understatement. SBX Crystalizer enhances the dynamic range of your compressed audio source to give you a more realistic experience.
• SBX Bass: Feel the rumble of a spaceship taking off, or dance to the pounding music from your favorite playlist. SBX Bass fills extends the low frequency tones and gives the extra impact for a dramatically improved sound experience.
• SBX Dialog Plus: Ever watched scenes where you had to strain just to hear what the actor was whispering? SBX Dialog Plus enhances the voices in movies for clearer dialog, allowing the listener to hear the dialog over the rest of the soundtrack and over ambient noise in the listening environment.
• SBX Smart Volume: SBX Smart Volume addresses the problem of abrupt volume level changes during playback and between songs by automatically and continuously measuring volume, and intelligently applying gain and attenuation to compensate for those changes.

In addition to SBX Pro Studio technology, you will get CrystalVoice (for calls) and Scout Mode (for gaming) technology as well:

• CrystalVoice: CrystalVoice features innovative technologies that are specially designed to deliver the best vocal fidelity, so that you express yourself to others and be heard crystal clear in video conferencing, multiplayer games and online chats.
• Scout Mode: It is a proprietary technology that allows you to hear your enemies from further away, giving you a distinct tactical advantage in combat.

I notice that the singer’s voice in songs is clearer (I am amazed that I can hear the difference) and the bass is slightly toned down when using my Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Headphones.

A full charge on the Sound Blaster E1 can last you for 25 hours. It is extremely lightweight, weighing only at 25g.

The Sound Blaster E1 also comes with a built-in microphone which allows you to use your normal headphones for conversations over the phone. Note that if your headphones come with a remote to control the volume and music playback of Android or iPhone, it will not work with the Sound Blaster E1.

I love the included line-in and micro usb cables, it looks beautiful and well made.

Specifications

• Output: Stereo
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR): 106dB
• Connectivity Options (Main):
  • microUSB
  • Headphone Out: 1 x 3.5mm jack
  • Headphone Out / Mic In: 1 x 3.5mm jack
  • Line In: 1 x 3.5mm jack (4-pole)
• Headphone Amp: Up to 600 Ohms
• Max Channel Output: Stereo
• Audio Technologies: SBX Pro Studio, CrystalVoice, Scout Mode