[Ken Quek]

Any further word on a device like SXFI TV where one can use SXFI with PS5?

No news about SXFI TV yet, but i think the SXFI Theater should suit your purpose best.

 

[Drog]

can someone owning a sxfi device (amp,x3 etc) log once in the sxfi app with my account (user=tixierpierre@hotmail.com password=wolfgang) with the device plugged-in so the sxfi effect is activated for my account ? ( in order to test the sxfi audio effect without a sxfi device plugged-in as the computational audio seems to be done in software in the app and not physically on the hardware of the sxfi device itself ) thanks.

The SXFI effect is produced on hardware. The software and app just send the settings to the hardware where it is stored. Once set, you can take the hardware to any other device (i.e. PC to phone) and the sound is the same even if the software is not installed on the device you moved it to. In my case, I use the SXFI amp with Android/Google TV where there is no app. The X3 also works on consoles and there is no SXFI software for them either.

 

[Ken Quek]

The SXFI effect is produced on hardware. The software and app just send the settings to the hardware where it is stored. Once set, you can take the hardware to any other device (i.e. PC to phone) and the sound is the same even if the software is not installed on the device you moved it to. In my case, I use the SXFI amp with Android/Google TV where there is no app. The X3 also works on consoles and there is no SXFI software for them either.

He was referring to the SXFI phone app that works after activation without the SXFI hardware. It doesn't sound the same like from hardware though, just an emulation/demo.

 

[Drog]

He was referring to the SXFI phone app that works after activation without the SXFI hardware. It doesn't sound the same like from hardware though, just an emulation/demo.

Interesting. I had no idea that existed.

I'm still waiting for the SXFI Planar Magnetic headphones they showed a year or so ago. Do you know if they will be made?

 

[amanieux]

Here is my take on SXFI after listening to it for 4 weeks.

Super XFi has been for me personally, maybe one of the best inventions of my generation.

Personally, i love music, i love playing games on my PS4 and on my computer and I love watching movies and i love to pick the best seats in a movie theatre so that i can enjoy a movie with the best audio. Since space is limited where i am living in, i can only get headphones. I' ve got a Sennheiser HD598, then HD650 and now Emu-Teak. What Super XFi brought to the table is that it changed the playing field from 2D world where i was searching for the end game like maybe STAX or HD820 or Focal Utopia and Tube Amp to 3D world where all the terms like timbre, clarity, resolution, resolving, soundstage, airy, attack, dynamic range, etc are now being moved to 7.1.

What makes Super XFi great is that when i am not using it, i am thinking of it and when i am listening to music or watching a movie etc without it, i am thinking how would it sound on my SXFI amp and Emu-Teak setup. Then i listen to it or watch a movie with SXFI and it exceeds my expectations and then some. (5.1/7.1 with SXFI is surreal)

Normal audio no longer satisfied my hunger, SXFI has now created a hole where i hope it could continue to improve and fill because I am too still looking for more clarity, more resolution, more more more but in this new playing field. I would really want to be able to change to other HTS setups using the SXFI as like different headphone is used for different situations. Like how i use HD650 for concert music and Emu-Teak for movies and pop music.

With SXFI, watching movies like Lord of the Rings Trilogy reminded me of the time when i saw the movie in the theatres, the 7.1 surround sound and the thumping bass is unbelievable. Listening to recordings makes me feel like i am in the recording studio with the singer, singing right in front of me. Listening to live shows or concerts makes me feel like i am there in the audience. Btw totally changed the way Netflix shows and movies sound even if the content is not in 5.1. Most games are fantastic with SXFI. Even watching home videos with SXFI makes me feel like i am once again brought back in time to the location. (Try and test it and see how much better it is with SXFI on)

Personally, one more added benefit, all my listening fatigue is gone. I can't wait for more advancement in this technology and I hope they can create a better desktop amp to combo with SXFI like X7.



Hit and Miss in Music

After testing with different music, I find that the reason for the hit or miss for music is not due to the SXFI amp. The reason is because of how the music is mastered, what SXFI does is to replicate a 2.1/5.1/7.1 system, so if you dont like how it sound on a 2.1/5.1/7.1 system, then it will not sound good using SXFI and it is true. Some songs I prefer the normal headphone sound because it feels like the singer is singing right into my ears and some songs I prefer a 2.1 system because it is just much more impactful like when the orchestra comes in with the huge crescendo, it just brings the music to another level. So conclusion is that some songs are better using normal headphones and some are better using SXFI to replicate HTS. For me, most songs of my playlist are suitable for HTS and it is just a whole new experience using SXFI amp.



Works on every headphone

I' ve tested SXFI amp with Aurvana SE, HD598, HD650/HD6XX, Emu Teak. All of their main sound signature to my ears sounds the same. (Although their sound signature is the same but there are some inherent difference because of the headphones itself, like closed back is different from open back, the details/resolution that the headphone is able to create are different, decay speed, soundstage etc)

What I think creative SXFI app did when you select the profile is most likely modify the sound signature to emulate ELAC speakers that they are modeling after. So just get a headphone model that is listed in their SXFI app list and you will be able to get the same ELAC speaker sound signature. If there is a specific sound signature that you prefer, you can try different headphone model in the app and see whether any of it fits your taste and if you want to be more specific, you can use the EQ in the app to further customized to your taste and the settings will all be saved in the SXFI amp which is a very nice touch.

So It also means that you do not need to buy expensive headphones to enjoy the SXFI experience.



Who is the best in Personalised HTS simulation?

After testing with the different surround sound tech that is listed in HeSuVi. I have come to a conclusion. Personally, for my ears, currently which tech is the best in replicating HTS which is what i am looking for, the sound that i hear from a cinema, the sound that i get from a good HTS. Creative SXFI is the best in replicating the sound coming from HTS. Why? I think i know the answer.

Personalization. The main premise of why SXFI is special is that it is personalized, each of our head and ear structure are different and therefore, what we hear and perceive is different. To my knowledge, every other tech doesn' t do personalization except Creative SXFI and Smyth Realiser. So softwares like OOYH works well for some and not others. Smyth Realiser A16 cost is ~US$3995 so it should be better than SXFI (Haven' t tested it yet). Creative SXFI cost US$150 and can give you up to 85% (my personal listening experience) of HTS on headphone, I call that a no-brainer. If you have the money and time, and want the best of the best, maybe you should have gone to Shanghai CanJam and test the Smyth Realiser A16. For me, for now i am really satisfied with SXFI and hope everyone around me can experience it for themselves. (Already bought one for each of my family)

For comparison, for Personalised HTS simulation technologies, we have

2016 - (personalised) Realiser A16 (prototype) - US$3995

2018 - (personalised) Super X-Fi amp (Win/OSX/Android/iOS/PS4/Switch) - US$150

Can't wait to see what improvements and products can Creative make out of SXFI

there are some other software implementations : https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/Impulcifer you can also try the free "wavesnx" android app that does something similar (has someone compared the spatialisation of stereo music with waves nx vs sxfi ? thanks

 

[amanieux]

He was referring to the SXFI phone app that works after activation without the SXFI hardware. It doesn't sound the same like from hardware though, just an emulation/demo.

is the software emulation this far from the hardware impementation ? ( for non 3d music files i mean, just regular stereo files) thanks

 

[amanieux]

one way is to use VPN to "move" your phone to USA or Singapore so that playstore allows the download. Playstore has many free VPN, just install and run one of the popular VPN will do.

don't forget to clean the cache of the playstore app after switching vpn location

 

[illram]

Anyone here familiar with the internals on the new Sound Blaster GC7 Super X-Fi product? I have one, sitting here on my desk...and it apparently uses the same DAC chip (AKM4377) as the SXFI Amp. But, it sounds a little different. I'm wondering what specific amp this guy uses internally. Anyone know? Can't find after much googling...

 

[TeeReQs]

Whoa, hadn't seen that yet. Is this supposed to be the successor the X7?

 

[illram]

Whoa, hadn't seen that yet. Is this supposed to be the successor the X7?

I don't think so. I don't know what it is to be honest. Kind of a mixture of the X3 and G6 but trying to market itself to streamers or people who want more readily available chat controls. Super X-Fi plus SBX and Dolby decoding, but requires SPDIF in for DD+ decoding. But lacks X7 speaker amp abilities. Also frustratingly cannot pump SXFI out of its lineout, or SPDIF out. Creative really does not want us using SXFI with our own gear I guess.

I haven't tried to see if it can decode DD and then do SXFI, if it does that will be interesting. Trying that later. I'm pessimistc.

 

[TeeReQs]

Oh bummer. I tried my Super X-Fi dongle, but ended up going back to my X7. The X-Fi was almost too out of head sounding for me compared to SBX. Talking to my friends on discord while playing Warzone made them sound like they were right in front of me. It was to a point where it got so distracting I couldn't concentrate on playing the actual game. I haven't tried it on any other games yet, though.

 

[illram]

Oh bummer. I tried my Super X-Fi dongle, but ended up going back to my X7. The X-Fi was almost too out of head sounding for me compared to SBX. Talking to my friends on discord while playing Warzone made them sound like they were right in front of me. It was to a point where it got so distracting I couldn't concentrate on playing the actual game. I haven't tried it on any other games yet, though.

Yeah I never really use the microphone with it but I could imagine voice chat could sound really weird. I've heard others describe it as simulating a large room of speakers, which is accurate. It is very out of your head. (Now that I am used to it, I can't use anything else!) If you have an X7 and prefer SBX, there is definitely no reason to get the GC7, as the X7's ability to upgrade the OP amps makes it the superior SBX device, to me.

BTW to the extent anyone needs it, I did test Dolby decoding with the GC7 and it does work with SXFI. I.e. if you use the SPDIF input (ONLY the SPDIF input works for Dolby decoding) it will decode dolby digital and then add SXFI (or SBX, whichever you want) to virtualize the surround channels. I think this is the only Creative Super X-Fi product so far with this functionality. (The X3 had Dolby encoding, not decoding....)

 

[HieroX]

Yeah I never really use the microphone with it but I could imagine voice chat could sound really weird. I've heard others describe it as simulating a large room of speakers, which is accurate. It is very out of your head. (Now that I am used to it, I can't use anything else!) If you have an X7 and prefer SBX, there is definitely no reason to get the GC7, as the X7's ability to upgrade the OP amps makes it the superior SBX device, to me.

BTW to the extent anyone needs it, I did test Dolby decoding with the GC7 and it does work with SXFI. I.e. if you use the SPDIF input (ONLY the SPDIF input works for Dolby decoding) it will decode dolby digital and then add SXFI (or SBX, whichever you want) to virtualize the surround channels. I think this is the only Creative Super X-Fi product so far with this functionality. (The X3 had Dolby encoding, not decoding....)

Cool!! Very tempted to get it, but I wanna wait for more user reviews first. I bought the X3 when it first launched and it's still plagued with bugs till now...

 

[Falkentyne]

Whoa, hadn't seen that yet. Is this supposed to be the successor the X7?

This can't be the successor to the X7. It doesn't have 5.1 or 7.1 discrete speaker support (3.5mm jacks). Not sure if it can do it over optical out or if it's just Super X-fi only.
The X3 does have direct 5.1 speaker support. This device seems to be a direct competitor to the GSX-1200, since you can't really compare a device with 5.1 or 7.1 speaker support to one without it.

 

[johnn29]

There's a new soundbar out with SXFI Built in - including Atmos channels. Sounds pretty exciting: https://uk.creative.com/p/speakers/creative-sxfi-carrier

Seems like you plug in any headphones via 3.5mm or SXFI Theater headphones for wireless. Bit annoying they don't have regular bluetooth support though. My main use case for using headphone speaker virtulization is in noisy situations where I want to use ANC.

But having Atmos height channels is something that's really cool - hopefully a dedicated box is still forthcoming.