EPOS GSX 300 - External Computer Sound Card - High-Resolution Stereo & 7.1 Surround Sound - LED Volume Dial; Customizable Smart Button - Windows 10 Synchronized

This is an unusual gadgetry targeted at gamers but I find this to be indispensable for anyone with an ear for details and looking for sound quality in terms of enhancement of resolution. It just crystallizes the sound source and opens up the soundstage instead of filling it with echoes which other “virtual 7.1 sound cards” do. So “sheerness” is a five star- I would give a bonus star if I could, given the price point you will only be able to get soundcards that makes everything you hear blurrier and more “echowy”. One thing I disliked is the requirement for the installation of standalone software (even if it comes with equalizer function) that just gets in the way of being an external hardware completely, which is what it appears and was marketed to be. Volume control was somewhat N/A for me as I used volume knob on my keyboard to control instead of the GSX300 knob. After having a satisfying experience with both music and games, I cannot help but recommend with some reservation that this purchase will only embolden you to buy the GSX1000, which does not require software installation on your computer to function, and gives you an extra (I think 30% more) “sheerness”. Don’t get me wrong, you won’t regret this purchase if the inconveniences I described does not apply to you. It is an unbeatable performance at this price range. I recommend you get this and spend more money on getting a proper openback headphone with a good soundstage. Just remember you are stepping into audiophile territory when you deal with openback headphones, and this sound card cannot drive anything higher than 100 ohm in impedance.

I was really curious to know if this would work on PS5, but couldn't find any information about that, here or anywhere else. So I decided to buy it, try it, and report back. If you're interested in game audio, but turned off by Xtreme Gam3r features like RGB lights, ultra mega bass, and the promise to ruin your EQ to emphasize footsteps, the world of gaming DAC/amps rapidly shrinks. Hey, guy: not everyone is focused on competitive shooters. Some of us are over here playing Death Stranding, feeling the feels when the desolate landscape opens up at the same time as the lonely soundtrack. I was left looking at this GSX 300, and the Fulla E. The Fulla is beloved when it works, but costs more and the company has a bad rep in quality assurance. It made sense to start with the GSX 300, risking the Fulla E if this doesn't work out. It does work! Despite the Q&A section here being full of assertions from EPOS that it absolutely needs a Windows 10 PC and their special software to operate, right out of the box it is detected by the PS5 as a headphone output and a mic input. Up and running in seconds. It does seem to need the console's front USB port to power it, as the others did nothing. Sound quality is subjective, but I challenge you to compare this with the congested sound coming directly out of a controller and not be impressed. I've seen tests showing the GSX 300 delivers a genuinely flat EQ, so any tonality is really down to your headphones. I'm driving a pair of EPOS Sennheiser Game Zeros, the latest version, which I think are 50 Ohms, and getting a nice balanced sound, with a taut, clean bass that reaches low, and some bite in the mids and highs when you turn up. These phones are great at making sounds in the game world feel solid. The biggest surprise after plugging in the GSX 300 was that Sidetone mic monitoring was also working right away. If you have access to a PC, then Hallelujah: against all odds, changes you make to the Sidetone level using the EPOS Gaming Suite software are retained when you reconnect to the PlayStation. By default it's at around 30%, which is subtle but enough to avoid that screaming into the void feeling on closed-back headphones. I like it around 50%. That's about it for advanced features. The button on the front does not function when connected to a PS5. So no switching through custom EQ profiles or enabling simulated 7.1 surround. This is as I'd suspected, and suits me fine as I was really just shopping for a flat EQ and 2.0 stereo. That volume knob on the front is not a real mechanical volume pot, with a beginning and an end; it's a digital parameter wheel that spins and spins. As such, the GSX 300 forgets where you've set the volume each time you switch off the power, which is not super convenient. Luckily, it defaults to a sensible, usable level each time you switch on, probably 50%. My last gaming DAC/amp, a tiny thing from HyperX, would default to 0% volume every time, which became irritating. The GSX default volume might not be thrilling, but it's enough for casual day to day gameplay, and I can clearly hear my friends and the game's audio. If you want more, reach for the dial. While we're on volume: everyone seems to have their own requirements, but to me, with these ears and these headphones, with both the PlayStation output and the GSX cranked all the way up, it's just on the edge of being uncomfortable. Gunshots have a hard movie-theater bark, and bass develops that strong sensation of pressure. I wouldn't play like this for long. However, it won't go to crazy levels. If you like to feel like you've always got more in the tank, this may not be for you. Curiously, on both PC and Mac (yes, it works on my MacBook, too; the knob natively controls the system audio level) it's about twice as loud. I don't know why console audio is attenuated by half, but it seems we can't blame EPOS Sennheiser, as it's the same deal with my old HyperX DAC/amp. This is after the latest firmware update, which promises increased max volume. One last caveat. The blue LED around the volume control is large and bright. It seems predictable that a device like this will end up near your screen, whether that's your desktop monitor or a TV, and therefor in your field of vision. Making it as big and distracting as it is feels like an oversight. I hoped to find a control in the EPOS Gaming Suite software to lower or disable this light, as AV amps tend to allow, but no luck. I find myself facing the device away, which is a shame, as it's an otherwise lovely, simple piece of design, so much visually quieter than the usual gaudy gamer hardware. The white version compliments the PS5 nicely.

Solid build. Easy installation. Sennheiser | EPOS software is great on giving information at what each adjustments do. Great sound quality. Once you finally found the right settings, it's great. Just need your friends to help you out on setting the mic quality/sound from their end- that way your "initial" word/syllable doesn't get cut off when you start talking because of the mic "gate" ..... and that annoyance of hearing the other person's/your keyboard clicking. find the right setting so it doesn't pick up the keyboard clicking but also the right mic gate that your voice doesn't get cut off.

UPDATE: After two months of using the device, it has started to fail and malfunction. I tried to use the 2 year Sennheiser/EPOS warranty but for the past 10 days they have still yet to honor their 2 year warranty. DON'T BUY. No wonder Sennheiser didn't want to use their name and had to resort on EPOS. Bad company, bad practices. ----------- Before I begin, to those that dismiss this product for better alternatives. That is very true there are better alternatives and more audiophile oriented dacs. But to those that just wanted to have 7.1 surround sound without meddling with programs that can drive your headphones and headsets (range of 25-75 Ohms). This is the device for you. User friendly at its finest. Steps to enjoy 1. Plug it in 2. Install program 3. Update 4. Restart 5. Enjoy No need to learn and worry if the HeSuVi program is working properly, this device does it for you. It even has a mic configuration of which you can use Noise Cancelation (and base on my zoom meetings works wonderfully). You have a noise gate that the mic only sends the mic input in a certain threshold. Gain works well but the side tone is a different matter. I really just bought it to add 7.1 surround sound on my Sennheiser HD 599 with a mic attached to it and it went beyond my expectations. I hope they add more options, allow louder settings for both mic and headphones and maybe additional presets for specific headphones.

I ended up returning this. Read mixed reviews before buying but figured worth a shot for the price. I was using with a pair of 560s (easy to power) and sound was alright. There was some electronic distortion though. I mainly play warzone and my motherboard sounded better running Dolby atmos for directional sound. I also play rock smith on pc and it wouldn’t detect the device. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend these. Glitchy, app doesn’t work, and sound quality/loudness was worse than my onboard audio

Very good like new condition gives me 7.1 surround like stated

--------------- EDIT ---------------------- As of 03/23/2021 The device is no longer being found in the EPOS Software, the "Gaming Suite" is no longer able to provide me with EQ Settings (Which I used a lot) or enhance the Mic quality via the software (which I used a lot too and was one of the main features I wanted to get out of this device) Throughout the last few months EPOS/Sennheiser were able to fine tune this device through firmware updates and it NO LONGERS DISCONNECTS which is somehow great that they fixed that specific problem through just firmware updates. Props on that to Sennheiser/EPOS however. I can't recommend this device any further to anyone, unless there's a software update that allows for the EPOS Gaming Suite to find my device again. -------------------------------------- I got a PC7XX hooked to it, certainly looks nice on my desk. enhances the volume since this headset does need a little boost I decided to buy this USB soundboard/DAC. The EPOS software tool is "fine" but not polished and will need a lot work from the devs, the EQ features and voice modifiers are nice addition to the overall experience of using this device. The device feels good and looks good as i mentioned. As others have mentioned, it does disconnect from time to time. Which is why i gave this a 4 Stars out of 5. It looks like the Micro-USB port in the back of the device has issues keeping the thing powered on, which is why mini V8 is trash and we should all be using Type-C from now on. After opening the device, this issue however feels like it's a Quality Control issue at the factory where this is built. The overall experience you may have with this device may vary depending on how you feel about the EPOS software. And how you feel about leaving the thing alone and not moving it, since you must be very gentle with micro v8 connection in the back of the device. Others have said bad things about the volume wheel, however mine feels very nice and works flawlessly.

I use a laptop for backing tracks for my musical duo. My headphone outlet had become worn and unstable, and I had bought a couple of USB based alternative which didn’t work very well. I purchased the Epos Sound Card and was very impressed with how it worked. I particularly like the fact it has a volume dial on it, very handy! I was most impressed also with how quickly it arrived to NZ from the UK! Less than ten days!

The item works and looks great. Just way smaller in my hand than I thought lol

3D surround is excellent, I didn’t used product like this previously but sound of my GSP 500 EPOS headphone is greatly improved when 3D surround is on and for music its better that creative sound core 3d chipset on motherboard

Nachdem ich mir für meinen Laptop, Epos Kopfhörer gegönnt hatte, konnte dieser keinen Stereo-Klang erzeugen. Blöd wenn man nicht nachschaut ob der eigene Rechner das kann oder nicht. Mit der Externen habe ich jetzt wunderbaren Klang und möchte das Teil nicht mehr missen. Praktisch (für Mich) ist das wirklich lange Anschlusskabel, da am Kopfhörer selbst eher ein Kurzes verbaut ist. Jetzt kann ich auf meine Sessel rumlungern und Musik hören, anstatt auf dem Bürostuhl sitzen zu müssen.

La verdad mi laptop tiene un sonido muy malo en la salida de audífonos, este dac solucionó el problema, aunque es para gaming yo lo utilizo para escuchar musica y videos y si mejora por mucho la calidad del audio, es muy fácil de usar y además su diseño es moderno.

1号の基盤がズレてしまい再購入。 1号は黒でしたが、2号は白にしました。 可愛いし、1号で音の出方もわかっていたので再購入しました。 安いのに凄い良いです。最高