EPOS GSX 1000 Review - Slick Sound
Given that I’m not being the biggest audiophile in the world I’d always been a bit cynical of external audio cards. What could we possibly need them for when we already have something embedded in our PCs to begin with, while an external card stands to swallow up a precious USB port? Well thanks to EPOS, I was provided with the GSX 1000 for review, and not only has it been the experience I needed in order to appreciate the benefits of external sound cards more, but it has become a game-changer in my desktop setup.
Despite the concern of an external sound card being an unnecessary addition at first, I was immediately impressed by the compact form factor of the amplifier. It easily fits in your hand, but the various interfacing options aren’t too small at the same time. The volume dial is a great size, and easily accessible in a central position, the touch display options allow for easy, on-the-fly alterations as you choose between 2.0 or 7.1 audio output, directional audio, multiple levels of reverb, and more. The four corners of the amplifier are very subtle methods for you to lock in some preset loadouts. Touching and holding any of the four corners allows you to register those settings so that no matter the occasion, whether you be watching video, listening to music, are in a voice call, or even gaming, you can quickly toggle over to your optimised preset, and not miss a beat in the process. I will admit, the instructions were a bit vague, and didn’t really discuss how the presets worked, so consider yourself lucky to have read this review and now know better than I did!
Everything can be tweaked with ease, from the volume with the aide of an easy to access, large aluminium ring, but also remains really low key. When not in use the illuminated display dulls and disappears, saving both power, your attention and unnecessary strain on your eyes, but as soon as you want to make a change, it senses your movement over the device and lights up ready to be used.
Of course, the feature set is great, but it’s about the sound quality at the end of the day. Afterall, why invest in such a device if there isn’t a noticeable improvement in your experience. I mentioned before that I’m not much of an audiophile, but the change was immediately apparent, not just with the default settings but as I optimised the device for the various difference kinds of sounds that might be coming out. The amplifier also supports mic input and you can use the various features to adjust the audio input as well – tweaking the gain, or bass to help create that professional studio experience further.
The EPOS GSX 1000 is not only a wonderful education tool for myself, but it’s seriously bolstered my understanding of audio, and the ways with which it can be optimised for the various forms of entertainment you’re consuming. The amplifier has a wonderfully small form factor, is incredibly functional, is the recipient of some wonderful quality of life choices, and, most importantly, it makes everything sound so much better. Now… to find more ways to improve my sound input and output!
