Creative

Creative Labs SB173000000 Sound Blaster Play 3 USB Sound Card

Bottom line: The Creative Labs SB173000000 Sound Blaster Play 3 USB Sound Card is a specs-and-price decision rather than a crowd-consensus one in the sound cards category. Check the specification table below against one or two close alternatives — on price and spec fit, not on star ratings.

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By Mike Perry, Founder & Editor-in-Chief · Listing data updated 2026-09-25

Mike Perry — Hardware researcher since 2014. For retro PC hardware and period-correct parts, synthesises manufacturer documentation, community compatibility lists and marketplace listings rather than first-hand lab testing. Core beat: GPU performance across gaming, rendering, and local-LLM inference. About the author →

Before you buy

Confirm socket / form-factor / power-rating compatibility against your build before ordering
Used and vintage listings vary by seller and condition — check the listing photos, description and return terms before buying

Manufacturer description

The Sound Blaster PLAY! Instantly upgrade to high resolution audio 24-bit 96 kHz high-resolution USB DAC playback Studio-grade listening - the Sound Blaster PLAY! Once you upgrade from motherboard audio, you'll never go back to it again.

SpecPicks Verdict

SpecPicks scored Creative Labs SB173000000 Sound Blaster Play 3 USB Sound Card using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the sound cards category. Creative's sound cards lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.

Common buyer scenarios for sound cards of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.

Full Specifications

channels	2
bit_depth	24
sample_rate_khz	96

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Creative Labs SB173000000 Sound Blaster Play 3 USB Sound Card is vintage hardware; the used and vintage market on eBay carries most of the live inventory. Prices and condition vary by seller and move in real time, so we link the live listing rather than quote a cached price. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.

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