Creative Sound Blaster Evo Zx Headphones - Every Feature You Could Ask For

*Updated as of 27th August 2013 - Originally published as a preview article on 19th August, we've since completed all our tests and updated the article to a full review, complete with ratings. For those who've read our article previously, you can jump direct to our Performance and Conclusion pages.

Introducing the Evo Zx

Creative earned its reputation on the back of making excellent sound cards for the PC. In recent years they may have expanded their core business and added peripherals such as speakers and headphones to their product lineup. But the standout Creative products in our opinion have always been the ones which leverage their prowess with digital circuitry to provide audio. For proof, you only have to look at the Creative Recon 3D Wireless Gaming headphones which excelled thanks to the USB sound card bundled with the cans.

Building on their headphones range is the new lifestyle oriented Evo series that's designed to look as good as it sounds for the the purpose of gaming and music listening. While there are a few variant in the Evo line-up, we'll be trialing the top of the line model, the Evo Zx in particular. One of the differentiating elements of the Creative Evo series is that the company has built in audio processing capabilities directly within the headphones which helps the Evo Zx provide the bulk of its features.

Design, Aesthetics, Hardware

Before we take a look at the special features of the Evo Zx, it might be prudent to take stock of the aesthetics and the standard specifications of the headphones. On first appearances, the red and black color scheme projects a strong gaming-cred image (no surprise, since the colors match that of Complexity Gaming,  an e-sports team which Creative sponsors), while still pleasing enough for anyone interested in a modern, though techie-inspired headset. From a certain angle and elements present on the Evo Zx, some might even say it drew inspiration from the Iron Man franchise. Once the headphones are powered on, the "core" of the ear-cups glow red or blue depending on the mode selected, which resembles the glowing core in the center of Tony Stark’s chest.

It is quite obvious that Creative is going for a trendy approach with the aesthetics of the Evo Zx. To further augment the lifestyle aspects of the product, the Evo Zx has been made portable as well. The headphones can be folded flat for the purposes of storage. While there is a reduction in the footprint of the headphones, we have seen better implementation of the fold flat design element on other cans. Not forgetting that the primary function of the Evo Zx is to deliver quality sound, Creative has fitted it with 40mm drivers.

The construction of the Exo Zx feels quite solid even though plastic is the primary material used in construction. Its headband is assembled from three pieces and offers individual adjustment options for both the left and right sides. Free swiveling ear-cups have also been provided for the purposes of comfort. On the whole, Creative's Evo Zx certainly gives off the air of a well-designed and decently implemented product. 

Connectivity Options

The Creative Evo Zx has the most complete set of connectivity options we have seen on a pair of headphones for a very long time. The staple option of connecting via 3.5mm is available, or you could opt for digital music playback via USB.

However the Evo Zx is meant to be used primarily as a wireless pair of headphones. The device comes equipped with Bluetooth version 2.1 with enhanced data rate. This means it can be paired with any A2DP compatible device such as notebooks, smartphones and tablets. Support for Apt-X and AAC codecs have also been included to help increase the quality of Bluetooth playback which is a lossy transmission format.

The headphones come equipped with a 3.7V, 1500mAh lithium ion battery to power the Bluetooth module and other circuitry with the headphones. Creative states that the headphones have a rated battery life of close to 8 hours. When the battery runs dry, you can still continue to use the headphones to provide audio via 3.5mm analog audio connection.

Lastly, the Evo Zx also comes equipped with NFC technology to fast track the  Bluetooth pairing process. The NFC tag is located in the right ear-cup and does indeed help reduce waiting times for Bluetooth pairing in our trials. While this motion was designed to be executed while having the headset and smartphone in your hands, it gets awkward if you were to hold your smartphone up to your headphones when you're already wearing them. Nevertheless, the option to pair devices via NFC is a boon.

Full Featured

Sound Blaster Evo Control Panel

The audio processing chip used within the Creative Evo Zx headphones is the SB-Axx1. This is the same chip that was used in the Creative Sound BlasterAxx family of speakers previously. Essentially, it's a multi-core voice and audio effects processor and is mainly tasked with the job of delivering quality audio. Much of its capabilities are realized via the the host of audio features that are made available as part of the Sound Blaster Evo Control Panel. Basic aspects such as bass, treble and surround sound adjustments can be easily controlled via the program, but the control panel's functionality is much more comprehensive than just that.

Integral to the Sound Blaster Evo Control Panel are the SBX Studio Pro Technologies available under the SBX Profile. Three preset profiles in the shape of Music, Movies and Gaming can be found. Each profile offers different levels for "Surround", "Crystalizer" and "Bass" effects. You can have a look at the settings for the profiles in the screenshots below.

Users can also tweak the profiles according to their own preferences. In addition, each profile comes with a fully customizable Equalizer as well. Equalizer presets such as Acoustic, Jazz, Pop, Rock and much more are also present.

Other features include Smart Volume and Smart Dialog, which are options you expect to find more commonly on sound bars. Smart Volume allows for choosing between “Normal”, “Loud” and “Night” modes. However, why you would need a “Night” mode setting for circumaural, closed back headphones is quite puzzling. That being said, other Creative audio devices can also be paired with the Sound Blaster Evo Control Panel and the night mode may be useful with speakers. Smart Dialog, as the name suggests, gives greater prominence to the dialogue in a movie and can be helpful in certain cases.

Do note that the Evo Sound Blaster Control Panel has a minimum OS requirement of either Windows Vista 32-bit or Apple OSX 10.5.8.

Sound Blaster Central App

Not only the does the Creative Evo Zx come with a control panel for the PC and notebook systems, there is also an audio control app for both Apple (iOS v5 or higher) and Google (Android v2.2 or higher) smart devices. This means users can have the same options and customization features available to them on the go.

CrystalVoice 

No gaming headphone is complete without a microphone and for the Evo Zx, Creative has done away with the traditional intrusive boom or arm microphone other gaming headsets sport. Instead the headphone has a cardioid array microphone which Creative has christened it the Voice Focus Beam Forming Microphone. This feature is located on the right ear-cup.

In addition, CrystalVoice technologies have been incorporated into the Evo Zx for improved voice reproduction. CrystalVoice includes features for acoustic echo cancellation and noise reduction. There are also a number of effects available for those who would like to modulate their voice and have fun over VoIP calls!

So far, the Creative Evo Zx seems to be a headphone set that can address any and all needs with a chest full of features and good build. But how does it really stack up to our standards? Stay tuned for our updates regarding the comfort levels and audio performance as we spend more time with the headphones.

Performance
 

Comfort Concerns

For all the fancy features and nice design of the Creative Evo Zx, the comfort quality of the headphones can make or break it even without giving it a chance to show its capabilities. The Creative Evo Zx, with its gaming mode and Bluetooth wireless playback, is definitely positioned as a pair of cans that users intend to use for long periods of time. As such, comfort matters become an even more critical element for this product.

As mentioned earlier, the Creative Evo Zx has a three-piece adjustable headband in addition to swivel ear-cups. The cushions on the ear-cups are quite soft and plush although the material seems to be low on breathability. Thankfully in actual usage, over-heating of the ears was not an issue even after extended use.

Unfortunately the fit of the headphones leaves a lot to be desired. Our primary problem with the Creative Evo Zx was the size of the ear-cups. From the looks of it, the cushioning should be wide and large enough to provide a circumaural fit. But when the headphones were put on, we found the fit to fall somewhere between over-ear and on-ear. As such, even with the three-segment adjustable headband, the Creative Evo Zx felt clampy and strained our ears somewhat.

Music Test Suite Performance

As per the norm, we have laid out our usual music, movie and gaming audio obstacles for the creative Evo Zx to surmount.

The first thing that hit us when we started our listening tests with Melt My Heart To Stone were the extremely strong and prominent mid to low registers. In our opinion they were too strong. The single note bass parts for the chorus of the song overpowered the rest of the instrumentation. The tone of the organ in the composition was also not up to scratch. We found it to be 'wobbly' as opposed to the gentle dissipating tone expected. The Evo Zx was off to a rocky start.

Obviously we went directly to the profile settings to see if the shortcomings of the Creative Evo Zx could be rectified with some manipulation within the Sound Blaster Evo Control Panel. Unfortunately the overly strong bass could not be corrected and it seemed to be a part of the headphone's characteristics. Bumping up the Crystalizer setting did help mitigate the concerns and brought the high notes somewhat back to the fore. Despite these tweaks, the overall reproduction of this music track was nowhere near what could be considered a neutral tone.

Moving on to our live, acoustic version of The Eagles classic Hotel California, good surround sound was on show. The width of the soundstage helped detract slightly from the overpowering bass. But like Melt My Heart To Stone, we found the trebles to be subdued. The guitar parts were missing clarity and did not cut through the mix. Sub-par transient response also meant that the instruments sounded slightly off and lacked their individual timbre.

On Elements Of Life, the bass heavy characteristics of the headphones become its ally. Coupled with the aforementioned good surround sound of the Evo Zx, we got both the atmospheric elements and the powerful bass melodies delivered well. Perhaps the low frequencies could have benefited from a tad more definition, which would have helped the headphones chalk up a few more marks.

Sail On Soothsayer was unfortunately the low point of our testing with the Evo Zx. We actually had to completely max out the Crystalizer settings and turn the bass down to zero - and even then, the overall audio from the headphones for this track still sounded muddy and sloppy, specifically for the low registers. The unique attack of Buckethead's guitar-work was completely absent and the song came across as flat and one-dimensional.

Performance - Part 2

Movies

After the somewhat disappointing performance with music, we tried out the Creative Evo Zx with movies. As mentioned earlier, the range of features made available thanks to SBX Pro Studio technologies should put the headphones on a level above ordinary cans. With features such as Smart Volume, Dialog Plus and Surround Sound Control, you would expect to find them on a sound bar rather than on a pair of headphones.

Starting off the movie test suite with the opening sequence of Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, we stuck with the default settings for the Movie profile and were quite pleased with the results. The battle sequence had great impact thanks to the proficiency of the Creative Evo Zx with the lower frequencies. The ambiance of the almost whispered dialog narrating the origins of the One Ring was also spot on. Similarly for Swordfish, John Travolta's opening monologue was delivered with clarity. The surround sound effect also earned its keep by deftly handling the strafing ball bearings for the explosion found at the start of the movie. 

We also decided to play around with the settings and features available with the Evo Control Panel and find out if they are worth using. Bumping up the Dialog Plus slider to 100 percent did bring John Travolta's dialog into greater prominence; this is certainly a useful feature for those who have trouble following speech. The effect was not as extreme as when we have encountered it on other audio products though. Surround sound settings did increase the width of the soundstage but at the cost of accurate directionality. In the end, whether the surround function is of benefit greatly depends on on individual's preferences and the listener's ability to find the right balance.

Gaming

Gaming headphones should not only increase the enjoyment of the in-game audio, but also give you an edge when it comes to actual gameplay. With the Gaming profile switched on in the Sound Blaster control panel, we tested out the Creative Evo Zx with a few rounds of Battlefield 3 and Starcraft II.

The headphones did a commendable job with the soundtrack and game effects for both titles. In particular, the explosions and the underlying mood music of Battlefield 3 stood out as high points of the Creative Evo Zx's audio performance. The bass heavy characteristics of the headphones really helped deliver the impact of Battlefield 3's carnage and chaos. Unfortunately the flipside of prominent low frequencies was subdued highs and trebles. The crack of gunshots was not as prominent as we would have liked it to be. The in-game alerts for Starcraft were also not as evident in the mix delivered.

The surround sound effects remained the same as before. Increasing the slider for surround sound meant that the soundstage was widened as it tried to simulate 7.1 virtual channels. But as we pointed out earlier, this came at the cost of accurate directionality. When it comes to gaming, the Creative Evo Zx did indeed increase the enjoyment of playing the title. And while it's definitely a step up from vanilla headphones, it does not improve gameplay to a degree we have experienced with prior gaming products.

Features or Fluff?

When any product shows up with a long list of features, it is always a smart idea to exercise caution. Marketing spiel has a tendency of blowing every tiny element into the next revolutionary, game changing feature. That being said the feature-heavy Creative Evo Zx seems to deliver good functionality on the back of all of its features.

At its core, the headphones are of the wireless variety. NFC and Bluetooth go together like bread and butter, so Creative has added near field communications compatibility to the Evo Zx. While the idea is good, the implementation could have been better. Trying it out for ourselves, the process of bringing up our smartphone to the right ear-cup and waiting for a connection to be established felt clumsy and not intuitive at all. Of course, you could also do the pairing prior to wearing the headphones, so that's just a minor quirk.

On the other hand, the features made possible due to the SBX Studio Pro Technologies, CrystalVoice and the SB-Axx1 processor give a glowing account of themselves. The Sound Blaster Evo Control Panel is a simple, clean program which allows you to tweak the sound output according to your own preferences. Further to that, the same suite of features is available for control through your smart device. The ability to fiddle around with sound profiles on the go is a big plus point in our opinion. It also retains all the functions and settings seen on a desktop application.

Besides the major features, Creative's attention to detail should also be complimented. The beam array microphone removes the need for an intrusive boom microphone-arm which we loved. The cardioid mic was also exceptionally good at picking up our voice and CrystalVoice ensures good, clear transmission. On the whole, we find the features of the Evo Zx add to its allure.

Now if only the audio performance and comfort of the Creative Evo Zx matched the levels of its features, it would have been an excellent all-round lifestyle and gaming headphones. As detailed in our performance test sections, the headphone's audio profile was definitely bass heavy and while it worked for certain tracks such as Elements Of Life, for the most part of our listening tests the low frequencies dominated the rest of the mix. While the music performance was not stellar, the headphones make some ground up with good movie performance. Audio during our gaming trials was also reasonable in our opinion. This makes the Evo Zx a decent sounding pair of headphones, but not one that truly stands out from the crowd.

If you are quick at mental math, you will realize that the Overall Audio Performance score is not the average of the individual test scores. During our listening, we tweaked the settings and EQ levels for each individual track so as to get the best possible audio. Unfortunately, we were unable to find one particular profile of presets that would help the Creative Evo Zx tackle each track effectively. Seeing that regular users will not be fiddling with bass, mid or treble levels for after song to get the best out of the headphones, we've brought down its overall audio performance down a notch.

The Creative Evo Zx is priced at S$299. If your priorities when choosing a pair of headphones are the most impressive list of features with a trendy design, then this might be the product for you. The only feature it seems to have missed out is active noise cancellation, which can be found on the Evo ZxR model (S$399). But if your priority is set upon audio performance, then you might want to look elsewhere.

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