Review- With so many headphone models on the market today, researching and finding the perfect one can be daunting. You may spend hours reading reviews and comparing spec sheets, but only a small part of the available models are covered. For me, to attract my attention, either an excellent price-performance package or some new features are needed. For the Creative SXFI Air Gamer headset, it may actually be both! I haven’t heard such good sound in earphones under $500, and they also have “hybrid earphone holography”, which needs some explanation. More important is some in-depth testing.
What is it?
The Creative SXFI Air Gamer headset is a new headset from Creative that includes USB-C wired and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connection options. In fact, they are the first products I have seen that combine two connection types to achieve a hybrid wired/wireless communication mode. This optional mode allows you to play games or media via a high-fidelity USB-C cable connection, while also being able to communicate with another device via Bluetooth. These over-ear headphones also have the RGB lighting effects that gamers must have (now, you can’t call it a gamer’s device without flashing lights everywhere), oversized drivers, and high-quality detachable microphones.
What’s in the box?
- Creative SXFI Air Gamer headset
- Commander microphone
- NanoBoom microphone
- USB-C cable
- USB-C to USB-A converter
- Quick start guide and warranty documents
Hardware specifications
- Compatible devices: Windows, MacOS, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS
- Audio processing: Super X-Fi, SXFI BATTLE mode
- Interface: USB-C, 3.5 mm stereo input, Bluetooth 5.0, microSD card (maximum 32GB FAT32)
- Weight: 313.6 grams with NanoBoom microphone
- Frequency response: 20 – 20,000 Hz
- Drive unit: 50 mm (1.97 inches) neodymium magnet
- Battery: Rechargeable lithium ion battery, up to 11 hours of playback
- Audio codec: SBC
- Working range: up to 10m / 33 ft
- Style: hanging ear type
- Microphone impedance: <2.2kohms
- Microphone frequency response: 100-16000 Hz (ComanderMic)
- Microphone frequency response: 100-8000 Hz (NanoBoom microphone)
- Sensitivity: @1 kHz: -42 dB (CommanderMic)
- Sensitivity: @1 kHz: -38 dB (NanoBoom microphone)
- Microphone technology: SCFI InPerson®
- Control: button plus touch
- Lighting: RGB ring light, 16 million colors
- Ear pad material: perforated protein leather with memory foam
Design and features
I was very impressed by the feel and construction quality of the Creative SXFI Air Gamer headset out of the box. The combination of high-grade plastic, metal and leather creates a high-quality feel and looks absolutely durable. On the front of the left earmuff (pictured above), there is a power button and NanoBoom Mic (a small microphone suitable for travel, or if you just hate the boom microphone on your face). The LED light ring surrounds the entire earmuff, which can be customized to 16 million different colors through software, or you can turn it off if you don’t want the light on your ears. The outer ear cup tray is a touch-sensitive surface that can be used to adjust the volume and play/pause media and answer calls.
There is an SXFI button on the back of the left earmuff to enable/disable SXFI (Creative’s high-fidelity audio mode). Below is a microSD card slot, which allows you to play music from the microSD card without connecting any other devices. This is an interesting feature that I rarely see on such a device. It doesn’t work for me, but maybe someone wants/needs something like this. Finally, there is a Bluetooth icon “source” button at the bottom.
The bottom of the left earmuff (compared to the right earmuff, this side has many changes) is a USB-C connection for charging and playback and a 2.5 mm line input jack. I am very happy that Creative includes this. There are still many audio devices with 2.5mm audio output and no USB-C.
This is a photo of the inside of the earmuffs. The filling is generous and soft, and the memory foam feels good. After about a month of use, I did not see any disturbing signs of wear. The speaker area will not touch my ears when wearing it (this is a problem with other over-ear headphones). After a while, my ears will become hot and sweaty under these earmuffs. The earmuffs can indeed rotate a few degrees, but not 90 degrees like some earphones. If you remove them temporarily, this will make them look bulky on your neck and a bit bulky when transporting.
Adjustable metal straps can enter different settings and hold points well. I like that they mark these lines with numbers so you can remember your ideal position instead of experimenting every time you fold the headset.
In general, I really like design aesthetics. Except for the RGB light ring that can be turned off, the headset has no screaming colors or crazy angle elements to play “GAMER!” to everyone who might see you. Even RGB lights look very elegant in soft white.
“CommanderMic” is one of the best microphones I have ever used. It sounds better than the dedicated USB condenser microphone that I have relied on for years of work and games. It does a good job of pop filtering (reducing the exaggerated “p” sound when you speak), and it does a good job of filtering background noise. It can even transmit your voice back to your ears at a low volume, so You can hear yourself speaking more naturally. I like this microphone. The pre-installed micro “Nanoboom Mic” is good, just like using the hands-free function of a smartphone, so if you really don’t like the boom microphone on your face, this is also an option.
The cable that came with the Creative SXFI Air Gamer headset seems to be of high quality. Their marketing materials use a “Kevlar-injected” cable sleeve on the USB cable, while the 2.5 mm audio cable is gold-plated. My only minor complaint is that the 1 meter (approximately 3 feet) USB-C cable is sometimes a bit short, and even leaning over my desk while sitting in the seat made me discover the cable length limitation.
If you don’t need any microphone options at all, there is also a small plastic plug in the box and a USB-C to USB-A converter. I appreciate the latter because both USB-C ports on my daily driver are used, and I have a free USB-A port.
Installation and setup
Creative’s user guide recommends setting up everything on your mobile device first, even if you primarily use headsets on game consoles or computers. It’s fairly easy to get the app and set it up.
After creating a Creative account, the app will prompt you to take photos of your face and ears. Creative claims that they will customize sound profiles specifically for your head and ear shapes. I tried using this custom profile and not using it to listen to all kinds of content. Although I can hear the difference, I don’t think the “holographic” custom profile is better, it just sounds slightly different to me . Maybe for others, this will have a huge impact.
After setting up the custom profile, you can access the equalizer and finally log in to the desktop software using the mobile app (if you are using headphones on your computer).
Next is the software setup on my main test device: Windows gaming laptop. The download and installation are very simple, and the software will prompt you to log in to your Creative account to synchronize your customized audio profile. Due to any changes to the settings of the headset, this software seems to be required for the full Super X-Fi audio mode, but you can use the headset without the software if needed.
Color customization is simple and easy. You can choose preset colors, RGB/HTML values or choose from the color wheel, and then set the brightness.
There is an equalizer in the software, with different pre-built modes and fully custom modes. The sound has been so rich and balanced that I eventually reverted to non-equalizer mode in most tests, but others may like different sound modes.
Finally, resistance: Gamerchat. This feature allows you to connect the Creative SXFI Air Gamer headset to another device (such as a mobile phone or tablet) for Bluetooth audio communication, while still maintaining a connection via USB-C for high-quality game audio. This function can be triggered by the “Source” button on the headset or in the software, as shown in the figure above. Although you have to follow the steps carefully to successfully complete this job, it is very neat once set up. I can switch Discord channels or answer calls from my mobile phone while still hearing the in-game audio in the headset.
Performance
Wow. For me who is not an audiophile, most headphones are divided into three categories: meh, good and great. The past headphones I reviewed in this price range are all in the “good” category. Compared to cheap headphones, I can hear more details in the audio without any exaggeration or imbalance. Jumping to categories above $500 will bring diminishing returns to my ears, and I can generally understand that they sound a little better than “good” headphones, but it cannot justify such a large expenditure. When I played “Spring/Summer/Winter/Dread” of Everything Everything for the first time, I immediately took off the headphones because I thought I had chosen the wrong audio device and my desktop speakers were playing loudly. Imagine my surprise when there is no sound from my high-end desktop speakers when I remove them! The audio is clear, every detail is super clear, and the sound field is wider than any other earphone under $500 I have tested. It sounds more like you are listening to a great monitor speaker rather than a pair of headphones.
For me, the 7.1 game surround function and “holographic” custom audio did not really improve this already great sound quality. In fact, for all games, shooting games, strategy games and RPG/action games, I prefer regular stereo mode to surround mode. Maybe some of these game modes can help “professional” gamers provide audio cues, but for my enjoyment, I always switch back to good stereo.
The first-class Commander microphone is the icing on the cake. Someone asked me what microphone I used in the business conference call during the test, and it sounded close to studio quality (if not full studio quality).
what do I like
- Amazing sound
- Comfortable fit
- Bluetooth and USB-C connection options
What will i change
- If the same sound quality can be achieved, completely wireless would be great
- Earmuffs will get hot-better ventilation
Final thoughts
The Creative SXFI Air Gamer headset is a pleasant review. Although I usually prefer wireless headphones, it is still my daily driver. The combination of first-class sound quality and extraordinary microphone met all my requirements. If you are a gamer, you may like these products, but they may also be favored by those looking for amazing sound quality at a more affordable price.
Price: 149.99 USD
Where to buy: Creative with Amazon
source: The sample for this review is made by Creative
