Creative Labs USB Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Audio System SB1090 by Creative
|
List Price: Our Price: $44.49 You Save: $15.50 (26%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more digital camera details and other models |
|---|
Digital camera reviews of Creative Labs USB Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Audio System SB1090
Digital camera Review: Excellent unit
Summary: 5 Stars
Excellent purchase. Product works as described by manufacturer. Unit has enhanced my enjoyment in listening to classical music recorded on my computer and from internet radio.Digital camera Review: Fine upgrade for notebooks/netbooks with weak onboard sound
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this because the onboard sound card on my notebook could never play audio at a high volume. The X-Fi Surround 5.1 USB solves that problem, but you have to hook up speakers and/or a headset to hear sound; it will not work with your notebook's built-in speakers. The X-Fi USB also comes with a similar X-Fi software console to the one that comes with higher-end X-Fi cards. Through this console, you can enable 24-bit crystallization (which re-encodes 16-bit audio to sound like it's 24-bit), bass boost, and, of course, surround sound.
Hardware installation is simple: just plug in the X-Fi USB into an available USB port, then plug your speakers and/or headphones into the appropriate ports. Software installation is also easy; Creative included driver CDs for XP and Vista. This sound card works in other OSes, though. I set up the card in Windows 7 RTM by using the Vista installation CD, and I set up the card in Ubuntu Linux by setting PulseAudio as my sound source and simply redirecting the sound stream if an app selected a different sound server like ALSA. Linux-based netbook users and Win7 fans can rest assured that this will work with their OS.
Digital camera Review: Good Solution for The "No Win 7 Drivers for your Old Sound Card" Dilemma
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this for my work office PC, a 3 year old Dell Optiplex 745, with an even older SB Live Value (El Cheapo) card which I added years ago. I was able to get the SB card running OK under Vista 32 using the KX Project driver, but no luck on my newly installed Win 7 64 bit version. So I popped for the $52 plus shipping for this unit. THE BAD: the Install Disk was BLANK! Logo on one side, obviously never recorded on the data side! I guess that's Creative Labs' way of "helping" you get the latest drivers. THE GOOD: I was able to find a driver on the Web for Win 7 64 bit and after installing it, tweaking the various control settings AND using iTunes' graphic equlaizer, managed to get pretty good sound out of it. I turned down most of the "special effects" in order to get cleaner sound; I like just a hint of reverb in the back channels. I'm running a 4.1 PC speaker system, that I've had for 5+ years and it still sounds good-came from Dell. This box has an extensive group of inputs/outputs and came with enough cables for my hookup without requiring me to buy more. Your system setup, of course, may require some additional audio cables. I've so far not noticed any lags/timing issues using this box. Summary, a good solution for a Win 7 64 bit PC which does not support older sound cards.Digital camera Review: Good if upgrading to 24-bit, @ 96 khz
Summary: 5 Stars
I am using this product in conjunction with the logitech z5500 5.1 surround sound speakers and have found after a while of messing with settings and listening to the music that I mainly use it for, that I have to forgo using the products' 5.1 feature as the logitech speaker pro logic setting does this for me and only distorts the music otherwise. Otherwise, with sufficient computer power I am able to use the sound card at 24-bits @ 96 khz which wasn't possible with my old card which only did either 24 @ 48 or 16 @ 96.Digital camera Review: Good product
Summary: 5 Stars
Creative Labs USB sound blaster x-Fi.
Good sound quality with easy to setup.