[cyberspyder]

Very nice!

 

[fenixdown110]

Quote:

Originally Posted by owenhan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah I think I'll do that. Do you think you could give me a quick run down of how to set up foobar's output optimally? I've heard people use stuff like ASIO or whatever and I have no idea what any of it means. My foobar atm is just a fresh install with the modifications posted in this thread. I've got my XtremeMusic in audio creation mode with bit perfect output on. Thanks.

Bit-exact output isn't just limited to ASIO. You can choose between ASIO, Kernel, and Waspai(if you have Windows Vista or 7). I would explain the benefits of bit-exact, but this link will do it for me.

Bitperfect - cmediadrivers - "Bitperfect" / "bit-exact" explained - Project Hosting on Google Code
These all mute system sounds while foobar is in playback. Therefore no sounds will startle or deafen you due to programs or warnings.

 

[owenhan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenixdown110 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Bit-exact output isn't just limited to ASIO. You can choose between ASIO, Kernel, and Waspai(if you have Windows Vista or 7). I would explain the benefits of bit-exact, but this link will do it for me. Bitperfect - cmediadrivers - "Bitperfect" / "bit-exact" explained - Project Hosting on Google Code These all mute system sounds while foobar is in playback. Therefore no sounds will startle or deafen you due to programs or warnings.

Oh ok thanks. So is this different to the bit exact setting in the Creative Audio Control Panel?

 

[fenixdown110]

It might be the same, but it's best not to stack settings. I would just disable the Creative and enable the foobar bit-exact.

 

[khaos974]

I'm actually disappointed by this setup. It has the classic faults of a stereo to surround systems.

On the positive sides, you gain a better sound stage, not wider but fuller and more spread out between your ears. you also get some sense of front/back repartition. All in all, it's still in you head but you get a wider head.

But I don't get the impression that the system becomes more resolving, if anything it becomes less detailed to me. I can identify an instrument better due to spatialisation but it sounds fuzzier, as if the air became thicker between the instrument and me.

The trebles become a bit louder but the attacks/decays sound artificial.

As I said, it may be fantastic for some, but it's not to me.

EDIT: why do you use the DTS decoder? When listen to a DTS file, it's useful to decode the DTS, but for basic stereo, it's basically a pass through and the channel mixer handles the conversion to 5.0.

 

[Uri Cohen]

Got it to work, not impressed with it.

Going back to regular 2ch sound.

 

[fenixdown110]

Different strokes for different folks.

 

[adrift]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenixdown110 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Different strokes for different folks.

I guess. Not sure what the naysayers were expecting. I wonder if some folks simply prefer a straight stereo sound over surround sound.

 

[razmajazz]

Great thread and hat's off to Graphicism for starting it. I felt compelled to register to add a few comments and personal experiences. I've been using the Dolby Headphone wrapper with my Foobar2000 set-up since Chungalin released it in 2005. As many have mentioned here, it revolutionized my listening experience and I could never go back.

The complete thread on Dolby Headphone wrapper is worth reading over at Hydrogen Audio (Dolby Headphone Wrapper DSP). Most interesting is this post (2ch to 6ch) discussing various algorithms for simulating 6ch from 2ch. An alternative to Channel Mixer is also posted in that thread (foo_dsp_upmix) which converts those algorithms into 3 alternatives: full front, full rear and double center. I currently use full front but there are subtle differences between them and channel mixer.

My tips/experiences/preferences:

1. It's critical to use replaygain to prevent clipping with all the signal processing going on.
2. If you're going to equalize, better to keep all equalizer adjustments below 0db.
3. Using ASIO, KS or WASAPI to output prevents Windows mixer from messing with the surround soundfield created.
4. I like the DH2 Live room setting in DH wrapper for jazz which is what I listen to most often.
5. Be sure not to check the dynamic compressor checkbox in the DH wrapper.

If you want this sound on your portable you can have it by using Foobar to create "headphone only portable" audio files using the built in Convert function with DSP processing. Definitely keep these files separate from your normal music library as they don't sound good without headphones. Preferably start with lossless files and select the tracks to be converted. Right click, select convert, click the ... to open up the Converter Setup window. Select the desired output format then click on the Processing tab. Select the ReplayGain processing checkbox (assuming you have already scanned and applied replaygain to those tracks). Click the DSP checkbox and setup the same DSP chain you use for headphone listening with Foobar2000 (or load the preset you saved in the DSP manager). Click OK to start the conversion. Be careful not to put the computer under load during the conversion as the DH wrapper seems to be sensitive to latency. Any disruption in delivering bits results in dropouts in the encoded file. After conversion, transfer to your portable, turn off any signal processing on the portable (BBE, SRS, etc.) and enjoy.

Another DSP toy to play with, not related to Dolby Heapdhone but I use them together, is Noise sharpening (foo_dsp_delta). Thread is here: I heart foo_dsp_delta! and download is here: foo_dsp_delta. I like the ER4P type highs it delivers -- really nice for vocals and accoustic music but YMMV. Be careful setting it too high though -- I use 35%.

 

[Headdie]

Quick comments :

1. There was a thread on head-fi a year ago titled something like : "The holy grail of surround sound with headphones"... The OP did suggest to use a VST wrapper with foobar, so you can use a VST 2ch to 6ch DSP... I didn't try it, but it's an interesting option, since it open up the options to the large VST world.

2. I've recently tried a DSP to play DVD-Audio disk/files in Foobar. I don't remember the name of this DSP (I'm at the office), but you should find it easily. Listening to DVD-A with the Dolby Headphone DSP should be great.

3. I've read on the DTS website that they provide something like "DTS Headphones". Has somebody tried it? Could you tell us more about it please.

 

[adrift]

Quote:

Originally Posted by razmajazz /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you want this sound on your portable you can have it by using Foobar to create "headphone only portable" audio files using the built in Convert function with DSP processing. Definitely keep these files separate from your normal music library as they don't sound good without headphones. Preferably start with lossless files and select the tracks to be converted. Right click, select convert, click the ... to open up the Converter Setup window. Select the desired output format then click on the Processing tab. Select the ReplayGain processing checkbox (assuming you have already scanned and applied replaygain to those tracks). Click the DSP checkbox and setup the same DSP chain you use for headphone listening with Foobar2000 (or load the preset you saved in the DSP manager). Click OK to start the conversion. Be careful not to put the computer under load during the conversion as the DH wrapper seems to be sensitive to latency. Any disruption in delivering bits results in dropouts in the encoded file. After conversion, transfer to your portable, turn off any signal processing on the portable (BBE, SRS, etc.) and enjoy. .

Oh very cool. Thanks for this!

 

[adrift]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Headdie /img/forum/go_quote.gif Quick comments : 1. There was a thread on head-fi a year ago titled something like : "The holy grail of surround sound with headphones"... The OP did suggest to use a VST wrapper with foobar, so you can use a VST 2ch to 6ch DSP... I didn't try it, but it's an interesting option, since it open up the options to the large VST world.

I was using that setup for a bit before using Graphicism's layout. To be completely honest, I couldn't tell much difference with VST added to Dolby Headphone, and if I remember correctly the starter of that thread mentioned that he had stopped using the VST add-on as well. Graphicism's layout is worlds better if you ask me. Truly the holy grail of surround sound with headphones so far. Actually, someone should link back to this thread from there so folks who are looking for something like this know where to look.

 

[fenixdown110]

Quote:

Originally Posted by adrift /img/forum/go_quote.gif I guess. Not sure what the naysayers were expecting. I wonder if some folks simply prefer a straight stereo sound over surround sound.

I can understand why it wouldn't be liked. The Dolby surround presents the music in a way that it wasn't recorded in or in a way that the artist didn't mean for it to be presented. They just want to listen to it natively as it was intended.

 

[adrift]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenixdown110 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can understand why it wouldn't be liked. The Dolby surround presents the music in a way that it wasn't recorded in or in a way that the artist didn't mean for it to be presented. They just want to listen to it natively as it was intended.

Hmm, Maybe so. Still, if that's truly the desire I'm not sure what someone would expect from a synthetic 5.1 setup. Sort of defeats the intention right from the start. Anyways, seems to me that there's quite a bit of music that takes advantage of this setup and sounds far better (to these ears at any rate) than a straight stereo headphone presentation.

 

[AtomikPi]

I just tried this, and it's certainly interesting and I'll try it for the next few weeks, at least. Soundstage is certainly improved, especially in depth, but I'm not sure if there's a loss of clarity. At least their is no artificial echoing as I've dealt with with other 3D DSP's. I do hear a noticeable volume bump, with default settings.