Creative Launches the Sound Blaster GS5 Gaming Sound Bar

[TheLostSwede]

Creative Technology today announced the release of the Sound Blaster GS5, a sleek and compact soundbar designed to elevate the audio experience while taking up minimal space. With versatile connectivity and exceptional audio performance powered by SuperWide technology, the Sound Blaster GS5 creates a wider, more immersive soundstage—perfect for intimate gaming sessions or cozy movie nights with family and friends.

Despite its compact size, this soundbar packs a punch with deep bass and crystal-clear sound. It is powered by advanced full-range racetrack drivers and a built-in port tube with a peak power output of up to 60 W, making every sound—from subtle whispers to dramatic explosions—come alive.




Coupled with SuperWide technology, the soundstage expands to make the audio experience even more immersive. The Sound Blaster GS5 features two SuperWide modes—Near Field for desktop use and Far Field for larger spaces—ensuring an optimal audio experience no matter the setting.

Connectivity is also a breeze with a range of options, including USB-C, AUX input, optical-in, and Bluetooth 5.3, allowing for a seamless plug-and-play setup with TVs, PCs, and gaming consoles. Additionally, the customizable RGB lighting adds a touch of flair, and the included remote control allows for quick adjustments on the fly. With its slim profile and array of nifty features, the Sound Blaster GS5 truly shines as the ideal audio upgrade for any setup.

Pricing and Availability
With the launch price of S$109, the Sound Blaster GS5 offers exceptional value with its extensive feature set, making it a standout choice.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[bug]

It's puzzling to see how, no matter how small the speaker/soundbar is, marketing just cannot stop short of claiming "amazing bass".

 

[bonehead123]

Looks like a nice unit, with decent specs & price, but the lack of an HDMI-in port might preclude using it with some older TV's that don't have the same connection options as the bar does

As for the "amazing" bass thing, well that's marketing's job, to hype up various features, regardless of whether they're actually true or not

OTOH, I have 2 similar soundbars, one from BOSE & the other from Roku, both with subwoofers, and they deliver pretty decent amounts of bass...not as good as separate, component tower speakers like I used to have back in my mega-amped, 180dB-window-shattering "audiophile" days, but still good enough for TV & PC audio (I don't do gamz, so I can't speak to that part !)

 

[Guwapo77]

Creative makes some pretty decent computer speakers. I do wish their subs would hit around 20-25 hz... hell that goes for most of these computer speakers.

 

[Michael_O]

Looks like a nice unit, with decent specs & price, but the lack of an HDMI-in port might preclude using it with some older TV's that don't have the same connection options as the bar does

As for the "amazing" bass thing, well that's marketing's job, to hype up various features, regardless of whether they're actually true or not

OTOH, I have 2 similar soundbars, one from BOSE & the other from Roku, both with subwoofers, and they deliver pretty decent amounts of bass...not as good as separate, component tower speakers like I used to have back in my mega-amped, 180dB-window-shattering "audiophile" days, but still good enough for TV & PC audio (I don't do gamz, so I can't speak to that part !)

Agreed. I went through testing the Sonos and Katana and settled on the Bose 300 Soundbar. The sound stage is pretty decent with its side firing speakers and makes the stereo a bit more realistic compared with conventional 2.1 soundbars. I didnt get the sub for it because the bass was decent enough for my liking. Now I'm in the market for something better than the Bose 300 but similar size. Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[JIWIL]

I picked up a mid-range Samsung bar/sub for my folks a couple years ago, and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Nice to see how far we've come; 20-30 years ago you had to sift through all the dog-business to find something decent, now it's pretty much the opposite.

 

[_roman_]

An optimal audio expierence

This product is sure an improvement from the 3Watts Speaker from an ordinary monitor or television.

There are for sure products with leaner and better audio quality. But you will have to pay more. I bought because of the specs two ADAM T8V with M-Audio 192|6 and some expensive cables. In games and videos there are noticeable differences as with the previous monitor only speaker or the Presonus Eris 3.5" Speakers. 8" Speakers which go very low make a difference in my point of view. Cost wise you better do not ask. It's expensive - some will buy for that money a whole desktop pc with monitor, keyboard and mouse and printer.

 

[bug]

Creative makes some pretty decent computer speakers. I do wish their subs would hit around 20-25 hz... hell that goes for most of these computer speakers.

Eh, a quick ChatGPT query says you need at least 3 cubic ft for an enclosure to reproduce 20Hz frequency. And that's with a fairly large driver.
To put things in perspective, my floor standing speakers have pretty good bass. Yet they're no match for the subwoofer.

 

[Apocalypsee]

Eh, a quick ChatGPT query says you need at least 3 cubic ft for an enclosure to reproduce 20Hz frequency. And that with a fairly large driver.
To put things in perspective, my floor standing speakers have pretty good bass. Yet they're no match for the subwoofer.

Only good punchy bass from floorstander is one I heard from transmission line ones, still you're right a proper sub is better

 

[Kadath]

Pricing and Availability
With the launch price of S$109, the Sound Blaster GS5 offers exceptional value with its extensive feature set, making it a standout choice.

On their site it's listed at 69.99$.

 

[CheapMeat]

I bought the Sound Blaster GS3 back at the end of March and it has been so worth the money. Waaaaay better than I thought. I was going to spend way more and wanted to have a much more robust system as I was upgrading so I could do some hobby music production and further my video editing. I wanted to have a center sound bar with side speakers & subwoofer. I had a janky 5.1 system from for a few years already. When I looked, there were about 20 or so similar soundbars that are around the same price as the GS3, but are weird random Chinese/Aliexpress like ones, so hard to say about quality and all that and then way more expensive ones of course, even from Creative (Katana) and Razer (Kraken/Leviathan). I figured Creative had to better than some random named one. So I gave it a chance. At the time it just came out and there was 1 review of it in German on Youtube. I don't really care what people say or how people downplay it, it does sound good. The quality is way better than I figured with only two drivers in it and yeah, the bass on it is actually good (at least for playing loud but not so loud, as I live in a big apartment block with neighbors wall to wall). And it was under $50.

I did buy satellite speakers and hooked up a subwoofer to my 7.1 soundcard as well but decided to return all that, save the money and just keep the GS3 and use my headphones when working on more nuanced aspects of my music production and video editing. I don't know how to qualify all that to anyone reading but I friggin love deathcore, beatdown, slam and heavy shit, so bass matters to me and it sounds just right enough even without a true dedicated external subwoofer.

So I'd be down for the GS5. The GS5 is just $10-20 more on Amazon and has more powerful drivers. Maybe someday I'll still splurge on a Razer Leviathan V2 with the dedicated subwoofer but I for sure know now I don't need satellite / bookshelf speakers. Maybe if you're making money off a legit production company but I say, for $50 bucks for the GS3 and a bit more for the GS5 give it a chance.

 

[bug]

@CheapMeat I didn't mean these aren't worth it (Creative speakers usually sound good for their size and price). I was just making fun of how, no matter how good a product is, marketing just has to step into the ridiculous claim territory.

 

[Prima.Vera]

Soundbars.
The worst invention of humanity after Religion and Politics.
Why the hell in any world would I prefer this shit over a proper 5.1 or even 7.1 sound system?!?

Btw, how do you connect this to a TV if there is no HDMI ARC port?? Using the Aux for headset output?

 

[bug]

Why the hell in any world would I prefer this shit over a proper 5.1 or even 7.1 sound system?!?

Lack of space comes to mind.

Btw, how do you connect this to a TV if there is no HDMI ARC port?? Using the Aux for headset output?

Creative speakers are not typically meant for your living room. They're aimed at your PC. Doing away with patent-encumbered HDMI is a no-brainer if you aim for a low price.