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Front
Top
Back
Input/Exit
Left Side
Right side
Packaging
PCB
Basic data
Name
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1
Category
18) Audio interfaces / sound cards
Type
USB _ EXTERNAL _ SOUND _ CARD _ (5.1 _ SURROUND)
Specimen
Unit
Inventory tag
STUDIO: CREATIVE-X-FI- SURROUND-5-1
Condition
OK
Physical parameters
Dimensions (mm)
—
Dimensions (inch)
—
Weight
—
Format
—
Material
—
Manufacturing (Period)
—
Manufacturer
—
Power
Voltage
USB 5V bus-powered
Current (typical)
~ 500 mA
Current (max)
~ 1000 mA
Polarity
Standard USB
Connector
USB Type-B
AC/DC
DC (via USB)
Internal/External
External
Note
Power supply via USB, without external adapter. Bus- powered design allows direct connection without additional power supply.
Warning: Check the polarity of the source before connecting! Improper power supply will damage the device.
Firmware and serial number
Serial number
FW version (current)
Device (firmware on chip)
Check date
2026-03-08
Previous version
N/A
Bootloader
N/A
Update Link
Backup File
N/A
Quick Summary
External USB sound card Creative X-Fi Surround 5.1 with 5.1 surround playback, IR remote control, X-Fi processing (Crystalizer, CMSS-3D) and complete I/O (RCA, optical, microphone, headphones).
Product Description
Using Creative USB Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1, upgrade your PC or laptop to a entertainment centre with the quality Xtreme Fidelity. The easy-to-install external Sound Blaster powered by USB 2.0 has a smooth and compact design and plays in space format Xtreme Fidelity 5.1 on your PC or laptop. X-Fi Crystalizer improves the sound of music compressed into MP3 / WMA, while X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone gives you the spatial sound of film, music and games in headphones. Remote IR driver and Entertainment Center software allows complete navigation in your music and film collection as well as volume control and X-Fi functions. The Cyberlink PowerDVD with DTS ® and Dolby Digital ® -EX decoding software provides an unbeatable experience for DVD movies. High quality gold plated RCA stereo and optical digital output for better sound presentation plus comfortably accessible connectors for microphone and headphones for internet chat. The device supports games with EAX 4.0 and OpenAL plus is equipped with Creative Alchemy software to restore EAX spatial sound in games operated in Windows Vista.
Features and functions
- 5.1 Surround playback (USB 2.0: up to 24 bit / 96 kHz; USB 1.1: stereo 24 bit / 96 kHz, surround 16 bit / 48 kHz)
- Uploading up to 24 bit / 96 kHz
- X-Fi Crystal (improvement of compressed music MP3 / WMA)
- X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone (earphones)
- Remote IR Driver + Entertainment Center Software
- High quality gold plated RCA stereo outputs
- Optical digital output S / PDIF
- Microphone / line input
- Output for headphones / front left and right speaker
- Output for medium speaker / subwoofer
- Output for rear left and right speaker
- EAX 4.0 and OpenAL support for games
- Creative Alchemy Software (EAX spatial sound recovery in Windows Vista)
- USB power supply (bus- powered, without external adapter)
Primary I/O (quick orientation)
| Domain | Inputs | Outputs | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio Input | Line In (RCA); Mic In (3.5mm jack) | LAN / Stereo: 24 bit / 96 kHz; Surround via multipin connector | Full 5.1 outputs via multipin connector (front L / R, center / subwoofer, rear L / R). |
| Audio Output | From USB host | Line Out / Phones Out (RCA gold plated); S / PDIF (optics) | Analog RCA outputs + digital S / PDIF for optical connection. |
| USB | USB Type-B (guest) | USB 2.0 audio stream + power | Data and power link via one USB cable. |
Controls
FRONT / TOP (user control)
- Master / Headphone volume (hardware or software according to variant)
- Connectors: microphone, headphones
- LED Power Indicator
Service / hidden elements
- Volume control via Entertainment Center software.
- Infrared remote control for navigation and volume control.
Connectors and connections
Connector matrix
| Interfaces | IN | OUT | Spec / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio Input | Line In (RCA); Mic In (3.5mm jack) | LAN / Stereo: 24 bit / 96 kHz; Surround via multipin connector | Full 5.1 outputs via multipin connector (front L / R, center / subwoofer, rear L / R). |
| Audio Output | From USB host | Line Out / Phones Out (RCA gold plated); S / PDIF (optics) | Analog RCA outputs + digital S / PDIF for optical connection. |
| USB | USB Type-B (guest) | USB 2.0 audio stream + power | Data and power link via one USB cable. |
Latency and jitter
Clock sources
USB guest
Clock IN/OUT format
44.1 / 48 / 96 kHz (according to driver and USBLерзProcessing)
Typical latency
~ 20 ms (USB 2.0), higher for USB 1.1
Jitter spec
Consumer-grade (specification not public)
Buffer support
Driver-operated
Impedance and signal levels
Line Level (dBu)
-10 dBV (RCA / analogue out)
Mic In level
-40 to -10 dBu (mic input)
Output Impedance
~ 100 Calculation (RCA output)
Input Impedance
10 kCalculation (line), 50 kCalculation (mic)
THD
< 1% (typical, consumer- grade)
Frequency Range
20 Hz - 20 kHz (analogue path)
Other Specifications (from metadata.specifications)
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| No other specifications | |
Additional technical details
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| dimensions.width_mm | ~145 |
| dimensions.height_mm | ~50 |
| dimensions.depth_mm | ~100 |
| dimensions.unit | mm |
| dimensions.formfactor | USB adapter desktop |
Typical routing
- PC Multimedia 5.1 Surround playback: USB audio output from PC to 5.1 monitoring via Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi.
• Connect USB Type-B to PC
• Connect 5.1 outputs (L / R, center, subwoofer, rear L / R) to the respective inputs of the reprosystems
• Set up Creative X-Fi as default playback device in OS
• Map 5.1 outputs by physical connectors
• Activate X-Fi CMSS- 3D in Entertainment Center for virtual surfing and headphones - Hybrid Streaming: Music (Crystalizer) + Games (EAX / CMSS- 3D): Use of X- Fi processors for music and game audio.
• Music playing with activated X-Fi Crystal (better sound MP3 / WMA)
• When starting the game with EAX 4.0, Creative Alchemy will automatically turn on (Windows Vista +)
• Headphone output uses CMSS- 3D for spatial sound without 5.1 reprosystem
Connection instructions: The examples below show typical signal flows in practice. For specific details (jitter, buffering), see section above.
SW / drivers
| Component | Windows | macOS | Linux | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No specific driver data; use the Documentation/Links section. | ||||
Custom firmware details
Author
—
FW family
—
Custom FW targets
- No explicit custom FW targets in metadata.
Custom CC mapping
| CC | Meaning |
|---|---|
| No custom CC mapping. | |
Custom FW global settings
| Settings | Meaning |
|---|---|
| No custom global settings. | |
Custom FW extended menu
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| No extended menu details. | |
Documentation and manuals
Manufacturer / Links
- Official site of manufacturer
- eBay - search Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1
- Aukro.cz - search Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1
- MusicyBazar.cz - search Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1
- MIDI.cz - search Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1
- Kytary.cz - search Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1
- Heureka.cz - search Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1
- Gear4music.cz - search Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1
- Muziker.cz - search Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1
Service log
| Date | Event | Who | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| No records yet. | |||
Presets / User banks
Storage type
Software-Driven (Entertainment Center)
Number of banks
N / A (no preset banks)
Current bank
N/A
Backup File
OS audio settings backup
Export format
Windows Audio Device Configuration
Note
The settings are stored in Windows audio preferences and Entertainment Center software.
Notes / service / modifications
- The model is end- of-life (EOL) but still functional for legacy playback and multimedia.
- Details of the kit: IR driver, USB cable, RCA adapter from stereo to mini jack, installation CD (Creative MediaSource, WaveStudio, Audio Console, Entertainment Center).
- Ideal for desktop playback, voice chat, multimedia streaming and casual gaming with EAX support.