Creative wirelessly streams your digital audio with Sound Blaster Wireless for iTunes
Creative released the Sound Blaster Wireless for iTunes ($150) this week , which allows music to be wirelessly streamed from a computer to the wireless adapter, using only USB dongle. According to a press release from Creative, the system works with virtually any music source, not just iTunes, on both Macs and PCs.
Creative's Sound Blaster Wireless for iTunes promises to stream music from any computer to any speakers.
(Credit: Creative)The Sound Blaster Wireless looks similar to Logitech's discontinued Wireless Music System for PC in that it enables you to stream audio from your PC using a simple USB transmitter. The transmitter, which appears to be about the size of a thumb drive, promises to work with any music software and service, including iTunes, Windows Media Player, Rhapsody, Pandora, and Last.fm. You can then stream music to the included receiver, which comes bundled with the device, and has both a headphone and left/right speaker outputs. The transmitter is also compatible with the Creative's own GigaWorks T20W speakers with built-in wireless receivers.
Instead of Wi-Fi, the Sound Blaster Wireless utilizes Creative's proprietary 2.4 GHz technology. We've had some trouble before with non-Wi-Fi wireless systems, but Creative insists that the Sound Blaster Wireless will work up to 100 ft away. The system also comes equipped with Creative's X-Fi sound enhancement technology and software that "enables individual control of music in up to four specific rooms equipped with Creative Wireless Receivers," according to the press release.
This Creative Sound Blaster Wireless is similar to the Bose SoundLink system we wrote about earlier this week, promising to stream any audio source using the "USB audio output" as a workaround. We're not exactly sure how the remote will handle different software and streaming Web services, so we'll need a hands-on test to see how it works.
Fail.
- by kliegla July 25, 2009 8:25 PM PDT
- umm... if im not mistaken this does the EXACT same thing as an airport express, except the express can be used as a basic wireless router as well. and using that connection (if u dont already have a wireless router) u can stream music to a stereo connected to the express over wifi. Sinse it is supported by apples bonjour there is no need for another dongle to put on ur computer.
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(4 Comments)Also how on earth can anyone make a device with better iTunes syncing than apple? And, o yeah, did i mention it is between $50 and $75 [depending on where u buy] less than Creatives... thing!
lets see, less features, a worse iTunes syncing ability, more money... hmm, im stuck. O whatever will i do? :-/