[DJINFERNO806]

What do you mean with the bolded part? And what I'm wondering is if you can with the Omni select either each of those 3 options, speakers, headphones or 5.1 surround when headphone is plugged to the headphone jack. 


Believe me I've tried every possible config with the ZxR and hoped it would be something I've missed, I've 3-4 times took it out of the box and did some tests only to come to the same conclusions as last time, no matter how I config it I can't get satisfied with the soundstaging, it's too closed in and too diffuze imaging. I'm willing to give maybe Omni a try in hope for that it has a better configured "HRTF"/speaker mode processing.

The bolded part answers your question that you just asked.

The z series and omni do not allow headphone hrtf to be sent through the linE outs. The device automatically choses which surround algorithm to use based on what ports you chose.

Switching to stereo/5.1 enables line out and switching to headphones enables headphone out.

I think your distaste with the imaging may be attributed with the headamp IC itself? As you said the line outs sound good to you no? The only difference in stereo and headphones selected is the port it comes out of and the type of surround. So the hardware must account for the sound difference.

I'd you really want to test that theory out, run some music in asio for both line outs and headphone out. The asio will use its own driver and bypass the z driver and in turn its DSP effects or any "software imaging" you may be hearing.

 

[ihaveworms]

The bolded part answers your question that you just asked.

The z series and omni do not allow headphone hrtf to be sent through the linE outs. The device automatically choses which surround algorithm to use based on what ports you chose.

Switching to stereo/5.1 enables line out and switching to headphones enables headphone out.

I think your distaste with the imaging may be attributed with the headamp IC itself? As you said the line outs sound good to you no? The only difference in stereo and headphones selected is the port it comes out of and the type of surround. So the hardware must account for the sound difference.

I'd you really want to test that theory out, run some music in asio for both line outs and headphone out. The asio will use its own driver and bypass the z driver and in turn its DSP effects or any "software imaging" you may be hearing.

 
I have question in regards to this. I have a sound blaster Z and am having a set of DT 990 250ohm premiums delivered today. I have seen some say an amp isn't necessary and the built in one will be just fine while others say an amp really helps. My concern is losing the headphone HRTF when I use a amp via lineout. Is it worth losing the HRTF for an amp? I using my computer for gaming, listening to music, and the occasional movie. 

 

[DJINFERNO806]

Whether losing the hrtf is worth it depends how much gaming you do. And how much you need virtual surround to game.

Personally I need surround so I use optical out of the z to an amp/DAC combo. My z alone did not power my DT 770 properly. Switching to the zxr right away alleviated that. I also did some quick estimated math on the power output of the z and If remember it was like 20-30ish mW into 250 ohms. But that's in my case as I listen to my cans loud.

Also most users have reported double amping with the headphone out to sound good still. So there's that.

 

[Sorrows End]

I just picked up a set of hd650's and am currently using a ZXR for a soundcard.
 
Any recommendations of better oamps to use with the current card or should I invest in a good external headphone amp?
 
The headphones sound much better than my hd595's though the ZXR but they seem to capable of so much more.

 

[ihaveworms]

Also most users have reported double amping with the headphone out to sound good still. So there's that.

Ah I thought that would have caused a problem like propagating noise or something. 
 
I will play with the HRTF and see if I can live with/without it. Would a FiiO E09K be a good choice for DT990 250ohm?

 

[DJINFERNO806]

Ah I thought that would have caused a problem like propagating noise or something. 

Apparently as long as the amp has a low noise floor, that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Apparently as long as the amp has a low noise floor, that shouldn't be an issue.

I can confirm this, even with ZO2.1 that was discontinued quickly due to high noise floor (unability to use with many IEMs as a result), it's pretty much dead silent with ZxR until you go to dangeously high volume levels (to the point I wouldn't dare klick play anymore).

 

[SaLX]

Apparently as long as the amp has a low noise floor, that shouldn't be an issue.

Yeah Ihaveworms (eek!) the goto amps like the O2 or Magni do the trick.

 

[ihaveworms]

 
I can confirm this, even with ZO2.1 that was discontinued quickly due to high noise floor (unability to use with many IEMs as a result), it's pretty much dead silent with ZxR.

Excuse my ignorance, but are you saying the SB-Z has a low noise floor and therefore should be ok to be double amped? 
 

  Yeah Ihaveworms (eek!) the goto amps like the O2 or Magni do the trick.
 

 
Ah ok thanks! Given the o2, Magni, or FiiO E09K, what would be the best choice? 

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

  Excuse my ignorance, but are you saying the SB-Z has a low noise floor and therefore should be ok to be double amped? 

Oh, not sure about the Z, the ZxR has very low noise floor though.

 

[DJINFERNO806]

Ya the z has a really low noise floor from my experience. Trust me I crank my games and music up loud.

I'd go with the magni ihavewormss(seriously every time I read your name I laugh to myself). Its got the lowest output impedance, most power and great price.

I'd take the sound of the magni over the e09k any day. However I've never heard the O2 but apparently its pretty transparent.

 

[ihaveworms]

Alright thanks guys, I ordered the magni

 

[Anarion]

This still doesn't work for me, no matter what I do. Works with Gears of War, Bioshock, Mirror's Edge etc...very fine, just not here. SBX doesn't tick off. 

Select stereo speakers from Creative CP, then select 5.1 speakers from Windows CP and tick SBX. If you want to use SBX speaker HRTF that is. If SBX stays on in OpenAL games like Mirror's Edge, it means that you are using Generic Software (which 99% sure is the case unless you have manually edited the config file).

 

[yoyo711]

  SBZ for Games/Movies with surround sound (plus you get a nice control panel with a lot of nice options). Get an external amp if you're just into music.

 
Thanks for the reply
 
I just order Neweggs on SBZ it was on sale $57.99 free shipping
I'll try SBZ on my HD650 300ohm and computer speaker on Movies, music and games.
 
Thanks again

 

[germanium]

Germanium,
I'd love to modify my Recon3D USB like you did... but my only experience with soldering was in creating metal sculptures, not electronics, and I don't have a soldering iron. The recon3D USB is pretty much a "spare unit" right now though, do you have any suggestions?

 
Not much you can do with that as it is very small& some of my mods take a fair amount of room, a full expansion slot above the ZXR card is used for the metalized film capacitors as they are definitely not small by any stretch of the imagination. I suspect you usb soundcard is bus powered & has only one power supply rail for the analog out & as such can not even be direct coupled as you need 2 power supply rails going to the opamps in order to direct couple. Otherwise you would have at least 1volt if not 2.5 volts at the output. This voltage would cause problems for any amp that does not have an input capacitor.