Sound Blaster Digital I /o Module by Creative
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List Price: Category: CE See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of Sound Blaster Digital I /o Module
Digital camera Review: Items missing that used to be included.
Summary: 1 Stars
When I bought this module I first did research on the web. This module used to come with two cables to hook up to the Spdif on the mother board. I think the people that cannot get it to work, like me have no connection to the Spdif on the mother board. I was expecting the cables to be included, without them I get no light in the Toslink cable, or any sound when I tried a digital cable. I guess I will have to spend extra for a cable to hook my sound card to the mother board Spdif, if I want sound from this module.
In the mean time I am very disappointed with Creative.
Digital camera Review: Maybe Worth It, but Be Warned
Summary: 1 Stars
This product did NOT do what I had hoped it would. However, I can't write it off completely since I was not using it for its original purpose. Follow me, if you will...
Setup: Laptop, Creative Sound Blaster external 24-bit USB break out box, Labtec 4.1 speaker system, Creative Digital I/O device, Xbox 360.
Before I purchased this device, I had been running the audio of my laptop through the Creative Labs USB Sound Blaster MP3+ External Sound Card Sound System Sound Blaster external USB device (please note, the link is to a product that is similar, but not precisely the same model), and out through the Labtec 4.1 speaker system. The external device worked just fine, and didn't have any major problems (with an older driver I couldn't get the device to use any profile other than 'headphones' instead of 4 speakers).
I had hooked my Xbox 360 to a LCD computer monitor via a VGA adapter cable, and ran my audio through the 1/8" jack to the Line In jack on the back of the external USB device. Everything was fine. I had audio from the Xbox coming through the speakers I used for my laptop (granted, no EAX abilities were available, but at least there was sound).
I ordered the Sound Blaster Digital I/O Module hoping that I would be able to use a TOSLink cable to get digital sound from the Xbox. Not the case.
I updated my drivers. I ran the TOSLink from the AV cable of the Xbox to the I/O Module and that was run to Line In 1/8" jack in the back of the external USB device. Turned on the Xbox hoping to have some surround sound love from the I/O module.
Nothing. No sound. No interference noise. Nothing at all.
I tried setting the Xbox to Digital Stereo, Digital Surround, and even the Digital WMA setting for the audio. Still nothing.
After some research and a letter to Creative, I was dismayed to find out that the Sound Blaster Digital I/O module does NOT support digital sound.
What???
Creative's solution was to set the Xbox to Digital Stereo output, and plug the 1/8" jack into the Line In port of the external Sound Blaster device. According to them, even though it wouldn't produce true surround sound, I should be able to use the TOSLink to get sound from the Xbox.
Sorry. That's not the case. I've tried every possible combination that I can think of, and I can't get any sound at all from the Xbox via the I/O device.
It's not an issue of the I/O device not being compatible with the other Creative device that I have. I double checked before making the purchase that it would work with the external device that had. I just can't. Make. It. Work.
So I'm back to using a cheapo Radio Shack 1/8" jack running into the external USB sound card to get audio from the Xbox. So, if by chance, you're trying to use the I/O device to get digital sound output, don't buy this product. It is not capable of carrying a Dolby Digital sound through it.
I honestly don't know why they even make this doohickey, other than to lure in gadget geeks like me.
._._.
Digital camera Review: NOT for dolby system!
Summary: 2 Stars
Creative labs X-FI series does NOT support dolby 5.1 on the digital out and their cards will NOT decode 5.1 on the digital IN.
Why did I get this again?
If all you need is a stereo in/out then this works fine.
Who would buy a X-FI to do stereo.
See my review of the Fatal1ty sound card for more detail.
Documentation? We don't need none of *that* apparently!
I am quickly losing faith in Creative Labs....
This product is going back
Digital camera Review: Not compatible with all X-Fi Cards - ZERO Documentation
Summary: 1 Stars
After doing a lot of research, and spending over an hour trying to connect this device to a new Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer card, I discovered on Creative's knowledge base that these two devices are not compatible. However, Creative doesn't disclose this anywhere - but strangely the device is compatible with Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer "Pro" card. Apparently, the non-Pro and non-X-Fi "X-Fi" cards only work with some strange mini optical digital-audio interconnect plug. This is simply the result of poor communication, zero documentation, and sloppy sales by Creative, Inc. If you're intending to use this device to connect an X-Fi card, check the newsgroups first because you probably won't get a straight answer from the product documentation or Creative's website. Overall, I was very disappointed with Creative, Inc. and this device is going back to Amazon.
Digital camera Review: Not for optical S/PDIF !!!!
Summary: 3 Stars
This product may be great.. but it does not connect to optical S/PDIF connections. So for instance it will do absolutely nothing for the Creative X-Fi extreme audio notebook..