[IrishMetadis]

Hey guys I just want to let yee guys see what Creative have to say about my " issue " that I'm facing.
 
Hi Patrick,
Thank you for contacting Creative.
Surround is mainly there for speakers and works best with speakers. Headphones, as you can see there is only one jack and the headset plug has  3-poles (1 pole for left channel, 1 for right channel and another for ground). Technically, headset can only accept two channels. You can only simulate surround that too heavily dependent on the headset driver.
You need to select stereo right from the playback/game application's audio out for the simulation to work.
Reset Sound Blaster X7 control panel software . Click the inverted triangle on top and select restore.
In your game's audio out settings , select stereo/2.1 headset/speakers.
Make sure, speakers - Sound Blaster X7 is set as default. Go to its configure window and confirm stereo is selected as default (not, 5.1 speakers)
Select headphones in Sound Blaster X7 and enable surround in SBX Pro tab. Move the surround slider left/right to make the audio front centered or surround.
You may also enable , Scout Mode when you play games.
If you still require assistance, please reply to this email and include any previous correspondence to ensure a quick response.
Regards,
Gary
Creative Worldwide Customer Response
 
 
So it seems that I am supposed to set windows to stereo! I do get better surround when I do this but still stereo alone is better without any SBX surround.
 
I find this to be very interesting!

 

[Fegefeuer]

poor Gary

 

[Evshrug]

poor Gary

Gary has left me quite confused... Tbh I'm mostly playing ps4, but I don't think my Omni worked the way Gary is stating (with a DSP, you don't need stereo input to get stereo output for the TRS plug)

 

[inseconds99]

I am even more confused then ever now. Stereo windows, stereo in sbx control panel then go to headphones, then switch to sbx and set the game to stereo?

We need clarification on this.

 

[Steely]

I've been looking for a while for something that delivers the same level of sound quality as the ZxR. It's the best source I've ever heard. I bought a FIIO X5 hoping to get a similar level of sound but it's nowhere near as nice as the ZxR.
 
This could be it. If it sounds anything like the ZxR it's my new source for the listening station upstairs.
 
A bit spensive though, anyone know of a deal? I hate paying full price when I know it was sold recently for $279.

 

[PacoTaco]

  I've been looking for a while for something that delivers the same level of sound quality as the ZxR. It's the best source I've ever heard. I bought a FIIO X5 hoping to get a similar level of sound but it's nowhere near as nice as the ZxR.
 
This could be it. If it sounds anything like the ZxR it's my new source for the listening station upstairs.
 
A bit spensive though, anyone know of a deal? I hate paying full price when I know it was sold recently for $279.

It honestly sounds better than the ZxR and has full functionality. You might have to wait for another sale or get one off Ebay. 
I haven't seen any other deals lately.

 

[Evshrug]

I am even more confused then ever now. Stereo windows, stereo in sbx control panel then go to headphones, then switch to sbx and set the game to stereo?

We need clarification on this.

Sooooo... windows is currently set for 5.1 and my X7 is outputting to headphones.
 
It was set in stereo from the last time I messed with it. I changed the configuration to 5.1 and played a test tone from Right-Front and for a moment it played correctly through my headphones, but near the end of the audio clip the Sound Blaster X7 Control Panel set the output to speakers. I remembered what Paco said, so in the X7 Control Center I turned off SBX and set the X7 to output to Speakers, changed Windows configure to stereo, turned SBX on, changed Windows configure to 5.1, set the X7 to headphone output... Voila, now it's outputting surround through headphones correctly. it's weird. To anyone having issue with the X7 automatically switching to speaker outs, mess around with SBX and windows sound configurations for a bit.

 

[Steely]

I have a hard time believing it can sound better than the ZxR. I want to believe, but after being burned by the FIIO X5 that everyone says has excellent sound quality I now have to hear it before buying. Sadly no stores in my vicinity has it, or even in neighbouring cities.
 
If Creative puts it on sale I'll take a chance on it, but $500 (which is the price here in Denmark) is too much to chance it. In the $400-500 range there's so much good equipment to be had, and Creatives' marketing makes this seem like more of a gimmick than something an audiophile like me would enjoy.
 
But the ZxR sounds so sweet. That's the thing...

 

[Evshrug]

I have a hard time believing it can sound better than the ZxR. I want to believe, but after being burned by the FIIO X5 that everyone says has excellent sound quality I now have to hear it before buying. Sadly no stores in my vicinity has it, or even in neighbouring cities.

If Creative puts it on sale I'll take a chance on it, but $500 (which is the price here in Denmark) is too much to chance it. In the $400-500 range there's so much good equipment to be had, and Creatives' marketing makes this seem like more of a gimmick than something an audiophile like me would enjoy.

But the ZxR sounds so sweet. That's the thing...

Well, both the X7 and ZxR use a Texas Instruments Burr-Brown PCM1794 DAC, and both use Texas Instruments TPA6120A2 opamps for amping the headphone output, and a lot of other design similarities (including the ability to swap the buffer opamps), however the X7 is external and has its own dedicated power supply (both contributing to the X7's advertised 127 dB S:N) and has a Texas Instruments class-D speaker amp (judging by the X7's vertical chassis, on its own silicone board). The X7 also has a 2.2 ohm output impedance, reducing the frequency deviation of low-impedance high-sensitivity IEMs. Now, I've never owned a ZxR myself, nor have I known a ZxR owner yet who bought an X7, but based on the above I would conclude that the X7's would sound at least as good as your beloved ZxR... The X7 is Creative's new flagship Sound Blaster, and they threw everything they knew into it.

Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me, I want to put my $420 Schiit Bifrost Uber up for sale, I don't use it anymore. I'm not saying the X7's DAC is better, and perhaps if I listened to more cymbals I'd be more aware of what the Schiit does better, however the difference isn't hugely apparent and I'd rather liquidate the money invested in most of the separate components which the X7 replaces for me.

 

[apav]

Well, both the X7 and ZxR use a Texas Instruments Burr-Brown PCM1794 DAC, and both use Texas Instruments TPA6120A2 opamps for amping the headphone output, and a lot of other design similarities (including the ability to swap the buffer opamps), however the X7 is external and has its own dedicated power supply (both contributing to the X7's advertised 127 dB S:N) and has a Texas Instruments class-D speaker amp (judging by the X7's vertical chassis, on its own silicone board). The X7 also has a 2.2 ohm output impedance, reducing the frequency deviation of low-impedance high-sensitivity IEMs. Now, I've never owned a ZxR myself, nor have I known a ZxR owner yet who bought an X7, but based on the above I would conclude that the X7's would sound at least as good as your beloved ZxR... The X7 is Creative's new flagship Sound Blaster, and they threw everything they knew into it.

Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me, I want to put my $420 Schiit Bifrost Uber up for sale, I don't use it anymore. I'm not saying the X7's DAC is better, and perhaps if I listened to more cymbals I'd be more aware of what the Schiit does better, however the difference isn't hugely apparent and I'd rather liquidate the money invested in most of the separate components which the X7 replaces for me.

Hello! I was actually about to make a new thread, but what you're discussing is so similar to what I'm wondering about, so I would like to ask you and anyone else for help if you don't mind.
 
I currently have a Sound Blaster ZXR, and I absolutely love it for use with my desktop PC. However, I wanted to get a similar audio experience even if I was away from my PC, like with my PS4 and Xbox One, and my laptop or smartphone if I'm in another room. I went with the CEntrance DACmini CX, instead of going with a portable battery powered DAC/amp. First because I heard the rave reviews and got it for $400 on Massdrop, and second I couldn't find a portable DAC/amp solution to match the fidelity of the DACmini. I have even heard it matches the fidelity from products twice its normal price point, though I am only a beginner to the audiophile world, my only set of cans is a Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro 250 ohms which I can hear no difference in fidelity between my ZXR and the DACmini (tested on my laptop). Lastly, I am fine with just using my IEM's plugged into my phone on the go, and my car speaker sounds fantastic as they are.
 
I was very happy with the CEntrance until I discovered the X7. The CEntrance is just a simple headphone amp, but the X7 is like a mini receiver. It has many advantages over the CEntrance in terms of features and inputs/outputs. The biggest for me would be the DSP, I would be able to get virtual surround on my console. But since I am a beginner audiophile, I cannot discern the difference in fidelity between the X7 and the DACmini CX. I know the ZXR would sound very similar since it uses very similar hardware, and the CEntrance sounds very similar to the ZXR with my untrained ears, but I don't know if I can accurately come to the conclusion that they are about the same fidelity wise.
 
Links to each product page if you'd like to look at features and specs:
Sound Blaster ZXR
DACmini CX
Sound Blaster X7
 
I have some questions about this if you don't mind:
 
1.) Would there be any benefit from, when using it on my PC, to plugging in the optical out on the X7 to the optical in on the ZXR daughter board? If I do that and plug my headphones into the X7, would there be any difference to the audio?
 
2.) Let's say for example, I have this hooked up to my PC via USB going to my speakers via RCA out, and my XB1 via optical, going to the headphone jack. Both at the same time. Can I have the X7 simultaneously play the PC audio on my speakers, and the XB1 audio in my headphones, but separately (so my PC audio goes only to my speakers and not the headphones, and vice versa)? Or is it like the ZXR, where you have to select either headphone or speakers, and can't have both on? If it can do this, does managing multiple audio sources at once reduce the fidelity? The reason I'm wondering, is if it can do this, than I have no real need of the ZXR anymore if I get this. Sometimes someone is on my desktop while I'm on a console, or vice versa, so I just want to make sure both of us are getting audio and no loss in fidelity. 
 
3.) Saw this comment on a review, does this raise any concerns?

I'm sad to see you either didn't check out the specs on the Creative wonder amp before you praised it, or you did any you're OK with reinforcing the trend toward crappy marketing specs. They used the typical class-D/T amp trick of citing power ratings for both channels into 4 ohms at 10% total harmonic distortion. Most speakers are 8 ohm and 10% THD is horrible. When you check the page you find 22 watts per channel into 8 ohms with 1% distortion is what they should have used, and that's not very impressive. It makes you wonder why they would tout all those non-amp specs (like the very questionable, no-context 127db DAC spec) when it all has to run through a mediocre amp to get to the speakers. The $450 NAD D3020 puts our 30 WPC at .005% THD and seems to offer everything the Creative does, along with decent looks. Size aside, most people would be better off with a $99 Schiit DAC and a $50 craigslist amp (or just an old 5.1 amp with an spdif input). 

4.) TLDR and main question of the post. Is it worth selling my DACmini for the X7, and if the answer to question 2 is yes, is it worth selling both and only using the X7?
 
Thank you so much for your help!! I really appreciate it.

 

[Steely]

Well, both the X7 and ZxR use a Texas Instruments Burr-Brown PCM1794 DAC, and both use Texas Instruments TPA6120A2 opamps for amping the headphone output, and a lot of other design similarities (including the ability to swap the buffer opamps), however the X7 is external and has its own dedicated power supply (both contributing to the X7's advertised 127 dB S:N) and has a Texas Instruments class-D speaker amp (judging by the X7's vertical chassis, on its own silicone board). The X7 also has a 2.2 ohm output impedance, reducing the frequency deviation of low-impedance high-sensitivity IEMs. Now, I've never owned a ZxR myself, nor have I known a ZxR owner yet who bought an X7, but based on the above I would conclude that the X7's would sound at least as good as your beloved ZxR... The X7 is Creative's new flagship Sound Blaster, and they threw everything they knew into it.

Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me, I want to put my $420 Schiit Bifrost Uber up for sale, I don't use it anymore. I'm not saying the X7's DAC is better, and perhaps if I listened to more cymbals I'd be more aware of what the Schiit does better, however the difference isn't hugely apparent and I'd rather liquidate the money invested in most of the separate components which the X7 replaces for me.

You've almost got me convinced that I absolutely need an X7

 
Anyone know how much power the headphone amp supplies? They don't seem to give out that information voluntarily (which doesn't help with the "giimmicky" problem) and I need to know if the amp in the X7 is more powerful than the one on the ZrX. It should be, but I need to know.

 

[Evshrug]

Apav,
Sure, I'll share my thoughts:

1.) there would be no audio quality benefit to routing X7 audio through a ZxR. The X7 does everything the ZxR can do and more, with the same quality parts... You'd just be needlessly complicating things.

2. The X7 can play multiple sources at once (for example, bluetooth music, pc chat, and console game audio), but can only output to EITHER speakers OR headphones. There are two headphone outputs with dedicated power opamps for each (so no loss of power if you use one or two headphones), and when you have speaker output selected it plays through the passive speaker taps and rear "active speaker" outputs... You feasibly could connect a pair of headphones to the rear RCA outs and thus play speakers and headphones simultaneously, the same audio not separate, but honestly I don't know why you would.

3.) I was JUST reading about the NAD D3020 today! I think I still have the Stereophile review open... http://www.stereophile.com/content/entry-level-35
Looks like a pretty great, high-value integrated amp, but it's more targeted/suited for stereo music played through speakers, while the X7 costs less and is more targeted and better suited for gamers and headphones. I'll have to read NAD's product page, but the X7 has a DSP for headphone surround (Creative's SBX headphone surround is the best I've heard), AAC and aptX support for bluetooth, can playback multiple sources, and has a pretty great mobile app for tweaking settings on the fly. Oh, plus some small things like a headphone stand and an "okay" Beamforming mic for pc chat and speaker room calibration, and even though the X7 is brand new it's cheaper. I agree that the marketing cherry-picked what specs to put at the headline (though they also show the 8-ohm speaker WPC ratings on the x7 microsite), but in the first place there's an industry-wide over marketing of the importance on WPC. The NAD D3020 looks like a great piece of kit, but I'm not convinced to trade my X7 for it. Regarding that final stuff about a Schiit dac and amp ($50 5.1 amp? What's that? Speaker amp or headphones?), I'd say at the price of a Modi "most people would be better off just getting a" Creative Omni, or Z if you need optical input.

4.) I honestly don't know enough about the DACmini, but you wouldn't miss the ZxR if you sold it for an X7.
-----



Steely,
As I said in my last reply to you, the ZxR has the same amp component as the X7, so they'd be the same. I didn't see Creative list it, but Texas Instruments specs the TPA6120A2 as having 1.5 W output @ 32 ohms, look Google it if you want the specs at other load (headphone) impedances but the short version is that's a ton of power for headphones and plenty excessive of what you probably will need, short of an HE-6. There's more to sound quality than sheer power though, keep that in mind.

 

[jasonhanjk]

 
You've almost got me convinced that I absolutely need an X7

 
Anyone know how much power the headphone amp supplies? They don't seem to give out that information voluntarily (which doesn't help with the "giimmicky" problem) and I need to know if the amp in the X7 is more powerful than the one on the ZrX. It should be, but I need to know.

Nobody will know until somebody opens their set up and does the measurement.
The adapter supplied by Creative is single supply but the Headphone amp IC requires dual supply. Once we know how they route their circuit then we will know whether this amp can supply the power as claim by Texas Instrument.
 
Never assume the product will be as good as what the IC manufacturer claim. TI make claims base on their eval board, not on Creative products. Look at the fine print what the product vendor can produce. Be a wise consumer!

 

[PacoTaco]

  Nobody will know until somebody opens their set up and does the measurement.
The adapter supplied by Creative is single supply but the Headphone amp IC requires dual supply. Once we know how they route their circuit then we will know whether this amp can supply the power as claim by Texas Instrument.

Unfortunately, that is just how it is. If it makes  you guys looking for answers feel better, it can drive my HE560 with some headroom. Not much, but it's there.

 

[Razz7]

Wondering if I should get this or a Schiit stack..