[benbenkr]

Try this.
 
Sound > Playback Devices > Set Digital Audio (SPDIF) SBZ to Default device.
 
Select Digital Audio >  Properties > Supported Formats > Deselect everything in Encoded Format (usually DTS and DD are selected by default) > Enhancements Tab > Select 'Disable All Enhancements'.
 
This is how I do it and I get PCM only playback and at anytime I want the SBX enhancements, I switch back to the Speaker output (line-out) with Stereo Mix option enabled.

 

[goyetus]

  Try this.
 
Sound > Playback Devices > Set Digital Audio (SPDIF) SBZ to Default device.
 
Select Digital Audio >  Properties > Supported Formats > Deselect everything in Encoded Format (usually DTS and DD are selected by default) > Enhancements Tab > Select 'Disable All Enhancements'.
 
This is how I do it and I get PCM only playback and at anytime I want the SBX enhancements, I switch back to the Speaker output (line-out) with Stereo Mix option enabled.

 
I tryed your suggestion,  no way,  still no "pcm" title in my display..... very rare.    
 
I tested a few more options ,   for example,   if  I turn on "stereo direct"  ,  I see that a new device speaker appears on the Mixer.    It not have the same options as the normal "speaker" usually seen in the mixer.     You have to see the audio device window  when you set Stereo Direct  to  see how  Sound Blaster DELETE the old speaker device,   and  automatically  it setup a new Speaker device!   annoying!
 
Im going to test ASIO and WASAPI to see if I get something    (This starts to remember me "lost" serie)
 
THANKS benbenkr!!!!
 
 
EDIT:
 
Wasapi working perfect,  very high volume,  but no PCM on display 
ASIO 64 bits  not working.  Tryed in Foobar2000 ,   and I get no sound!   Driver seems to be loaded right,  ASIO Sound Blaster Control panel  is set to 20 ms.
 
Could someone test if ASIO is working for playing music in Windows 8.1?    
 
Drivers reinstalled ,  at least ASIO now works  (but only in Speakers mode,  not spdif mode.....) 

 

[Anarion]

[COLOR=333333]I just found out the Z series offers a software emulation of EAX 5.0.[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]Did the Z series always offer EAX 5.0 (software emulation) or was this something that Creative add sometime after the Z series come out?[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]
[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]I'm I right to assume the Z series EAX 5.0 is not intended for newer games, just for the older games?[/COLOR]

It doesn't emulate anything, it's the real deal but done in software so no hardware offloading. Software EAX 5.0 support was added when Z series was released. X-Fi MB3 software supports EAX 5.0 now too.

 

[RamGuy]

Got the ZxR for my Sennheiser HD 650's today. What SBX Pro Studio settings are people using for optium audio in games?

 

[genclaymore]

  Got the ZxR for my Sennheiser HD 650's today. What SBX Pro Studio settings are people using for optium audio in games?

Setting windows speaker settings to 5.1 in the control panel and then setting the creative panel to headphones. I been using SBX Surround on 67% but you can give the default 46% a try and compare the two. The reason why you set windows audio panel to 5.1 but have the creative panel to headphone is so the SBX surround work correctly.  Also you have to set the game's in game audio output to 5.1 if it has it.

 

[alv4426]

I like the scout mode for gaming... unfair advantage but frak the competition. 

 

[RamGuy]

  Setting windows speaker settings to 5.1 in the control panel and then setting the creative panel to headphones. I been using SBX Surround on 67% but you can give the default 46% a try and compare the two. The reason why you set windows audio panel to 5.1 but have the creative panel to headphone is so the SBX surround work correctly.  Also you have to set the game's in game audio output to 5.1 if it has it.

 
Mine was set to 67% by default? What about Crystalizer, Bass, Smart Volume and Dialogue Plus?

 

[Fegefeuer]

67 is Default. Turn crystallizer, Bass, Smart Volume and Dialogue plus off.

 

[genclaymore]

I didn't know it was 67 by default on the Z's, for the omni it was 46 by default.

 

[PurpleAngel]

It doesn't emulate anything, it's the real deal but done in software so no hardware offloading. Software EAX 5.0 support was added when Z series was released. X-Fi MB3 software supports EAX 5.0 now too.

 
EAX 5.0 is hardware and software, as the hardware part of EAX is no longer there, the software is now doing an emulation of what the hardware did, it maybe just as good(?) as the hardware it replaced, but it's an emulation.
Check Wikipedia

 

[Mack-attack]

ok I have a few quick questions...
1) does the soundblaster z have an adjustable heaphone amp? If not will it be ok if im running 32 ohm headphones?
2) can i plug in my 5.1 and heaphones in at the same time?
3) how would the z compare to an asus dg?
 
thanks guys !

 

[RamGuy]

I'm going to return my Creative ZxR.. It was going to replace my Asus Xoner Essence One + Creative Titanium HD (for DSP) solution and I find the headphone amp to actually be superior to the Essence One, it provides much wider and full audio compared to the Essence One and I suppose that has to do with the amp working better with my Sennheiser HD 650's.
 
But sadly the DSP falls short to the Titanium HD any day of the week.. This new SBX Studio Pro is not comparable to Creative's previous CMSS:3D implementation, not by any stretch. The SBX Studio Pro seems to be a re-branded THX TruStudio which I never used on my Titanium HD because the surround virtualization doesn't compare at all.
 
 
I guess I'm back to my Essence One + Titanium HD combo once again..  Not a bad combo, I just have to figure out what's causing the lacklustre gain as I suspect that has to be some setting or jumper of sorts. And I need to find a way to resolve that using toslink from Titanium HD to the Essence One makes audio notification getting lost in transmission at times, which is very annoying.

 

[genclaymore]

Did you set windows control panel to 5.1 along as games when you was using SBX on 46 or 67% with it set to headphones in the creative panel. I find if you don't do that when using SBX then it wont sound right.  Also it could be the op-amps that the E one is using in compare to the op-amps that installed on the ZXR which can effect the sound signature of the E one. Usually take a op-amp to realize that there was nothing wrong with the card just the op-amp it was using.
 
I don't know its something on my end, but I had to plug the optical into my onboard optical out and use the omni's what u hear and send it out of my onboard optical just to get the correct volume, where plugging it directly to the omni and using the option had 50% volume. In fact I had that issue on my onboard too til i found newer drivers then what gigabyte showed on their site. Interesting thing is, The low Volume issue's didn't happen on a X-FI PCI or the DG/DGX, or on a Recon3D PCI-E. It just seem like it happens on any thing that just has a master Volume control and no Wave L&R mixer volume. I had it happen on a older motherboard but with ADI and a different external dac, its like I'am cursed. Because I don't see any one mention it any where.
 
The sole reason I switched to the omni because I get bus noises when i use Both PCI and PCI-E sound cards. If I didn't want the creative SBX DSP and functions and working asio then I wouldn't even bother with it. But sadly I have a on-board audio that doesn't have any X-FI MB3 or SB cinema 2 support even tho the newest via VT2021 drivers mention it. Then on the top of it Flaky usb plugs, Make just wanna take this motherboard and throw it out the window.

 

[Evshrug]

Holy HOLY CRAP GUYS!!!!!!!
http://www.soundblaster.com/x7/





•PC/Mac/Console/Smartphone Host Mode compatible connectivity!
•Asychronous USB/Optical in&out/RCA in&out/Dual simultaneous Bluetooth connections/Stereo Speaker taps!
•Higher specs than the ZxR!
•Dolby Digital Live 5.1/7.1 digital decoding for consoles via Optical input!
•Swappable OpAmps!
•Built-in beamforming mics!

Just let that sink in a bit...

 

[benbenkr]

Horly sheeeeet!!!!!!!!!!
 
Creative?! CREATIVE?! REALLY?! SERIOUSLY?! Console + PC?!