[Povell42]

Quote:

Hey guys a quick question. 
I'm currently running my DT990's out of the Soundblaster Z via the dedicated headphone out so that they're amped. I'm trying to figure out if a dedicated amp would add to the sound quality. So my question is: if I connect the headphones through the Line Out 1 jack (Front L/R) on the soundcard to a dedicated amp will I be able to use the virtual surround (SBX studio pro) features? When connecting the headphones via the Line Out jack the only way to get sound is to switch to speakers in the soundcard settings. I'm reading in the manual that:
 
I'm worried that what I'm about to do would qualify as Stereo Direct and I would loose the virtual surround for gaming and music. 
Does anyone know how this works?
Thanks.

 
I think you will lose the surround sound effect and it will be in stereo.  But I guess I am not 100% sure.  Have you tested it out yet? Let me know if it works out as I have thought about getting an external amp but did not because I just assumed I would lose the virtual surround.

 

[ahm12]

 
 
In this video at 40 seconds, one can see it lets you select normal gain or high gain headphones, i dont see that option , is there any advance setting i am missing?? i cant find it ??

 

[kupco]

I think you will lose the surround sound effect and it will be in stereo.  But I guess I am not 100% sure.  Have you tested it out yet? Let me know if it works out as I have thought about getting an external amp but did not because I just assumed I would lose the virtual surround.

Actually it looks like you still have the option to use virtual surround after switching to speakers and connecting the headphones via line out. My Schiit Magni is coming on Monday, so I will test it then. You can test it yourself though simply by connecting your headphones via line out and enabling the virtual surround...

//edit: so I have just tested hooking up my DT990's to the line out and enabling the virtual surround. Unfortunately I have to say that the surround is no way as good as when the headphones are connected via the headphone out. I actually quite hated it. I'll see if I can hook up my Magni via the headphone out (not sure how double amping will work), but for gaming the virtual surround via headphone out is clearly superior to the one from line out.

//edit2: just read in this thread that you should not install speaker positional options when installing drivers to have line out sound best for virtual surround. Will try to reinstall my drivers tomorrow to see if there is any change...

 

[Povell42]

Quote:

//edit2: just read in this thread that you should not install speaker positional options when installing drivers to have line out sound best for virtual surround. Will try to reinstall my drivers tomorrow to see if there is any change...

Nice. Let us know what you think.   

 

[naseemckhan]

Hi guys I'm new here. I am considering getting soundblaster zx, theres something about the optical input i wanna know, i hope those who own the cards can help me out, is it possible to input the sound from my tv into the card and output to my speakers?    

 

[pmc64]

Does the zxr use hardware openal or eax at all? How does it work?

 

[turokrocks]

Quote:

Hi guys I'm new here. I am considering getting soundblaster zx, theres something about the optical input i wanna know, i hope those who own the cards can help me out, is it possible to input the sound from my tv into the card and output to my speakers?    

It should be an easy/straightforward process, as the ZXR (sister board) got in/out Toslink, so this should work.
I see no reason for this not to work.

 

[Povell42]

Quote:

Hi guys I'm new here. I am considering getting soundblaster zx, theres something about the optical input i wanna know, i hope those who own the cards can help me out, is it possible to input the sound from my tv into the card and output to my speakers?    

 
Yes. I have done this myself. I actually had my xbox hooked to my TV via HDMI and then used the optical out on my TV to connect to the Sound Blaster optical-in.
 
You have to make sure that the audio going into the the sound card from you TV is in stereo.  It will not recognize Dolby Digital.  So for me I had to go into my xbox settings and disable the 5.1 sound option so it would send a stereo signal.  So whatever audio source you are using just make sure it is sending out stereo.
 
You can use the the SBX software's surround sound option along with all the other adjustments such as bass boost and the equalizer. 
 
I would suggest getting the Sound Blaster Z instead of the Zx. It is the exact same sound card. The only difference is the Audio Control Module (ACM) and the ACM degrades audio quality.  The Zx has a little better microphone built into the ACM....but it is not $50 worth for the price difference. 
 
For more detail on the Zx model - I wrote a review on amazon.  Here is a link:  http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-Gaming-Control-SB1506/product-reviews/B009XDWUCQ/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_three?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addThreeStar&showViewpoints=0
 
My user name is Povell42 on amazon as well.

 

[turokrocks]

Quote:

 
Yes. I have done this myself. I actually had my xbox hooked to my TV via HDMI and then used the optical out on my TV to connect to the Sound Blaster optical-in.
 
You have to make sure that the audio going into the the sound card from you TV is in stereo.  It will not recognize Dolby Digital.  So for me I had to go into my xbox settings and disable the 5.1 sound option so it would send a stereo signal.  So whatever audio source you are using just make sure it is sending out stereo.
 
You can use the the SBX software's surround sound option along with all the other adjustments such as bass boost and the equalizer. 

So Dolby Digital is not supported by the ZXR , as stream?
 
I understood that it is supported!!
 
 
edit : http://www.dolby.com/us/en/consumer/technology/home-theater/dolby-digital-live.html
        http://www.soundblaster.com/products/sound-blaster-zxr.aspx#specs

 

[Povell42]

Quote:

So Dolby Digital is not supported by the ZXR , as stream?
 
I understood that it is supported!!

 
It will output an encode Dolby Digital via optical-out. But if you hook up your TV....or any other source via optical-in to the sound card - it must be stereo.
 
Simplified:
                       Optical input - only stereo is recognized
 
                       Optical output - you can tell it to either be stereo or encode it as Dobly digital. (this                  would be used to plug into a Dolby Digital 5.1 receiver which your speakers are hooked up to)
 
So if you are plugging you TV into the sound card via the optical input - it needs to be in stereo and then you use the software for the sound card to make it surround sound.  (this is not dolby digital)
 
If you take that signal via the optical output from the card, the card can encode that signal out as Dolby Digital.   This is useful for plugging it into a home audio receiver for Dolby Digital 5.1
 
Does that make sense?

 

[Povell42]

Here is a link form creative about it.
 
http://support.creative.com/kb/ShowArticle.aspx?sid=107680
 
 
QUOTE:
 
"The PCIe Sound Blaster Optical-In takes in only PCM audio and not the surround encoded signals like Dolby Digital and DTS. Please note that the sound card's drivers do not have the built-in decoder to decode signals coming from Dolby Digital and DTS. "
 
"For gaming console such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 connected to the Optical-In of the sound card, the audio settings have to be configured to run PCM Audio."
 
 
    So, the card can not DECODE the Dolby or DTS.   BUT,  it will ENCODE Dolby and DTS via optical output.

 

[turokrocks]

Quote:

 
It will output an encode Dolby Digital via optical-out. But if you hook up your TV....or any other source via optical-in to the sound card - it must be stereo.
 
Simplified:
                       Optical input - only stereo is recognized
 
                       Optical output - you can tell it to either be stereo or encode it as Dobly digital. (this                  would be used to plug into a Dolby Digital 5.1 receiver which your speakers are hooked up to)
 
So if you are plugging you TV into the sound card via the optical input - it needs to be in stereo and then you use the software for the sound card to make it surround sound.  (this is not dolby digital)
 
If you take that signal via the optical output from the card, the card can encode that signal out as Dolby Digital.   This is useful for plugging it into a home audio receiver for Dolby Digital 5.1
 
Does that make sense?

Thank you for explaining, so I need a card that "Decode (not encode only as per the ZXR) Dolby Digital", to get the optical input to recognize 5.1?

 

[Povell42]

Just to make it clear. This sound card processes its own 5.1 surround sound. Just like Dolby Digital and DTS are two different types of surround processing. So you will get 5.1 surround sound from you computer speakers. Just like it takes computer games and makes it 5.1 surround sound.
 
The card does a very nice job in processing its own surround sound - heck, maybe even better then Dolby Digital.  Dolby Digital is not all that great......but it is the standard we have all come to know.
 
The reason the sound card encodes Dolby Digital and DTS is so you can take your PC sound and plug it into a home theater receiver - and home theater receiver usually only understand and process those types of surround sound
 
This sound card has its own processing power and has the software to set up a 5.1 system with speaker position as well and individual channel levels.
 
This is the exact same for all Creatives sound cards including the ZxR model.
 
This is a great sound card and I recommend it to you....even for the purpose you are using it for.  
 
I do not know for sure but I am unaware of a PC input card that will read and recognize (decode) a Dolby or  DTS signal. 
 
 
Does that make sense to you?

 

[kupco]

Ok, so after thoroughly testing the headphone out and line out on my Soundblaster Z, I can safely say, that the virtual surround via headphone out is clearly superior to the one from line out. When using the line out virtual surround I'm unable to distinguish between front and back sound and the sound feels a little bit like stereo (sound switching from right to left and the transition when turning around a sound source is not smooth). None of this is present via headphone out - sound source direction is easily identified and the sound truly feels like it's all around you.

Now I just wish Crewative wouldn't be stupid and enable the headphone setting also via line out, which is said to have superior sound quality in stereo and is unnamped (for those who have an external headphone amp). This is how it worked on my old Xtreme Gamer Fatality. I don't want to go back though as I feel the virtual surround on the Z is vastly superior to the cmss-3d to the Extreme Gamer Fatality.

Now next week I'll be testing how hooking up the Schiit Magni to the amped headphone out will sound with my DT990's and with the HD650's I'll hopefully buy on Monday. Will post back with my experiences...

 

[DJINFERNO806]

Quote:

Ok, so after thoroughly testing the headphone out and line out on my Soundblaster Z, I can safely say, that the virtual surround via headphone out is clearly superior to the one from line out. When using the line out virtual surround I'm unable to distinguish between front and back sound and the sound feels a little bit like stereo (sound switching from right to left and the transition when turning around a sound source is not smooth). None of this is present via headphone out - sound source direction is easily identified and the sound truly feels like it's all around you.

Now I just wish Crewative wouldn't be stupid and enable the headphone setting also via line out, which is said to have superior sound quality in stereo and is unnamped (for those who have an external headphone amp). This is how it worked on my old Xtreme Gamer Fatality. I don't want to go back though as I feel the virtual surround on the Z is vastly superior to the cmss-3d to the Extreme Gamer Fatality.

Now next week I'll be testing how hooking up the Schiit Magni to the amped headphone out will sound with my DT990's and with the HD650's I'll hopefully buy on Monday. Will post back with my experiences...

 
Ofcourse the virtual surround through headphone out is superior.  It was made with HRTF as its primary function.  The line out is made to virtualize surround with external speakers in front of you.  Completely different audio cues and timing.