Looks like the firmware update for Windows is out!
http://support.creative.com/downloads/download.aspx?nDownloadId=13673
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SBX7_PCFW_EN_160505.exe[/COLOR]
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What's New:[/COLOR]
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- Added option to enable/disable Headphone Surround processing in Line/Optical Out
- Added option to select audio output to passive speakers and/or active speakers (Line Out)
- Added option to enable/disable Auto Standby
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Glad to be here
Was hoping to surprise everyone with the firmware and software release but I got beat to the punch!
Good news is good news, it's definitely cool to have representation from the manufacturer interact directly with the community. I suppose it's easy to see the pent-up demand and interest when a customer is watching for updates so closely they beat the official announcement, lol!!
I have a question... Is this just a software/driver package for PC, or is it also new firmware to go into the X7?
And guys, I immediately downloaded the iOS app as soon as I heard about it, and I've been using the X7 + RCA + Cavalli Liquid Carbon + HD800 since then. All I changed was I tap the switch "Headphone Surround for Line/Optical Out," and set "Speaker Output Target" to Line Out out. It's a little confusing that this is in the Speakers panel, but I got used to it. I'm not exactly sure I have it set up correctly... I have the center and rear speaker channels off because I figured that would route the sound for those directions to the other output ports on the back of the X7 (running the in-app "test," I only hear FR/FL channels when all are enabled).
In use, the combo does a pretty freaking fantastic job. I've been playing Overwatch and FarCry 4 a lot lately, and it's dead simple to pick out where the action is coming from and which direction behind a wall another Overwatch player is trying to juke me. The headphone surround definitely works, and using the X7 as a DAC (and my LC for balanced XLR output) does a very admirable job of making each sound distinct without blooming over eachother, and it's super convenient for patching in Apple Music playlists from my phone in alongside the game audio (or taking a game-break to just sink into the tunes).
I will add two more things:
1.) The X7 made me realize I absolutely love having a headphone stand, and while I do use it with my HD800 I feel like I have to be super careful when placing the headphones on it. The HD800 are big and at the upper-limit of weight that the wire-hanger can support... The foam spacer in the back of my X7 that braces the hanger popped off once and the hanger leaned to the side, but nothing was damaged. Now that I know I like stands, I want a bunch for all my most-used headphones instead of cluttering my desk during testing or jamming.
2.) The line-out volume resets to a moderate volume every time I turn the X7 back on. I actually like this, because I feel it's safer for my hearing, but I always turn it back up to max on the X7 (and turn down the volume on my LC just a liiiiittle bit, because sometimes I get volume creep and party a little at the end of the night before).
