This review is not intended as an in depth review. It is merely meant to provide a resource for people who are interested in this card but cannot find any consumer reviews or opinions elsewhere online. If there is demand, I will gladly perform more rigorous testing and provide a better review of this device in the future. But until then...
What is it?
The Creative X-Fi Surround 5.1 is an external soundcard that connects to your computer using a USB port. It is designed to replace your laptops internal soundcard. It supports everything from headphones to a 5.1 surround sound speaker system.
Who is it for?
Laptop users who want to experience full 5.1 surround from their speakers, or users who want to hear crisper sound than that provided by their on-board soundcard. Gamers who want to enable EAX effects in their games, and want to enable full 3D sound for older games in Vista (for more information on this, visit the Creative Alchemy Page).
FEATURES
- Up to 5.1 surround sound output
- Creative X-Fi Technology- Designed to restore some life to low bitrate, high compression music and video
- CMSS 3D- Designed to provide a pseudo surround sound experience, even when using only two speakers
- EAX HD- Environmental audio effects used in many games
- DTS and Dolby Digital support
- Mic and Stereo Line Inputs
- Headphone, Optical, and analog 5.1 speaker outputs
PROS
- Works with Vista (as well as XP)!
- Inexpensive! Only $59.99 direct from Creative Labs
- Comes with free copy of Power DVD 7.0 with DTS and Dolby support (must be downloaded from developer website after product installation and connection)
- Comes with Stereo RCA to 1/8" jack adapter
- Actually does sound great, can tell a difference in low-bitrate music compared to on-board sound
- Volume knob doubles as mute button (press to mute, press again to un-mute)
- Very classy design, fits in well with any other black glossy electronics
- Great sound in both 2.1 and 5.1 mode!
CONS
- Doesn't work right away! (must disable on-board sound then restart after installation for the Creative Control Panel to recognize the Surround 5.1 as the main/default soundcard)
- Doesn't support 7.1 channel surround (see the Creative Xtreme Audio Notebook and "optional" speaker docking module for this capability)
- No information on this device (currently) except on product page! The Creative Forums even don't have a mention of this device
- Poor performance when computer in low-power mode (although this will be the case with almost any external soundcard)
- Another thing to take up space on my desk
- Does not magically provide room on my desk for 5.1 center and rear channels
- On-board sound may be more than adequate for most users
VERDICT
85%
For the price, this soundcard can't be beat. If you are looking into replacing your notebooks on-board sound card, definitely take a look at the X-Fi Surround 5.1. It is a must have for anyone looking to get full use of a 5.1 system, although users with a 2.1 system or headphones may find that on-board sound is more than capable of producing a good audio experience in Windows.
