Creative SXFI AIR (w/ Super X-Fi Gen 2) Review - 9.1 Surround Sound with Your Headphones! 2

Creative SXFI AIR (w/ Super X-Fi Gen 2) Review - 9.1 Surround Sound with Your Headphones!

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Introduction

Creative Logo

In my opinion, the most impressive showing at CES 2019 came from Creative, when they unveiled their retail release of the Super X-Fi headphone holography technology for a 7.1 surround sound speaker experience in a pair of headphones. The first product out at the time was the SXFI Amp combining their Super X-Fi DSP with a mobile DAC/amp for portable use across a variety of supported headphones. The media attending in person got an in-ear measurement profile done, which arguably made the experience superior than with SXFI app head-mapping-generated profiles, one of the complaints from our readers and the audio community as a whole. At CES 2020, the company took this feedback in stride and introduced Super X-Fi Gen 2 with support for 9.1 channel profiles, and all multi-channel profiles that were better-optimized with the much larger sample size over the past year.


Super X-Fi Gen 2 was automatically rolled out to everyone who already had a Gen 1 profile the week of CES, which meant testing it could have been as simple as using the SXFI Amp with the sample headphones they had provided last year, but Creative mentioned that they were just done giving a face-lift to their previously released SXFI AIR headphones, which worked out well in allowing us to cover both products simultaneously. Indeed, the face-lifted SXFI AIR is still not found on their website, with product images showing the older version as of the date this was written. There are minor cosmetic changes only, however, and our article here should be representative for all versions of the SXFI AIR. Thanks again to Creative for sending a review sample to TechPowerUp!

Specifications

Creative SXFI AIR Headphones
Drivers:50 mm Neodymium magnet
Frequency Response:20 Hz–20 kHz
Impedance:32 Ω
Weight:338 g / 11.9 oz
Connectivity:Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C, and Line-in
Colors:Black or White
Controls:Touch controls (volume and playback), Power on/off, Source, and Super X-Fi
MicroSD Card MP3 Player:Supports MP3, WMA, WAV, and FLAC formats
Battery Life:Up to 10 hours
Software:Yes, mobile only
Lighting:16.8 M RGB earcup rings
Warranty:One year

Packaging and Accessories


As with the SXFI Amp, packaging for the SXFI AIR uses a cardboard box with an aesthetic wrap that prioritizes Super X-Fi over the Creative brand. On the front, we see the product name and a badge at the bottom to denote that these come with built-in Super X-Fi hardware processing as well. On the back and sides, we see marketing galore about the Super X-Fi tech, including all the awards won last year, as well as a primer on the usage of the SXFI AIR itself.


Seals and a double flap at the sides keep the contents inside in place, and as with a lot of similar products these days, we see a plastic clamshell inside that is shaped to fit the headphones. There is also some paperwork that is placed on top inside a plastic wrap consisting of a note to remind the customer to download and set up Super X-Fi profiles via their app first, as well as the other app that is more specific to the SXFI AIR itself.


Flipping the clamshell over, we see the other accessories placed inside a trapezoidal white cardboard box, fitted into the recess of the shaped compartment on the other side. Here, we get more paperwork, including a product manual that goes over the onboard controls, a general warranty policy, and regulatory information as compliant to the different regions the company operates in. We also see a rubber cover for the microphone port on the headphones, as well as two different cables, all of which come in more plastic. The first cable goes from a male USB Type-A connector to a male USB Type-C connector, which points towards the adoption of Type-C connectivity on the headphones. The other is a 3.5 mm to 3.5 mm cable with gold-plated connector for oxidation resistance, useful if you happened to still have a portable audio source with the increasingly rare 3.5 mm jack. These make for two wired connectivity options in addition to the Bluetooth option that justifies the "AIR" in the name.
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Jun 30th, 2025 18:50 CDT change timezone

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