Sound Blaster X-fi 5.1 Drivers For Mac

1. Sound Blaster X Fi Mb5 Download

Identical Looking, but 2 Different Cards There is a reason why your X-Fi 5.1 PRO USB sound card isn't working the same as the one in the Apple support thread: it's not the same card! They look identical but you have the NEW version of the card and the one with the instructions is the OLD card. You can confirm this by looking at both screenshots (yours is listed with PRO in the card name, the other one is not). The - partial - good news is that you're not doing anything wrong.

The rest of the news is that there might not be drivers/ kexts/ software to let you install it OSX: Creative Labs is annoying when it comes to this soft of thing. There is a reason why your X-Fi 5.1 PRO USB sound card isn't working the same as the one in the Apple support thread: it's not the same card!

Its an external USB sound card. Looks pretty high quality. Im using it for some light audio recording so sound quality thru the line in is important. Here is the link: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 SB1090 Anyone try it? I gotta know if everything works, ie volume control, 5.1 outputs.

They look identical but you have the NEW version of the card and the one with the instructions is the OLD card. You can confirm this by looking at both screenshots (yours is listed with PRO in the card name, the other one is not). The - partial - good news is that you're not doing anything wrong. The rest of the news is that there might not be drivers/ kexts/ software to let you install it OSX: Creative Labs is annoying when it comes to this soft of thing.

I was able to answer the question of why the same procedure that worked for the person in the thread was not working for you. As such these other responses are rather speculative. I have problems getting multi-channel audio with 10.8 to work, in 10.6.8 it worked easily for me. Mind you I've only spent a day playing around and installing ML. Trying with a new board in the next week or so (the GB H77N mini-itx) so I might have some better luck. (I too have the X-Fi USB old version so I'll report back later with how it worked for me in a week or two - I haven't used in OSX yet).surely the kexts for it are installed?

You'd think so. But I'm not sure if the hardware inside is the same as it originally was (same chip, etc). Just because a 'working' kext makes the name pop up doesn't mean it will do the advanced features. Working and fully functional are 2 very different things. Out of curiosity, what are you using to test the discrete channels?

If you have a DVD with the THX logo it - 90% of the time - has a series of tests that lets you play one channel of audio at a time (quite handy). If your audio format is PCM (uncompressed aka lossless) you can ONLY EVER get L/R coming out of an optical (or RCA/coax) SPDIF. If you're using a compressed format like Dolby or DTS then the SPDIF will be able to spit out 6 discrete channels (L,R,C,LFE,Ls,Rs aka 5.1), but I'm not sure if there's any advanced settings that have to be changed around with inside OSX or if there are specific ones to ML. I assume you're not using the optical and instead using the combo L/R RCA jacks and remaining 2 headphone jacks on the X-FI (for those of you reading that last sentence and wondering: it's the way the product is set-up) for the 5.1. The only other thing I can think of right now is to test it under 10.6 or 10.7: not a lot of help really.

I brought this because I saw all USB sound card's work then when i found the guide thought great! Yeah, but when saying a sound card works most people just mean L/R. As for Creative Labs, I gave up on them years ago after wasting too much time with their products.

There was a time when on-board sound was sub-standard, but that's a while ago - especially since digital connections came out. The real selling point of an external sound card now is you don't have to worry about stray voltage (giving hisses or other interference) on the mother board affecting when you're recording something via the analog ports.

I was able to answer the question of why the same procedure that worked for the person in the thread was not working for you. As such these other responses are rather speculative. I have problems getting multi-channel audio with 10.8 to work, in 10.6.8 it worked easily for me. Mind you I've only spent a day playing around and installing ML. Trying with a new board in the next week or so (the GB H77N mini-itx) so I might have some better luck. (I too have the X-Fi USB old version so I'll report back later with how it worked for me in a week or two - I haven't used in OSX yet).surely the kexts for it are installed? You'd think so.

But I'm not sure if the hardware inside is the same as it originally was (same chip, etc). Just because a 'working' kext makes the name pop up doesn't mean it will do the advanced features. Working and fully functional are 2 very different things. Out of curiosity, what are you using to test the discrete channels?

If you have a DVD with the THX logo it - 90% of the time - has a series of tests that lets you play one channel of audio at a time (quite handy). If your audio format is PCM (uncompressed aka lossless) you can ONLY EVER get L/R coming out of an optical (or RCA/coax) SPDIF. If you're using a compressed format like Dolby or DTS then the SPDIF will be able to spit out 6 discrete channels (L,R,C,LFE,Ls,Rs aka 5.1), but I'm not sure if there's any advanced settings that have to be changed around with inside OSX or if there are specific ones to ML. I assume you're not using the optical and instead using the combo L/R RCA jacks and remaining 2 headphone jacks on the X-FI (for those of you reading that last sentence and wondering: it's the way the product is set-up) for the 5.1. The only other thing I can think of right now is to test it under 10.6 or 10.7: not a lot of help really. I brought this because I saw all USB sound card's work then when i found the guide thought great!

Yeah, but when saying a sound card works most people just mean L/R. As for Creative Labs, I gave up on them years ago after wasting too much time with their products. There was a time when on-board sound was sub-standard, but that's a while ago - especially since digital connections came out.

The real selling point of an external sound card now is you don't have to worry about stray voltage (giving hisses or other interference) on the mother board affecting when you're recording something via the analog ports. I am confused now becuase we're talking about a couple different things. I assumed the problem you were having was you were just getting L/R and not 5.1 and that would have been a kext/ hardware issue.

(And whether we were talking about 5.1 either through the Optical (SPDIF) port or the RCA+Headphone jacks.) Are you getting any sound out of the X-Fi at all? Specifically out of the 2 RCA ports - NOT the actual headphone jack - (judging from the functioning 10.7 thread: the way the X-Fi handles sound is different than in Windows: in OSX ONLY the 2 RCA and the Black and Orange headphone jacks were working for that person). From your screenshot it looks like the RCA ports are functioning (again not the actual headphone jack: the 2 RCAs) and you'll need the 2 RCA to female headphone jack adapter to hear sound out of it. Please confirm this part so I can figure what exactly is going on. And while we're at it try another set of headphones - in addition to the speakers - so we can rule another variable out. I am confused now becuase we're talking about a couple different things. I assumed the problem you were having was you were just getting L/R and not 5.1 and that would have been a kext/ hardware issue.

(And whether we were talking about 5.1 either through the Optical (SPDIF) port or the RCA+Headphone jacks.) Are you getting any sound out of the X-Fi at all? Specifically out of the 2 RCA ports - NOT the actual headphone jack - (judging from the functioning 10.7 thread: the way the X-Fi handles sound is different than in Windows: in OSX ONLY the 2 RCA and the Black and Orange headphone jacks were working for that person). From your screenshot it looks like the RCA ports are functioning (again not the actual headphone jack: the 2 RCAs) and you'll need the 2 RCA to female headphone jack adapter to hear sound out of it.

Please confirm this part so I can figure what exactly is going on. And while we're at it try another set of headphones - in addition to the speakers - so we can rule another variable out.

Some have reported it completely working but have only tested 2.1 and nothing else. Others say the volume control doesn't work but everything else is perfect.

I want to hear from someone who actually owns it and thoroughly tested it. It works perfect with Dell D820 laptop - both the volume control and nice surround sound effects. I've been trying to make this thing work on aluminum macbook for half a year now. In fact - mac does recognize it in system preferences, however switching the audio output to it does not produce any sound. As for my 5.1 surround sound system, it still works fine in 3.1 bypassing the sound card. Any ideas how to make this Creative SB work on my mac greatly appreciated! I guess it needs some driver or a hack.

Please i'm interested on this model too i want a external Completely working and plugnPlay cheap USB external audio if this is not good, any other suggestion?? I just picked up the creative x-fi USB 5.1 it's strange.you can only connect 3 channels, not 5. You can use the left/right splitter for your front speakers or rear ones, and then plug the center/sub in.the strange part, IS THAT YOU HAVE TO PLUG IT INTO THE HEADPHONE JACK.plugging it into the 'input' jack does nothing. You'll only get sound from using the LEFT/RIGHT splitter + the headphone jack input. I tested this on leov4allv.4.1 (leopard 10.5.4).

You dont have to install any extra drivers, but it still kinda sucks that it only runs 3 channels, not 5.1. Unless someone cares to prove me wrong? Can you make it run 5 channels? I just picked up the creative x-fi USB 5.1 it's strange.you can only connect 3 channels, not 5.

You can use the left/right splitter for your front speakers or rear ones, and then plug the center/sub in.the strange part, IS THAT YOU HAVE TO PLUG IT INTO THE HEADPHONE JACK.plugging it into the 'input' jack does nothing. You'll only get sound from using the LEFT/RIGHT splitter + the headphone jack input. I tested this on leov4allv.4.1 (leopard 10.5.4). You dont have to install any extra drivers, but it still kinda sucks that it only runs 3 channels, not 5.1.

Unless someone cares to prove me wrong? Can you make it run 5 channels? I just picked up the creative x-fi USB 5.1 it's strange.you can only connect 3 channels, not 5. You can use the left/right splitter for your front speakers or rear ones, and then plug the center/sub in.the strange part, IS THAT YOU HAVE TO PLUG IT INTO THE HEADPHONE JACK.plugging it into the 'input' jack does nothing.

You'll only get sound from using the LEFT/RIGHT splitter + the headphone jack input. I tested this on leov4allv.4.1 (leopard 10.5.4). You dont have to install any extra drivers, but it still kinda sucks that it only runs 3 channels, not 5.1.

Unless someone cares to prove me wrong? Can you make it run 5 channels? Your system is probably switched to 2.0 configuration. Headphones out probably sends out the whole spectrum, thats why it works for subwoofer, but actually its wrong setup, your subwoofer needs dedicated output with dedicated frequencies. Please use this guide and please report back if you can, try the 'line in' too (for example, connect your ipod/cd player whatever) and try to record. Test for 'mic in' would be nice too (you dont need microphone, just plug in headphones into the 'mic in' it works the same). Most importantly is to test if it works.

I just picked up the creative x-fi USB 5.1 it's strange.you can only connect 3 channels, not 5. You can use the left/right splitter for your front speakers or rear ones, and then plug the center/sub in.the strange part, IS THAT YOU HAVE TO PLUG IT INTO THE HEADPHONE JACK.plugging it into the 'input' jack does nothing. You'll only get sound from using the LEFT/RIGHT splitter + the headphone jack input. I tested this on leov4allv.4.1 (leopard 10.5.4). You dont have to install any extra drivers, but it still kinda sucks that it only runs 3 channels, not 5.1. Unless someone cares to prove me wrong? Can you make it run 5 channels?

You ever notice how your headphones have only one jack and yet produce two separate sounds to form stereo? Reason being the jack has two bands on it which pick up left and right channels and send them to each earbud. The three jacks on your 5.1 speakers work the same way: they correspond to Front-Left & Front-Right, Rear-Left & Rear-Right (or 'Surround Left' & 'Surround Right'), and Center & LFE (Low Frequency Effects - your subwoofer, basically). As you may have noticed, there are actually six channels in 5.1 surround - the bass effects channel is designated.1 because it takes one-tenth of the bandwidth of the other channels. So yeah, you are getting true 5.1 from your x-fi. Does it work okay?

I'm looking at getting one because I have some Logitech X530 speakers and I want to get true surround out of my C2D 2.4 Macbook Pro. Anyone got any better suggestions? How misleading! Ignore that comment - I can confirm that on 10.6.5 I can run it through my Z-5500 via optical cable and get DTS surround. On vlc choose DTS audio (encoded) and the Z-5500 will pick this up and do the decoding. I will try the analog outputs later but at the very least you can have 5.1 surround via optical and have your receiver decode the audio.

So VLC fully suports DTS passthrough with this sound card? Any drivers/kext installed, or does it work just out of the box? Can you choose the optical out as the default output for all programs and system sounds?

Sound Blaster X Fi Mb5 Download

Do iTunes and other software work without problems? Just want to be sure before buying this card. //EDIT: Do you have the SB1090 or SB1095 model? So VLC fully suports DTS passthrough with this sound card?

Any drivers/kext installed, or does it work just out of the box? Can you choose the optical out as the default output for all programs and system sounds?

Do iTunes and other software work without problems? Just want to be sure before buying this card.

//EDIT: Do you have the SB1090 or SB1095 model? I just bought the SB1095 model and it works perfectly. I couldn't get the TOS-link of my ASUS P7P55D mboard to work, just cracky stereo output. As that really spoils my movies i decided to buy this one. I disabled my onboard soundcard, removed VoodooHDA, rebooted, plugged in the SB1095 and rebooted again, selected the optical out in the sounds settings, started Plex and it worked, iTunes also worked. Tried DTS etc.

Worked perfectly. VLC also fully supports DTS passthrough. Please note that the volume/speaker button in the top bar stays grayed out and you can't use any volume buttons, neither in mac osx nor on the device itself, as it just passes the audio through the TOS link to the receiver. Volume needs to be regulated there. B X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro: Productcode: 0x30df Fabrikantcode: 0x041e (Creative Labs) Versie: 1.00 Serienummer: 00000030 Snelheid: Maximaal 12 Mb/sec Fabrikant: Creative Technology Ltd Locatiecode: 0x1d160000 Beschikbare stroom (mA): 500 Vereiste stroom (mA): 400.