[lukas026]

hello there guys
 
I am new owner of the Creative ZxR and Sennheiser 360 headset and I would like know info about it.
 
I am not completly sure which "Headphone Gain setting" in control panel should I use with my set (I dont want to destroy it). 32/300ohm or the 600ohm setting ?
 
Also what other settings should I change in creative control panel to get the best experience for games and movies ?
 
Thanks

 

[Evshrug]

Chilko,
I just don't know... Don't know anything about your current equip so I can't compare.


Lukas026,
With the PC360, I think those are 32 Ohm headphones, so you would want to use the lower gain settings to keep it from sounding too loud.

I generally use SBX mode on with just surround effect activated (I spent several hours one day comparing different % of surround, ended up liking 100% the best but you may prefer 67%, I feel like I need 100% for good rear cues), everything else off while gaming. During movies, I like to turn on the dialogue plus and bass options, with the bass "crossover" turned low to boost the ambient bass (lot of fun). Make sure windows is set to select the sound card, and your games set to output surround. NamelessPFG has a setup guide thread on HeadFi, look for that

 

[SaLX]

@Stiv - great write-up. Makes perfect sense.
 
 
 

  I have Audigy 2 ZS and just got Marantz PM6004 to which i plan to connect it.
I wonder is it worth it to upgrade to SB Z in terms of sound quality?

For speakers > yes perhaps upgrade for the new features, mind you that is a very good card even though it was released almost 10 years ago .. for headphones no (does your stereo amplifier have a headphone out?? - even then no for headphone surround gaming with the current Sound Blasters).
 
Maybe consider the ZxR as it's top of the line as was the Audigy back in the day.

 

[Solarium]

I'm debating to whether keep my TiHD or to switch to the SBZ that I bought recently on sale for $65. I'm planning to upgrade to windows 8.1 soon, and I hear that creative drivers for TiHD would not work for it? Can anyone confirm this, if so I may in fact need to switch to SBZ even if it will cause me some degrade in SQ due to the lesser DAC.

 

[Anarion]

For speakers > yes perhaps upgrade for the new features, mind you that is a very good card even though it was released almost 10 years ago .. for headphones no (does your stereo amplifier have a headphone out?? - even then no for headphone surround gaming with the current Sound Blasters).

Maybe consider the ZxR as it's top of the line as was the Audigy back in the day.

Audigy 2 ZS is is miles behind any Z series cards. Not only is ZS driver support pretty much gone but the DAC in it is way worse and it lack headphone amp. option. And then there's the 48 kHz thing too...

 

[PurpleAngel]

  I'm debating to whether keep my TiHD or to switch to the SBZ that I bought recently on sale for $65. I'm planning to upgrade to windows 8.1 soon, and I hear that creative drivers for TiHD would not work for it? Can anyone confirm this, if so I may in fact need to switch to SBZ even if it will cause me some degrade in SQ due to the lesser DAC.

Are you using an external headphone amplifier with the Ti-HD?
What headphones do you have?
What speakers do you have?
 
The CD4398 DAC chip used in the SB-Z is considered a fairly good DAC chip.
I doubt you would hear a noticeable difference in audio quality, for gaming, between the SB-Z and Ti-HD.
Might be a noticeable difference for music?

 

[chilko]

 
For speakers > yes perhaps upgrade for the new features, mind you that is a very good card even though it was released almost 10 years ago .. for headphones no (does your stereo amplifier have a headphone out?? - even then no for headphone surround gaming with the current Sound Blasters).
 
Maybe consider the ZxR as it's top of the line as was the Audigy back in the day.

 
yes, i intend to listen through speakers.
ZxR is over my budget so maybe i should look for budget usb dac.

 

[Solarium]

  Are you using an external headphone amplifier with the Ti-HD?
What headphones do you have?
What speakers do you have?
 
The CD4398 DAC chip used in the SB-Z is considered a fairly good DAC chip.
I doubt you would hear a noticeable difference in audio quality, for gaming, between the SB-Z and Ti-HD.
Might be a noticeable difference for music?

Not currently using an amp, but will get the Schiit Magni one of these days (hard to justify spending $100 on amp when the HP cost like $180, and not sure if it makes a huge difference for the headphones I'm using). Also using Klipsch iFi 2.1 speakers and HD598 (as we discussed earlier on the forums).
 
A plus of the SB-Z is that I can have both of my speaker and headphones plugged in at the same time, downside is that the amp isn't really that good with high output impedance. But I want longevity of the sound card too, and if creative is going to stop producing drivers for the TiHD with future Windows OS releases, that may be a huge problem. 

 

[watsaname]

  Not currently using an amp, but will get the Schiit Magni one of these days (hard to justify spending $100 on amp when the HP cost like $180, and not sure if it makes a huge difference for the headphones I'm using). Also using Klipsch iFi 2.1 speakers and HD598 (as we discussed earlier on the forums).
 
A plus of the SB-Z is that I can have both of my speaker and headphones plugged in at the same time, downside is that the amp isn't really that good with high output impedance. But I want longevity of the sound card too, and if creative is going to stop producing drivers for the TiHD with future Windows OS releases, that may be a huge problem. 

I would say be careful with your choice of cables. I have monoprice premium cables and they will NOT  both be able fit into the card at the same time. I have to go behind my computer and switch between my 3.5 for my speakers and 3.5 for my headphones. But at least it automatically switches from headphones to speakers and vice versa in the software.

 

[Solarium]

The E12 and E17 on sale for $90... Decisions decisions, how is the E12 vs the Magni?

 

[Skipshrike]

Has anyone else had odd experiences while playing Call of Duty Ghosts with SBX? It sounds like every explosion is right on top of me. When I use DDL out of the card it sounds normal. Rather odd.

Haha so now I'm back to DDL out of the optical and through my mixamp to the X1's. Saves me from switching me settings around when moving to Ghosts after BF4.

 

[muksuluuri]

Has anyone else had odd experiences while playing Call of Duty Ghosts with SBX? It sounds like every explosion is right on top of me. When I use DDL out of the card it sounds normal. Rather odd.
 

 
How are your settings in the SBX Pro Studio?
I'm also having troubles, namely the volume going very low from time to time for no apparent reason; it's no "going deaf" effect after being hit by a flashbang or anything like that, the master level just seems to drop for a few seconds and after that it gets back to normal.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Not currently using an amp, but will get the Schiit Magni one of these days (hard to justify spending $100 on amp when the HP cost like $180, and not sure if it makes a huge difference for the headphones I'm using). Also using Klipsch iFi 2.1 speakers and HD598 (as we discussed earlier on the forums).
 
A plus of the SB-Z is that I can have both of my speaker and headphones plugged in at the same time, downside is that the amp isn't really that good with high output impedance. But I want longevity of the sound card too, and if creative is going to stop producing drivers for the TiHD with future Windows OS releases, that may be a huge problem. 

If you install the SB-Z, I guess you would not need to buy an external headphone amplifier, in the future.
Guess you could sell off the Ti-HD.
Also if Creative stops supporting the Ti-HD with software updates, they may not tell anyone, at least for awhile.
I would assume Creative is going to put most of their resources in driver support for the Z series.

 

[Solarium]

  If you install the SB-Z, I guess you would not need to buy an external headphone amplifier, in the future.
Guess you could sell off the Ti-HD.
Also if Creative stops supporting the Ti-HD with software updates, they may not tell anyone, at least for awhile.
I would assume Creative is going to put most of their resources in driver support for the Z series.

Looks like they're still supporting it for 8.1, with a release of new drivers early Jan, 2014:
 
http://support.creative.com/kb/showarticle.aspx?sid=61105
 
Gonna stick with the TiHD's and test out a Magni from Amazon with it, at least with the new prime shipping option I can return it free of cost.

 

[DJINFERNO806]

How are your settings in the SBX Pro Studio?
I'm also having troubles, namely the volume going very low from time to time for no apparent reason; it's no "going deaf" effect after being hit by a flashbang or anything like that, the master level just seems to drop for a few seconds and after that it gets back to normal. :basshead:

It sounds like you may have smart volume on. You described what it does almost exactly.

Also this may be useful for those of you using sbx surround, I did some testing with its values a while back and posting my findings on overclock.net, but here they are,


"So I did some more analytical testing with the sbx surround slider. I have come to one conclusion and setting to rule them all lol, 67%.

The reason is I find its the best compromise of accuracy and surround immersion.

The higher I go towards 100% the less accurate the sound stage begins to be. Let me try and explain.

So if a sound came from my rear right at lets say coordinates (10,10). At 67% I can hear that its at (10,10) but at 100% I can only tell its in between my rear right and my absolute right, or (5 to 10, 5 to 10).

Another explanation is the channels start to bleed together. Lower than 67% you lose immersion and the channels start to close off and you begin to get a straight stereo effect without any hrtf.

Hope that makes sense.

For me accuracy is more important so that's why I pick this. Also I felt like it muffled or exaggerated sounds at distances when set towards 100%(as has been mentioned by xshollywood as well before) Hard to explain this one but maybe it messes with the volume and eq of some sounds.

67% seems best at emulating a properly calibrated and eq'd 5.1 home theatre(I use mine in comparison). Seems reasonable that creative would use this as default.

As always whatever sounds best to you is the best choice."