[Anarion]

If you really want the best audio quality when listening to standard stereo sources (when using headphone), uninstall speaker setup (especially important when using line out or the speaker position compensation will likely mess the sound stage, it totally destroyed it in my case), select 2.0 full range from windows CP, select stereo from creative CP and disable SBX.

When gaming, select 5.1 from windows (it's probably best to untick the full range option or it seems to boost bass), select headphone mode in creative cp and use headphone out and enable sbx if you want proper mixing (i.e. sounds behind you will sound different).

 

[DJINFERNO806]

I would leave the full range option on to be honest.  Let the Z/ZXR and your headphones figure out the LFE cutoff instead of letting windows do it for you.  I dont trust the windows mixer with anything to be honest lol.  Especially if it thinks you have a sub, it would seem you would lose some of the LFE signal or it would just never make it to your headphones.  If I could WASAPI/ ASIO my entire computer I would.
 
Would the speaker setup still mess up the sound stage even if you never ran it once?  There really isnt an option to uninstall it seperatly for me.

 

[Cullen Hoag]

Quote:

Been testing the ZxR again a little, it definitely seems to ignore windows control panel speaker settings in favor for Z-Series Control Panel (Skyrim that has broken positioning unless using 5.1 speakers didn't sound right until I turned on 5.1 speakers in Creative cpanel). For me my preferred setting is RCA outputs -> 5.1 Speakers in Creative control panel and only "Full Range" speaker options ("front left and right" and "surround speakers)  both enabled and everything like SBX etc disabled. This gets me closest to onboard soundstaging. With onboard I then also used to turn "Front" volume level in "Levels" tab in windows control panel to 97-98% down from 100% (it's like an additional volume slider of some sort but doesn't work quite like it) which do affect how the soundstage is processed (less in-your-face, more widespread and deeper) and this lead to even more natural and better soundstaging when using 5.1 speakers. With the Creative card there's no such volume slider so I don't get to adjust the soundstage in a similar way. The Creative card remains therefore a bit worse soundstage wise. I hate this....

Went from ASRock Extreme6 to ASUS Z87 ROG Maximus VI Gene only because the ASRock onboard chip had very noticeable EMI noise bleed. Well the ASUS Gene motherboard then again has NO EMI noise issues whatsoever but the config doesn't sound as good as the Extreme6 sound quality wise (too bassy, lack of mids and highs, muffled sounding). The Extreme6 does sound actually suprisingly close to ZxR sound quality wise (and balance-wise, very slightly less bass but mids and highs are suprisingly great) if using the amped front panel jack output (rear panel is definitely much worse sounding) but the EMI is a bit much on that board. MAAAAAAAAAN, do I hate this stuff.... seems like it's meant to be that I won't be able to find that ideal sound of mine.
 
X_x

The mixer setting allowed me to change the 'slider' as you call it.  I have a recon3d and it is the same interface from what I have seen.  What do you have in the mixer tab of the creative control panel?

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

The mixer setting allowed me to change the 'slider' as you call it.  I have a recon3d and it is the same interface from what I have seen.  What do you have in the mixer tab of the creative control panel?

 
No, they look the same but in Realtek there's a slider that's separate from windows volume control. Maybe have to retry an ASUS card, I believe C-Media is behind Realtek driver software too? There is a "Wave" slider apart from "left" and "right" with ASUS cards which probably is the same as "Front" slider in Realtek drivers. EDIT: Screw that, Wave is just part of win xp.
 
That "Front"-volume slider in Realtek I just happen to stumble upon as I needed finer adjustment of volume levels. When moving windows volume 1% did slightly too much when you were using in conjunction with headphone amp, I wanted like 0.5% increase. The Front audio slider had much finer precision but then I also started noticing, hey why do the music suddenly sound wider and deeper....

 

[icynrvna]

Hi, What would be the best settings for a 2.1 speaker system? Previously i had this setup:

Windows Sound Panel: Stereo
Sound Blaster Settings: Stereo + SBX ON

Now i have it setup to this:

Windows Sound Panel: 5.1 (rear, sides, sub disabled)
Sound Blaster Settings: 5.1 (rear, sides, sub disabled) + SBX ON
 
Im using a Edifier HCS2330 2.1 system. Also should i enable Full Range Settings for all channels using this speaker? Thanks alot
 

 

[DJINFERNO806]

Quote:

Hi, What would be the best settings for a 2.1 speaker system? Previously i had this setup:

Windows Sound Panel: Stereo
Sound Blaster Settings: Stereo + SBX ON

Now i have it setup to this:

Windows Sound Panel: 5.1 (rear, sides, sub disabled)
Sound Blaster Settings: 5.1 (rear, sides, sub disabled) + SBX ON
 
Im using a Edifier HCS2330 2.1 system. Also should i enable Full Range Settings for all channels using this speaker? Thanks alot
 

 
Dont disable any speakers in windows control panel because you will be missing channel information from the windows mixer.  That is if you want virtual surround from SBX.
 
In Sound Blaster, list your speaker setting as 2.1, left and right and sub.  Then enable SBX.  
 
You are messing up your sound with your current settings and losing channels/information.  If you dont want virtual surround from SBX, then just 2.1 in windows and 2.1 in Sound blaster with no SBX.  
 
The full range option depends on if your subwoofer/control box for your speakers has a crossover/LFE filter?  If it does then just enable full range in both windows and sound blaster and let it decide, thats what I do for my receiver to my speakers.  However if it cant filter LFE then enable full range in windows but not in Sound blaster and let it decide before going to speakers.
 
Do your speakers take a 2.1 signal or is it just a line out left and right?

 

[icynrvna]

The left and right satellite speakers connect to the sub using rca plugs and then the sub connects to the computer using a 3.5mm plug. But since im using a ZXR, i have a 3.5mm to dual rca connection.
 
heres the product info on my speakers:
 
http://www.edifier-international.com/products/edifier-multimedia/hcs2330

 

[DJINFERNO806]

So then leave full range on in both windows and sound blaster panel.  Let your amp and sub decide how to handle crossover.
 
In my audio experience it is always best to let the hardware handle the crossover as it will know what the speakers will reproduce and wont.  The difference would be if you had a cheap set of 2.0 speakers then i would let sound blaster zxr decide before sending signal out.
 
For my headphone listening, I have windows at full range and then I let the ZXR decide how to send out the signal via SBX hrtf.
 
For my hdmi out to my Denon receiver, I have it set at full range too and then let the receiver handle the crossover as I have set my crossover in my denon to what I want and is optimal.

 

[Fegefeuer]

Does your Z(xR) also revert back from full range after restart when using headphones (speakers are fine)? Someone here (or official forums) mentioned a creative rep stating this is intended for SBX (not to use full range on headphones). 

 

[Radical_53]

Yes, mine does it too. Any idea where you saw that quote, or what the intention behind this may have been?

 

[Fegefeuer]

I wish I could find it. I'll be mailing Creative about this. 

 

[DJINFERNO806]

Ya mine reverts as well I just noticed it.  oh well.
 
I do remember reading that on the official creative forums that they said you shouldnt use full range.   And I think it was me who mentioned it here some months ago.
 
For the life of me I cant see why you should use this but w.e 
 
I assume they know best.

 

[Anarion]

Ya mine reverts as well I just noticed it.  oh well.

I do remember reading that on the official creative forums that they said you shouldnt use full range.   And I think it was me who mentioned it here some months ago.

For the life of me I cant see why you should use this but w.e 

I assume they know best.

To me it sound like it will boost the bass oddly if you select everything as full range (when I tested it that way).

I noticed that HRTF stuff works even when using line out. If you select stereo full range speakers from sound blaster CP and the the standard 5.1 form windows CP and then enable SBX it will mix the 5.1 to stereo. Sounds kinda acceptable when SBX is at 10%. I'll do that every time I play Skyrim for now on.

 

[DJINFERNO806]

The hrtf will work just not as effective as the headphone out. Remember its trying to place a surround image from in front of you as though you have speakers. And I'm sure the effectiveness of this depends on the speaker position settings in that setup program.

I didn't want the hassle and downsides of all this just for a cleaner signal from the line outs, so I just got the zxr and added benefit of a really goof headamp .

 

[Anarion]

I have uninstalled speaker setup thingy because it messed up sound stage through line out when using headphones. Without it all is fine. Since I will use SBX only in Skyrim, this works well enough (and I use only line out). I highly prefer how OpenAL games sound through line out vs. headphone out (even in stereo mode with SBX disabled - it adds proper HRTF anyway in OpenAL). Spacious yet still accurate, great positioning behind too vs. all in your head muddy.