[RPGWiZaRD]

I lost count how many days I've waited for my card to get shipped, probably around 3 weeks. waaaaaaahh T_T

 

[Kenion]

Quote:

What a nice package....directly from Japan....best seller ever!
 
 

 

 
Congrats on your ZxR my friend! hehe!
Don't forget to share your impressions

 

[turokrocks]

Quote:

 
Congrats on your ZxR my friend! hehe!
Don't forget to share your impressions

Got to find time to install it tonight.....Thanks...

 

[turokrocks]

What is the best configuration to connect the ZXR to my ASUS xonar one?
 
ZXR->Asus (using Toslink, can I connect it using COA and is it better? edit: No there is no COA in the ZXR)
 
Jriver18 =Wasapi-event style->spdif->source bit & # channels .
 
Do you think there are better options?
 
P.S : kept the ACM in the box...

 

[turokrocks]

RIP my XFI Platinum, you have been wonderful.
but you will live in my 3Dfx voodoo P4 pc

 
 
A side note.
 
I just thru my working Recon sound card in the trash...I do not know why I got it in the first place.
Worst sound card ever...

 
The ZXR blew both, the clarity and cleanness of the sound is like nothing...the bass is much more prominent but controlled.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

I can't wait to get the hold of my card, I think this will finally be "THE" soundcard for me (I need a soundcard for various reasons).

 

[turokrocks]

Is this a limitation from the ZXR or Asus Xonar one?
 
 

My settings:
 

 

 

[Kenion]

Quote:

Is this a limitation from the ZXR or Asus Xonar one?
 
 

My settings:
 

 

It is because the digital output of the soundcard "only" supports a sample rate up to 96khz. Thats normal, my X-Fi works the same way.
What I want to try to do, as soon as I get my ZxR, I will connect the ZxR through toslink to my E1 and then back to the RCA-IN into the card using the RCA-OUT from the E1 and connect the headphones to the ZXR directly. Just for a test. I really want to know if there is any noticable delay and noise using this method.
 
Because, actually your card is doing nothing when using SPDIF through the digital out. All the processing is done by the E1. But you'll get the advantage of the cards DSP (effects,EQ and so on).
Thats also how I got my setup right now.

 

[turokrocks]

Quote:

It is because the digital output of the soundcard "only" supports a sample rate up to 96khz. Thats normal, my X-Fi works the same way.
What I want to try to do, as soon as I get my ZxR, I will connect the ZxR through toslink to my E1 and then back to the RCA-IN into the card using the RCA-OUT from the E1 and connect the headphones to the ZXR directly. Just for a test. I really want to know if there is any noticable delay and noise using this method.
 
Because, actually your card is doing nothing when using SPDIF through the digital out. All the processing is done by the E1. But you'll get the advantage of the cards DSP (effects,EQ and so on).
Thats also how I got my setup right now.

OK, now I see, thank you.
I will also test your "method"" today (just for curiosity sake).

 

[Radical_53]

I still don't really get why one would get a (really expensive) card only for its DSP effects? 
 
I might have missed this earlier but has anyone played around with opamps already? Some of the new features sound interesting and nice but I wouldn't want to risk getting "worse" hardware than what I have now (Titanium HD with discrete opamps).

 

[NamelessPFG]

Quote:

RIP my XFI Platinum, you have been wonderful.
but you will live in my 3Dfx voodoo P4 pc

 
You imported that ZxR from Japan? Didn't think people would go to such lengths here...though if I had to import a sound card from Japan and cost wasn't an issue, I'd consider it for the Onkyo SE-300PCIE.
 
X-Fi hardware seems like overkill for a 3dfx-based build, though. The OS I'd generally run for a 3dfx-based system is Windows 98 SE, and I'd most likely run some kind of Aureal Vortex2 card in that case. Also, Win9x drivers don't exist for the X-Fi line, to my knowledge.
 
If running XP, then Win9x-era games start having issues, and most titles had moved away from Glide on to Direct3D and OpenGL by that point, in no small part because 3dfx had already been bought out by NVIDIA then.
 
Quote:

Because, actually your card is doing nothing when using SPDIF through the digital out. All the processing is done by the E1. But you'll get the advantage of the cards DSP (effects,EQ and so on).
Thats also how I got my setup right now.

 
To phrase it more clearly, when using S/PDIF, the sound card's DAC is being bypassed, and the external DAC that you've connected it to does the digital-to-analog dirty work...but the source signal has still been pre-processed by any DSP effects enabled by the sound card itself.

 

[turokrocks]

Quote:

 
You imported that ZxR from Japan? Didn't think people would go to such lengths here...though if I had to import a sound card from Japan and cost wasn't an issue, I'd consider it for the Onkyo SE-300PCIE.
 
X-Fi hardware seems like overkill for a 3dfx-based build, though. The OS I'd generally run for a 3dfx-based system is Windows 98 SE, and I'd most likely run some kind of Aureal Vortex2 card in that case. Also, Win9x drivers don't exist for the X-Fi line, to my knowledge.
 
If running XP, then Win9x-era games start having issues, and most titles had moved away from Glide on to Direct3D and OpenGL by that point, in no small part because 3dfx had already been bought out by NVIDIA then.
 
 
To phrase it more clearly, when using S/PDIF, the sound card's DAC is being bypassed, and the external DAC that you've connected it to does the digital-to-analog dirty work...but the source signal has still been pre-processed by any DSP effects enabled by the sound card itself.

 
Thank you for the reply...

.
Why do you think the Onkyo 300PCIE is a better option than the ZXR? I have been doing some research and did no like what I read about it (drivers)!
 
 I know RPGWiZaRD have been eyeing the Onkyo for some time also, why did you prefer the ZXR over it?
 
 
I am still hoping that I might get it working on windows 98se (I was able to run it as SB16 on Virtual W98se, by downloading a driver sbw9xup.exe)...
 
The Onkyo is a nice card but believe me when Is say buying my stuff from Japan or US (including the shipping charges) will still be cheaper than buying from here (and that if they ever get it!), and I could not wait a single day living with the Recon....

.
 
Please keep your posts coming.
 
Edit : I might get the Onkyo (same seller got it also)...for my Brother's coming birthday, and sure will ask him to test it for him...

...ZXR VS Onkyo

 

[phrozenspite]

I just got my ZXR in the mail, I can confirm what some others have said here.  I'm sorry I can't give a good description in audiophile terms but, the sound quality is definitely degraded by the little module.  The music was lacking any liveliness when i plugged into the ACM, but from the back of the sound card it's quite vibrant(I'm listening on HFI 780s, to various types of black, death, power and doom metal)

 

[turokrocks]

Quote:

I just got my ZXR in the mail, I can confirm what some others have said here.  I'm sorry I can't give a good description in audiophile terms but, the sound quality is definitely degraded by the little module.  The music was lacking any liveliness when i plugged into the ACM, but from the back of the sound card it's quite vibrant(I'm listening on HFI 780s, to various types of black, death, power and doom metal)

 
I confirm that the ACM do degrade the sound (muddy & less airy...) that is why I returned it back to the box.
 
I am wondering why this is happening?
 
Wish Creative would clarify this!
 
Any theories guys?

 

[CoryGillmore]

I dunno I kinda think the ACM degradation is being heavily exaggerated...I kinda thought it made a difference myself but that coulda been me thinking it should make a difference and then me hearing a difference because of that mindset.