I loved how many features this affordable gaming soundbar has, but
audiophiles might want to look elsewhere

Date:
Mon, 04 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Description:
The Creative Sound Blaster GS5 promises a lot for relatively little money
but how good does it really sound?

FULL STORY ======================================================================Creative
Sound Blaster GS5: One-minute review The Creative Sound Blaster GS5 is a gaming soundbar that can be used with all sorts of devices, with a form
factor thats suitable for desktops, according to the brand. Its plain appearance wont set hearts ablaze, but it has a certain minimalist charm
thats unlikely to offend. Customizable RGB lighting is on hand for those who want to brighten their setup, too.

The build quality of the GS5 is reasonable. It feels quite solid without
being too heavy, although the chassis material doesnt feel particularly premium. It falls short of the best soundbars in this regard, and no doubt contributes to its relatively low price tag. And while its a compact unit, I still think its a bit too large to sit comfortably on your desk. (Image credit: Future) The remote is similarly compact and functional. Its well made and easy to use, although it can be slow to respond, especially when trying
to adjust certain parameters with quick, repeated presses. Creative Sound Blaster GS5 (PC Black) at Amazon for 74.99 The GS5 produces a good sound for gaming. Audio effects are impactful, but overall fidelity is lacking
somewhat, which is especially noticeable when listening to music or watching movies.

Altering the sound in Creatives desktop app can help, though. There are
plenty of adjustments here, including a 10-point EQ graph and other audio-enhancing features. Some of these improve clarity and impact, while others, such as the volume-leveling function, are less effective.

Its a shame that these alterations only take effect when listening to the GS5 on PC via USB, and its also disappointing that the mobile app offers nowhere near the same number of adjustments as the desktop app. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

I have fewer complaints about the connectivity of the GS5, though. Bluetooth works very well, pairing quickly to my devices and making it easy to
hotswitch to wired connections. Speaking of which, you get many options here, with USB, Optical, and AUX ports on board. Theres even a 3.5mm headphone jack on the side of the unit.

All these options and features are impressive for a soundbar of this price. Many of its rivals are a lot more expensive, and while they may offer better audio quality, the GS5 is still worth considering if youre on a budget. Just dont expect a space-saving desktop unit with pristine sound. Creative Sound Blaster GS5 review: Price & availability (Image credit: Future) $99.99 /
74.99 / AU$129.95 Available now Cheaper than many rivals The Creative Sound Blaster GS5 costs $99.99 / 74.99 / AU$129.95 and is available now in one colorway: black.

This is a reasonable price for a gaming soundbar, especially one that offers so many features. For something even cheaper, theres the GS3, the younger sibling to the GS5. However, this is smaller, less powerful, and lacks the same features.

For more premium options, theres the Creative Katana SE , which has a similar feature-set and audio quality, while the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro has more advanced features, including an infrared camera with AI tracking to keep the sound centered on where you are. Creative Sound Blaster GS5 review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally

Frequency range:

6520,000Hz

Drivers:

3.35 x 2.16 inch full-range racetrack drivers

Dimensions:

510 x 102.7 x 82.6mm / 20.07 x 4.04 x 3.25 inches

Weight:

1.5kg / 3.3lbs

Audio Inputs:

Bluetooth 5.3, Optical-in (TOSLINK), 3.5mm AUX-in, USB Audio (Type C)

Audio Outputs:

3.5mm Headphones-out Creative Sound Blaster GS5 review: Design (Image credit: Future) Restrained looks A little too big for desktops Feature-packed desktop app The GS5 has a rather functional appearance; the all-black design looks smart, but also a little dull. The RGB lighting, however, does impart some interest, with its keen luminescence and plenty of customization options on tap.

Although the GS5 is smaller than your typical soundbar, its still a bit too cumbersome for desktop use, despite Creatives intentions for it. It mightnt
be particularly wide but it's quite tall and deep, so it takes up more space than you might think. At least the overall form is sleek and minimal, lacking unnecessary angles or protrusions.

Build quality is reasonable, too. It feels solid in the main, and although
the materials employed dont feel particularly upmarket, theyre sufficient for the job. I also appreciated the soft rubber feet, which help to stabilize the soundbar, as well as protect the underlying surface.

The LED display is limited to just two characters, but its clear enough without being distracting, and is sufficient for conveying information. The side knob is similarly discreet, and rotates smoothly with light notching. Also operating well, the surrounding buttons only require a light press to work. Theyre coated in a soft rubber that feels comfortable, although it's a little pointless in my view. (Image credit: Future) Feeling of a similar quality, the IR remote control is compact and sits nicely in the hand. The buttons operate with a satisfying solidity, too, and there are plenty of adjustments available, from volume and track skipping to toggles for various audio features.

However, not every feature and function that the GS5 has to offer is present here. To gain access to further tweaks, youll need to install Creatives free desktop app. Here youll find plenty of in-depth options to tinker with, including EQ graphs and various enhancements.

Its clearly laid out for the most part, although adjusting some of the functions for the sound mode are a little confusing. Its not immediately
clear how the Sound Mode, Acoustic Stage, and Equalizer sections are linked, but they are. Whats more, adjustments made in the app fail to sync up with
the GS5s LED readout. For instance, if youve selected Gaming mode via the
app, this wont show up.

The apps interface isnt the most appealing, with certain UI elements looking
a little low-res. Also, some clickable objects, such as drop-down boxes,
didnt always respond properly in my experience. Whats more, I was
disappointed that the app wont recognize the GS5 if connected wirelessly via Bluetooth; you must have a wired USB connection. Ultimately, though, these
are minor niggles, and overall the software is stable and usable.

Its frustrating that the mobile app is far more limited than its desktop counterpart. It only offers a few adjustments, and these are ones that are already present on the remote, although I understand it may be more
convenient for some to use their phone rather than the remote to control the GS5. Creative Sound Blaster GS5 review: Performance (Image credit: Future) Impactful and punchy sound Lacks fidelity App settings only take effect on PC The GS5 is an effective companion to your gaming sessions. Sound effects are punchy and impactful, adding real bite to sword swings when I played The
Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered and gunfire in Counter-Strike 2 . Sadly, the overall fidelity of the GS5 isnt particularly great, which is especially noticeable when listening to music. Its certainly not in the same league as the best speakers for audio enthusiasts, nor is it on a par with the best gaming headsets .

Theres plenty of volume, although its a shame that the increments arent very precise; youll find the sound hardly changes as you increase or decrease the volume by one or two digits, before it suddenly jumps on the third or forth.

You can make several adjustments to tailor the sound of the GS5 to your
needs. You can control the tone by seven levels: 0 is the neutral point between the two extremes of warmth and brilliance (as Creative terms them), with three either side for more bass or more treble. (Image credit: Future) The brighter tones were impressive, enhancing the clarity of that aforementioned punch to game sound effects. However, the lower tones were disappointing, muddying the bass rather than making it fuller.

On top of this, there's also a SuperWide setting, which promises a more expansive soundstage. You can toggle between Near and Far modes (or disable
it altogether), based on your distance from the bar. I found this to be an effective feature, as it really does impart a greater sense of space. The Far setting adds some unwanted airiness, but not to the extent that it undermines clarity and depth entirely.

Then there are the plethora of what Creative calls Sound Modes. On the
remote, you can only toggle between two of these: Gaming and Movie. The
latter seemed to offer greater fidelity at the expense of impact, whereas the former had the opposite effect, emphasizing mids and lows at the expense of clear trebles.

In the Creative desktop app, there are many more of these modes to choose from, including those designed for specific games. You can even design and save your own custom profiles, with independent sections for speaker and headphone settings, should you wish to connect one via the 3.5mm jack on the side of the GS5. (Image credit: Future) To shape your sound, theres an EQ graph with a range of 31Hz to 16KHz, plotted with 10 points that you can drag to boost or cut frequencies by 6dBs. For convenience, there are additional sliders for overall bass and treble, allowing you to adjust multiple frequencies in those domains simultaneously. Theres also a Preamp slider that can be used to alter overall volume.

Alongside this traditional EQ, the app also has a feature that Creative calls Acoustic Engine. Here, you can adjust more sound-related aspects. There are further sliders for enhancing bass and treble frequencies, which stack on top of what can be achieved with the EQ. Theres also a setting called Dialog+ thats designed to make dialog clearer, and in my experience this does indeed achieve its aim.

I found the Smart Volume setting less effective. This claims to intelligently ride levels to prevent loud and unpleasant spikes in volume. Unfortunately,
in action, it sounds like an unsubtle audio compressor, causing a slight pumping effect but not actually taming peaks all that well.

All these options are a little overwhelming at first, but on the whole theyre welcome and meaningful additions. However, its a shame that any custom sound mode you create cant be selected via the remote. Worse still, these only work on PC via USB you wont be able to use them when connected via Bluetooth, or when connected to consoles and other devices, wired or wirelessly.

Connecting to various devices via Bluetooth was as quick and as painless as I couldve wished for. I couldnt discern any difference in sound quality between USB and Bluetooth connections, either.

Whats more, switching between Bluetooth and USB connections was also
seamless. I could switch between them without needing to unplug and replug
the cable, which made hot-switching that much easier. There are also ports
for AUX and optical connection, which means that overall the GS5 has an impressive range of connectivity options.

The performance of the IR remote was somewhat disappointing. I often experienced delayed inputs, especially when adjusting the Tone parameter, for some reason. And while I appreciated the media controls for play / pause and track skipping, these only worked on PC via USB, not on console. Should I buy the Creative Sound Blaster GS5? Scorecard Swipe to scroll horizontally

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

It offers quite a lot for its relatively unassuming price tag.

4 / 5

Design

The unfussy and compact form are positives, but its still too large to sit on desktops comfortably.

3.5 / 5

Performance

The GS5 doesnt have the best fidelity, but there are plenty of
sound-enhancing features to somewhat make up for this.

3.5 / 5

Overall rating

The GS5 packs in plenty of features and connectivity options, but the lack of audio quality compared to hi-fi alternatives is clear. Its also a little too big for desktops, but at this price, its still worth considering if youre on
a budget.

3.5 / 5 Buy it if Youre on a budget As soundbars go, the GS5 is quite cheap, yet it still has a lot of features and connectivity options. You want plenty of customization Using the GS5 on PC unlocks a wealth of tweaks, most of
which make meaningful changes to the sound. Don't buy it if You want the best sound quality The lack of clarity compared to top-tier rivals is apparent,
and music and movie lovers might be especially disappointed. You want something discreet Although Creative does say the GS5 is fit for desktops,
its still a little too large, in my view. Creative Sound Blaster GS5 review: Also consider Creative Katana SE Another Creative model, the Katana SE is a powerful, bass-heavy unit that, like the GS5, features plenty of
customization and connectivity options. Unfortunately, though, it also shares the same lack of fidelity, so it still cant compete with audio-focused soundbars and speakers. Read our full Creative Katana SE review . Razer Leviathan V2 Pro The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro impressed us with its powerful low-end and wide sonic landscape, although we did find mid and high frequencies to be a little disappointing. It does have a Virtual Headset mode for increased immersion, though, as well as an infrared camera with AI tracking to make sure youre always at the center of the soundstage. Read our full Razer Leviathan V2 Pro review . How I tested the Creative Sound Blaster GS5 Tested for several days Used for various content on various devices
Plenty of gaming and audio experience I tested the GS5 for several days. I used it for all kinds of content, from gaming to watching videos and
listening to music.

I also used it with various devices via its various connections. I used it with my PS5, gaming PC, Nintendo Switch, and Android phone, with a mixture of USB and Bluetooth connections.

I have experience testing a range of audio gear, including headsets designed for gaming and headphones and speakers designed for audiophiles. Such
products have spanned a range of price points, form factors, and feature
sets. Read more about how we test First reviewed: April 2026 Creative Sound Blaster GS5 : Price Comparison 74.99 View We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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