Get a FREE fully-working copy of Steganos Security Suite 7 (worth £49.99) when you sign up to the Practical PC Newsletter. Review: Creative SoundBlaster Wireless Music
Iain Laskey finds a solution to his MP3 woes
| Product | SoundBlaster Wireless Music |
|---|---|
| Company | Creative Labs |
| Web | uk.creative.europe.com |
| Price | £129.99 |
| We like | Remote, sound quality, ease of use |
| We don't like | Software could be better |
| Rating | 8/10 |
| Requirements |
I have a problem. My rather extensive MP3 collection is housed on my fileserver which lives in my loft office. When I'm working it's no problem using my PC to create a playlist so I can enjoy music while I work. Some people might say it couldn't possibly be enjoyment given the stuff I listen to but that's another matter. However, it would also be nice to be able to play the same MP3s via the HiFi downstairs rather than rummaging around for the original CDs. Creative Labs have come up with an ideal solution in the form of the Sound Blaster Wireless Music.
The Wireless Music consists of two main parts, the device itself plus a rather chunky yet oddly appealing (in a retro sort of way) remote. The rest of the package consists of the power pack, software bundle and a USB cable. The Wireless Music can be used horizontally or vertically via the supplied stand. It's also quite small so you could easily tuck it out the way if desired.
Setting Up
Initial set up is performed by connecting the unit to a PC using the USB cable. If you have a simple wireless LAN then there won't be much to do but if you use WEP then some configuration will be needed. The device only runs at 802.11b speeds although it will operate on an 802.11g network quite happily. The set up process is wizard driven so you can't go too far wrong. Set up also puts some server software on the PC that will be storing the MP3s.
Usefully, the system allows you to have multiple Sound Blaster Wireless Music units (up to a maximum of 4) in different rooms although you do need to give each one a different name during set up to help the system differentiate between them. I only had the one review unit so was unable to test the functionality of this arrangement. I did wonder though how well high bitrate MP3s would be handled when more than one unit were being streamed to, especially given that this is only an 802.11b system.
The Wireless Music can be connected to either a HiFi or externally powered set of speakers. Most people will probably use the stereo RCA connectors but a better option would be to use the S/PDIF digital optical output. This should improve the sound quality although you'll need to supply your own cable as one isn't included.
Remote Control
The Remote is the heart of things and it is from here that you perform the day to day operation of the unit. It sports a 132x64 pixel 2.5 inch screen which is used to control the system and also to see what tracks are set up or playing. A big plus point is that the remote uses RF rather than infrared so you don't have to have line of site to the main unit in order to control it. You can happily operate it from another room or even another floor should you desire. The range equates roughly to that of a cordless phone.
To get the most out of the Sound Blaster Wireless Music you'll need to ensure all your MP3s have the correct ID3 tags. Without these you'll lose much of the flexibility such as playing by genre, album, date etc, The bundled software is powerful and has a lot to offer but unless you do things the way it wants, you may find it a frustrating experience.
Sound Quality
I tried both the RCA and S/PDIF options. Both produced fine results, certainly as good as any other MP3 device I've listened to. The S/PDIF added a bit more solidity to the sound and on higher bitrate MP3s particularly, produced a worthwhile improvement. If you have the option, go for the digital output.
Unlike some of its peers, the Sound Blaster Wireless Music only plays unsecured WMA's and MP3s with bitrates between 32kbps and 320kbps being supported. Video, JPEGs and other audio formats are out.
Operation
The remote proved quite usable in practice with the big display showing what is going on in clear white on blue with nice, easy to understand icons and text. There was a small delay between selecting options and things actually happening but it wasn't too bad. The delay did seem to get worse at longer ranges though which was a little disorientating.
Playlists can be created manually or by generating them automatically according to date, genre, rating and so on. A nice touch is that favourite ones can be triggered by a single key via the remote.
Conclusion
The Creative Sound Blaster Wireless Music is a well thought out unit. Assuming you have an existing Wireless LAN it provides a neat and functional way to pipe your music in to different rooms. The design of the remote is inspired and means you can use it without having to rely on it being connected to a TV to operate the functions. My only real quibble would be the MediaSource software which works fine but isn't as flexible as some of its peers. Once everything is set up it's not that much of an issue though.
