Reddit mentions of Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro USB Audio System with SBX SB1095

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:

1. Buy a component AV switch and use the video input/outputs for audio:
   
   

• Hard to find one with dual outputs. (expensive)$179.99
  
• Would require the use of 12 3.5mm stereo to RCA converters.$1.71 X 12
  
  

2. A USB sound 'card' and KVM would also be expensive but cheaper and a more elegant solution:
   
   

• Attach both speakers and headset to USB sound $70 with splitters $0.36 X 3
  
• Attach USB sound card to PCs with USB capable KVM $30
  
  
• A potential problem with this could be issues due to a mismatch in input impedance of the speakers/headset. If a problem arose from this setup omitting the splitters and adding a second USB sound card might provide a solution.
  
  

3. You could try splitting the outputs (using 3 splitters from 2)connected to $0.95 X 3but I would expect the sound quality to suffer and I'm not sure what would happen if both sources were outputting at the same time. Potential for damage to your soundcards. This by far the cheapest solution so it might be worth trying before you decide to proceed further but do proceed with caution.
   
   
   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).

$:

• https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/
  
  -
  
  $$:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-Surround-System-SB1095/dp/B0044DEDCA/
  
  -
  
  $$$:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-1000-Gaming-Audio-Amplifier/dp/B01LDTP484/
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/BlasterX-External-Headphone-Surround-Sidetone/dp/B018JUPY3A/
  
  
  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.

• ATH-AD700 - Discontinued now, but cheap used, open back, under $50, one of the biggest soundstage, but lacks bass
  
• ATH-AD700X - updated revision of the ad700, under $100 on sale, tiny bit better bass. The stock pad made my ears sore since it touches the driver. I replaced it with memoryfoam BrainWavz pad, and they feel much better. Puts less pressure on my eyeglasses too.
  
• ATH-M50X - My go-to music headphone, but I use it for travel gaming too since they fold up nicely and closeback for noise isolation.
  
• ATH-AD900X - Better version of AD700X
  
• Philips Fidelio X2 - About $200 on sale, a little bit less soundstage than AD700X, but much better bass. If you can splurge, I highly recommend this. They are balanced type headphones. Basically replaced the the M50X for music listening and AD700X/AD900X for gaming. It feels really nice, pad fits much better than the AD700X. I forget I am actually wearing headphones. If this is too expensive, SHP9500, is a cheaper alternative at 1/3 the cost.
  
• All of the headphones listed above are low impedance meaning you don't need an amp to get good sound output.
  
• Most gaming specific headphones aren't that good for the price. You're paying mostly for the marketing. Get any decent audiophile headphone and it will be much better.
  
   
  
  Virtual surround sound I've used
  
  
• Xonar U3 - Got this to replace my broken mobo sound, but found out it does virtual surround sound. Basically simulates 5.1/7.1 sound on a 2 channel headphone. Used it for many years gaming. Sounds awesome with good headphone that has big soundstage. Nice to hear directional audio to know here footsteps are at in games. Also acts like an amp with boost mode for high impedance headphones.
  
• Razer Surround Sound - free, but the worst virtual surround sound I've heard. Things sound muffled.
  
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi - Upgraded to this, it has better virtual surround sound technology.
  
   
  
  Hate wired headphone?
  
  
• How to convert wired phones into wireless gaming one
  
   
  
  Microphone
  
  
• ModMic - Used this for many many years, but got tired of wires dangling around
  
• Blue Yeti - Audio quality is so much better than the modmic, but it is big. Use a mic stand or arm.

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-Fi Asus 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