Creative Sound Blaster Blaze V2

For over 30 years, Creative Labs have influenced sound reproduction for the PC like no other company. In 1989, with the “Sound Blaster”, they created the forerunner of all modern audio interfaces. Voice reproduction, CD-quality music and stereo effects became a matter of course within just a few years, and the number of “Sound Blaster compatible” plug-in cards was immense.

The lightness of the Creative Sound Blaster Blaze V2

A highlight right up front: this headset is extremely lightweight at just 187 grams. The 40mm neodymium drivers are flanked by oval pads with a velvety texture and fitted with an almost perfect pressure point for my head shape – not something you should take for granted in this price category. The low price of under 50 euros is naturally reflected in the materials used, and the plastic design was hardly surprising. However, the flexible metal microphone boom, which is connected via a 3.5mm connector, was a positive surprise.

The Sound Blaster Blaze V2 gaming headset connects exclusively via a four-pin 3.5mm plug and therefore functions without software drivers or other installation. The generous 2.5-metre connection cable with an inline switch for volume and mute function enables convenient connection to a desktop PC, but the cable was a little too long for me when I was connecting to the Playstation controller or Steam Deck.

The wearing comfort of the Creative Sound Blaster Blaze V2 is excellent across the board, and the low weight was particularly noticeable during longer sessions. When not in use, the microphone can be removed without interrupting the action and plugged back in as needed.

How does the Creative Sound Blaster Blaze V2 headset sound?

For a budget headset, the Creative Sound Blaster Blaze V2 has a surprisingly balanced sound. Speech intelligibility, in particular, was very high, and distortion was kept within limits even at high levels. The stereo image was wide and allowed a good localisation of sound sources. Of course, you will have to make some compromises in bass reproduction and dynamics. Smaller details in music recordings, sub-basses or transients were quickly lost, but this can be forgiven at such a low price. The detachable condenser microphone with integrated noise reduction also sounded surprisingly good as it is quite well insulated against structure-borne noise so that not every movement of the headset was transmitted by the microphone.