[dmbr]

What you are using as external DAC ? So it will be more easy for us to tell you what it can handle.

Also Dolby Headphones is a way to emulate surround sound with only 2 channels ! Is more a software emulation.
On some software like PowerDVD, WinDVD, lavfilter, foobar200 there is a option or a plugin for active it.

I'm using a Xonar Essence One Muses Edition.

If I understand correctly, you're actually mistaken about DH--Dolby Virtual Home Theatre (I think it's called?) which is used in some of the newer Xonars does indeed just take stereo output and make it sound "surround sound-ish", but Dolby Headphone processes up to 6 (5.1) channels and outputs true "virtual surround" in stereo.

 

[kazcou]

I'm using a Xonar Essence One Muses Edition.



If I understand correctly, you're actually mistaken about DH--Dolby Virtual Home Theatre (I think it's called?) which is used in some of the newer Xonars does indeed just take stereo output and make it sound "surround sound-ish", but Dolby Headphone processes up to 6 (5.1) channels and outputs true "virtual surround" in stereo.

 


Your DAC is not compatible with a real 5.1 format like dolby digital or DTS.
I do not think I am mistaken. Since both use the same technologie : varying delays and phase-shifts between each channel. And that can be done with a software. Dolby Virtual Home Theatre is more for speakers and Dolby Headphone is for headphones.

 

[obobskivich]

I'm using a Xonar Essence One Muses Edition.

If I understand correctly, you're actually mistaken about DH--Dolby Virtual Home Theatre (I think it's called?) which is used in some of the newer Xonars does indeed just take stereo output and make it sound "surround sound-ish", but Dolby Headphone processes up to 6 (5.1) channels and outputs true "virtual surround" in stereo.

No he's right - Dolby Headphone is a simulacrum for "surround" on headphones. It can take 5.1 (or 7.1) input or it can take stereo input and uses Pro Logic II to generate your "true 5.1" output from stereo. The Sound Blaster doesn't use Dolby though - it uses SBX, which can accomplish the same end result. Either of these can be output as PCM that your stereo DAC will handle, neither will output a 5.1 bitstream. There is a comparison on YT between Dolby and SBX - they are slightly different sounding as they use different response filters and make different assumptions about the HRTF to generate the simulacrum. iirc that Xonar could also connect via USB and act as its own controller, and the Sound Blaster is redundant as a result.

 

[el-jorge]

Any of the above will work - it can provide analog or digital outputs, and from there you can hook-up whatever you want. The external control box only controls headphone volume (its a pot-in-a-box), so if you go active monitors that lack onboard volume controls you're either using the software volume controls (not necessiarily a bad thing) or you'll want to find a stand-alone passive preamp (e.g. Schiit SYS, Emotiva ControlFreak, CIA VPC3) to put in-between to give you volume control. If you keep the Bose or go with some other multimedia speaker they will likely have their own volume control, same as if you go with an outboard integrated amp (or similar) and passive speakers. It really would come down to your budget, preference, and how much room you have for gear as to what you should get; it's a really variable question.

Thanks for your answer. As a follow up question, how can I connect the Bose to the ZxR. The Bose has a minijack to connect to the pc. I see that the ZxR has standard RCA connectors for speakers?

 

[genclaymore]

the ZXR will come with a Dual RCA to 3.5 mm cable in the box.

 

[obobskivich]

the ZXR will come with a Dual RCA to 3.5 mm cable in the box.

+1. That cable is more of an adapter if I remember right, but you could buy an RCA to TRS cable thats long enough to run to the Bose in one shot too (they're only a few bucks).

 

[Sting3r]

Is there any way to lower the gain of the SBz? It makes my 30 ohm headphones loud as ****...

 

[genclaymore]

The Z and ZX uses is dynamic hp amp ic and is design to work by lowering and raising the volume which raises and lower the power being sent to the card if I got that right. The only other options you  got is, you can either lower the volume,Swap headphones to ones that will work better with the card, or even swap cards or move external and use optical from the Z. 
 
The only card in the sound blaster Z series that gives you the option to change the gain settings is the SB ZXR, They could had atleast used a hp amp IC on the Z basic model and not the same hp amp ic from the recon3D.

 

[Sorpanino]

SB ZXR is what i have and i like it!

 

[PurpleAngel]

Is there any way to lower the gain of the SBz? It makes my 30 ohm headphones loud as ****...

 
The SB-Z does not come with a gain adjustment
But you could get a FiiO A3 (E11K) headphone amplifier, $60, and connect it to the SB-Z Front Speaker jack and the headphones to the A3.
The SB-Z can not send it's SBX Headphone surround sound thru the Front Speaker jack, but with music you have no need for the surround sound feature.

 

[Sorpanino]

I am upgrading to schiit and a ice from my soundcard, byebye!

 

[obobskivich]

Is there any way to lower the gain of the SBz? It makes my 30 ohm headphones loud as ****...

It isn't likely because of their impedance - my Recon3D had no problems driving Grados, Audio-Technicas, etc quite well. Volume control when in headphone mode is direct volume adjustment to the IC amp (it uses the same Maxim IC as the Recon3D; the card itself, afaik, does not dynamically adjust its power draw on the system though - you're either adjusting digital volume control from the DSP or the IC has a volume control thats being adjusted via the software (I haven't looked that IC's datasheet in a while)). That said, I don't think you'll generally be going much over ~10% with more sensitive headphones.

The ZxR uses a TI IC that has variable gain options, as well as the software volume control AND the external pot-in-a-box ACM unit (Zx has the ACM unit too) which can be used for additional attenuation. You could buy such an external volume control if you wanted; Koss and Sennheiser both make variations on the same idea.

 

[Nikolasi]

SBZxR have different sound signature "colour" then SBZ ?

 

[kazcou]

It is me or no 176400Hz sampling rate available ?

 

[jincuteguy]

Anyone knows if you can get Virtual Surround Sound out from the Optical Out of any of the Z / Zx / ZxR soundcard?