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 Electronics : Creative Labs Xmod Wireless Music System with X-Fi Technology 70SB083000004 |
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Rating:  - Great product
Worked right out of the box. No issue with interfering with wireless network or 2.4G phone system - have the transmitter sitting next to my router and 5 ft from the phone base. Built in sound enhancements sound great. Have it feeding into my Home Theater system in the next room.
Paid $50 wi free shipping - caught a one day sale on the manufacturers web site. Within span of three days price on their site went from $100, to $50, to $200. If you want this product - worth auditing Creative's web site a while.
Rating: - Surprisingly simple and effective
I implemented the transmitter on a Windows XP laptop via a powered USB port. The receiver is plugged into the CD audio-in of my stereo amplifier.
I was a bit concerned to find that there was no CD or installation provided with the transmitter. However, when plugged in to the USB, Windows immediately recognized it and installed the appropriate Creative drivers. No further installation required, and Windows seamlessly switches between local sound (if the Xmod is not plugged in) and remote sound (transmitted to the receiver, and playing over my stereo speakers).
This was simpler than I expected, works better than I hoped, and cost less than any other competitor I could find. If you want a mechanism for playing iTunes on your home stereo or speakers remote to the computer on which it's running, this is the solution.
Rating:  - Good Product in Right Situation
To Start with: I am using this product to transmit my ripped (320kps) CDs to my stereo without having to manually find go through the cds and load them in (and clean up the piles everywhere after). The computer is 30-40 feet and 1 wall from the stereo. The sound is perefect. I am not enough of an audiophile to know if really is enhancing the sound, but i think the computer speakers sound better with the product (i never played mp3 on the stereo before so cannot compare, but have no complaints with the sound quality).
The setup was simple- just plug and play, with no effort
I cannot figure out how to turn the device on and off without the remote.
As noted the remote is IR, so it must be pointed at the device, but the remote pointed at the stereo receiver will change the song on the computer in the other room (i had expected to have to go to the computer to do that, so that was a definite plus). I cannot control it however from my decks or bedroom that have wired speaker from the stereo.
The sound knobs on the devices and the remote work, so the device can be set to put in a balanced input to the amplifier so that the stereo volume does not have to be adjusted everytime a source is switched (unlike my dvd player which has to be run at 1 1/2 times the volume of anything else).
I have only one receiver and have not tried any other features.
They provided plenty of cables including a gold plated audio to stereo split jack and a usb to ac converter (in case you are not using it with a computer and instead to send stereo to wireless speakers). The only imaginable cable they did not provide was the simple red-white to red-white stereo cable that anyone who has had more than one audio device in the past and not thrown away the cables has a pile of anyway.
I have wireless internet on 2.4 and this device transmits on 2.4, so anytime the unit is used, i cannot access internet on the second computer. I am trying to find a work around for that but for now i cannot recommend this device for anyone dependant on wireless internet. For me it not a huge issue, as there are not that may times when i would be running the stereo and also using the internet downstairs (which is connected directly into its own stereo), but for a lot of people this would be a serious issue. The internet that is directly wired works fine with it running (it is running as i write this), and the internet does not seem to interfere with it (ie i do not have to turn off the wireless internet transmitter at any time). I have DECT 6.0 phones that are not interfered with, so cannot comment on other phones.
The creative site is a bit difficult and near impossible to find answers on, probably like most sites, but to even register you have to try multiple different approaches as in some approaches it requires you to provide information that it won't give you any way to provide. I would also think my problem above would be one of those in the 6 pages of obscure technical FAQs they have.
All in all, the product did what i expected (and also gave me the bonus of changing the songs without having to go to the computer) and i am happy with the purchase. I have to admit i fully expected it to interfere with the internet, but did not want to use an fm signal or try to mess with the technical difficulties of incorporating it in the internet signal. I also had every expectation of having to walk to the computer to play the music- but it was a tradeoff versus the expense of a whole new computer to be added to the stereo.
Rating: - Clear signal. good product
Product does what it claims to do. The signal is good, sound is great and you can control what effects (only 2) you want if any. Remote controll is cool too (other than having ANOTHER remote in the never ending line of remotes). The only things i do not like is
1) The signal is delayed a little (i.e over the air). Thus, you can't listen to your speaks on the PC at the same time as the speakers on your stereo because there is no delay in the sound coming from the PC to your PC speaks, but there is from the PC to these units.
2) when you have the unit turned off, it blinks a red light to let you know its off. I do not know why in the would people make products like that. When I turn it off, I want it off! Just wastes electricity.
Rating: - So Far, It's Great!
I'd been wanting a way to get music from my office computer (downstairs in a lower-level room) to the living room stereo upstairs. This system sounded like just the thing. The box came with all the hardware, but there were no detailed instructions. However, I found them online and following them was simple. In pretty short order I had music broadcasting from my PC to the living room, which I could control from the LR with a remote. I haven't had many occasions to use it yet, so can't address the subject of reliability, or life of service. I also haven't accessed all the functions of which the system is capable, but so far it's great and I can recommend it heartily.
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