#4 in Computer internal sound cards
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Reddit mentions of Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro USB Audio System with SBX SB1095
Sentiment score: 14
Reddit mentions: 37
We found 37 Reddit mentions of Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro USB Audio System with SBX SB1095. Here are the top ones.
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Dolby Digital Live! connects to your decoder or home theatre system through a single digital cable for compelling 5.1 surround sound from any sourceHigh-quality, gold-plated RCA stereo and optical digital out for best audio performance, plus convenient Microphone and Headphone jacks for internet chatEasy to install, bus-powered USB2.0 Sound Blaster in a sleek and compact designCompact IR Remote with mute and volume allows you to control playback of your music across the roomEasy to install, bus-powered USB2.0 Sound Blaster in a sleek and compact designHigh-quality, gold-plated RCA stereo and optical digital out for best audio performance, plus convenient Microphone and Headphone jacks for internet chatCompact IR Remote with mute and volume allows you to control playback of your music across the roomSBX Pro Studio delivers the fullest audio experience for music, movies and games, while remaining true to the source and intention of the artists who created itDolby Digital Live! connects to your decoder or home theatre system through a single digital cable for compelling 5.1 surround sound from any source
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 6.3 inches |
Length | 8.94 inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | May 2019 |
Weight | 0.46737999544 Pounds |
Width | 2.4 inches |
An AVR with HDMI input and 6 channel pre-out for that kind of setup would cost more than what replacing that setup with something straightforward would be.
Cheapest unit I know with full surround pre-out is the Denon AVR-X3300W. $1000.
https://usa.denon.com/us/product/hometheater/receivers/avrx3300w
Meanwhile a Denon AVRS530BT is $230 and an entry level 5.1 speaker kit is $300.
https://www.amazon.com/Denon-AVRS530BT-Channel-Ultra-Receiver/dp/B06XYD1RZ3
https://www.amazon.com/Energy-Classic-Theater-System-Black/dp/B001202C44
If you really want to use those Philips speakers you will need a USB sound card that does 5.1 output. Keep in mind these don't handle decoding, you need the playback application to do that.
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-Surround-System-SB1095/dp/B0044DEDCA
Something like that could work, you just need breakout 3.5mm cables so you have RCA for each rear channel, the center, and the sub.
An entire generation of Soundblaster internal and external sound cards support Dolby Digital Live decoding. Here's a super cheap example: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Performance-Headphone-Integrated-Microphone/dp/B00EZT7RE4
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-Surround-System-SB1095/dp/B0044DEDCA
You will most likely need an external sound card.
Something like this should work:
http://www.amazon.com/External-USB-5-1-Sound-Card/dp/B000E3B872
or this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/tech-data/B0044DEDCA
The black and yellow jacks are "Rear" and "Center/Sub" connections, respecitvely. Sound Blaster has two external USB sound cards that have these connections:
http://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-x-fi-surround-5-1-pro
http://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-omni-surround-5-1
Amazon links:
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-Surround-System-SB1095/dp/B0044DEDCA
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Performance-Headphone-Integrated-Microphone/dp/B00EZT7RE4
As for differences, you just have to take a closer look at features/specs and see what you want/need/future proof vs. prices. Good luck!
I have one of these and they work wonders on laptops
BTW just bought one of these http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044DEDCA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 works like a charm! It seems to be the Dolby Digital Live encoder that E:D uses that my realtek card didnt support. Now I am getting flawless surround sound for 50$. Hope this helps!
Ok. I understand what you are trying to do and it will be a bit of a pain in the wallet no matter how you slice it.
I can think of 3 ways to go:
As you can see, there really is no magic bullet for what you are trying to do with an analog signal - if your speakers and headphones were capable of digital input this would be much simpler.
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-Surround-System-SB1095/dp/B0044DEDCA/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1505352459&sr=8-7&keywords=usb+5.1+sound+card
https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Adapter-External-Digital-ICUSBAUDIO7D/dp/B002LM0U2S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1505352459&sr=8-3&keywords=usb+5.1+sound+card
There's a wide range of options, from the "$10-15, decent, it works": https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/
https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-External-Adapter-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B01HPMHOY0/
https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-External-Converter-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B01M7QQQC7/
There's fancier stuff:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0044DEDCA/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018JUPY3A/
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Performance-Headphone-Integrated-Microphone/dp/B00EZT7RE4/
Or for the wealthy audiophile: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-X7-High-Resolution-Headphone-Connectivity/dp/B00Q3XLGLU/
your laptop does not have toslink.
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-Surround-System-SB1095/dp/B0044DEDCA
If you're unable to find one, another solution could be to get a USB Sound Card like this. Creative makes a lot of USB Sound solutions. I've personally used the one linked in the past, and it was great for my needs at the time.
You're looking for a USB DAC (Digital-to-Analogue Converter), also called an external soundcard, or some combination of those.
Ones that are a desktop "box" rather than a large dongle tend to be more expensive, however here's one from Asus that a quick Amazon search turned up. Creative is also a name worth looking out for, there's this one and this smaller one There are also higher end ones more suitable if you're doing music or video production, which have high-quality inputs for microphones and instruments.
Don't worry if you find ones that take a 6.25mm (1/4") headphone cable as you can get converters easily. You can certainly get more expensive.
Edit: The Razer box probably does some simulated surround sound processing, I believe the Asus and Creative products should have simulated surround sound (and probably do a better job of it) in addition to enough speaker outputs to have true surround sound. Simulated surround isn't for everyone, and can be turned off.
Worth mentioning is the Sennheiser GSX 1000, which got a great review from HardwareCanucks, especially the simulated surround sound. Very expensive though.
TL;DR
It's a type of USB Soundcard, the Razer one has the wires fixed in. Only some of them are boxes with volume controls on them, so shop around.
If you get a usb "sound card" you have dozens and dozens of options. Here is a creative labs sound card with optical out (I have not researched it, I just providing an example). Search for usb sound card surround, or usb sound card optical, etc.
You only get Dolby Digital if you are using a sound card that supports Dolby Digital Live. Had the exact same problem.
I had one of these lying around from the time I only had a laptop: http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Soundblaster-Surround-System-SB1095/dp/B0044DEDCA/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt
With this external soundcard I am now able to use Dolby Digital in every game that supports 5.1. I use the optical output for that.
EDIT:
You can use this internal soundcard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132053
It uses DTS connect, so your home theater has to support DTS. Mine doesn't so I have to stick to Dolby Digital Live.
Here an even cheaper one, but open box and PCI: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132013R
Depends on how picky you are about sound quality. If you don't really care and just want it working then you could go with any cheap option, or if you want a better known brand, there's the slightly pricier Sound Blaster X-Fi or Asus Xonar U5.
Will this drive a 150 ohm headset? Need to have mic port since the one on my mobo is busted.
I have the same issue..
About a month ago i picked up a pair of mackie mr8's and had a very noticeable hum/static sound coming from them..
I purchased This external usb soundcard in hopes of fixing the sound and the static/sound is still there (though slightly reduced).
Plugging my monitors into a laptop vs my desktop removed the humming noise. Perhaps OP should check to see if he has the same issue, which would at least narrow it down to an issue with his power supply or grounding?
Good luck finding a solution!
Thanks for the answer, greatly appreciated !
Funny thing is I have a Marantz amplifier ( M-CR511 ) powering the 530s and providing the sub out. And yes, I think the weakest link is the sound card, a Creative Labs ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044DEDCA/ ), but it's 5.1 and it has a volume knob, which is really a plus for me. Oh well, the quest continues !
You are correct. I had a similar set up with headphones and old Sansui bookshelf speakers. It would be like this Computer>USB>Line out to stereo amplifier > Headphones into the front of the X-Fi when necessary. Also, the X-Fi 5.1 is cheaper and should still work.
Through some further research i found that this is going to work out
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-Surround-System-SB1095/product-reviews/B0044DEDCA/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_paging_btm_next_2?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=recent&pageNumber=2
It's possible that the onboard card is causing that - I've had electrical hums from internal cards before. Do you hear static when you listen to the 3DS through normal headphones?
If not, you could consider buying a USB sound card. They're relatively inexpensive and might solve the issue. I use one of these as secondary sound card, but I'm sure there are cheaper alternatives.
You'll have to get an external soundcard for 5.1 over optical
Go into Sound settings and make sure Realtek HD audio is enabled, and the default device. And also if you like your audio, http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-Surround-System-SB1095/dp/B0044DEDCA/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1450305106&sr=8-7&keywords=creative+sound+blaster
If you're gaming and already have a headset with a mic, you may want to look into buying a PCIe sound card or a USB DAC intended for gaming use (most arent cheap).
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Otherwise you may get some lag between you listening to your audio output from one device, and your mic input going through another device (your motherboard).
The other suggestion of a Fiio d03k won't work for you - thats strictly a cheap one way SPDIF dac, no headphone output, no volume, no input!
You should probably ask this in one of the headphone or gaming subs (/r/pcgaming/ perhaps?). You have a different scenario than most of the readers here.
Awesome, thanks again. I have one last question for you if you're up to it...
Would I find a substantial increase in quality(or whatever anything) by picking up something like a Sound Blaster Z or a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi?
I've never amplified anything before besides guitars haha, so this is a very big learning experience for me. I cannot say I've heard high fidelity audio before so I'm not sure what I've actually been missing out on by just running my cans through the default input.
I don't find the USB to Audio devices cause too much bandwidth usage.
You definitely raise a good point in that all the Pi's inputs and outputs run on a single Bus.
I personally find that the Creative Sound Blaster running on the MusicBox Distro works brilliantly with a wired network interface.
Not super stable on Wifi which may be due to the issue you raise but I run FLAC to the pi so I never really gave WifI a serious effort.
Then, something like this? https://www.amazon.ca/Creative-Sound-Blaster-Surround-TruStudio/dp/B0044DEDCA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1500234034&sr=8-3&keywords=External+Sound+Card
Thinking of getting a Cerwin-Vega SL-10S with a pair of SL-5M's for my desktop PC.
The obvious problem here is that connecting this to my PC isn't just plug-and-play. I don't believe I need an amp, so I was thinking of getting a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround Pro. It looks like it could get the job done.
Now, I'm a total noob when it comes to this, so my question is very simple:
Can it be done?
external sound card and several small amplifiers or one multi channel amp. for example something like this external soundcard and this 6 channel amplifier board along with a powered subwoofer would work.
You think these would work? from my understanding it need to be connected to a pc to use the drivers that are on the pc.
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-Surround-System-SB1095/dp/B0044DEDCA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1491587374&sr=8-3&keywords=external+sound+card+5.1
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Performance-Headphone-Integrated-Microphone/dp/B00EZT7RE4/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1491587374&sr=8-7&keywords=external+sound+card+5.1
Headphones I've used the past 10 years.
 
Virtual surround sound I've used
 
Hate wired headphone?
 
Microphone
Budget - 120$
Source - Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro
Requirements for Isolation - Some, but heavy noise cancelling is not necessary.
Preferred Type of Headphone - Full sized, over the ear.
Preferred tonal balance - Something bassy, but overall balanced.
Past headphones - Seinheiser Phillips O'Neil Headsets
Preferred Music - Old school Heavy Metal/Rock and Roll
Usage- The headsets will be used not only for music, but also gaming and for recording commentary (The mic I'm using is a Blue Snowball.)
I have a
Creative X-FiAsus Xonar U5 on my HTPC and it worked flawlessly straight out of the box with no setup required.Edit: oops, I mis-remembered and I actually have the similar looking Xonar U5. Since you're concerned about it, the U5 has optical SPDIF output and 5.1, while the U7 apparently has coax SPDIF. However, it's still SPDIF and you can get a coax -> optical converter for ~$10 if you must have the optical SPDIF (aka TOSLINK).
Yeah, I'm thinking about upgrading it but for now I need something for it to work till I choose one. Then I would run the audio from the HDMI from the GPU or run a sound card anyway (just a modern one)?
I set my eyes on this solution: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0044DEDCA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2IJM41OXBK08W&coliid=I1GICVN1AU9YYQ 60 bucks and usb. Do you think it has the same performance or close to a 80ish pci one?
I have the Soundblaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro USB, for my laptop and while Skyrim hasn't opened up for me yet it has solved past audio problems.
Example: Crysis made weird electronic distortiony sounds but after I installed the card it worked great! It bypasses the onboard soundcard and frees up more resources, also supports 5.1 out as well as spdif and other fancy stuff.
Yeah, I think that's what's causing the problems. Unfortunately the receiver only has L&R RCA inputs, and the PC only has TRS out. I'm probably going to look into a USB card like the Sound Blaster X-Fi.
Will this work ?
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-Surround-System-SB1095/dp/B0044DEDCA
I was thinking that now I'm spending on external source, I'd better get something with which my 5.1 speakers can benefit too