Others by stefan @ 2014-05-05
Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 USB card from Creative is a nice addition on systems which not support installation of internal solutions, being available on both Windows and OS X platforms. Even if the device has a small footprint, we do get connectivity for 5.1 systems, optical, but also integrated dual-microphone array along with an extra 3.5mm jack Mic-in and Line-in.
At first we would like to thank Creative for offering their Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 USB Sound Card for testing and reviewing.
"Creative is the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products for the personal computer (PC) and the Internet. Creative was founded in Singapore in 1981 with the vision that multimedia would revolutionize the way people interact with their PCs.
Famous for its Sound Blaster sound cards and for launching the multimedia revolution, Creative is now driving digital entertainment on the PC platform with products like its highly acclaimed ZEN line of digital audio players. The company's innovative hardware, proprietary technology, applications and services enable consumers to experience high-quality digital entertainment-anytime, anywhere.
Since launching the phenomenally successful Sound Blaster sound cards and setting the de facto standard for PC audio in 1989, Creative has been able to leverage on its leading-edge audio technology, huge user base and strong brand name to expand into the exciting lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment (PDE) market.
Today, Creative is widely recognized as a global leader for product innovation in the audio and PDE segments, offering consumers a complete, high quality digital entertainment experience through Creative's hardware, software applications and services. Finding the perfect balance between form and function, Creative strives for every product to be a sensory feast for the eyes and ears.
Creative is expanding the power of the personal computer with a wide range of interactive PDE products that comprises MP3 players, portable media centers, multimedia speakers and headphones, digital and web cameras, graphics solutions, revolutionary music keyboards and PC peripherals.
These products and solutions are marketed to consumers and system integrators through a worldwide distribution network that includes traditional marketing channels, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the Internet.
Creative's product innovations have won numerous international awards and accolades throughout the years. The more recent and notable awards include the Consumer Electronics Show "Best of CES" awards for four consecutive years for Prodikeys PC and music keyboard (2003), ZEN Portable Media Centre (2004), ZEN MicroPhoto MP3 player (2005) and ZEN Vision:M MP3 player (2006). The ZEN Micro MP3 player also won the Ziff Davis Media "Best of DigitalLife 2004" award.
Creative has also set new audio standards with the launch of its latest Xtreme Fidelity (X-Fi) audio platform. The cutting-edge technology has gained wide industry recognition and was selected by Popular Science as the "Best of What's New in Home Entertainment" in 2006 for bringing outstanding audio quality to MP3 music.
Creative has forged partnerships with some of the industry's top technology companies and developers worldwide, fortifying our strength and leadership in product innovation and research & development. Creative also made strategic investments in a number of US-based companies.
Moving forward, Creative's mission is to expand our leadership role in the lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment market, using groundbreaking technology and leading-edge designs for not just the technically savvy consumers, but for everyone who enjoys entertainment. With strong focus on our user-friendly interface, multiple features and cool industrial designs, the Creative brand is synonymous with lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment.
In June 1994, Creative gained a public listing on the main board of the Singapore Exchange (SGX).
Creative's global corporate headquarters is located in Singapore, in the heart of the Asia-Pacific region. It has regional headquarters in the US (Milpitas, California), Europe (Dublin, Ireland) and Asia (Singapore)."
USB Simplicity and Portability
Easy to install, the USB-powered external sound card only requires a single USB connection to work. That's all there is to it!
Built-in Dual Microphones with CrystalVoice Technology
Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 features two built-in microphones, which enable the optimal performance of far-field voice input without a headset microphone. These microphones are designed to focus on the user's voice and reduce noise outside that signal.
Sound Blaster Omni Control Panel
It's time to level up your audio. Hear the power of Sound Blaster technology on your PC and Mac with SBX Pro Studio and CrystalVoice technologies.
Awesome Surround Experience
Enjoy the Sound Blaster cinematic experience, even when using a notebook. Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 supports both PC and Mac, which means you can enjoy the same experience on both platforms.
Dolby Digital Live
Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 features Dolby Digital Live*, an advanced audio technology that delivers 5.1 discrete channels of vibrant surround sound for your digital entertainment, via a single cable. *For Windows only
600 AMP
Featuring a 600-ohm headphone amplifier, the Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 is ideal for anyone seriously looking to upgrade their PC or Mac audio experience.
Scout Mode
If you're into gaming as well, Scout mode allows you to hear your enemies from further away, so you gain a distinct tactical advantage in combat. Win each battle, every battle!
Comprehensive Connectivity for All Your PC and Mac Audio Needs
The external sound card features high-quality, gold-plated RCA stereo and optical digital outputs for the best audio performance, plus convenient microphone and headphone jacks, all in one Sound Blaster package.
Creative Labs has released in the past quite a few USB sound card solutions for enhancing the sound quality of the laptops. Through them we could remind the Live! 24-bit External, the Sound Blaster X-Fi HD USB, the Sound Blaster X-Fi Go! Pro, the Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro and more. In this article we will take a look upon one of the latest USB variants, which is the Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1. The product is shipped inside quite a small cardboard box, which shows a photo of the main item along with the supported standards; here we will also get to see that the external sound card is shipped along with a wireless remote:
On one of the box sides, Creative Labs has placed a connectivity example schematic:
On the opposite, we will get to see the system requirements for both supported Windows and Mac platforms:
The box is sealed on both sides and here we will also get to see the package contents:
A more in-depth explanation regarding the product main features can be found on the back side of the enclosure:
Let’s see what we have inside:
-one Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 USB card
-remote control
-a Stereo RCA to 3.5mm (1/8-inch) plug
-1.5m microUSB 2.0 cable
The remote will “talk” to the IR on the sound card in order for us to be able to operate the product from the distance, to be more exact at a maximum distance of three meters:
It is powered by a single CR2025 Lithium 3V battery:
The sound card features a very sleek, modern design and is quite compact in the same time; at the sides of the Sound Blaster logo we will get to see the built-in dual microphone with CrystalVoice technology; to the right we have the Volume control dial and further down we will get to see the IR interface:
In the front we also have the Line-In jack, one Mic-In jack, but also the Headphone jack, all gold plated:
On the back side of the unit we have the USB port, one optical S/PDIF Out connector, RCA Front Out jacks, one Rear Out jack, but also one Center/Subwoofer Out jack:
On the top side of the sound card we have a red LED illuminated line which stays lit continuously when USB power is detected. The light blinks intermittently when there is IR remote activity, but also blinks continuously when the audio is muted:
On the bottom side of the unit we will be able to see four small rubber feet:
The extra bundle from the package is composed from a Quick Start Guide leaflet along with the Installation CD with drivers and applications:
One extra document is provided regarding WEEE Directive and Batteries Directive:
The small manual explains with drawings and text how to perform the installation, in multiple languages:
In order to test the unit, we made sure to download the latest software version from the Creative Support website:
The GUI is similar to what we have seen with the internal Sound Blaster ZxR card and features a nice red/black/metallic grey color scheme. The main sections are posted on the left side like SBX Pro Studio, CrystalVoice, Scout Mode, Speakers/Headphones and so on. The SBX Pro Studio section allows us to enable and fine-tune effects like Surround, Crystalizer, Bass, work with Smart Volume or Dialog Plus:
CrystalVoice section will allow setting the microphone volume or enabling the boost, but we can also work with the funny FX filters, enable microphone Smart Volume, Noise Reduction or adjust Focus:
Scout Mode is a technology which is applicable in games and will allow us to hear only important sounds in order to have a slight advantage over the enemy. This feature will also disable the nice SBX effects so Creative have also enabled the Hot Key functionality for this filter so it can be turned on only when needed:
The Speakers/Headphones menu will let us specify the sound output, which in this case can be Headphones, Stereo or 5.1 Surround; when selecting Stereo or 5.1 Surround, we are also able to select the Full-Range Speakers option or Bass Redirection. This sound card also supports headsets with High Gain(600 ohm):
Inside the Cinematic menu, we will be able to enable Dolby Digital Live; here the manufacturer guides us that we should select the default playback device as “Speaker” inside Control Panel in order to have optimally rendered surround audio effects:
From the Mixer section we will be able to set the volume levels for both input and output:
The Equalizer is available on 11 bands; we can customize it as we please or we can choose from one of the available presets:
CPU: Intel I5 3570K Retail @ 4.7GHz
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 OC
RAM: GeIL Black Dragon 2x4GB DDR2133 (@1600)
Video: Gigabyte GTX 780 WF OC
Power Supply: Cooler Master 850W
SSD: OCZ Vertex 3 240GB
Case: Cooler Master ATCS 840
In order to test the card performances, we have used RightMark Audio Analyzer at the latest 6.3.0 version and setup loopback between the RCA output of the card and the RCA input of the daughter board.
Remember! These results are not to be taken as reference because each computer system configuration can produce different noise levels, so you may obtain lower or higher performance results than the ones listed here.
X-Fi Titanium HD
Creative Sound Blaster ZxR
Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1
X-Fi Titanium
Creative Sound Blaster ZxR
Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1
X-Fi Titanium HD
Creative Sound Blaster ZxR
Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1
X-Fi Titanium HD
Creative Sound Blaster ZxR
Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1
With the Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 USB Sound Card, Creative gives us the possibility to upgrade the audio for both Windows and Mac laptops but also to enhance signal quality for desktops which do not feature a dedicated sound card (mini-ITX builds anyone?). The supplied software has a similar look as the one we have seen at the high-end model and quite a few of the features found there are also available on the Omni. Even if this product has quite a small footprint, we get connectivity for 5.1 systems, but also optical output if required.
The volume control knob is easy to access and when modifying the levels the integrated LED light will blink in order to confirm the modification; if we are not in the immediate vicinity of the card, Creative has also supplied a small remote which works hand-in-hand with the IR sensor found in the front of the card. As we have seen on the console of the Sound Blaster ZxR, this card also incorporates in its body a dual microphone array, which seems to carry the same issues as the previous: the voice sounds a bit distorted. This however is not a situation we cannot solve since the Omni is also equipped with a Mic-In 3.5mm jack.
We have also installed the Omni on OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 and the software setup went smooth, without any issues at all; thanks to the Creative software, we had plenty of settings to modify compared to the stock integrated CODEC.
The Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 card can be picked online for about 75 Euros.
We would like to thank again to Creative for making this review possible!