Brand | Creative |
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Item model number | SB1560 |
Hardware Platform | Headphones, PC, Speakers |
Operating System | mac os, windows vista, windows 8, windows 7, windows 10 |
Item Weight | 14.4 ounces |
Product Dimensions | 9.06 x 2.95 x 6.1 inches |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 9.06 x 2.95 x 6.1 inches |
Manufacturer | Creative |
ASIN | B00EZT7RE4 |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | September 5, 2013 |
Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 USB Sound Card with High Performance Headphone Amp and Integrated Beam Forming Microphone
Brand | Creative |
Hardware Interface | USB 2.0 |
Audio Output Mode | Surround |
Platform | Windows Vista, Windows 8, Windows 7, Mac, Windows 10 |
Hardware Platform | Headphones, PC, Speakers |
About this item
- Hear the power of sound blaster technology on your PC and Mac with our SBX Pro Studio and Crystal Voice Technologies
- Advanced audio technology that delivers 5.1 discrete channels of vibrant sound for your digital entertainment.If no audio output when playing digital files check whether the powered speakers or external amplifier are connected to the line out jacks.
- Easily converts the PC into a cinematic entertainment system by providing a compelling 5.1 Surround sound
- Built-in dual microphones with Crystal Voice Technology to enable optimal performance of headset-free use. Compatability - Microsoft Windows 10 / Windows 8 / Windows 7 / Windows Vista.Mac OS 10.6 & above
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This Item Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 USB Sound Card with High Performance Headphone Amp and Integrated Beam Forming Microphone | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
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Price | Currently unavailable. | $89.95$89.95 | -11% $40.06$40.06 List: $44.99 | -7% $129.99$129.99 Typical: $139.99 | -18% $89.99$89.99 List: $109.99 | -29% $17.83$17.83 List: $24.99 |
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Customer Ratings | ||||||
Sound quality | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
For gaming | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.2 |
Volume control | 4.4 | 4.1 | 5.0 | — | 4.2 | 4.4 |
Easy to install | 4.0 | — | 4.4 | — | 4.3 | — |
Sold By | — | i-Tech Mall | Amazon.com | Creative Labs, Inc. | Creative Labs, Inc. | Creative Labs, Inc. |
hardware interface | usb2.0, usb2.0, usb2.0, usb2.0 | usb | pci express x1 | usb | pci express x1 | usb |
audio output mode | Surround | Surround, Dolby Digital | Surround | Surround, Dolby Digital | Surround | Stereo |
surround channels | 5.1 | 7.1 | 5.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 5 1 |
hardware platform | Speakers, Headphones, PC | Headphones | PC | PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4 | Speakers, Headphones | Headphones, PC |
96 KHz | 192 KHz | 192 KHz | 192 KHz | 192 KHz | 96 KHz | |
signal-to-noise ratio | 116 decibels | — | — | 120 decibels | 116 decibels | 96 KHz |
platform | windows 10, windows vista, windows 7, macintosh, windows 8 | windows 10 | windows 7, windows 8, windows 10, windows 11 | playstation 5 | not machine specific | windows |
What's in the box
Product Description
Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 - USB Sound Card with 600 Ohm Headphone Amp
Instantly Upgrade Your Audio Experience!
Featuring a built-in dual microphone array for crystal-clear voice communication, customizable SBX Pro Studio audio technologies, as well as a studio-grade 600 ohm headphone amplifier, the Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 is ideal for anyone looking to seriously upgrade their PC or Mac audio experience.
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.
Features
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Dolby Digital LiveSound 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-ohm AmplifierFeaturing 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 modeIf 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
Featuring 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.
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.
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Technical Details
Additional Information
Customer Reviews |
4.3 out of 5 stars |
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Best Sellers Rank | #207 in External Sound Cards |
Warranty & Support
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the sound quality, ease of installation, and value of the sound card. For example, they mention it's a good sound card great for headphones, and it upmixes stereo audio to surround. That said, opinions are mixed on performance, quality, microphone, and software.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the sound quality of the sound card. They say it has good sound, surround sound features, and bass boost. The headphone amplifier does a good job of increasing volume, control, and the bass. It gives crystal clear voice and options to alter your voice when chatting. The noise reduction for voice chat is pretty good. However, some customers have reported issues with the speakers and music becoming cleaner.
"...-Small footprint and easy to set up. High grade audio without having to install a card is a big plus and makes everything nice and easy...." Read more
"...Creative delivered almost exactly what I wanted. A superior sound experience to onboard audio (check), external and usb operated, so I don't have to..." Read more
"...Its built in headphone amplifier does a good job of increasing volume, control, and bass. However, it has a constant background hiss...." Read more
"...Surround: it does almost what you would expect, it upmixes stereo audio to surround - OR - allows headphones to have a surround sound effect...." Read more
Customers find the installation process of the sound card to be easy. They mention that the product is simple and streamlined, with no problems installing drivers and software. Customers also appreciate the control panel's ease of operation and find it convenient to set their amp to a comfortable level.
"...-Small footprint and easy to set up. High grade audio without having to install a card is a big plus and makes everything nice and easy...." Read more
"...This thing is very convenient. It is a one stop hub for all of your sound devices...." Read more
"...my case (check) looks good and is relatively small (check) and is easy to use (super check)...." Read more
"...Simple, clear quality 2.1 - 5.1 speaker music playback, using powered speakers..." Read more
Customers like the value of the sound card. For example, they say it's well worth the price, has good sound quality, and is a great investment. Some mention that it has decent performance for the price.
"...And that is it. This thing was well worth the money...." Read more
"...stars because it's not for everyone but it does do the job for a decent price.Pros:Decent Sound Quality increase..." Read more
"...of research and web surfing this unit appears to be the best and most economical means of producing 5.1 surround sound using a 2015 MacBook Air...." Read more
"...The Omni has a lot of features to it, and I feel it is worth the money due to the optimization/customization that it can do...." Read more
Customers like the appearance of the sound card. They say the knob on the top is very nice, and the design is nifty. The sound quality is awesome, and it has true 5.1 sound. The product is easy to setup and the driver installation was simple. The black and red color scheme looks great, and is creative.
"...-The control module is convenient and looks nice on the desktop-A great way to convert your PC into a 5.1 speaker setup.Cons:..." Read more
"...so I don't have to take up an expansion slot in my case (check) looks good and is relatively small (check) and is easy to use (super check)...." Read more
"...Cool lookingRecording is very goodA lot of inputsWell designedCons:Niche group of people that would use this..." Read more
"...Driver install was simple.The black and red color scheme looks great...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the performance of the sound card. Some mention that it works fairly well and people can hear them clearly, while others say that it still wouldn't work. The beam-forming really does work, and the external option works fantastic. However, some customers report issues with the control panel and the center speaker with 5.1 has a tinny sound.
"...It does that amazingly well. What it doesn't do well is anything that is not dialog is heavily modulated and becomes very unpleasant to listen to...." Read more
"...noise cancel and ability to change the size of the "beam" work very well. As for surround gaming, it uses SBX surround...." Read more
"...It starts out as stereo, without switching it to 5.1 the virtual surround won't work properly.It was a learning experience...." Read more
"...Other than that I think it works well enough, though I think if I could do it all over I would probably opt for the G6 model as it's newer and far..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the quality of the sound card. Some mention that it produces clear, low-noise, and good-quality 3.1 music playback from stereo. The build is pretty decent, and there are no conflicts or bad surprises at all. However, others say that the idea is great, but the execution is poor, and the sound is erratic. The drivers are sometimes a massive headache, and it needs better control panel support.
"...It has tons of extra features for gamers, like virtual surround sound (It's great, but not that great), voice modulation, and even a special mode..." Read more
"...Their drivers are sometimes a massive headache and its a shame because so much care usually goes into the hardware and design of their products...." Read more
"...The Omni Surround 5.1 instantly produced clear, low-noise, good-quality 3.1 music playback from stereo and 5.1 sources and superb, flawless game..." Read more
"...A decent amp pumps quite a bit of power to the headphones...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the microphone. Some mention that the built-in microphones are surprisingly good, while others say that they have issues. The built- in microphones have room for improvement, and some customers report that the mic just cuts out.
"...It is not an audiophile headphone stereo amp. It is not a speaker amplifier at all...." Read more
"...They have always had incredible hardware and sound processing...." Read more
"...You have to reboot.2.Mic Input just stops working completely. Resolves itself again only with a reboot.3...." Read more
"...Not so with this device.The beamforming mic is nice...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the software included with the sound card. Some find it simple but effective, while others say it's lacking and unusable. Some customers also mention that the included software is ugly.
"...Most of you have mics that are much better already. Mic software is so so...." Read more
"...Software is a bit buggy but could be worse...." Read more
"...The software that comes with it is pretty good but might be a tad bit lacking for someone who has a little more experience with computer sound...." Read more
"...These things are just not explained well in any documentation. After using this, if I had a choice I would pick something else I think." Read more
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So that being said, Creative can be a frustrating company to work with and if you've had problems with them in the past I can understand your frustrations. Thankfully, if you are looking at buying this Omni 5.1 unit, I can assure you that it seems free of problems or issues. The sound is crisp and powerful and it transformed my laptop into a true powerhouse gaming rig with real true powerful sound. Even YouTube videos sound cleared through my Logitech desktop speakers.
Creative is in an interesting position. I think they still make great hardware, but the need for aftermarket soundcards has dwindled immensely these days. Most PCs tend to come with built in Crystal Audio or RealTek built into the motherboards and the audio processing even on those has gotten so good - and often even support 7.1 surround - that most people won't find the need for aftermarket audio units like this. I can understand that. I'm a bit of an audiophile so I prefer the crispness of a SoundBlaster or even a Turtle Beach or something like that, but I'll admit that there are plenty of situations where I am hard pressed to tell the difference these days. That being said, the fine tuning of a SoundBlaster is still preferred to me and once you put on headphones the whole game changes. Laptop speakers aren't going to produce great results no matter what, but if you plug in a pair of headphones into your laptop and then hook it up to a SoundBlaster like this, you probably WILL notice a difference. Not everyone notices the nuances in sound, and if that's the case your built in sound is probably where you'll be happy to stay. Something like this is for if you REALLY tend to notice the minute details in clarity, small audio details, and nuances. Be warned though, that a card like this can also make lower quality audio a bit more noticable (the audio noise present in a 160kbps MP3 file is much more noticeable when you run it through a high quality sound processor like this).
Overall its a great card. I'd even recommend it if you use a desktop PC, as the need for a PCIe based add-in card really isn't that necessary anymore, unless you just want to reduce the amount of peripherals connected to your PC or on your desk. Otherwise, USB is simple and mostly plug and play. You'll definitely want to download the latest drivers and software from Creative for the best experience. I read some experiences with this saying that the firmware on this was terrible, but the unit I got seems to have a newer and corrected firmware preinstalled, as when I tried to update the firmware myself, I was told I was already up to the most current. That that seems to have been resolved. I almost decided to go with a SoundBlasterX plug and play USB, but I'm glad I spent the extra money and went with this. At my laptop station, the volume control and omni microphone along was worth it, and the media passthrough was enough of a draw for me alone. If you have nice desktop speakers though, you owe it to them to give them great audio to work with, so this is a solid purchase choice.
Pros:
-Creative makes great hardware and the Omni 5.1 is no exception
-Small footprint and easy to set up. High grade audio without having to install a card is a big plus and makes everything nice and easy.
-The control module is convenient and looks nice on the desktop
-A great way to convert your PC into a 5.1 speaker setup.
Cons:
-Maybe a bit pricey for some. If you aren't a big audiophile you may not notice enough of an improvement to justify this expense.
-Again, if you tend to not notice the subtle differences in audio quality or aren't a stickler for Hi-Def audio, this may not be necessary and your built in audio may be enough to keep you happy. I find that the average person doesn't necessarily notice a difference between this and the motherboard audio that came with the PC, in which case this may not be worth spending money on.
-May add unwanted clutter to your desk space if you like to keep things clear on your workspace
I looked at the Z series from Soundblaster and they looked nice, but the problem is that I do not know if I can physically fit anything on my motherboard because my video card heatsink almost hits the 3rd PCI-e slot. So I looked around and came across this. I actually didn't know Soundblaster made an external sound card until I just Googled "USB sound card." I heard that PCI-e sound cards sound better, but I honestly don't think my ears are so sensitive that they would be able to tell a difference.
Specs: The front of the unit has a beamforming mic that lets you talk to people while typing but doesn't register your typing unless you manually adjust the beamforming settings via the control panel software. The front has 3 inputs: headphones, mic, and audio in. Those take priority over the back. If you have your headphones plugged in, your speakers will go off. Then when you unplug your headphones, the speakers will come back automatically with no delay. (note, any optical connection will not prioritize like this because you must select it in Playback Devices. If it is selected then it will be used no matter what else is plugged in.) There is obviously some hardware on the circuit board controlling that because if it were simply software controlling it through Windows, you would have to wait a half hour for it to register the change (burn against Windows). On the back there is an RCA output that you plug your 3.5mm speaker connector to via an included adapter. They did this to increase connectivity options. Then on the back there are 2 3.5mm rear and center outputs as well as an optical out. And the entire thing is connected to the PC via micro USB. So, onto my review. I will start with the bad and end on a good note.
Cons: 2 cons. First, the optical device must be selected in Windows via Playback Devices. I was actually hoping to be able to skip ever messing with Playback Devices. When you select the optical device (called SPDIF-OUT), you have to stop all processes that are making sound and then restart them. If you are on Youtube, you have to reload the video. If you are in a game, you have to restart the game. I think the included software, which is amazing, should take care of this automatically. Second gripe, The volume knob only controls the sound through Windows. I would have liked to see the volume knob control the volume through the device itself. It is like if you use the volume control on your speakers. You expect your knob to control the sound through the device and not through Windows. This is only a problem because it might take a few seconds for the volume control to register. You will be turning the knob up and down for a few seconds and then Windows will adjust the volume accordingly, with a long delay. But this only happens the first time you adjust the volume after turning on the PC or waking it from sleep. After that, the volume control is immediate.
Now that I got the gripes out of the way, onto the pros.
Pros: I will get to the sound quality in a minute, but I want to start small and end big. This thing is very convenient. It is a one stop hub for all of your sound devices. All of those connectivity options I mentioned are nice to have when you have multiple devices, and the fact that they all play nice with each other is another plus. These things are easy to overlook, but Creative should be given credit for it. I think Creative put a lot of thought into the convenience of their device. It also has rubber pads on the bottom to keep it on the desk which adds to the convenience because all of those wires will pull against it. I've had USB hubs that would fall to the floor because the wires were stiff and would pull them. Not so with this device.
The beamforming mic is nice. Of course you must set it up in the control panel, and that brings me to the next point. I paid $70 for this. If you were to tell me that half of the cost of this was on the software, I would be OK with that. The software has ALMOST everything you need. I say almost because I still use Razer's surround software for my Audio Technica M30s. I am not the most technical guy when it comes to sound, but if you are very technical, this thing has many options in it for you.
Finally, onto the sound quality. When I used the headphones with the on board audio, they would hit the highest volume and still be too quiet and still become distorted as if I had it blasting the sound. I could not tell different drums apart in certain songs or I wouldn't be able to tell different guitars apart, ect. There was not enough of the spectrum. All mids basically (My motherboard has Realtek 887 I believe so if you have a motherboard with Realtek 887, you know what I mean). I turn the Omni on 1/4 of the way high with my speakers and I turn war tapes mode on in Battlefield 4 and I am blown away. Games sound amazing, music sounds amazing, and I assume movies will sound amazing but I do not use my PC for movies so I don't know. I like to emphasize mids when listening to music, but I also like the highs and lows to come in at a reasonable level because I am a normal human and I do things the correct way. I am able to easily do that with the equalizer. With the headphones on, I am able to listen to things louder and every different sound is distinct.
With my Turtle Beach XP 500, I am able to finally use these on my PC. In order to use these in 5.1 mode, I have to enable Dolby Digital Live in the Omni control panel and make sure the light on the XP 500 receiver is on above the D symbol. I do not have to use Razer's surround software on this, only on the 3.5mm headphones if I want them to act as virtual surrouns headphones.
And that is it. This thing was well worth the money. Realtek seems to spend 5 cents and a used cigarette on the on board audio and it shows.
Oh, and this works on your laptop too.
4 and 1/2 stars for an amazing product. Minus half a star for the volume control being through Windows and not through the device. The optical device needing to be selected in Playback Devices is the other concern. It would have been nice for there to be a small button on this near each plug for the different output devices so the Omni could control them directly instead of channeling the unholy Playback Devices demon in Windows.
Top reviews from other countries
REVIEW:
Calidad del audio: La calidad del audio es muy buena y permite conexión tanto por Digital como por analógico, los puertos son mas que adecuados, soporte de 24 bits, lo probé con canciones de Streaming de alta calidad y suena excelente.
Sofware: El software de la tarjeta es muy bueno y sencillo a la vez, todo esta donde esperas que se encuentre, ademas esta orientado a juegos, cuenta con funciones básicas como "voice Morpher" Scout Mode ( te permite oir a los enemigos en juegos), y obviamente efectos de diversos Ecos.
Bottom Line.
A pesar de ser un producto con varios años a la espalda sigue siendo excelente al 2019, he tenido tarjetas creative por 20 años y la verdad nunca me han dejado mal, sin duda recomiendo esta tarjeta mas que una Asus XONAR, y estéticamente es muy atractiva ya que cuenta con un Led rojo que luce muy bien, además este modelo funciona también en MAC, no importa si la quieres para edición de audio, jugar o simplemente escuchar cualquier cosa esta tarjeta es la mejor calidad- precio que encontraras.
I've got this hooked up to a regular 2.0 USB on my PC, then I use RCA cables to an older Sony Surround Sound Receiver (K760p) and the amazing Cambridge Audio SX-50 speakers with a used Athena sub-woofer. Yes I know it says 5.1 (five speakers + the sub-woofer) but I'm happy with the sound I have with the 3. Very good stereo sound with a subwoofer gives plenty of feeling of being immersed.
So, a great product if you have some knowledge of sound cards, audio and video formats, equalization. You'll need to be comfortable adjusting devices in Windows Control Panel for the basic setup.
PROS: Easy to set up software in Win 7. Can make the Omni control panel start up every time if you are listening to lots of music, then you can use Custom profiles depending on what you're hearing. I also use this with a lovely Sharp TV for shows and movies. For some movies etc., I use a custom profile in the control panel that empathizes vocal and dialogue (there is a very interesting setting called dialogue plus). For classical music I have a profile that has no special effects at all except for a slight upward adjustment of the treble values in the Equalizer, this gives a stunning orchestral sound (the vocal settings make the instruments in an orchestra sound a bit weird). With the quality receiver and passive speakers I get no, and I mean no hiss, buzz or distortion from the computer. When the computer is not producing any sounds, I can't tell if my receiver is even switched on, it's that quiet. Also the headphone amplifier is very good, but be very careful, the Omni is capable of ear splitting levels!
Note I got the Omni for something like $82 in in Sep/2014. Mine came with no remote control (claimed it was my "geographic region") but perhaps other seller have the version with remote control. I don't need it myself, so it was a fine value.
CONS: Not for someone who isn't careful about volume levels - the headphone levels can be raised far above what Windows 7 likes to allow by default. Also, you have to be patient to learn all of this and other than the problems Mac Users are having I might also say you have to hook up cables carefully. Cable quality is a little bit important as well. When I got it I first tested it with an old DVD RCA cable and it sounded just so-so even with the high quality speakers. But as soon as I put on a new $15 Nextech (the Source house brand) stereo RCA cable, a thrilling richness came out of the system. However, there also is an Optical out which theoretically should give even better results. So far I haven't found I could get the sound to be even decent as the Digital Audio SPDIF that you use with the Optical out doesn't appear to be affected by the Equalizer and other settings. But the sound is so beautiful with the RCA cables I haven't tried to fix this problem. It may be a fault in the card or just settings I don't understand yet.
Some people may not like that you can't use the headphone out and the speaker out at the same time. If like me, you set up your receiver/amp and speakers so that you use the computer at a maximum volume (probably saves power), then you also have to be very careful to turn down the volume before you plug headphones into the Omni. The normal listening level for the speakers is almost ear-splitting if I plug in the headphones without changing it. (Found out the hard way, but no damage done).