[uluaz]

good to know! I'm really loving the sound card so far.

regarding the ACM, i have noticed no decrease in sound quality whatsoever with my beyeres by plugging them into the ACM as opposed to plugging them directly into the card.

also for those of you that are curious, here is a pic of the ZxR installed in my build - there is also a picture on my profile. Note that I do not use the daughterboard, because I currently have no need for it (if I ever do I can throw it right in) and I as stupid as it may sound, having it in slighly diminshes the aesthetics that I am going for - primarily because the flat cable is butt ugly.

http://i.imgur.com/vlqJZHX.jpg

 

[Kenion]

Quote:

good to know! I'm really loving the sound card so far.

regarding the ACM, i have noticed no decrease in sound quality whatsoever with my beyeres by plugging them into the ACM as opposed to plugging them directly into the card.

also for those of you that are curious, here is a pic of the ZxR installed in my build - there is also a picture on my profile. Note that I do not use the daughterboard, because I currently have no need for it (if I ever do I can throw it right in) and I as stupid as it may sound, having it in slighly diminshes the aesthetics that I am going for - primarily because the flat cable is butt ugly.

http://i.imgur.com/vlqJZHX.jpg

That all black-carbon fiber design looks really slick!
Thanks for sharing that picture!

 

[CoryGillmore]

Quote:

 
So, have you tested it by plugging it into the back of the card and comparing during games/music?
 
Do you have the surround sound feature on....as that was where I could tell the main difference in audio quality.
 
If you own an FPS test it out and listen to your gun fire. It is night and day.

Ok I've done some more testing. Maybe it does degrade a bit. Not as much as you're experiencing though. There has to be a problem with your setup somewhere. Using the ACM and with the software volume turned to 100 (in the Creative control panel), I can't handle turning the volume on the ACM past about 40%.
 
Although after testing without the ACM, I've decided to ditch it anyway (except for still using the mic, it's pretty sweet), because it's easier for me to adjust the volume with my keyboard since it's always in my lap. Now I can still use my keyboard to adjust volume while using the ACM too, but it takes longer as the increments aren't as big as with the keyboard alone. Plus it does make sense that the ACM would have a bit of a negative effect on SQ as it is more wires and more electronics in between the audio source and your ears. But I do believe you're having other issues of some sort cause like I said, I honestly can't hear much of a difference if any.

 

[spacemanspliff]

Quote:

Hi, would it be an upgrade for me going from an x-fi fatal1ty titanium either the Z/Zx or ZxR? I primarliy game so I'm wondering if the lack of hardware processing would make things better or worse.
 
Thanks

That would be a yes. I had your sound card and even my simple Z model is better much less the ZxR. More of an improvement in gaming and movie sound than for music.

 

[Povell42]

Quote:

Ok I've done some more testing. Maybe it does degrade a bit. Not as much as you're experiencing though. There has to be a problem with your setup somewhere. Using the ACM and with the software volume turned to 100 (in the Creative control panel), I can't handle turning the volume on the ACM past about 40%.
 
Although after testing without the ACM, I've decided to ditch it anyway (except for still using the mic, it's pretty sweet), because it's easier for me to adjust the volume with my keyboard since it's always in my lap. Now I can still use my keyboard to adjust volume while using the ACM too, but it takes longer as the increments aren't as big as with the keyboard alone. Plus it does make sense that the ACM would have a bit of a negative effect on SQ as it is more wires and more electronics in between the audio source and your ears. But I do believe you're having other issues of some sort cause like I said, I honestly can't hear much of a difference if any.

 
It could be something with my setup. But I have no issues with anything else and love the Sound Card itself with the Headphones plugged directly into the back.  I am currently using the Superlux HD668b headphone with it.  I am actually getting the Ultrasone Pro 900 in the mail tomorrow so I will test it with those, just to see if certain headphones emphasize the issue. 
 
I am kinda frustrated that I seem to be the only one that is experiencing a more dramatic change in audio quality through the ACM -  and I have tested 2 of them with the same result.  I will test it further and check out more games as well just to make sure that it is not just black ops 2 that suffers from it so dramatically. But to me it seem like the surround sound effect is somehow affected by the ACM.
 
I will agree that the mic is pretty good on it though.  It seems to be much better than the mic that came with the Z model.  I am definitely using it as a table top mic and a mic plug-in extension.    

 

[Evshrug]

Well, the mic being good is something, at least. So far though, you've only experienced this with Black Ops 2? I don't know why that would be, though I wasn't planning on getting that game anyway

 

[NamelessPFG]

Quote:

That would be a yes. I had your sound card and even my simple Z model is better much less the ZxR. More of an improvement in gaming and movie sound than for music.

 
I still have my doubts on that compared to the X-Fi line, to be honest...then again, you were never much of a fan of CMSS-3D Headphone, or even Game Mode on X-Fi cards in general.
 
You even played BF2 in Audio Creation Mode, from what I recall, and that of all games is one I'd insist on running in Game Mode. (On top of that, BF2's maxed-out audio settings don't sound right on the Recon3D USB, as is plainly obvious with the added reverb to menu sounds, so I don't hold much hope for the Z-series with the same Sound Core3D architecture that uses the same software OpenAL renderer with its flaws.)
 
Word is that Creative at least got their act together with the headphone amp section of the Z-series cards. That helps the value proposition for a lot of people.

 

[Povell42]

Quote:

Well, the mic being good is something, at least. So far though, you've only experienced this with Black Ops 2? I don't know why that would be, though I wasn't planning on getting that game anyway

 
I first noticed it with my music, then I tested Black ops 2...and the difference was so dramatic. So I compared it again with music I had no question that the ACM was defective (or so I thought). So I stopped using it. Then when the replacement came i retested it with the same music and game because I had already heard it with the other ACM to see if it had the same issue. When it did, I was kinda frustrated and just stopped using it again.
 
I am pretty confident that the sound quality will be degraded in any game...
 
But up till this point, I just have stopped using the ACM.  I am unable to test it out with other games tonight. But I will most likely tomorrow.  I am getting the Ultrasone Pro 900 delivered to me and I am interested to see if they emphasize the audio change as much as my HD668b.  It may be that my Superlux HD668b is extra sensitive to the audio difference due to frequency response?  I do not know yet.   I will let you know when I come to a conclusion and further investigate the issue.

 

[Anarion]

Ok I've done some more testing. Maybe it does degrade a bit. Not as much as you're experiencing though. There has to be a problem with your setup somewhere. Using the ACM and with the software volume turned to 100 (in the Creative control panel), I can't handle turning the volume on the ACM past about 40%.

Although after testing without the ACM, I've decided to ditch it anyway (except for still using the mic, it's pretty sweet), because it's easier for me to adjust the volume with my keyboard since it's always in my lap. Now I can still use my keyboard to adjust volume while using the ACM too, but it takes longer as the increments aren't as big as with the keyboard alone. Plus it does make sense that the ACM would have a bit of a negative effect on SQ as it is more wires and more electronics in between the audio source and your ears. But I do believe you're having other issues of some sort cause like I said, I honestly can't hear much of a difference if any.

I have to turn the volume to 10% and then keep the knob around the letter e in volume (so around 2/3) if I want to keep my hearing - that's with using line-out. Plugging it directly to the card is, well, unusable to me (just too loud; also I can't spot any degrade in audio quality when using ACM).

I'm not that impressed about the mic to be honest. Sound is unclear and it tends to amplify computer fan noise x10. Also I need to speak really loud. I could be just Steam though...

 

[Povell42]

Quote:

I have to turn the volume to 10% and then keep the knob around the letter e in volume (so around 2/3) if I want to keep my hearing - that's with using line-out. Plugging it directly to the card is, well, unusable to me (just too loud; also I can't spot any degrade in audio quality when using ACM).

I'm not that impressed about the mic to be honest. Sound is unclear and it tends to amplify computer fan noise x10. Also I need to speak really loud. I could be just Steam though...

Every headphone will act different to the volume level.  The reason I even brought up volume level was for a comparison of volume difference between the ACM and directly  plugging headphones into the sound card.  I did not mean that turning it up all the way was not loud....it was very loud and above normal listening levels. But it had less volume plugged into the ACM versus the card directly.
 
I was just giving evidence that the ACM dampens the amps power a little bit.
 
That was not my main concern with the ACM though. The sound degradation is what shocked me.

 

[Kenion]

Quote:

 
I first noticed it with my music, then I tested Black ops 2...and the difference was so dramatic. So I compared it again with music I had no question that the ACM was defective (or so I thought). So I stopped using it. Then when the replacement came i retested it with the same music and game because I had already heard it with the other ACM to see if it had the same issue. When it did, I was kinda frustrated and just stopped using it again.
 
I am pretty confident that the sound quality will be degraded in any game...
 
But up till this point, I just have stopped using the ACM.  I am unable to test it out with other games tonight. But I will most likely tomorrow.  I am getting the Ultrasone Pro 900 delivered to me and I am interested to see if they emphasize the audio change as much as my HD668b.  It may be that my Superlux HD668b is extra sensitive to the audio difference due to frequency response?  I do not know yet.   I will let you know when I come to a conclusion and further investigate the issue.

The Ultrasone Pro 900 is a great headphone! I'm sure you will be having a lot of fun with it =)

 

[Anarion]

Every headphone will act different to the volume level.  The reason I even brought up volume level was for a comparison of volume difference between the ACM and directly  plugging headphones into the sound card.  I did not mean that turning it up all the way was not loud....it was very loud and above normal listening levels. But it had less volume plugged into the ACM versus the card directly.

I was just giving evidence that the ACM dampens the amps power a little bit.

That was not my main concern with the ACM though. The sound degradation is what shocked me.

Of course and it makes me hope that I had less sensitive headphones. I have not noticed degradation but if it somehow lowers the power, then I guess it's quite possible for headphones that really need it.

 

[BetaWolf]

Lowers the power? Unless the potentiometer doesn't go full scale, you should get exactly the same amount of volume from having it turned to max as you would having your cans plugged directly into the sound card. The ACM leads will only add impedance in the milliohms or low single digit ohms.

 

[CoryGillmore]

Can someone please explain to me how to connect my RSA SR-71a portable amplifier to my ZxR using a 3.5mm cable? Cause I can't get it to work..Worked fine on my X-Fi Fatality Ti. Not that I need it on the ZxR but I'd still like to try it out, ya know?
 
EDIT: Nevermind I think I got it. I'm using the RCA to 3.5 adapter to connect the card to the amp. Then instead of the headphone setting in the Creative control panel , I set it to speakers and stereo. That gets audio to the amp. Although after testing, I don't see (hear) a need for it with my 250ohm DT880.

 

[turokrocks]

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