- 5.1 Channels
- USB Interface
Just OK for conference calls
04/29/2015
This review is from: Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 USB Sound Card with 600ohm Headphone Amp and Integrated Microphone
Pros:
Easy setup - plug and play, software installed no problems (Win7 Pro)
Many options for both input and output and for tweaking the setup via software
Great sound with good headphones
Sits out on the desk, so access is good - though headset wires project out the front. Not really a con, just that all cables aren't on one side of the device. Since they're on the front, they're easier to access - but see cons below for how this could have been avoided.
Cons:
Sits out on the desk, so cables, cables everywhere. To be fair, if you're not using headphones, all cables are behind the unit.
No separate switch for headphone/mic - plugging and unplugging is the only way to switch from speaker/mic to headset/boom
Jack for headphones and mic are inset from the base, with a small gap between the edge of the base and the actual headphone jack. The 1/4 to 3.5mm adapter that came with my big Sennheiser cans will not fit. What good is a 600 ohm headphone amp if you can't plug in good headphones? Be aware that you may have to buy a cable-style adapter to plug in 1/4" phones to this device.
Overall Review:
I purchased this in hopes that I could use it for conference calls (I'm on them for many hours a day).
The built-in mic array seems to do an OK job, once I got the volume set up. No complaint there - no feedback at all from the speakers plugged in to the back of the unit. So that's good.
However, switching to headphones with a boom mic is possible only by physically plugging them in. I have a separate Plantronics switch that I had hoped to retire, but ended up having it constantly plugged in to the headphone jack - now, as before, it does the switching between speakers & headphones, rather than this unit by itself. It also has widely spaced jacks without any interfering frame, meaning my high-end headphones can plug in directly to it. The downside is that now I have *two* devices on my desk for audio, and I *still* have to plug the mic cable into Ito the Omni to switch to the headphone boom.
It would be so much nicer to have a rocker switch on top of the Omni to change inputs, instead of fumbling with cables. That's OK for an occasional switch, but a drag when you do it a dozen times a day.
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- PaulHorn
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Verified Owner
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Owned For:
1 day to 1 week
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