[sum1]

I like using Dolby headphone when i am watching DVD on my comp with my headphone but it seems like creative have their own implementation called CMSS-3D that is on their X-fi card which is supposed to be a better and newer implementation than the Dolby Headphone.

Is there any X-fi owners here that can give their impression on whether this CMSS-3D HP mode is better than Dolby HP on games and/or movies.

 

[ADD]

Hi,

I would like to get some feedback too, though this quote taken from Creative's own website does not seem very promising to me if the aim of the game is to turn a stereo source into something resembling binaural:

"...How CMSS 3D works is by reading specific bands of frequencies from your music and placing them into unique speaker positions..."

 

[TotalDistinction]

Many vendors have their own implementation of trying to simulate surround sound using standard headphones.

I have no experience using X-FI's implementation but can tell you that Dolby Headphone does a very reasonable job at simulating surround sound.

I'd be interested in hearing feedback as well with any X-Fi owner's willing to perform the comparison.

 

[ADD]

Hi again,

Dolby Headphone is what I have been using thus far and I have been very impressed with it too. Nevertheless, I actually just noticed that my Audigy Value came bundled with CMSS 3D as well. I've just created four short extracts that compare an original stereo file to dolby headphone, CMSS 3D at the "2 speaker" configuration and CMSS 3D at the "headphones" configuration.

To me the CMSS 3D sounds very poor and the imaging is horrible too. But then again the X-Fi might do it differently. Good heavens it would want to

The original stereo extract is from a 1962 Mercury LP. Classical is good to test these things out with because the seating positions for the various instruments are standardised in the recordings I use.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

I have a X-fi, and find CMSS 3d to work VERY very well with my AKG 701s when using them for games. The surround effect works better than many 5.1 gaming cans I have owned (Yes, the Zalmans. This was before I knew any better...). As for the effect it self: sounds coming from behind sound as though they are actually behind you. They don't "feel" positioned behind you, but they sound as though they are, if that makes sense. Because of this your brain thinks they are behind you, and you almost feel them there as well). Only negative side effect for music would be that the stereo separation is slightly closed compared to just stereo. Prob to fit in the side "channels" and such.

It also works very well with a set of 2.1 speakers to.

 

[Duggeh]

If you're watching DVDs, use Dolby headphone, it was designed for the headphone stereo reprocessing and reproduction of a Dolby 5.1 speaker mix.

For games, use CMSS 3D audio and EAX. It was what that was designed for.

I do not have the means to test Dolby headphone with games (in any event youd need to feed any Dolby headphone processor a CMSS EAX 5.1 signal from the soundcard) but CMSS EAX with DVDs was, even with attempted tweeking unbalanced and echoey compared to Dolby headphone.

 

[sum1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADD /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi again, Dolby Headphone is what I have been using thus far and I have been very impressed with it too. Nevertheless, I actually just noticed that my Audigy Value came bundled with CMSS 3D as well. I've just created four short extracts that compare an original stereo file to dolby headphone, CMSS 3D at the "2 speaker" configuration and CMSS 3D at the "headphones" configuration. To me the CMSS 3D sounds very poor and the imaging is horrible too. But then again the X-Fi might do it differently. Good heavens it would want to The original stereo extract is from a 1962 Mercury LP. Classical is good to test these things out with because the seating positions for the various instruments are standardised in the recordings I use.

Thanks for your impression.
Unfortunately the audigy implementation of CMSS is different from X-fi's CMSS-3D. I think the X-fi's is supposed to be better since they implement aureal 3d technologies into it.

 

[Shahrose]

i used to have the audigy 4 pro for a couple years and i thought the cmss 3d was dismal compared to dolby headphone (that i now use) on the sondigo inferno (much better sound card btw)

 

[Surefoot]

I tried CMSS-3D on the Prelude, and it really sounds bad for music... It totally kills the sound. I have been a lot more impressed by the crystallizer feature.

 

[ADD]

I can provide an update too, since I got an X-Fi last week. I have to agree about CMSS 3D headphone killing the sound - it really isn't much good at all - it places a layer of opacity over the sound which significantly veils the midrange and overall detail...and the top end is almost completely chopped off - it reminded me of the days of the 8-track tape cartridge. To make matters worse, in testing I did of classical music, CMSS 3D headphone mucked up the stereo imaging in that it did not quite know what it was meant to with the locations of some instruments in the 3D space.

Dolby headphone in my experience is streets ahead - far, far better for stereo music and the side effects are negligible (with a capital "N") compared to CMSS 3D headphone.

I have no idea how good CMSS 3D headphones is for games, but my guess is that the things it does to high fidelity stereo sources probably don't matter nearly as much with respect to gaming.

 

[stewgriff]

I haven't used the CMSS 3D, but I'm continuing to use Dolby Headphone for music. Its effect on soundstage is remarkable, really brings it close to speaker presentation and out of the head. Almost no ill effects on detail or balance, the only one I can identify is a small softening in the high end (for my DT990s, that may actually be an improvement).