Entered CNET Catalog: 09/24/2003
SKU: 0054651060630
Manufacturer: Creative Labs
Manufacturer description
Sound Blaster Wireless Music gives you the freedom to play all of the MP3 and WMA music on your PC in another room of your home over your existing 802.11b or 802.11g wireless network. The remote control features a large LCD screen that lets you view and choose songs and playlists without needing a TV like other systems. The wireless receiver connects to any audio system, so you can listen to your music in any room, on your Home Entertainment system or with any powered speakers. And Sound Blaster Wireless Music is designed to be easier to set up than other solutions, detecting your existing wireless network and either connecting automatically or with a simple USB setup. Sound Blaster Wireless Music makes it easy to listen to your PC music collection in the living room, bedroom, or any other room where you want to enjoy music.Product summary
The good: Compatible with 802.11b/g networks; RF remote with a built-in LCD for navigation; fairly simple setup; robust software package; optical digital output.
The bad: No support for AAC and secure WMA music files; no MPEG or JPEG video support; music-management software could be more integrated and user-friendly.
The bottom line: A remote with a built-in LCD for music navigation gives Creative's wireless music solution a competitive edge.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 11/25/2003
Creative's Sound Blaster Wireless Music (listed at $250) is the first digital media receiver to offer music-file navigation via a remote control with a large LCD. The idea is that once you've configured the small, modem-size base unit to work with your Wi-Fi network, you'll be able to stream music over the system to any stereo or even a set of powered speakers (think party in your backyard). The remote features a 132x64-pixel, blue-backlit display, and since the control uses RF rather than infrared technology, you can hide the receiver and still command it.
So is this wireless music system all it's cracked up to be? Yes, especially if you're an MP3 aficionado with a large and well-organized digital-music collection. Setup is fairly easy: you install some software on your central computer, hook it up to the Sound Blaster with the included USB cable, follow the wizard's instructions, disconnect the machines, and attach the receiver to a stereo or powered speakers. Once you've imported your MP3 and nonsecure WMA files into Creative's music-management program, you're ready to stream. Your network can also include multiple receivers with their own names so that you can place units in different rooms.
The product ships with a robust software suite that includes Wireless Music Media Server; Wireless Music Console; Wireless Music Network Setup; and Creative MediaSource, which should be familiar to owners of Creative's Nomad portable players. But if there's a knock on the system, it's that it makes you deal with too many programs; one well-integrated application would be preferable. Digital-music veterans won't have too much trouble sorting through all the features and figuring out how to best set up their music collection, playlists, and smart playlists, but less-savvy users might initially be intimidated.
Having accurate and complete ID3 tags is critical. When those audio-file attributes are correct, remote-based navigation and playback are really flexible. It's easy to search for and play albums, tracks from a particular artist, and genres (disco or techno, for example). You can also create playlists, and the system automatically generates smart playlists based on songs' playback frequency, import dates, ratings, and various other criteria that you specify. For instance, you can pick out the music you added in the past month.
All in all, we were impressed with Creative's first foray into the wireless-music arena. We hooked up the Sound Blaster to a Denon receiver via the optical output (the only provided cable is analog). The sound was rich and vibrant for MP3, and when we changed tracks or launched new playlists, the lag time between our button-presses and music playback was minimal.
At a list price of $250, the system isn't cheap, especially when you compare it with competitors, such as the Prismiq MediaPlayer, that also stream images and video. But an RF remote with a built-in LCD offers a lot of flexibility, making the Sound Blaster an attractive solution for those who want to access and listen to their PC-based music collections in multiple rooms and beside the backyard pool.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59out of 59 user reviews
Requires IT professional to operate
Pros: Access to MP3 library on the handset
Cons: Reconnection and Set up procedures
Use model suggests leaving all components (including MP3 source) 24/7/365 - not green.
I gave up and got an MP3 player with an IR controlled base station that hooks up to the TV. Cheap, predictable, easy.
out of 59 user reviews
Once configured, works great. Otherwise, incredibly frustrating!
Pros: Very cool when it works. Sounds great, especially with optical output
Cons: Very very tricky to get right configuration. Remote sometimes flakes out and needs to be reset with batteries. Sometimes, stops working for a couple of minutes?!?
out of 59 user reviews
Works great, if you can configure it..
Pros: Great sound, good range, great remote
Cons: network configuration is pure pain
After countless trials, number of firmware upgrades, tweaks in firewall settings, I almost gave up. Then tried one more time, and it worked. And it worked really well. I could operate it from good distance, sound quality is really good (even its over wireless network), and the remote is good enough to browse through your collection, if not the best out there. But once I had to recycle my router, and had to go through the nightmare of setup again.
Other problems: no support for ogg!! I really want it to support OGG. Also, it would have been wonderful if it was supported on Linux, but thats probably asking too much. Remote freezes some times, and to unfreeze it another big pain, but this does not happen really that frequently.
Overall, if you are geeky enough and have the tendency to make things work no matter what, try this at your own risk. Rewards are great if it works.
out of 59 user reviews
GREAT Idea, But Bad Technology Not compatable with itunes AAC file and playlist.
Pros: I Love the Wireless Idea of being able to playing and selecting my music from any room in my house.
Cons: Very short RF Range with a super delay / response
out of 59 user reviews
Works well, remote is great
Pros: RF remote with LCD
Cons: Software server, need some patience
The software and server is a pain, because you have to "import" all the tracks. But, if you accept that (and use MP3), it really does work well.
I do think you need to be a bit patient. If you click on the remote, you need to accept about 1-3 seconds delay for all but mute/pause. Power up can take 4-7 seconds to show it is doing something.
out of 59 user reviews
Worst remote control design ever
Pros: great idea
Cons: terrible remote
out of 59 user reviews
Great for playing your digitized music collection
Pros: Ease of setup and use; No need for your TV
Cons: Software could be upgraded
out of 59 user reviews
What a wonderful system!
Pros: Setup & function very straight forward
Cons: Operation has a small learning curve.
I wish they had thought to include a "Scheduled Task/Playback" feature to use it as an alarm/reminder.
out of 59 user reviews
doesn't work with streaming or secure wma
Pros: easy to set up
Cons: very difficult to setup playlist of saved music
out of 59 user reviews
Great Music Player at a Reasonable Price
Pros: Wonderful remote; able to handle large music collections
Cons: Not always reliable; Not the best wireless range
I use it with a simple stereo amp from RussSound which turns on automatically when a signal is present.
Reliability can be an issue. Be sure to upgrade to the latest firmware before using. Even with that there are occassional bugs [for example, don't use the Now Playing screen for more than a few seconds or the unit will lock up.] Also, the wireless 802.11b range doesn't seem that good.
out of 59 user reviews
total piece of crap
Pros: this was the most expensive thing we have ever thrown away
Cons: we have just spent $170 & thrown it in the trash
out of 59 user reviews
Oustanding product when it works
Pros: Great sound on digital outs, LCD display on remote
Cons: Buggy, works sometimes, software weak
The LCD display on the remote is what makes this model a winner (when it works of course). The display is updated somewhat quickly via the base and makes getting around your collection a snap. The display is backlit, but not the buttons.
The base unit is small and attractive. Both RCA analog and optical digital outputs grace the back panel. The base is powered via a rather large wall wort. The 2 status indicator lights glow softly even in a dark room. When off, both lights are red, when powered up and connected to your net the lights are green. It takes about 30 - 60 seconds for the base to hook up to my "G" wireless network.
Plays a wide variety of files. I use WMA's encoded at 192 kbs. Files play perfect most of the time. Skipping around the playlist takes about 3-5 seconds per song, not fast by any means. Playlists can't be created using the remote, only on the PC.
When the digital out is connected to a quality digital preamp, the sound is very good for 192 kbs WMA's. You can actually hear a soundstage. The sound when used along with my Outlaw 990 is what I would call quick, detailed and crisp.
The limitations presented by this unit should cause concern to the prospective buyer. Make sure you can return the unit if it fails to function properly for you.
out of 59 user reviews
You get what you pay for.
Pros: Decent for the price.
Cons: Limited RF remote range, can't handle large music libraries.
For those looking to access their music in every room or shuffle through 25,000 tracks, this is NOT the system for you. Consider a more expensive system like Sonos or hook a spare laptop or your iPod directly into your system.
I have a 200 GB library and SB simply can't handle it. The more information you give SB, the slower is goes.
Bottom line, this is what you get for under $200.
Note: Users should look to Creative's forums to update firmware before using this product.
out of 59 user reviews
Lack of support, terrible RF coverage, slow control response, with more tan 2000 songs hangs.
Pros: Good idea but unfortunatelly very bad implemented
Cons: Worst support ever, my unit stopped working wihout a reason and there is no way I can fix it.
out of 59 user reviews
good 1st generation device
Pros: usability, design
Cons: implementation
out of 59 user reviews
The best one out there
Pros: The remote, great sound, good software
Cons: A bit flaky sometimes
BIG TIP for everyone. Go to the Creative Labs message board on their website, find the thread about their Wireless Music Receiver and ask the moderator in the thread to email you the latest firmware update. It works like a charm. Yeah, yeah, why go to all that trouble, this firmware should be on their website, blah blah. Do you want this product to work as well as it can or not? It's not much of an effort to make this device run flawlessly. No more dropouts, very responsive remote, etc.
out of 59 user reviews
Complete Dissapointment
Pros: Great Idea...but
Cons: Remote Control's range is pathetic!
Don't even think about purchasing this. Creative really dropped the ball and a bag of marbles with this product. I thought after reading some of the mixed reviews/results maybe it was worth trying this product out. It was worse than I expected and was a complete dissapointment. I'd give this a zero if it were possible.
out of 59 user reviews
Terrible range
Pros: Great idea
Cons: terrible rf range, slow response from remote
Buy something else, and test the RF range before decide.
out of 59 user reviews
Great price, easy set-up, great asthetics and sound with an LCD display remote!
Pros: Out of the box (with 4,000 tunes already loaded on my laptop) complete setup took less than twenty minutes before music was streaming.
Cons: Only problem I'm having is enabling WEP when I connect. Without a WEP setting on my wireless router (Netgear) everything works like a charm. Also, no male to male RCA included in box.
Ultra-sleek design (mine is between books on a shelf and is connected to my Bang & Olufsen 2300) and looks terrific; unlike some of the other units on the market, i.e. The NetGear MP101, which I was originally going to buy (it's too bulky).
Creative's software is easy as pie to use as well. I already have one of their MP3 players, so I was already familiar with the music organizer program. It has literally taken me no more than an hour to organize 4,000 tunes (already ripped) into 13 playlists.
One of the best features is the LCD remote control. You can scroll through your library, menu options, etc., all at your fingertips without having to either guess what's playing or stand in front of the display of some other more/less expensive units.
I see only two drawbacks. The first of which is that Creative does not include a male to male RCA cable, which meant I had to buy one. Not really that big of a deal, considering. The second is that I am having trouble streaming to the receiver ONLY when WEP in enabled on my NetGear wireless router (I am confident that Creative's tech support will be able to help me get this issue resolved - it probably has more to do with a Windows XP issue more than anything else). With WEP disabled the receiver connects quickly and smoothly.
I've only had this piece of equipment for a couple of days, but I am completely satisfied. It's so easy to hook up, a monkey could do it!
If you're looking for a reasonabley priced, sharp looking piece of equipment to wirelessly stream your tunes to your stereo - this is the way to go!
out of 59 user reviews
So close, but so unuseable
Pros: When functional, quite responsive, but only for 30 seconds at a time
Cons: Glitchy, RF Remote unresponsive most of the time
out of 59 user reviews
Neil Young said it - PIECE OF CRAP!
Pros: So much potential. The LCD remote is essential to this type of device.
Cons: Unbelievably unreliable. Remote freezes all the time, frequently loses connection to the receiver, sever latency in RF remote response to commands. All in all, this is garbage and Creative should be embarassed.
out of 59 user reviews
Good idea badly implemented
Pros: All features I woudl need (if complete)
Cons: Slow response unreliable connection between remote and receiver only pays one track ata time
out of 59 user reviews
Software way too glitchy
Pros: easy to set up IR remote with big display
Cons: locks up constantly -- not sure, but think this ois a software problem. Only uses Creative Labs media organizer, whicj won't connect to any other MP3 players & seems to be very glitchy.
out of 59 user reviews
Does not work with Airport Basestation
Pros: Advertised product features sound great. Large screen remote seemed ideal solution for controlling home stereo without having to see anything but the remote (all my gear is concealed and music seems to come from out of thin air).
Cons: Does not work with Airport Basestation. Several attempts to confirm this with tech support were just ignored. The Airport saw the receiver, and the PC could get info from the receiver, but the receiver never connected to its server software. No help at al
out of 59 user reviews
With updates installed works great
Pros: Excellent sound quality. No TV needed. Easy to use remote. After down loading latest firmware and software this works great. I can run two receivers at the same time with no issues at all. Sound quality is surprisingly good.
Cons: Could use LEDs to indicate signal strength. Remote kind of ugly (1970's) but works very well. After down loading latest firmware and software this works great. I can run two receivers at the same time with
out of 59 user reviews
Best Purchase I've EVER made
Pros: I've had mine for almost ten months and it's become a vital piece of our lives. Imagine every song in your library at your fingertips. The remote has excellent range and very simple to use. Yes, the remote's industrial design isn't that great - but tha
Cons: delay between songs is approximately 3-5 seconds. Requires clear tagging of all tracks/albums to keep your library organized. I'd like to be able to create playlists from the remote.
out of 59 user reviews
WHAT A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY!
Pros: Wireless music anywhere
Cons: Drop outs, system latency, software crashes, receivers not recognized, music library corrupts easily, I could go on and on... just plain bad
out of 59 user reviews
It works, took a while tho.
Pros: overall it seems to work well. plays tracks just fine. good sound quality. remote works in other rooms. seems to do what it says on the box.
Cons: Took ages to set up with my router. Word of advice go with static ip's. works perfectly after switching off DHCP.
out of 59 user reviews
Worth The Price!
Pros: Ease of installation, product support, LCD screen on remote
Cons: remote needs more range, playlist setup seems cumbersome.
out of 59 user reviews
Great way to play your 40GB of MP3s
Pros: Access to all of your MP3s to your home stereo from remote.
Cons: Can be difficult to set up for the average person. Requires wireless router to work (sold seperatly). Remote clunky and slow.
out of 59 user reviews
Very good, versatile and great value.
Pros: Good value. Simple to setup. Does the job as advertised. Pretty good even with low wireless signel strength.
Cons: The Sound 'organiser' is a bit clunky, but it seems to work well enough.
out of 59 user reviews
Hold off while they sort out firmware issues...
Pros: Fairly easy to setup and use. Does a great job once configured right.
Cons: Everything worked fine until I upgraded the firmware. Now, the unit freezes all the time. Also, when you select an album or genre to play, it will also include songs that don't belong. In some cases, it shows that it will play more songs from a genre than
out of 59 user reviews
exactly what i was looking for
Pros: only product that let's me select music from anywhere in the house.
Cons: wish it supported linux
out of 59 user reviews
Works in the end, but not as promised
Pros: Listen music on your Pc in other room.
Cons: Very hard to install, especially on multiple PC's in the network. Have to load all the info of the files you want to the SB "library" which takes a lot of time, after which the files are not sorted in the same way as in the file-tree on your PC. Why not j
out of 59 user reviews
Too unstable, no wired option
Pros: RF Remote with display is a great idea. Receiver can be mounted remotely or out of sight. Works pretty well when it works at all.
Cons: Unstable - locks up too often. Should have wired network option. IMO this omission is downright stupid. Requires MediaSource, a simple driver that lets you use your preferred player for organizing would be better. Short RF range on remote. Cannot build/ed
out of 59 user reviews
Hardware=fine. Software=junk
Pros: Great concept! I've had no trouble with wireless reception, stuttering sound or anything. Once I had the software installed (on my bedroom computer that run's XP, and not my 2003 server - se cons) and was done with the gargantuan task of tagging all my mp
Cons: The problem with this is the software. Creative have always been totally unable to deliver slick and working software with their products. Instead you get 'chrome-panel' frameless windows bloatware with miserable functionality and lots of bugs. - The serv
out of 59 user reviews
Great Product but needs some work
Pros: I've been using the product for 5 months. Works well once all software and firmaware updates are installed. Can be controlled from both the PC via the Media Console along with the remote control. I have both WEP 128 and Winodws firewall (XP SP2) active w
Cons: 1- Does not support drag and drop between Media Organizer software and Console software to select music to play. 2- Media Oraganizer software does not exclude the word "The" as prefix to artist so "The Animals" sort under T in artists (Windows Media playe
out of 59 user reviews
Underpowered CPU
Pros: Sort of works
Cons: Can't handle 320kbps mp3 even with WEP off - WEP (128 bit) really bogs down the system to unusable...
out of 59 user reviews
Mixed feelings no longer...
Pros: This posting is an amendment to my previous review dated June 27th 2004. I feel obligated to share my satisfaction of this product to everyone who read my first review. After corresponding with Creative’s technical support team, it was determined that m
Cons: My only other minor gripe is the following… as I select music to listen to through the remote, a playlist is not created. The only way to create a playlist is to use the music library software located on the computer.
out of 59 user reviews
Four words: turn off baby monitor
Pros: Remote control with LCD is phenomenal. Great to be able to scroll through your tunes without a tv or a container in your living room. The fact that it's an RF remote helps, too. My stereo sits in a different room than my speakers, so I wanted to be abl
Cons: Some important notes: - this doesn't like windows xp's firewall, you'll have to shut it off - If you have a baby monitor in the house, they usually work at 900MHz (same as the RF remote), this WILL interfere with the remote (the receiver to router signal
out of 59 user reviews
Mixed feelings…
Pros: I long awaited a product like this. I am only interested in linking music to my living room, and I do not want to have to turn on my television. Great idea with having the LCD screen on the remote, I would not want to squint across the room to read an L
Cons: The remote is a major issue. The problem is not at all with the fact that it takes a couple of seconds when changing between songs. That is completely understandable. The major problem is that once the remote is left unattended for about 20 to 30 seco
out of 59 user reviews
Good idea, but unstable
Pros: Remote controls it all and has decent menu system. I want to love this, but it just isn't stable enough with large collections (I have 500+ mp3s). I've downloaded the latest software and firmware and it's still unreliable.
Cons: Unstable - locks up frequently, and it's impossible to tell if the problem is with the server or client. Server Software is 3 different applications.
out of 59 user reviews
DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT!!!
Pros: It can't have any pros cause it DOESN'T WORK!!
Cons: Problems are too numerous to list - this isn't rocket science (I mean how hard is it to stream a file across a wireless connection to a device that's 15 ft away and make it work???) I tried to work with their support staff, but I quickly realized I knew m
out of 59 user reviews
Definately one of the best
Pros: has great features and everything works like dream.
Cons: dosen't have real rhapsody bummer for online radio fans
out of 59 user reviews
Can't buy receivers separately!
Pros: Found network first time. LCD on remote is currently only one of its kind.
Cons: Cannot buy the receivers separately! One remote (supposedly) can support up to four receivers, but they don't sell the recivers separately! Why be forced to buy four remotes when one will do. Lack of support for other higher quality music file formats
out of 59 user reviews
Good sound, inadequate remote
Pros: Works well with a wireless router. Dead quiet operation. Sounds as good as CDs with analog or digital connects. Select and play music from another room (but not too far away). Controls volume and mute (RCA out) from another room.
Cons: Always a long pause between tracks, which does not work well with some albums. After a period of inactivity it's hard to get the receiver to recognize the remote, sometimes requiring the receiver to be reset. Short range. Don't think you'll be able to con
out of 59 user reviews
Latest firmware revision works very well
Pros: Further to all the initial mixed reviews, I have to say that the current version of the product with the latest firmware works very well. There's no discernable time-lag when scrolling through menus, and the LCD-based display is great.
Cons: Remote control looks like an early 80's TI calculator. You have to press the on/off button twice to wake it up, as the first press brings it out of 'sleep' mode.
out of 59 user reviews
More comments...
Pros: See previous post
Cons: Keep in mind this is a wireless device. It will not be as fast as a wired device. It will take several seconds before you request a song and it starts playing (a minor flaw more geared towards the limitations of 80211.b). Unit has not locked up on me yet
out of 59 user reviews
With a little work its well worth it
Pros: Set up is a breeze, takes only minutes (after the software is installed). If you buy, upgrade the firmware immediately -- it fixes some of the problems reported here from other users. Unlike some other comments i've seen, the remote is actually easy to u
Cons: FF and Rewind buttons only work if a playlist is playing. Sometimes theres a slight pause after a song starts playing (song starts then after about a second it stops for about a second then plays normally). Will have a much better experience if your ID3
out of 59 user reviews
Works great with new firmaware
Pros: Prior to DL the new firmware, the remote/base combo was slow and frustrating to use. After updating the firmware, the combo works great. The remote responds much faster and the music starts playing faster. Sound on both analog and digital outs is respecta
Cons: After the firmware upgrade, unit has very few flaws. Lighted buttons on remote would have been nice.
out of 59 user reviews
cool product, lame design
Pros: works great, sounds great, it's an amazing product that's been long overdue. The software is easy to deal wit, rips fast, and does a nice job of organizing all your files.
Cons: Whoever designed the remote is either at complete loss for aesthetics, or someone who hasn't found work since the 70's. I can't believe that for such a high tech and slick device, the remote is cheap molded plastic and looks more like it should be part of
out of 59 user reviews
Very Cool Device
Pros: Works as advertised. Remote works well. I haven't tried other DARs, but the remote sold me on this one. Despite some mixed reviews, I got it and am amazed at how well it works. The commands aren't necessarily instantaneous, but pretty close. Sound qu
Cons:
out of 59 user reviews
Great Idea Needs Some Work
Pros: RF Remote and display window are great. I was created a 10,000 song playlist and was easily able to randomly play and skip to the next songs. I had no problems with wireless set up and have had very few disruptions. If you are willing to deal with the
Cons: The software is very cumbersome and you need 3 components. You need to load your music library into their organizer and then work through the wireless server. Way too clunky. I noticed my tags did not come across clean so that creates a major pain. I
out of 59 user reviews
Despite a Few Problems Works Good
Pros: I just recently bought this product and its just what I expected after reading all the reviews. The device does run on 802.11b and I had no problems with detection. Aside from that, I would've rather not have put all the creative software on my system to
Cons: Now with the quirks I don't like. I'll admit the remote is a bit sluggish when changing songs (pressing play), but again it depends on your library of songs and such. If you're looking to load 1000+ songs in a playlist, this device is not for you. The rem
out of 59 user reviews
great features...serious shortcomings
Pros: awesome idea...especially the RF instead of IR remote. This allows you to take the remote into different areas of the house/apartment...and not be in line of sight. The remote with an LCD is another awesome idea...so you can pick songs from another area
Cons: I was soooo excited about this product...and I regret to list the cons...but maybe Creative can come out with a new model that addresses these concerns. 802.1B only..slows down the rest of the w-lan...and unable to keep up with 256-320kbps mp3's...play
out of 59 user reviews
Would be great if it worked...
Pros: Great feature list.
Cons: Unit always locks up, more quickly with larger play lists. Locks up even faster if you tell it to random play a large play list. Remote control is large and slow to respond. Simple idea, I hope a future firmware version solves the problem it is presentl
out of 59 user reviews
Excruciating
Pros: Sturdy construction, small and unobtrusive, good idea
Cons: It takes WAY to long to get to a song with network delays and the clumsy interface. From power up to listening to a ZZ Top song takes about 30 clicks, maybe 1-2 seconds per click. I could go find the CD downstairs, come back and be listening to it befor
out of 59 user reviews
Great Product idea with some glitches, hands down.
Pros: good features.
Cons: glitches, reciever not detected sometimes
out of 59 user reviews
Great device but no RJ45!!
Pros: I havent bought it yet but the remote would have to be the best feature - RF not IR, dispalys all the tracks in your hand, no TV reqd. Great. Also comes with an optical output whihc does make a difference in the sound quality.
Cons: I can't beleive it doesnt come with an RJ45 socket ! If you have an 802.11b device on all the time connecting to an 802.11g network, ALL devices on that network will slow down to 802.11b speeds!! If it had a LAN socket and the ability to turn off and on
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