Creative Sound Blaster E3 SB1610 User manual

Model No: SB1610
User’s Guide

Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of Sound Blaster®E3! Featuring SBX®Pro Studio™ technology, this
portable USB DAC(Digital-to-Analog Converter) headphone amplifier will give you an immensely
powerful audio playback experience when used with your smart devices, PC or Mac. The Sound Blaster
E3 provides support for high performance headphones for a studio-grade listening experience and it also
comes with dual headphone jacks for easy music sharing. It also boasts NFC for one-touch Bluetooth®
pairing.
Package Checklist
Your Sound Blaster E3 package comes with the following:
lThe Sound Blaster E3
lMicro-USB 2.0 cable
l4-pole analog cable
lOn-The-Go cable
lQuick Start leaflet
Minimum System Requirements
For Windows®OS
lIntel®Core™2 Duo or AMD equivalent processor, 2.8 GHz or faster recommended
lMicrosoft®Windows 8.1 32-bit or 64-bit, Windows 8 32-bit or 64-bit, Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit,
Windows Vista®32-bit or 64-bit
l1 GB RAM
l600 MB of free hard disk space
lPowered USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 port
For Mac®OS
lIntel®Core™2 Duo, 2.8 GHz or faster recommended
lMac OSX®10.6.8 or higher
l1 GB RAM
l600 MB of free hard disk space
lPowered USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 port
For iOS device
liPhone®/ iPad®running iOS 5.0 or higher for Bluetooth
liPhone / iPad running iOS 7.0 or higher for USB Host Audio Streaming via Lightning port
For Android™ device
lPhone / tablet running Android 2.3 or higher for Bluetooth
Registering Your Product
Registering your product ensures you receive the most appropriate service and product support
available. You can register your product during installation or at www.creative.com/register.
Please note that your warranty rights are not dependent on registration.
Sound Blaster E3 – Introduction 1

More Help
For the latest news and products for the Sound Blaster, please visit www.soundblaster.com. The site
also includes information on making purchases, technical help and the latest software updates.
Using Creative Software AutoUpdate
Locating, downloading and installing updates for your Creative products is now simpler and faster with
the web-based Creative Software AutoUpdate system.
When you connect to Creative Software AutoUpdate via the Internet, the website will analyze your
computer system to determine your operating system, language and which Creative products are
connected to your system.
When this analysis is completed, you will then be given a list of only the most relevant software updates
for your connected products. The files can then be retrieved and installed.
To learn more about the Creative Software AutoUpdate, please visit www.soundblaster.com/support.
Note:
First-time users of Creative Software AutoUpdate may be prompted to authorize the download of a
browser component required for system analysis. Check to ensure that this content is signed by
Creative Labs, Inc., then click the Yes button.
Please ensure that all your Creative products are connected and installed on the same computer
running Creative Software AutoUpdate.
Sound Blaster E3 – Introduction 2

About Your Hardware
The Sound Blaster E3 has input and output jacks to enable connection to various devices while controls
on the side give you basic control over your audio device.
(d)
(e) (f)
(g)
(c)
(b)
(a)
(i)
(j)
(l)
(m)
(k)
(h)
Jack / Control Description
(a) Headphone /
Line Out jack Connects to stereo headphones with a 3.5 mm (1/8-inch)
plug.
OR
Connects to powered analog speakers with a 3.5 mm
(1/8-inch) plug.
(b) Volume control Adjusts the audio output volume.
(c) Rewind/Previous
Track
Rewind Track
Press and hold to rewind.
Previous Track
Press once to go to the previous track.
(d) Forward/Next
Track
Forward Track
Press and hold to forward.
Next Track
Press once to go to the previous track.
(e) Line In jack Connects to line-level sources (smartphones, tablets,
MP3 players).
Sound Blaster E3 – About Your Hardware 3

Jack / Control Description
(f) USB port Connects to USB ports of PC / laptop for audio output and
input via a Micro-USB connector.
(g) NFC Tap your NFC-enabled device on the Sound Blaster E3 to
instantly pair and connect.
(h) Power / Bluetooth
button
lPower On – Press and hold 1 sec
lBluetooth pairing – Press and hold 2 sec
lPower Off – Press and hold 4 sec
(i) Status LED indicator Indicates the battery status and condition of the Sound
Blaster E3.
White: Power ON / Battery full
Red (blinking): Battery low
Red: Battery charging
Blue (blinking):Bluetooth pairing
Blue:Bluetooth connected
Off: Power OFF
(j) Multifunction button Audio playback on device
Press to play/pause a track.
Answer/End calls on device
Press once to answer an incoming call.
Press again to end a call.
Note:
The use of the Multifunction button to answer/end calls
is not supported when connected to a computer.
(k) Clip Clips on to your clothing or bag for convenient access.
(l) Microphone Receives voice input during calls.
(m) Headphone / Mic In
jack Connects to stereo headphones with a 3.5 mm (1/8-inch)
plug.
OR
Connects to the Front Left and Front Right inputs on
powered analog speakers with a 3.5 mm (1/8-inch) plug.
OR
Connects to microphones with a 3.5 mm (1/8-inch) plug.
Note:
An external microphone can only be used when the
Sound Blaster E3 is connected to a computer via USB
connection. See Setting Up Your Audio Device –
Connecting to Headphones / Speakers /
Microphone.
Sound Blaster E3 – About Your Hardware 4

Setting Up Your Audio Device
Step 1: Charging your Sound Blaster E3
Connect your Sound Blaster E3 directly to a USB port on your computer.
Charge your Sound Blaster E3 for approximately 3 to 4 hours.
It is recommended that you charge it for at least 8 hours before it is used for the first time.
Note:
Lithium polymer battery life may suffer when it is constantly fully depleted or overexerted at low
voltage. It is a good practice to keep the battery well charged.
Step 2: Turning On Sound Blaster E3
Press and hold the Power / Bluetooth button for 1 second to turn on Sound Blaster E3.
lPower On – Press and hold 1 sec
lBluetooth pairing – Press and hold 2 sec
lPower Off – Press and hold 4 sec
Sound Blaster E3 – Setting Up Your Audio Device 5

Step 3: Connecting Peripherals
One-touch pairing with NFC
You may pair your NFC-enabled devices with the Sound Blaster E3 with a single tap using NFC
technology. Simply follow these steps to connect them.
2
1
Action LED Status Device Status
1 Turn ON the NFC feature on your
device. And touch your device on
the NFC logo on Sound Blaster E3.
If prompted "Are you sure you
want to pair the Bluetooth
device?", tap "Yes".
Blue Device paired automatically.
Ready to stream music.
Note:
Be sure that your phone is NFC-enabled and find out where the NFC sensor is located on your phone.
For more information, refer to the User Guide of your phone.
To disconnect, tap your device with the Sound Blaster E3 again.
Sound Blaster E3 – Setting Up Your Audio Device 6

Manual Bluetooth pairing
To enjoy your favorite music from your Bluetooth devices, simply follow these steps to connect them.
1
2
Action LED Status Status
1 Press and hold Power /
Bluetooth button for 2seconds.
Blue (blinking) Pairing mode.
Ready to be paired with new
device.
2 Turn ON the Bluetooth feature on
your device.
Search and select "Sound Blaster
E3".
If password is required, enter
0000 and connect to it.
Blue Ready to stream music.
Note:
If no device is paired within 1 minute, it will exit from pairing mode.
Bluetooth pairing between these devices may vary depending upon the model type. Consult your
device’s manual on how to pair.
The Sound Blaster E3 supports dual connections, which means you can connect it to two Bluetooth
devices at the same time. If you wish to connect it with a third device, you should disconnect the
existing two devices first before connecting it to the other device.
Delete all Bluetooth pairing information
To delete all Bluetooth pairing information, see Restore Factory Default Settings.
Sound Blaster E3 – Setting Up Your Audio Device 7

USB Connection
Connect your Sound Blaster E3 to a computer using the Micro-USB to USB cable provided.
To connect a mobile device via USB, use the On-The-Go cable* provided.
(c)
(d)
(a)
(e)
(b)
(c)
(f)
(a)
(a) Micro-USB cable
(b) PC/Mac
(c) On-The-Go cable*
(d) USB cable
(not included)
(e) iPad/iPhone**
(f) Android Tablet/Smartphone**
Note:
* On-The-Go cable lets you connect your device to the Sound Blaster E3 using the USB cable that
came with your device.
** Refer to www.creative.com for the list of compatible models.
Connecting the Sound Blaster E3 to a USB hub is not recommended.
Sound Blaster E3 – Setting Up Your Audio Device 8

Setting the Sound Blaster E3 as the default audio device
For Windows
1. Go to Control Panel and click Sound.
2. Click the Playback tab, select the desired Sound Blaster E3 playback device, then click the Set
Default button.
3. Click the Recording tab, select the desired Sound Blaster E3 recording device, then click the
SetDefault button.
For Mac
1. Go to System Preferences and click Sound.
2. Click the Output tab, then select Sound Blaster E3.
3. Click the Input tab, then select Sound Blaster E3.
Sound Blaster E3 – Setting Up Your Audio Device 9