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Creative Sound Blaster Z SE Internal PCI-e Gaming Sound Card and DAC, 24-bit / 192 kHz, 116 dB SNR, ASIO, 600Ω Headphones Amp, Mic EQ, Discrete 5.1 / Virtual 7.1, Supports Dolby Digital Live, DTS

  • Based on 561 reviews
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Availability: In Stock.
Fulfilled by Amazon

Arrives Monday, Nov 25
Order within 14 hours and 12 minutes
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Style: With 11 Mic EQ Presets via Software


Features

  • PRISTINE AUDIO CLARITY With up to 116 dB SNR at an amazing bit rate of up to 24-bit / 192 kHz, enjoy impressive audio quality for your every need. The sound card also features gold-plated connectors, speaker optimization technology, and digital content encoding capability for the best digital audio performance. Coupled with Audio Stream Input / Output (ASIO) support, Sound Blaster Z SE delivers low-latency and high-fidelity audio, even for your recordings
  • SBX GAMING EQ PROFILES Emerge as the last man standing with our updated SBX Gaming Profiles for hot titles such as Apex Legends, Fortnite, Overwatch, PUBG, and more. In-house tuned and optimized to sound the best for the respective games, you can get started right away or further tweak the EQs, instead of having to create the profiles from scratch. Simply select the respective game from our latest Sound Blaster Command softwares menu, and be battle-ready instantly
  • IMMERSIVE SURROUND SOUND Get fully immersed and stay focused on your games with our surround sound. The Sound Blaster Z SE now supports 7.1 virtual on headphones and speakers alongside discrete 5.1 for speakers. You can even switch between headphones and your speakers via the software for those times you want to pump the bass, or go stealthier with your headphones. For extra delivery options to your external devices, the Z SE also supports Dolby Digital Live and DTS Encoding
  • CRYSTAL CLEAR COMMUNICATION Comes with a list of Microphone EQ Presets that compensates for your headsets built-in mic so you can be heard clearlywhether it is to reduce the harshness of your tonality, sound more natural, or to increase the mids for vocal clarity. Together with our Sound Blaster Command Softwares CrystalVoice technology that helps remove echoes and ambient noises, the Z SE is perfect for games and even video conferences while working from home for better communications

Brand: Creative


Hardware Interface: PCI Express x1


Audio Output Mode: Surround


Platform: Not Machine Specific


Hardware Platform: Headphones, Speakers


Product Dimensions: 5.35 x 5 x 0.87 inches


Item Weight: 12.3 ounces


Manufacturer: Creative Labs


Country of Origin: China


Item model number: SB1500


Date First Available: September 14, 2020


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Monday, Nov 25

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Who said that PCI Express audio card are dead? Not if you like speakers and headsets together...
Style: With 11 Mic EQ Presets via Software
Creative SoundBlaster Z SE is a PCI Express soundcard, the re - lease of the legendary Z card which was really popular in gaming circles. My first experience with audio cards was with the legendary ASUS Xonar DGX card (one the best cards for headsets, as well as headphones) which bought in 2017 seeing it on sale in a local popular PC shop in my country. After some time using it and hearing the native audio on my ASUS TUF Z370 PLUS Gaming (Realtek AC887 codec with TUF Custom) I eventually sold it, one of the reason for it was that driver support has by that time ended and the card was not really supported anymore since we all know that PCI Express soundcard market has shrunken considerably as of writing in early 2023. One the first things that I noticed after was that my headset at that time (Logitech G233 Prodigy) was not considerably loud with the motherboard soundcard on front ports of my PC, so the logical conclusion was to just simply plug it in back of the motherboard, well there's one thing that most people do not own or forget is that some of us like speakers also (proud owner of Z623 2.1 THX certified) which was hooked up on my back port. So I bought a wireless headset (Xbox Wireless Headset by Microsoft) to solve that problem, both I came to the conclusion that for those of us who game on our PC and sit close to the desk, that wireless headset are not ideal since they make compromises on sound quality and are prone to interferences of other devices such as our smartphones and wireless mice (if you do not own one I recommended 100%). So I bought the legendary Drop + EPOS PC38x and I was blown away with the sound quality and microphone communication that these puppies had, and the immersion in gaming as well as movies, both the same problem appeared again, my speakers were at the back of the motherboard (since they support only a headphone jack you cannot use a microphone through them, I could have I probably wouldn't' have bought a sound card), so since I have no love for adapters of any kind the decision was made to find a solution, and that solution was Z SE which I am glad that I came up with that idea. This sound card is the perfect solution for us who use a multi audio setup, since this card has a special port for headphones, microphone, speakers and also many more. The sound quality with this sound card is at least 50 to 65% better than my on board sound. The speakers are better and the headset is now just as like the manufacture wanted it to be. Sure I could have bought a DAC (I was an owner of G3 both it's more console oriented) both that would mean an additional cable and something to be at my desk, let alone updating the software and drivers of sound cards which was a hassle. The software that comes with this card is really great and you can simulate a discrete 5.1 on two speakers If you want to, while 7.1 that is available with headset option is automatic, which recognizes when you set it up and when you have not (a nice feature). The overall look of the card is really cool with the red color being the dominant and looking nice in my PC case. If you are somebody who uses speakers and headset together and does not have a motherboard which has multiple female ports of either 3.5mm or SPDIF for hooking up your speakers (Z623 are RCA or 3.5mm only) like mine, then this is an ideal investment since you get a better sound quality and forgot to mention is that you can also use the included equalizer and SBX profiles on speakers and headset together without any hassle, since you have button that you can change which device you want to hear, so no plugging and unplugging the headset and more. Creative you sure have outdone yourself, even if this sound card is just a refresh of you original one, and I am planning on using it as long as you support this product, recommended! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2023 by MachinaBuyer

  • Lots Of Options and More Powerful Than Realtek
Style: With 11 Mic EQ Presets via Software
I was doing some research on why volumes are so low on the stock Realtek chips that come on most motherboards these days, and it turns out that's just a common limitation. This is an issue on my main computer with an ASUS ROG motherboard, and I have an Acer Nitro 5 laptop for instance that also has super low audio levels, and it has a cheap Realtek chip. It's typically luck of the draw what quality of chip you're going to get and what limitations it will have. Sometimes manufacturers scrimp on this chip to provide other features at a higher level and maintain the price point. No one will miss audio quality, right? I used to use a Sound Card all the time, but I mistakenly believed onboard audio was sufficient from what everyone was saying. They're just as powerful as sound cards, people say. No they're not, not in volume, features, or latency. The Z-SE has way more configuration options, surround virtualization for headphones, the tried and true Creative Crystalizer and bass/treble control options, including Dolby HD encoding, etc. You can even apply morphing affects to your mic if you want to sound like you're on a radio. After some tweaking they sound so much better than the onboard audio. With the onboard, it sounds like the audio is right on top of you, like it's right there at your ears. With the Sound Blaster, I've gotten it to where it feels like the sound is coming TO me, if that makes sense, and I can hear a lot more in music and in games. The equalizer is also a lot more powerful than Realtek. This isn't that expensive to boost your audio by a lot. If you have a nice pair of headphones and do a lot of gaming or listening to music, I highly recommend it. It always takes a bit of work to tweak and perfect the settings, but it's so worth it to listen to music how it should sound. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2023 by Amazon Customer

  • Complex issues.
Style: With 11 Mic EQ Presets via Software
The first AE7 card I purchased was installed in a Dell Optiplex7000 with Windows 11 PRO. Playback from the music collection I have in the Media Player would break up every few minutes. To reestablish playback, I had to stop the playback and toggle the AE7 output then start the music again. My music collection files are not corrupted and the same issue occurs in the headphones, speaker and optical outputs on any song or music sound file. I requested and received RMA numbers from Creative Labs and returned the card. They returned a brand new replacement card (thank you) but unfortunately this card exhibited the very same problem; random playback breakup on any of the three possible outputs. I need this card for my current sound system configuration, so I have also purchased a Z SE card. I installed the Z SE card in the same Optipex7000 card slot were the AE7 card was. I downloaded and installed the Z SE drivers and the same Creative Labs Command app recognizes this card. This card plays back just fine with no audio breakup on headphones, speakers or optical feed to my AV Receiver. So, at this point I believe there is some compatibility issue with Creative Labs AE7 card working in the Optiplex7000 with Windows 11 PRO. Overall, The Z SE card sounds good, but I need more technical help than the quick start guides included with these cards can provide. There is no help for using the optical input on the Z SE card and I wonder why that input was not available on the AE7? I had issues getting audio signal on both the speaker line out connections and the SPDIF optical connection at the same time. Some emails back and forth with their support were answered quickly (thank you). I can get signal on both outputs now but cannot balance the levels. If they could nail down that issue I could give this Z SE card 5 stars. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2023 by Quin

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