[conquerator2]

Well, dunno why, but now my X7 just stopped working altogether. All that turns on is the power indicator. I get absolutely no signal from any source/input. I have been trying for hours. Sigh.

Yep, I've been having these issues intermittently. Basically, try everything - disconnect everything, try different ports, reinstall the drivers, connect one thing at a time [power, usb, optical, etc.], fidget with the settings in windows...
Mine eventually started to work and has been working for a few days now 'knocks on wood'.
When it works, don't touch, don't change anything... Just

 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Mine is 100% dead despite the power light being on. Just don't understand why.

 

[Yethal]

Mine is 100% dead despite the power light being on. Just don't understand why.

Perhaps Direct Mode is engaged and You're trying to use any port other than USB

 

[wadec22]

Mine is 100% dead despite the power light being on. Just don't understand why.

Every time I convince myself to drop the $ on one of these I see a post like this and get cold feet.... Damn creative

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Perhaps Direct Mode is engaged and You're trying to use any port other than USB

No because regardless of what setting, the SBX can be toggled. Mine won't even do that.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

In any case, Creative is gonna take care of my dead as a doornail X7 directly. Thanks for the support Creative.

 

[Falkentyne]

 
The X7 has optical out, which I use to connect to 5.1 Logitech Z5500 speakers (it's awesomesauce...never heard them sound better).  It also has multiple other outputs, which may prove sufficient to drive the speakers without an additional amp.

 
Sorry for bumping this, but:
Two problems here!!
 
(PCM 2.0 only to Logitech z-5500, not 5.1 (3/2)...no dolby digital live option...
 
(the second one is more serious---how do you get wave files to play, especially repeated windows sound instances, without the sound breaking up, refusing to play or being poppy/scratchy?  QUICK AND DIRTY TEST!:

go to control panel ->sound->Asterisk (default windows sound) ,and press "Play" repeatedly quickly.
Notice that the playback doesn't work reliably?  it plays, stops, pauses, plays again and has pops.
 
Proper behavior is stopping the last sound instantly and restarting it...  HORRIBLE bug.....while not affecting normal games, this SERIOUSLY AFFECTS the Internet chess club 3.0 blitzin client!! (see below at the bottom)>
 
Anyway:

TOS LINK (Optical Out) 5.1?   How?
How did you get the X7 to output 5.1 to the Logitech Z5500 with optical out?!
The Logitech says "PCM 2.0" even though I have windows set to 5.1
The control panel for the X7 is also set to 5.1.


(it works perfectly in analog mode, but you said in your post you go 5.1 through digital......HOW?)
So...what's going on ?
 
On the X-fi Fatal1ty, you had to enable "Dolby digital Live" in order to get 5.1 through digital.  But there's no such thing on the X7!!
 
If I click on "SPDIF Out" and do a "Test" on dolby digital (Under properties), the Logitech changes to "3/2 48/16" and all 5 channels play on that test, but after the test is done, the Logitech display says "no optical data" for a second or two, then goes back to "PCM 2.0 stereo".
 
 
So....um......someone help?
 

(there's another problem with windows wave files and sounds not playing instantly or restarting (only wave files) but that's a different issue.  But this is ALSO related to the X7, as it does not happen on my X-fi, my USB Beyerdynamic sound dongle or even the realtek in my laptop.  This issue REALLY Affects "Blitzin 3.0" internet chess club client really really badly...moving a piece twice fast (in examine mode) won't play the second wave sound (it's supposed to cut off the existing sound and play the second instantly--which it doesn't) and making an "illegal move" plays a laggy, scratchy broken up sound when it should be a normal buzz.
 
Might have to uninstall and put back my X-fi fatal1ty pci-e, because I play chess a lot...

 

[Yethal]

   
Sorry for bumping this, but:
Two problems here!!
 
(PCM 2.0 only to Logitech z-5500, not 5.1 (3/2)...no dolby digital live option...
 
(the second one is more serious---how do you get wave files to play, especially repeated windows sound instances, without the sound breaking up, refusing to play or being poppy/scratchy?  QUICK AND DIRTY TEST!:

go to control panel ->sound->Asterisk (default windows sound) ,and press "Play" repeatedly quickly.
Notice that the playback doesn't work reliably?  it plays, stops, pauses, plays again and has pops.
 
Proper behavior is stopping the last sound instantly and restarting it...  HORRIBLE bug.....while not affecting normal games, this SERIOUSLY AFFECTS the Internet chess club 3.0 blitzin client!! (see below at the bottom)>
 
Anyway:

TOS LINK (Optical Out) 5.1?   How?
How did you get the X7 to output 5.1 to the Logitech Z5500 with optical out?!
The Logitech says "PCM 2.0" even though I have windows set to 5.1
The control panel for the X7 is also set to 5.1.


(it works perfectly in analog mode, but you said in your post you go 5.1 through digital......HOW?)
So...what's going on ?
 
On the X-fi Fatal1ty, you had to enable "Dolby digital Live" in order to get 5.1 through digital.  But there's no such thing on the X7!!
 
If I click on "SPDIF Out" and do a "Test" on dolby digital (Under properties), the Logitech changes to "3/2 48/16" and all 5 channels play on that test, but after the test is done, the Logitech display says "no optical data" for a second or two, then goes back to "PCM 2.0 stereo".
 
 
So....um......someone help?
 

(there's another problem with windows wave files and sounds not playing instantly or restarting (only wave files) but that's a different issue.  But this is ALSO related to the X7, as it does not happen on my X-fi, my USB Beyerdynamic sound dongle or even the realtek in my laptop.  This issue REALLY Affects "Blitzin 3.0" internet chess club client really really badly...moving a piece twice fast (in examine mode) won't play the second wave sound (it's supposed to cut off the existing sound and play the second instantly--which it doesn't) and making an "illegal move" plays a laggy, scratchy broken up sound when it should be a normal buzz.
 
Might have to uninstall and put back my X-fi fatal1ty pci-e, because I play chess a lot...

X7 S/PDIF out works in two modes: USB>S/PDIF bridge and S/PDIF passthrough, it cannot convert 5.1 LPCM into Dolby Digital.

 

[trappedintime]

This may be a dumb question, but does anyone have the following setup with their X7 (LE)?
 
Room 1 - 2 speakers (and a sub) connected to the X7 amp
Room 2 - line out (either optical out or RCA out) from the X7 to a more powerful AVR and 2.1 or 5.1
 
What I'm wondering is can I have the X7 set to speakers and be outputting the source(s) to both the speakers in Room 1 and the receiver/amp in Room 2 simultaneously? I have one of these coming and I just want to be sure how much coverage I can get from this thing and what cables I may need to buy to connect everything. 
 
Ideally I would have the following sources hooked up: appleTV (via optical in), iMac (via USB), iPad/iPhone (via USB host) and phono preamp (via RCA line in), and then be able to choose from the software mixer which sources are being output. 
 
I think this part is doable, just want to be sure. Also, I'm pretty certain this isn't possible as I haven't seen anything indicating that the X7 allows separate sources out - i.e. aTV to Room 2 via line out and turntable in Room 1 via the X7 amp and speakers. Not possible without mixing the audio sources?

 

[Yethal]

  This may be a dumb question, but does anyone have the following setup with their X7 (LE)?
 
Room 1 - 2 speakers (and a sub) connected to the X7 amp
Room 2 - line out (either optical out or RCA out) from the X7 to a more powerful AVR and 2.1 or 5.1
 
What I'm wondering is can I have the X7 set to speakers and be outputting the source(s) to both the speakers in Room 1 and the receiver/amp in Room 2 simultaneously? I have one of these coming and I just want to be sure how much coverage I can get from this thing and what cables I may need to buy to connect everything. 
 
Ideally I would have the following sources hooked up: appleTV (via optical in), iMac (via USB), iPad/iPhone (via USB host) and phono preamp (via RCA line in), and then be able to choose from the software mixer which sources are being output. 
 
I think this part is doable, just want to be sure. Also, I'm pretty certain this isn't possible as I haven't seen anything indicating that the X7 allows separate sources out - i.e. aTV to Room 2 via line out and turntable in Room 1 via the X7 amp and speakers. Not possible without mixing the audio sources?

First part is totally doable, X7 has a software mixer. The second part however (outputting two different sources to different outputs) is only going to be doable if one of these outputs is S/PDIF

 

[trappedintime]

It seems like the consensus is that the S/PDIF is far superior to the line out on the X7, so if that's the case I'll go optical out to my Sony STR-DG700 paired with my Paradigm 9se MKII's and call it a day.

One more question: if I roll the op-amps will I end up with a significantly different sound signature in the bedroom with the X7 amp vs living room where I'm sending my digital out?

 

[Falkentyne]

  X7 S/PDIF out works in two modes: USB>S/PDIF bridge and S/PDIF passthrough, it cannot convert 5.1 LPCM into Dolby Digital.

 
Thank you.
I'll just use direct analog, then.
 
What about the wav file playback issue?  That's a major show stopper for me
How did no one else catch this?  This doesn't happen to anyone else?

None of my other devices have this issue.
The Astro Mixamp (when used as a standalone USB sound card) does not have this issue.
The Beyerdynamic MMX 300 sound USB dongle does not have this issue.
The X-fi Fatal1ty PCI or PCI express cards don't have this issue.
The integrated Realtek audio (or even the HDMI on the Radeon cards) don't have this issue.
 
Only the X7 has this issue.  It's even distorted in winamp IF i use the normal wave out mapper.  Note: if i use "DirectSound" to play WAV files e.g. configuring directsound for playback instead of wav out, then it plays correctly.
This happens on two different computers.
 
The absolute only workaround I found is to play a mp3 in something like Winamp and then "pause" it.
That stops the "scratchy" wave files from sounding distorted and also allows files to instantly repeat right away if you repeatedly try to play them (e.g. like pressing "play" repeatedly on Windows sounds (e.g Asterisk (windows error.wav)) or moving chess pieces extremely quickly ('premoving") on Internet Chess club's Blitzin 3.11.
Another "unviable" work around is to play a video (even the SBX video) and then suddenly all of the wav files and piece sounds in internet chess club's blitzin (this program uses WAV files for all effects) work perfectly.  UNTIL the video stops playing (pausing the video only keeps proper sound for about 5 seconds). Pausing MP3 files in winamp works fully, though :/
 
 
Games are unaffected, though.   And moving the mouse repeatedly quickly over the "play" or icon symbols in something like the "league of legends" adobe air client also makes repeated sounds correctly as expected.

 

[Falkentyne]

  I already got a replacement unit and the crackles/pops remain. There's no doubt it has something to do with how Windows handles USB audio and the X7's drivers. I've emailed your support department and after multiple replies, the issue remains unsolved. I've managed to isolate the issue to Windows only. I get no pops when using the Bluetooth streaming function or when I'm on my connected PS3 (optical in). Given how apparent this issue is among X7 owners (according to this thread and a google search), it's very likely to be a software-related issue, not hardware. Returning the unit for a replacement would just be a waste of time.
 
I get no such problem with the O2/ODAC, another USB audio device.

Just found this post.
I have the EXACT SAME problem (as I just wrote above!) on my X7 LE.
It's DEFINITELY a driver problem and it has SOMETHING to do with WAV FILE PLAYBACK.
 
I ONLY get this issue with WINDOWS SOUND EVENTS --which are all WAV Files, or programs which use wav file playback and have an assortment of wav files for their sound events.

 

[Yethal]

Try playing .wav files in Direct Mode and see if the problem persists

 

[trappedintime]

I received my X7 today and got it setup. I'm still not sure how I can get two sources outputting to the speakers and optical out to my AVR with the software. Maybe I'm missing something. Also, I've seen earlier in the thread discussion of the sub out, but mine isn't outputting any audio for me, even though the test tone is going through to it (3.5mm > RCA > Sub in). How do I enable the sub? It's checked on the settings.