Creative unveils improved Sound BlasterX H7 Tournament Edition gaming headset

By Kris Wouk Published January 26, 2017

creative sound blasterx h7 tournament edition gaming headset — Image used with permission by copyright holder

As the top of the Sound BlasterX line, the H7 is already a feature-packed gaming headset, especially for those who are looking to keep the price under $200. Now Creative has made that headset even better, unveiling the new Sound BlasterX H7 Tournament Edition.

You will notice that this edition is new before you even put the headset on, as the look has been overhauled. The ear cup plates are now brushed metal, with the company logo emblazoned in a bold red color, and the rest of the headset using a gun-metal finish. Both the cable and the fabric inside of the ear cups are red, adding a sharp contrast.

Recommended Videos

The H7 Tournament Edition features upgraded 50mm FullSpectrum drivers that Creative says are tuned for better clarity and sensitivity, making hearing your opponents movement easier than ever. The detachable microphone has also been redesigned for better voice pickup and noise cancellation, meaning your teammates will be able to hear you clearly, even in loud, busy surroundings.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The headset offers two sound modes: USB and analog. In USB mode, the headset uses X-Plus sound signature, which features specially tuned sound profiles for a variety of popular games, including Overwatch, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2. These settings can be saved right to the headset, meaning you will be able to carry the settings with you to any computer.

USB mode also allows you to use the BlasterX Acoustic Engine software on your PC to customize your audio settings, tweaking the 7.1-channel sound for optimal immersion. Analog mode, on the other hand, is meant more for listening to music. Creative says that when used in analog mode, the headset offers a more dynamic sound signature, playing your favorite songs with a more natural, balanced sound.

The Sound BlasterX H7 Tournament Edition will be available in February via the Creative website. The company has only listed the price for Europe so far, at 160 euros, though if the Sound BlasterX H5 Tournament Edition — already available — is anything to go by, the list price for the H7 Tournament Edition in the U.S. will likely be around $160.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

Gaming

Neverwinter Nights just received a new update, 23 years after its original release

A screenshot from Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition.

The 2002 RPG Neverwinter Nights is a masterclass in game design. Now 23 years old, the community behind Neverwinter Nights has kept the game alive and active all this time — and it has been given a new, unofficial update "by unpaid software engineers from the NWN community." This patch includes several quality-of-life improvements, graphical fixes, and performance boosts to keep the game running smoothly on modern hardware. For reference, roughly a year after Neverwinter Nights, BioWare released the cult-classic Knights of the Old Republic. BioWare was at the height of its prowess with regard to storytelling and gameplay.

Despite the game's age, it still has a long-standing community of fans and creators that give Neverwinter Nights nearly unlimited replayability. In addition to The Wailing Death campaign that comes with the original release of the game, Neverwinter Nights also has two other campaigns: Horde of the Underdark and Shadows of the Undrentide. If none of those tickle your fancy, then the fan-made campaigns might be the place to look. Think about it like a homebrew DnD campaign, except that it's all programmed for you to play through at your leisure. There are dozens of fan-made campaigns to choose from, many of which are on-par with original Wizards of the Coast content in terms of quality.

Audio / Video

You Asked: What’s the most impressive thing you saw at CES?

You Asked CES Editors Cut

On today’s special edition of You Asked, we tracked down each of our editors and put them on the spot to find out what they thought was the most impressive thing they saw at CES 2025 in Early January. Let’s find out what they had to say.
Panasonic Z95B

There’s been some really cool TV tech at CES, but the thing I’m most excited about is the new Panasonic Z95B. Instead of the regular OLED display structure we’ve seen in recent years with MLA technology, this uses a four-layer panel structure. It features individual red, green, and blue layers (two of the latter) for the emissive light.

Gaming

3 game studios are closing their doors, including the developer of Godfall

Godfall player in combat.

We're barely into 2025, and the gaming industry has already delivered bad news: Three studios are shutting their doors, resulting in dozens of layoffs. Two of the three studios are subsidiaries of Enad Global 7, and the company said, "This decision does not come lightly and follows several initiatives to turn the subsidiary profitable."

The first studio to close is Toadman Interactive, best known for Immortal: Unchained and Bloodsports TV. While not the direct developer, the studio offered support during the development of The Lord of the Rings Online and MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. According to Enad Global 7, the closing affects everyone not under contract, and existing employment contracts will be honored. Adding salt to the wound is the news that 38 developers from Piranha Games are also going to be laid off following the subpar performance of MechWarrior 5: Clans.