Creative BT-W3X Smart Bluetooth 5.3 Audio Transmitter with aptX HD, High-Definition 24-bit / 48 kHz Audio, Device-Switching Function, Works with PC/Mac/Gaming Consoles

I own several Creative Labs products now, including speakers, headphones, USB DACs, and external Soundblaster sound cards. My opinion about the brand is always mixed and I often ask myself “why do I still consider this brand”. In terms of hardware, the Creative products are usually good. In terms of software, they have all been a disappointment. Enter the BT-W3X. Again, the hardware is great. In contrast to most available Bluetooth dongles, this one has USB-C, a status light for the codec used, and a physical button for additional functionality. It is a very complete package and works right out of the box. I especially enjoyed the status light – I never knew what codec my headphones use, now I do. I was apprehensive about installing the software. You do not need it, the product will run without software. However, the new Creative App was actually a positive surprise. It works! It adds more functionality to the product (such as a Equalizer and DSP called “acoustic engine”). Together with the working app, this product has more features than advertised and is just a joy to use. You can use this dongle to fix a broken Bluetooth adapter, upgrade your outdated Bluetooth version, and reduce the need for pairing your headphones again and again and again on different devices. To me, it was definitely worth its price.

There's no easier way to listen to your music than just to open up a folder and press Enter on whatever file you want to listen to. Yet for years it was impossible to do something this basic without compromising on fidelity. If you wanted HD audio you were mostly stuck having to buy something like a Bluesound and navigate your music collection through its horrible app interface. Finally there's a better option in AptX HD. If you have an AptX HD-compatible receiver or amp, you can play wireless music not technically lossless but still at 24bit better-than-CD quality - *almost* realizing the dream of pressing Enter in your Windows folders and having the file play through a real stereo system. The "almost" is because Windows itself has no AptX HD compatibility so you need a solution like this to take over. I bought it to pair with Emotiva's TA1 amp, which has a built-in AptX HD Bluetooth receiver so requires no extra hardware beyond this little dongle: the complete system is 1) laptop, 2) dongle, 3) TA1, 4) speakers. I did experience some frustration at first with Windows trying to output through its regular Bluetooth instead of this dongle, which seemed stuck in an interminable pairing mode. The solution, which the help line at Emotiva helped me figure out after web searching proved fruitless, is to turn OFF Bluetooth on Windows. Then you plug this thing in, it automatically takes over as the audio output source, the amp automatically finds its signal - press enter on a FLAC and a little orange light pops up confirming your 24-bit signal as your room fills with music. It's been working flawlessly and as an essential component in an HD audio system for twenty-five bucks, it's hard to beat the value. It also felt pretty good buying another Creative Labs product after my first SoundBlaster circa 1991.

I bought this to enable use of my bluetooth headphones for my Zoom or Team calls for my Corporate job. This product has equalizer and mixer settings that will enhance your microphone voice to sound rich and strong. This product will pair 4 devices, and the companion app (i installed this on my personal computer) is how you would configure the dongle. I was able to configure HFP mode to automaticaly turn on when I join calls. So be aware you DO NOT have to always press the button twice to manually enable it. I don't have aptX earbuds, so cannot comment. What I can say is I tried also two other popular brands (I don't think Amazon will let me directly call them out) that are top results when searching for a solution to my problem. These others performed unacceptably or had technical problems with maintaining a connection. I was considering waiting for the Creative BT-W6, but my research shows there are some growing pains here, and I am not an early adopter. There are two competing manufacturers (Qualcomm and Mediatek) that seem to be building different implementations of LE audio in their chipsets used by these consumer product companies, so it will be a long time before I will have confidence in buying any dongle and LE device and expecting them to work together. So the Creative BT-W3x will have utility for me in the years to come. With information security lockdowns on corporate equipment likely to increase, the need for a solution to pair your personal headphone to the corporate equipment is going to increase. Good job, @Creative!

Using the software to control the device is simple. The Bluetooth headset connects quickly. 24-bit/48 kHz is plenty for most users. However, the lack of AAC codec is a pain point. What can't do aptX all connects via the SBC codec. And the difference in sound quality between the two is huge. So, for example, if I have my (Nothing Ear) earbuds connected to my phone and also to this Creative BT-W3X and I continue listening to music on the computer after the phone, there is a noticeable difference in quality.

Had a hard time detecting 3 different headphones. Once they finally paired, the sound kept breaking up or having issues or stopping altogether until I played around with the frequency settings. On the Airpods Pro 2 the left and right audio are out of sync on PC, have to frequently put them in the charging box and take them out again. The manual states to download the Windows app to access more features, but the app was hard to find on the website. After finding and installing it, I tried frequency changes, driver updates, firmware and headphone resets to try to get things to be seamless. Let’s just say that did not work to make my life easier. It does sound great after you get it all working, but I don’t need a ritual every time I want to use headphones.

When properly connected, the sound quality and volume are great but getting connecting is incredibly annoying. I use it exclusively on PS5. Very slow to connect, then it immediately disconnects and console audio output switches to TV speakers even though I have automatic audio switching turned off. Have to fight with it for a few minutes before it finally stays connected. I stand at the console when I connect and the furthest I ever move away from it is maybe 10 feet. Does the same thing with all of my earbuds ... different types and brands. I have zero problems with a bluetooth gaming headset that has a dedicated dongle. (No, it's not plugged in or connected at the same time that I'm using this audio adapter.) The gaming headset connects easily, stays connected and doesn't change the console's audio output when turned off. Conclusion: Overpriced and not worth the aggravation.

Read this first! Don't be like me and just try to figure out blindly how to use this thing. I wasted 30-minutes before I broke down and looked for the manual online. In addition, I finally realized that I had to use the Creative desktop app to "repair" the firmware, not just update it, but repair it. Now that I went through these annoyances, I'm able to listen to my B&W Px8's at AptX-HD finally. Works great! (The Creative desktop app will also tell you what codex you're streaming with, which is a nice feature.)

Just what I needed for my PS5 to allow me to play with wireless headphones. I initially used wired headphones plugged into the controller until the one time my leg got caught in the cord while getting up off the sofa, yanking the cable from the controller. Wireless is the way to go. Plug and play. Just set the audio output setting in the PS5 menu.