Short answer
Both are desktop DAC/amps, $285 against $229.
The iFi Zen DAC 3 reaches 100 dB on 564 of the 567 models here, the Creative Sound Blaster X5 on 561.
| Specification | Creative Sound Blaster X5 | iFi Zen DAC 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 64 mW | 210 mW |
| Power into 150Ω | 112 mW | 50 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 57 mW | 28 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 29 mW | 18 mW |
| Output impedance | 1 Ω | 1 Ω |
| Output noise | not published | not published |
| Price | $285 | $229 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 561 | 564 |
Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.
| Balanced | Creative Sound Blaster X5 | iFi Zen DAC 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 4.4mm | 4.4mm |
| Power into 32Ω | 107 mW derived | 300 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 214 mW derived | 106 mW derived |
| Output impedance | not published | 1 Ω |
| Output noise | not published | not published |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 561 | 565 |
Through the balanced sockets the iFi Zen DAC 3 reaches 100 dB on 565 of the 567 models here and the Creative Sound Blaster X5 on 561. Derived figures are worked out from the loads the maker did publish.
| Load | Creative Sound Blaster X5 | iFi Zen DAC 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Derived | Published |
| 150 Ω | Published | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 600 Ω | Published | Published |
Both makers publish a power rating. Creative Sound Blaster X5 publishes at 150 Ω and at 600 Ω; iFi Zen DAC 3 at 32 Ω and at 600 Ω. The other rows are worked out from those.
So the two columns are not equally firm row by row: at 150 Ω only the Creative Sound Blaster X5 figure is the maker’s own and at 32 Ω only the iFi Zen DAC 3 figure is the maker’s own. On those rows the derived number is the one to doubt first.
3 headphones reach 100 dB on the iFi Zen DAC 3 but not on the Creative Sound Blaster X5 — Moondrop COSMO, Symphonium Helios, Symphonium Zenith.
561 of the 567 models here reach 100 dB on both.
Headroom is at a 100 dB SPL peak.
The widest gap on the list is the HiFiMAN HE400se: iFi Zen DAC 3 has +13 dB of headroom there against +9 dB. 4 dB is about 2.7 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
The hiss columns are empty for Creative Sound Blaster X5 and iFi Zen DAC 3 because neither maker publishes no output noise figure.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | Creative Sound Blaster X5 headroom | iFi Zen DAC 3 headroom | Creative Sound Blaster X5 hiss | iFi Zen DAC 3 hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +29 dB | +32 dB | not published | not published |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +9 dB | +12 dB | not published | not published |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +20 dB | +21 dB | not published | not published |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +20 dB | +17 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +9 dB | +13 dB | not published | not published |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +14 dB | +11 dB | not published | not published |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +9 dB | +6 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | +2 dB | +4 dB | not published | not published |
The Creative Sound Blaster X5 costs $56 more than the iFi Zen DAC 3, and on these three axes the money buys nothing: among the 567 models here there is not one that the Creative Sound Blaster X5 handles and the iFi Zen DAC 3 does not — not on power, not on the one-eighth rule, not on hiss. The traffic runs the other way: the cheaper iFi Zen DAC 3 drives 3 models to 100 dB that the Creative Sound Blaster X5 does not.
Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.
Each in full: Creative Sound Blaster X5 and iFi Zen DAC 3.