[XIX47]

Hello, I own the SB Z version and you guys may be able to assist me with my dilemma:
 
I have been having issues lately with some "crackling" or "popping noises" from listening to my FLAC tracks on Foobar2000. Here is my audio setup:
 
Headphones: AKG K-712 Pro
Headphone Amp: O2
Soundcard: Soundblaster Z
Speakers: Old Altec Lansings (barely use anymore).
 
I have adjusted the db volume to -10 but it still occurs on certain parts of the certain tracks. This occurs even My old CD/DVD drive is partially broken, so I bought an external version and it works well so far. I have tested the tracks with my speakers and crackling/popping noises are still present, so that rules out the Headphones & AMP. The CDs were bought new in their original shrinkwrap, so it is doubtful they are the source of the crackling sounds.
 
So, it appears it is the SB Z that is making these distortions. I have the O2 amp connected to the SB Z using the Headphone Out line.
 
Is there any suggestions on why the SB Z is most likely making these sounds, and what changes are needed to fix this issue? Windows says I have the latest drivers for the SB Z, so I do not believe the drivers are at fault here.
 
Thanks.

 

[genclaymore]

Don't use the headphone out when your using the O2 amp, plug the O2 amp into the Line out on the card. Because it sound like the issues is coming signal being double ampped.

 

[itsDanny]

A miscellaneous anomaly I found just now is that when playing audio from dictionary.com for a particular word or even Google, the sound is only being output to the left side of my headphones. However, with 'Speakers' selected in the 'Speakers/Headphones/ panel in the Control Panel, the sound is being output fine, it's just the headphones.
 
Any ideas why this is occurring and how to remedy this?

 

[genclaymore]

Is one of the pins bent on the headphone cable, or is it in all in the headphones. or the connection on the sound card.

 

[SaLX]

  Don't use the headphone out when your using the O2 amp, plug the O2 amp into the Line out on the card. Because it sound like the issues is coming signal being double ampped.

He won't get surround that way if I'm not mistaken genclaymore (you must've forgotten!) 

. Quite a few people have the O2 connected via the headphone out on their SBZ and I've never read of anybody having this same problem, even though they are double amping.
 
Maybe it's a latency issue??

 

[genclaymore]

 
He won't get surround that way if I'm not mistaken genclaymore (you must've forgotten!) 

. Quite a few people have the O2 connected via the headphone out on their SBZ and I've never read of anybody having this same problem, even though they are double amping.
 
Maybe it's a latency issue??

I had double amping cause popping and crackle for me when I ran the DGX to my little dot MK 2 and I had to change it from headphone to stereo in the output to fix it so i figure it may be a reason why it doing it to him. But then I forgot the Z hp amp chip is dynamic and work differently then the cards with gain settings.  Yea I think I could be thinking of the Recon3D I had which did put sound out both headphone's and line out. Actually my sound blaster omni does send the audio signal out of both Line out and Headphone amp out besides the option to do it thru toslink as I just tried it,so maybe the Z will do it too. You could be right and It could be Latency issue , he might has to raise it or lower it but I also had it with the X-FI as well but only when I had it on asio but not when I had it on Wasapi.

 

[NCSUZoSo]

You definitely should not be double amping; if you read anywhere online you will see the same thing.  I think the only reason you do it is if the first amp is not strong enough to drive the headphones you are using.
 
I just spent 3 days trying to fix my ZXR and come to find out it had nothing to do with it.  I had a bad cable driving the rear channels and it made me assume I had a driver issue.  I will say unless you have a damn good reason to upgrade your drivers on the ZXR, leave them alone.  The latest drivers froze on uninstall and I had to manually remove everything..  I put the drivers found on the CD back on the card and still had no rears, lol.  That is when I took a multi-meter to the output to check it and it was fine, that is what lead me to the cables since my Yamaha RX-V863 is showing 5.1 and it's in Pure Direct mode.
 
Long story short, it's not always the software or even the card causing a problem.

 

[XIX47]

  Don't use the headphone out when your using the O2 amp, plug the O2 amp into the Line out on the card. Because it sound like the issues is coming signal being double ampped.

 
I plugged the O2 amp into Line out and the crackling/static noises are still there, though I no longer have to adjust the DB on Foobar2000 any longer.
 
I am not quite sure I understand what Latency is, or how I can fix it if it is indeed very high. Is there any software to detect the level of latency on my PC?

 

[NCSUZoSo]

Are you using something to bypass the windows audio stack in foobar2000?  For example the WASAPI plugin.  If so try all the possibilities (Push, Event, and normal Windows), if you aren't using something then try it.  It might not fix this, but when you do fix it you'll want it and who knows, maybe it will fix it out of chance.
 
 
 
BTW, does anyone have this?
 
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Pink-Floyd-The-Division-Bell-Blu-ray/104533/
 
Can you PM me if you do, I'd like to talk about it in detail considering the cost.  I already have the two available Pink Floyd Immersion Sets and I know what to expect.  I want to find out if this lives up to the same type of quality.

 

[XIX47]

  Are you using something to bypass the windows audio stack in foobar2000?  For example the WASAPI plugin.  If so try all the possibilities (Push, Event, and normal Windows), if you aren't using something then try it.  It might not fix this, but when you do fix it you'll want it and who knows, maybe it will fix it out of chance.
 
 
 
BTW, does anyone have this?
 
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Pink-Floyd-The-Division-Bell-Blu-ray/104533/
 
Can you PM me if you do, I'd like to talk about it in detail considering the cost.  I already have the two available Pink Floyd Immersion Sets and I know what to expect.  I want to find out if this lives up to the same type of quality.

I did download the WASAPI add-on for Foobar2000, and I did not hear a difference unfortunately. The music I am listening to is classical from the Star Wars Trilogy & LOTR. I am not sure what else I can do; the crackling is frequently present in the SW tracks while it occurs maybe only in one LOTR track based on my limited testing. 
 
I will say that with Genclaymore's advice of undoing the double amping, the SQ is improved for both gaming and music, especially with the bass. I can switch to Stereo sound for music, and 5.1 Surround for gaming. Thanks Gen.

 

[AvroArrow]

  Yes you can and it works decent but I would recommend that dolby headphone instead, I think it works better.
The way I have it setup is that I use the optical toslink out on the ZXR to my dac. So if I'm playing games I get all the soundblaster effects going out there.
However - when I'm playing music I have foobar set to wasapi event and the toslink output so it bypasses all windows and sound blaster effects.
It's great combo, best of both worlds without changing a single setting.

 

 
I apologize if this isn't quite the right thread since it's more of a SB Z thread but has anyone got that above setup working on a X-Fi Titanium (SB0880)?  I'm trying to get either WASAPI or ASIO drivers in foobar to work with the SPDIF output of my X-Fi Titanium and all I end up with is a completely frozen Win7x64 box (requires reset/power button to get out of).  I can get DirectSound over SPDIF or WASAPI over speakers (3.5mm output), but not WASAPI over SPDIF.  It freezes the same when I try WASAPI with MediaMonkey player so I don't think it's a foobar2000 problem. 

 

[HFCOBRA]

I know this has been asked in this thread before but I like getting just one more answer to my question.  I already did a search, but I would like to ask anyway.  
 
 
I have a Xonar Essence STX card right now.  I use it for both my HD650s and my PC360s depending if I am gaming or listening to music.  I have been thinking about getting the ZxR card so that I can try out their virtual surround sound in my games, but I would like to know that I am getting a little more for my money compared to the card that I already have.
 
Does the ZxR have any other features over the STX?  I hear the quality for both is nearly identical.  How does the positional audio for games compare between the two?
 
Has anyone here gone from an ST or STX to the ZxR?  Any impressions?

 

[itsDanny]

  I know this has been asked in this thread before but I like getting just one more answer to my question.  I already did a search, but I would like to ask anyway.  
 
 
I have a Xonar Essence STX card right now.  I use it for both my HD650s and my PC360s depending if I am gaming or listening to music.  I have been thinking about getting the ZxR card so that I can try out their virtual surround sound in my games, but I would like to know that I am getting a little more for my money compared to the card that I already have.
 
Does the ZxR have any other features over the STX?  I hear the quality for both is nearly identical.  How does the positional audio for games compare between the two?
 
Has anyone here gone from an ST or STX to the ZxR?  Any impressions?

 
I have come from the ST to the ZxR. Music is slightly better on the ST compared to the ZxR before any sort of tweaks. In regards to the virtual surround sound, it is great for me, but depending on your personal tastes, your experiences may vary...\
 
Both of these cards beats my FiiO E17 though! Right now it's collecting dust...
 
I'm listening through a pair of ATH-M50Xs btw.

 

[Moomoomao]

Hi guys,
 
I am running Zx -> optical modi -> magni -> dt 880s. I wanted to have the schiit stack while preserving the SBX effects; however, I hear no changes when modifying settings in the control panel. When I press the play demo thing under SBX studio it also shows sound playing on speaker but not through optical.
 
Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[benbenkr]

  Hi guys,
 
I am running Zx -> optical modi -> magni -> dt 880s. I wanted to have the schiit stack while preserving the SBX effects; however, I hear no changes when modifying settings in the control panel. When I press the play demo thing under SBX studio it also shows sound playing on speaker but not through optical.
 
Any advice would be appreciated!

 
Did you enable Play stereo mix to optical out under Advanced Features?