Creative Soundblaster Live 5.1 Review

Overall Rating

Don`t mix Creative Soundblaster live 5.1 Digital Entertainment (DE) with Creative live 5.1 Value. They are totally different.

Don`t mix Creative Soundblaster live 5.1 Digital Entertainment with Creative live 5.1 Value. They are totally different.

Don`t confuse the Creative Soundblaster live 5.1 Digital Entertainment (DE) with the Creative live 5.1 Value. They are totally different soundcards. Only better thing than 5.1 DE is Audigy and platinum series in all over the world and it's the first 5.1 card that doesn`t need Dolby Digital Decoder. It has its own decoder software. But Value is a cheap version of this card that does not have anything to do with real quality in Creative world.

Members' Comments onskeletor.'s Review

• Mike. on 26th Dec 2002

  Thanks, I was wondering if it was worth the money saved to just buy a soundblaster live 5.1 value but this basically told me what I needed to know.

• Ryan. on 1st Feb 2003

  I fought with my Live 5.1 Digital for a couple of days! Very frustrating! No faq's fit the problem I encountered with the card not mention the card could not be found on the US web site. The card I purchased was a oem version and I got it for very cheap! I finally found that the included soft ware which includes it's own player was muted permanently for some odd reason! I tried every conceivable thing to unmute it but it remained muted, with it's little red X over it. I finally removed all the software and boom! Music sound everything! Oh yeah the engraving on the back is wrong also! it shows the green mini jack as a in put with its little arrow pointing in. Traditionally green means speaker! And it still does on this card also. Don't pay much attention to the arrows! The card seems to be a European only version? Although this one has two extra connections on it that don't show up on any of the 5.1 Live Digital cards shown on the European web site there's a wide white port for a connector aft of all of the other ports on the side of the card for internal connections. There is also another connection on forward edge but it is not marked as a SPIDF or the digital I/O device connection? I gather the first one is some kind of power out support for some device as it looks very similar to the power connections on old AT mother board. Maybe a manufacturer specified connection for some computer manufacturer? Who kow's I can't even find update drivers for this STRANGE ANIMAL! Thats what I get for saving a few dollars!

• jerryjeys876 on 27th Jun 2005

  Sorry, but I do not agree. The Live Value is a VERY good card for those who don't need 5.1, but want to play some good games.
  The S/N ratio is exactly the same as the Digital 5.1 and installation and operation of the card is a bit easier than the 5.1 Digital. So this has nothing to do with 'lower quality'. The 5.1 Digital is a bit more complicated, but offers more connectivity and true 5.1 channel audio. For games I personally prefer the Value version and for 5.1 surround I prefer the Audigy 2 (or later versions), because the Audigy 2 has 24bit D/A converters which is a MUST for modern high quality DVDs.