Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D THX USB External Sound Enhancer for PC, PS3, XBOX 360 and Mac – SB1300
$149.99
Price: $149.99
(as of Jan 03, 2025 20:52:18 UTC – Details)
Powered by the revolutionary Sound Core3D multi-core Sound and Voice processor, this breakthrough USB audio enhancer deliver powerful gaming audio to your console or PC. With hardware accelerated THX TruStudio Pro and Dolby Digital decoding it transforms even basic stereo into exhilarating 3D surround audio on your headset or speakers. The proprietary Scout Mode transforms your hearing on the battlefield and lets you hear your enemies before they hear you. Calibrate and save every aspect of your audio settings directly to the Recon3D unit for use on any platform with the exclusive Recon3DProfile system. The gaming audio revolution is here. Be part of it.
THX TruStudio Pro Surround with Dolby Digital Decoding
All the advantages of an internal sound card in an external USB device
Sound Blaster audio on the gaming platform of your choice
Equipped with the Tactic Link expansion slot allowing you to link directly to a Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Omega wireless headset
And future Sound Blaster products with the optional Tactic Link TX card , Programmable Recon3DProfile Audio Settings
Customers say
Customers find the sound quality and software compatibility of the sound card satisfactory. They appreciate its clearer, vibrant sounds and immersive gaming experience. The setup is simple and the controls are easy to understand. However, some customers feel the sound card overpriced and lacks durability. There are mixed opinions on its functionality and volume control.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
6 reviews for Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D THX USB External Sound Enhancer for PC, PS3, XBOX 360 and Mac – SB1300
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Drew –
Just what I needed!
So this is essentially like the astro mixamp. There are really only a couple products you can buy that allow you to use a PC headset on your console, or amplifies your current headset to make the gaming/movies better. If you are a true audiophile this is a must have for your gaming. The astro mixamp is actually more well known and recommended but currently they are out and aren’t making it!! Even the astro site page is down for the mixamp. That leaves you with two options: 1.This and 2. the Steel Series converter. The problem with the steel series is that amazon doesn’t sell it, only the steel series website does. But they to are out of stock and not currently replenishing it. So that pretty much leaves you with this as your only resort. But this turns out to be a blessing in disguise as this product looks amazing and is damn near close to the mixamp in performance, if not better. Note: there is the turtle beach dss 2, but i didn’t mention it because it pretty much only performs well with turtle beach headphones, and it doesn’t work with PC headphones with 2 3.5MM plugs for headphone and mic. So on to performance. I use these to play COD MW3 and BOps2 and they sound very good with my seinheiser 330s. There are two modes THX and Scout (for FPS shooter games). I preferred the scout mode for COD. The set up was very simple and they give you all the cords and clear directions for any system or pc hookup. I also had to go into the in game audio sounds and play around with the audio presets. In COD there is a headset preset, but I actually preferred the stock audio settings over any of the bass boom etc. The other presets sound cooler but drown out the rest of the gameplay ie) grenades will be heard but not mids like footsteps or gunfire behind you. These are all personal preference things, but they are good to keep in mind when you set up your gameplay. Some people may like more bass etc. but instead of blaming the product, they may have just missed the in game audio adjustments. So hopefully that helps. The size, if you are wondering, is about the size of an external laptop hardrive. All in all I am very happy in the performance of this and would definitely advise buying this as an alternative to the astro mixamp.
Bernardo Kuri –
Great sound; lots of other little details that could be improved
NOTE: This is a refurbished unit, so a few of these issues might not apply to a brand new product.PROs:- Excellent sound quality- Can be used in many different environments (PC, PS3, XBOX, etc)- Scout mode is a nice plusCONs:- Cannot run software under Linux (not even using WINE)- Very big for what it is (barely portable)- Seems a bit flimsy (something rattles inside when I shake it)- The left channel stops working when coming back from standby; I need to unplug/replug for it to work correctly again.
Z. Wolf –
Great for Consoles/Laptops Gamers
Over the past few years, the “gaming audio” market has been expanding. There are two main products that compete with the Recon3D; the Turtle Beach DSS2 and the Astro MixAmp.When I purchased the Recon3D, it was the same price as the Turtle Beach DSS2. The Astro Mixamp was a little out of my price range, and I’ve heard that the new 2013 Mixamp has some issues. I’ve been using Creative products for over 15 years, so it’s a name I trust. Ultimately, I’m very happy with my purchase.I am using this with an Xbox 360 along with Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250ohm headphones. What a huge upgrade it is coming from the cheap speakers in the TV. All sounds are much clearer and vivid, along with actually being able to identify the positions of sounds. With the headphones plugged in, it is completely silent; no low buzzing noises or crackling.The box includes everything you need to set it up, but ideally you’re going to want a longer USB/optical cable (depending where your console/PC is located in relation to where you sit).The only negative thing I can say about it deals with the voice chat. I’m sure my headphones are partially to blame, but voices over Xbox Live are extremely quiet. Programmed voices coming from the game itself are loud and clear; what I’m talking about only applies to voice chat. I’ve adjusted the dashboard settings to have the game audio set to the lowest volume possible, with voice audio set to the highest possible volume. Changing these settings didn’t help much, it still can be difficult to hear other players talking when there’s a lot of action on the screen. This is where the Astro Mixamp pulls ahead, as it allows you to change the voice volume.Overall, this is a great product for gamers who play on consoles/laptops. If you have a desktop PC, there are many alternatives that are cheaper and will give you better performance. I’ve used the Astro Mixamp before, and personally I think the Recon3D sounds better. However if you’re going to be using voice chat a lot, the Astro Mixamp is the way to go.
T. C. –
Failed within a day
I received this device and with much anticipation I installed it and used it. The sound quality is fair when compared to the X-FI Titanium sound card, but not in the same league. When I took it out of the box, I noticed it rattled, like there was a loose component. So, I registered it at the support site, asked via email if it was normal for this device to rattle. One week later, no response. The same day I asked the question, the device stopped working. The power light would no longer turn on. What a waste and example of poor manufacturing standards. I returned the device for a refund. I purchased the DSS Ear Force dolby processor. It works great. Does not require software. In fact, I think the sound quality in games, music and cinema are much better than the Recon 3D.The Recon 3D is over priced and compared to the competition it falls short in sound quality and construction quality.
AP –
Awesome !
Aaqib –
Bought this to use with my Xbox one. Surround is amazing. I have it hooked to my Xbox one – creative recon – fiio e6 amp – audio technica ad500 equals gaming nirvana. As you noticed the only issue is volume is not loud enough but i fixed that with a inexpensive fiio amp. This is the best set up if your into console gaming. For PC there are much better alternatives