 |
| Review sample provided by Epos. |
Ahh sound cards, I used to love reading about the newest cards coming out and what they would bring to the table. But as the years went on you don’t really see much hype for the once game-changing tech. These days, a few dedicated options still exist and today I want to share with you the GSX 300 from Epos. Epos was kind enough to send this card my way to test out for the last month and the results have been quite pleasing!
What’s In The Box
The GSX 300 comes in a compact box with a clean white and blue color scheme. The front of the GSX 300 takes up a prominent position on the front of the box with some quick highlights of the device's capabilities. The sides further highlight tech specs and box contents. On the back is another profile look at the GSX 300 with a slightly more detailed look at the key features. Opening the box you have the GSX 300, Micro USB Cable, and a number of quickstart and safety documents.
Aesthetics And Build Quality
The GSX 300 is an external sound card that is ideal for use on a desk or on the go thanks to its small footprint. The frame is solid to the touch and has no give when squeezed, ideal for taking it with you in a bag. The slanted design is sleek to look at and the single button and volume wheel keep the front clutter-free. An LED ring encircles the volume wheel and changes colors between blue and red depending on your selected output mode. The rear of the device is home to the GSX 300’s I/O ports. Micro USB powers the device while a pair of 3.5 mm jacks allow for headset and mic connectivity. Finally, two rubber feet keep the device firmly planted in place while in use.
Specs And Audio Quality
The GSX 300 has the following listed specs:
USB standard: USB 2.0Total harmonic distortion: < 0.01%Cable length: 1200 mmConnector plugs: 3.5 mm headset socket, 3.5 mm microphone socket, Micro USBCompatibility: PCWarranty: 2 years, internationalSupported sample rates: Main Audio 24 bit 48 kHz, 7.1 @ 16 bit 48 kHz with EPOS Gaming SuiteAudio outputs: HeadphonesRecommended headphone impedance: 25 - 75 Ω
While in this day and age the use of sound cards has waned compared to the glory days of the SoundBlaster, they aren’t without merit. Most motherboards come equipped with excellent sound capabilities, but there is always the possibility of interference, especially on lower-end boards or cheap laptops. An external card eliminates this possibility giving users the best possible sound without unwanted noise.
Combining my Epos H3 and H6 Pro with the GSX 300 was an unexpected treat. I have made mention of my H3 sounding more hollow on my desktop in the past but with the GSX 300 it definitely comes across more full with added quality in every aspect. To make sure I wasn’t having a placebo effect I quickly moved it back to my PC’s stereo jack and sure enough the hollowness returned. The H6 Pro also saw some nice gains in its audio output quality over my PC’s built-in audio. Hooking up my LucidSound LS35X saw similar results which made me extremely happy considering how much I hated the default sound of that particular set when hooked up over a wire. Volume levels for each set were also satisfactory for my preferences.
Usage
 |
| The GSX 300 and H6 Pro are a fantastic pair! |
With an initial first impression, I was eager to start putting the GSX 300 against my slew of daily use cases. Music, Movies, Games, Editing, it handled them all very well. But for this review, I decided to focus solely on gaming. And I’m just going to be blunt, every game I put up to the test with the GSX 300 sounded fantastic! When you first connect the GSX 300 to your PC it should be picked up by Windows automatically. To get the most out of it though I would recommend installing the Epos Gaming Suite. By default, the GSX 300 has a completely flat equalizer which sounds fine for most things but tuning in settings is what will give users the most bang for their buck. A number of EQ presets are available for music, movies, and games. The movie preset is typically my go to for quick set and start playing sessions. The game preset is tuned for esports and as a result, is devoid of most bass to amplify the sounds of enemy footsteps. It does what it is supposed to but I can’t live with it personally. The movie preset in contrast provides a much fuller sound and again is easy to set and start playing without fine-tuning things!
The movie preset has the other advantage of engaging the GSX 300’s virtual 7.1 surround sound mode. This function can also be toggled at will by default with a press of the front button on the GSX 300 regardless of profile. What a great implementation of 7.1 virtualization though! My last external sound card, the SoundBlaster X3, had some weird shortcomings with this functionality so I typically stuck to my 5.1 speaker system instead of using a headset. On the GSX 300 you get a nice virtual recreation of a 360-degree soundscape with reverb included. You can fine-tune reverb settings within the Epos app to your liking. I turn it down to a lower setting as I find it more pleasing. Comparing the GSX 300’s implementation to my onboard audio with Dolby DTS Headphone X was also quite fascinating. In the end, I have to say I favor the GSX 300 experience more, especially in Apex Legends.
Now a quick note on the included mic port. By default mic quality from the GSX 300 is decent but nothing to write home about. Adjusting settings within the Epos app definitely makes a difference to the overall end result but it still won’t replace your standalone desktop condenser mic. Because of the GSX 300’s compact design, you can easily take it with you for laptop gaming giving you an audio experience identical to your desktop setup.
What It Could Have Done Better
While my time with the GSX 300 has been a blast, I do wish that you could utilize its presets and Stereo/7.1 functions without the use of an app. Not the biggest deal but installing yet another thing to my PC is usually accompanied by a groan or two as I grudgingly do it. After writing up to this point in my review I decided to take to the internet about the GSX 300 and see what the general thoughts were on the device as it has been available for a few years now. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like everyone out there has had as good of an experience with the GSX 300 with many mentioning audio cutting out frequently. Perhaps updating to the newest firmware is what spared me from having reported audio cut out issues? Regardless, I wanted to make mention of it being a possibility even though my own experience has been nothing but pleasing.
Verdict
The Epos GSX 300 at its $79.99 asking price is a welcome addition to my gaming audio setup! All of my headsets sound better connected to it and the 7.1 virtualization is a treat to listen to. While better and more expensive options exist, the GSX 300 has outshone my last external sound card that cost twice its price! With a small caveat on other users having experienced some cutout issues, I can easily recommend the GSX 300 to anyone looking for a nice audio upgrade for their PC setup!
