[darinf]

Hey there, so I was sent a trial for this, and I gotta say, I'm quite impressed with some of the presets. I'm a huge virtual surround gamer (Having used Dolby headphone devices, Creative Tru Studio, Creative SBX, Beyerdynamic Headzone, Razer Surround etc).

The OOYH software has some truly comparable presets (though I feel the default preset isn't convincing enough, so you'd have to find a better one).

Some presets are pretty lackluster, and don't seem to do 7.1 emulation well at all, and some others do them just as good as any I've heard.

There are kinks in the software (for some reason I can't easily adjust volume on the output device unless I specifically go into the sound devices and adjust the slider window, which is a huge hassle). Raising or lowering the OOYH volume utself doesn't do anything, outside of mute.

I do wish the preset trials where at least 4 hours or something. I understand it's a trial, but having to pay for a preset you can only test for 2 minutes is absurd to me. Yes, I know I can just re-toggle, but Christ, it's hard to test games if I have to alt-tab every minute or so just refresh the trial.

Also, been told this doesn't work with the Creative X7 for some reason, which is a shame. I would've liked to A-B compare the presets with SBX.

Wow, I am honored that you, @Mad Lust Envy, took the time to test and post about Out Of Your Head. I really appreciate it.
 
Just to address some of your issues...
The reason why the Windows volume control doesn't work with Out Of Your Head is that Out Of Your Head bypasses the Windows mixer and uses WASAPI to output to your DAC. Also, when Out Of Your Head is running, it's set at the default Windows playback device, so the Windows volume control is trying to control the Out Of Your Head virtual sound card rather than your DAC.
 
For DAC/amps that do not have a physical volume control, usually you can open the Windows Volume Mixer and control the volume of your DAC/amp separately. When you click on the "Device" drop down menu, you should be able to select your DAC/amp and control the volume from there.
I know it's not as easy as pressing volume up and down buttons on the keyboard, but it's a bi-product of the way we are doing the audio processing via a virtual sound card.
 
I realize that for gaming, a 2 minute timer is not practical. The two minute timer was designed to prevent you from listening to a whole song without interruption. It was implemented before we supported gaming. Now, with the low cost gaming version ($25), you do get a 7 day trial of the gamer preset. I realize that doesn't help if you want to evaluate all the other presets for gaming. I never thought gamers would care about all the different presets.
 
With regard to the Creative X7, I have had users get other Creative products working, especially USB devices. We don't have one available for testing, but if you want to try to troubleshoot it, please -email us directly and we can see why it's not working. We are working on an update that we hope will be more compatible with some problematic devices like the Asus Essence devices.
 
Thanks again for trying out Out Of Your Head!
 
-Darin

 

[fluidz]

I'm going to give ooyh another shot, this time try different presets. I didn't try any preset other than the default gaming one as that was considered the most suitable - I was gaming at the time, so my first impression was based on that alone.

Which presets have others found works best for gaming to top cmss3d?

 

[Brooko]

MLE - did you try the low latency gaming preset (talk to Darin about it if you haven't).  I used to use an SB Titanium card.  Now all I use is OOYH and 2 channel output from the iDSD.  Magic right there

 

[dmbr]

I'm going to give ooyh another shot, this time try different presets. I didn't try any preset other than the default gaming one as that was considered the most suitable - I was gaming at the time, so my first impression was based on that alone.

Which presets have others found works best for gaming to top cmss3d?

The gaming preset is indeed the best option OOYH has for that--all others add "room sound/effects" and speaker positioning isn't ideal for placing sounds. The big thing though is latency--with the other presets the delay before sounds play is unbearably noticeable.

That said, the second best option in terms of spaciousness, positioning, and distinctive rear vs front would be the Revel preset, in my opinion. It particularly shines with multichannel input (including stereo upmixed to 5.1/7.1))--I prefer the Magical speakers preset for when I (rarely) play in stereo or want a more "stereo sound" as it's similar sounding but stronger from the front and center, not as spread out and biased to the sides and rear. Best for vocals and live recordings.

tl;dr
-Gaming preset best option for AV purposes/gaming to latency alone
-Revel preset excels the most in terms of spacialization and placement
-Aside: Magical speakers preset best for what Revel and Gaming don't suit

 

[dmbr]

We are working on an update that we hope will be more compatible with some problematic devices like the Asus Essence devices.

Awesome! Let me know if you could use a beta tester for resolving Asus Essence (One) issues.

Uninstalling Razer Surround did not resolve the problems with distortion or "bad output device" errors; rather it eliminates the workaround of selecting the Razer Surround device for output, so I actually need RS installed to use OOYH whether I use RS or not.

I even tried cleaning all things "Razer" from my registry with Regedit to no avail

It may be of use to say that the Creative X-fi MB3 software experiences the exact same problems, but I can find no workaround there because MB3 doesn't recognize RS as a compatible device.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The gaming preset is indeed the best option OOYH has for that--all others add "room sound/effects" and speaker positioning isn't ideal for placing sounds. The big thing though is latency--with the other presets the delay before sounds play is unbearably noticeable.

That said, the second best option in terms of spaciousness, positioning, and distinctive rear vs front would be the Revel preset, in my opinion. It particularly shines with multichannel input (including stereo upmixed to 5.1/7.1))--I prefer the Magical speakers preset for when I (rarely) play in stereo or want a more "stereo sound" as it's similar sounding but stronger from the front and center, not as spread out and biased to the sides and rear. Best for vocals and live recordings.

tl;dr
-Gaming preset best option for AV purposes/gaming to latency alone
-Revel preset excels the most in terms of spacialization and placement
-Aside: Magical speakers preset best for what Revel and Gaming don't suit

I disagree on speaker placement not being ideal for placing sounds. It's what's been used for Dolby headphone, THX tru Studio, Creative SBX to name a few, and it's MUCH easier to pinpoint audio directions than any other alternative, IMHO (asides from pure 360 degree, circular soundfield which aren't widely available, and I know little about).

When you acclimatize your ears to hearing the difference between how things sound in front and behind you, it may as well be a cheat code for the ears.

I didn't get that easy feeling with the gaming preset, compared to some of the other presets with a speaker like reverb. I do agree some have a bit too much, but some have a good balance.

It's essentially why Dolby headphone 2 is widely favored over the less processed Dolby Headphone 1. Both have convincing surround positional cues, but DH-2 makes rear sounds more distinguishable compared to DH-1, which may take a split second longer for the ears to discern that it's a front/rear cue not the other.

Another example is DH vs SBX. People do tend to gravitate towards SBX, as it sounds less processed, but at the same time, those who try both say DH surround cues are more accurate in placement. You give up final PQ, but gain in positional advantage. Really, depends on you priorities. I prefer it lean a little towards surround portrayal over sheer SQ.I was dominant in FPS gaming for so long simply because of how much a goos surround dsp helped me pinpoint targets.

I gather some of the presets present a better balance than too little or too much, but having some reverb/processing is easier to pick up audio cue placement, IMHO. If you're going for pure fidelity, than some can argue about the processing, but then, this isn't for audio purists. This is surround emulation.

I'll retract my statement on the gaming preset if perhaps it was the wrong game to test. I'll test the better presets at length later on, and hope to come up with some written impressions on them for my guide. I just wish I had an analog amp atm. The X7 being purely digital in terms of volume control is problematic in many ways outside of this testing.

 

[paulchiu]

Just stopping by and sharing my recent experimentation with Darin's OOYH system.
 
It takes some patience to setup the software correctly with software players like Audirvana Plus, JRiver Media Center 21 and VLC on a Macbook Pro.  Darin Fong was extremely helpful with support on getting everything to work.
 
Once set up, flipping through the 23 presets require a few hours time and willingness to start and stop various software programs.  You may even have to reboot your Mac at some point.  After a while, you get the hang of it and OOYH will work smoothly with your 2-channel tracks.
 
With stereo files, I found with my unique inner ear geometries that Mt (18). Marten Coltrane Momento Speakers was excellent with MBP to Hugo to Telos Fujisan (my favorite 24/7 iPhone earphone).  Telos has a holographic signature and Mt preset expanded that airiness even more so, to the right and left and in front.
Still using Mt (18), I turned to:
Bose QC25 - more bass but the airiness was curtailed.  (This did sounded great inside an Airbus 380 cabin, more later)
Shure se846 - body warming bass and nearly as much 3D space projection as the Telos with Mt (18).
Sennheiser momentum wireless - probably the best way to go without cables. Yes!  OOYH works wirelessly with just the Macbook Pro.  Here, with Mt(18), we have air, bass, and without wires a truly large speakers-in-the-room sensation.  After a CD or two with this setup, you do feel the headphone is no longer there.  (Try this in the late evenings)
 
With 5.1 and 7.1 tracks, I tested this during my 7+ hours flight from JFK to CDG inside an Airbus A380.  I had the Macbook Pro and a Hugo connected via Curious Cable.  I had the Bose QC25 and the Shure se846.
The best preset I found for my inner-ear geometries was the Hr (12) Acapella Spharon.  I had the recently released 7.1 Surround Star Wars Awakens digital download with me along with last year's Mad Max.  The se846 was the better phone for movies with OOYH.
In the darken cabin, the experience with OOYH running on the Macbook prp + curious +hugo to se846 was nearly identical to the memory of my first screening of Awakens at the AMC Loews Lincoln Center Sqaure 13 IMAX 3D venue.  The major differences were screen-size (duh) and the absence of ear-splitting levels of IMAX piercing sound.
With OOYH using Hr (12), I get to control my level on the Hugo ever so slightly.  The imaging is pure beauty.  The opening sequence crawl with William's signature theme, then followed with an awesome Imperial warship making effective use of OOYH's placement of said vehicle doting its path from slightly behind my airplane seat through my torso and fading outwards into the first-class seats.  I enjoyed the entire film with great spatial impact of the OOYH Hr (12) preset.  After a while, the Shure disappeared and there were nothing inside my head.  During some turbalence, the slight floating aspect of the cabin added to the effects of the final aerial/space dogfight sequences.
Portions of the movie with great low bass was realistically presented with near upper torso warmth, as with true room speakers.  OOYH's rendition of the LFE in the 7.1 realm is terrific.
 
Since the flight, I tried the Sennheiser Momentum wirelss just with the bluetooth from the Macbook Pro 15 (2014).  To my surprise, it came very close to the sound of the Macbook Pro to Hugo to se846.  I do prefer the Hugo sound more as it has more nuance, details and realism of instrumentation.
 
In summary, I enjoyed OOYH immensely.  The software based system sounds great with better gear.  It scales much better with TOL headphones.  It is heaven with the likes of HD800 S.  The spatial projections can be achieved starting with the right preset (you job is to find which one fits your own inner ear geometries) with even the cheapest of headphones, but better cans will enhance the details and the illusion of space and air above and in-front of your head.
 
I think Darin Fong has a clear winner here with OOYH.  It is an easier to use alternative to he Realiser A8 I own since 2011.  With effort, I can get presets for my Smyth Realiser to emulate more elaborate theater setups, but who has the time.  I hope that OOYH continues to provide more presets so the full capabilities of our collection of headphones can be harnessed for spatial out-of-your-head emulation.
 
Paul Chiu
BillyChiu.com

 

[Jerdl]

Hi here !
 
I'm new in this forum, i'm looking for a good HRTF software and i've tested the track in demonstration for Out Of Your Head, and it's awesome, like a real HRTF sounds.
 
In this way, i would like to test Out Of Your Head but, like someone else 10 pages ago, i got this creepy message that tell's my Sound Card is already used.
 
My computed is powered with an Asus Xonar Essence STX, and i have tried : 
 
 - In Playback Option :
 Selecting my Focusrite's Soud Card Driver as default -> Dont Work
 Selecting Any Other Audio Driver than sur Asus Xonar Essence STX -> Dont' work
 Selecting the STX -> Don't work
 
I have tried to Disabled the STX and to reactivate, after and before launching OOYH software -> Dont work
I have tried to uninstall - Reinstall the the driver, on another side i've installed UNi Xonar Audio but it dont work too.
 
I have tried also to kill all app at boot and any software, C-media panel Included, that can conflict with OOYH.
 
i have an built-in Audio in one of my screen, and i can ear clearly that it works on it with the OOYH lunched, but any attempt to select the STX Sound card failed to "Already used".
 
Any Idea ? I'm running out ! 

 

[darinf]

  Hi here !
 
I'm new in this forum, i'm looking for a good HRTF software and i've tested the track in demonstration for Out Of Your Head, and it's awesome, like a real HRTF sounds.
 
In this way, i would like to test Out Of Your Head but, like someone else 10 pages ago, i got this creepy message that tell's my Sound Card is already used.
 
My computed is powered with an Asus Xonar Essence STX, and i have tried : 
 
 - In Playback Option :
 Selecting my Focusrite's Soud Card Driver as default -> Dont Work
 Selecting Any Other Audio Driver than sur Asus Xonar Essence STX -> Dont' work
 Selecting the STX -> Don't work
 
I have tried to Disabled the STX and to reactivate, after and before launching OOYH software -> Dont work
I have tried to uninstall - Reinstall the the driver, on another side i've installed UNi Xonar Audio but it dont work too.
 
I have tried also to kill all app at boot and any software, C-media panel Included, that can conflict with OOYH.
 
i have an built-in Audio in one of my screen, and i can ear clearly that it works on it with the OOYH lunched, but any attempt to select the STX Sound card failed to "Already used".
 
Any Idea ? I'm running out ! 

Hi @Jerdl,
Welcome to the forum.
 
First of all, Out Of Your Head is currently no compatible with ASUS Xonar Essense PCI-E cards due to a problem with the ASUS drivers. We have a beta version that we are close to releasing that will work with the Xonar, But it's going to be another week or so.
 
However, I would assume the Focusrite device should work.
When you select the Focusrite device in the right column of the Out Of Your Head Control Panel, do you see any numbers in the bottom left corner of the Out Of Your Head Control Panel?
If you do see numbers, are they "hovering" around a value, or are they counting up higher and higher?
 

 
Also, if you're interested in trying the beta version, please e-mail us at "info at fongaudio.com".
 
Thanks,
-Darin

 

[Jerdl]

Hi Darin, thanks for your fast answer !
 
It's a Saffire 6 connected in USB and it work well with OOYH, besides it cannot support low latency (OOYH told it), the numbers swifts rapidly between 2 and 7 and i dont think that i heard some lag or whatever, i havnt experienced much with this device.
 
I've seen the Movies demo, and i think i can heard some "off-phase" at many moments, some noise-cancelling-like  (i hate that) ... is it possible ? Maybe due to the movie itself ? (headphone : DT990pro)

 

[darinf]

  Hi Darin, thanks for your fast answer !
 
It's a Saffire 6 connected in USB and it work well with OOYH, besides it cannot support low latency (OOYH told it), the numbers swifts rapidly between 2 and 7 and i dont think that i heard some lag or whatever, i havnt experienced much with this device.
 
I've seen the Movies demo, and i think i can heard some "off-phase" at many moments, some noise-cancelling-like  (i hate that) ... is it possible ? Maybe due to the movie itself ? (headphone : DT990pro)

OK, after re-reading your post, I now understand what you were saying about the Focusrite. Sorry about that. But I am glad at least it's working.
 
I am not 100% sure I know what you mean by "off-phase". On some speaker presets, the rooms were "brighter" and therefore have more reflections off walls, floor, etc. This can sound like out of phase audio because the room reflections are delayed slightly from the sound coming directly from the speaker. Even in the rooms that are very well damped like AIX Studio or Mi Casa or Genelec Recording Studio, there are still room reflections that can be heard but they are considerably less than some of the other rooms.
 
I am not sure if that's what you are hearing or if it's some other artifact.

 

[Jerdl]

After some tests with a phase correlation VST i can tell that it was just me, the tracks are perfectly in phase.
 
I got a weird situation where the ASUS Xonar essence STX can modify the sound even it was not selected in the Audio Output Panel : Selecting 2 or 8 Channel in the Asus Panel change clearly the sound, and i dont know what i prefer personnaly.
 
I've tested OOYH in Elite Dangerous and it works very fine, a little more that the Dolby Surround mode, even if it lacks a bit of punch on the Front Side

 

[darinf]

Hi everyone,
 
Just a heads up that we just posted an updated version of the Windows version of Out Of Your Head. 
 
I wanted to let people know, especially since people were having problems with some DACs like the Asus Xonar prdoucts and others. I think we have fixed a lot of those incompatibilities.
We also now support Roon! I know a few people have asked about Roon compatibility.
And lastly we finally have a "Release Notes" page for the Windows version that will be updated every time we release a new version. (We will work on a Mac version of release notes too.)
 
Let me know if you have any questions or problems with the new version.
 
Thanks,
-Darin

 

[esimms86]

Darin, any news/comments/insights on the recently announced Smyth Realiser A16? It's supposed to include capture of vertical sound information for modeling, say, a Dolby Atmos system. There's already a thread here on headfi, including a link to the Smyth informational pdf file. There's also a YouTube video which, unfortunately for me, is in French.

Esau

 

[darinf]

Darin, any news/comments/insights on the recently announced Smyth Realiser A16? It's supposed to include capture of vertical sound information for modeling, say, a Dolby Atmos system. There's already a thread here on headfi, including a link to the Smyth informational pdf file. There's also a YouTube video which, unfortunately for me, is in French.

Esau

Hi @esimms86,
 
Good to hear from you.
I think as a MOT here, I am not really allowed to comment on what may be considered a competing product. I just don't want to risk any violation of the terms of Head-Fi.
 
I can say that we have the capability of capturing and playing more than 8 speakers including height or overhead speakers. However we don't have anything available for release yet.
 
We are also still waiting for a way to playback more than 7.1 content on Windows or Mac. 
Maybe there is a way to play Atmos or DTS X or Auro encoded content on a computer already. I am not aware of any though.
 
If you want to take a discussion "offline", I am happy to via e-mail.
Thanks,
-Darin