Foobar2000 Dolby Headphone config - Comment & discuss!

[RPGWiZaRD]

Added a separate Realtek onboard config into the mix as many people have this chip on their laptop or their desktop computer motherboard which quite a few are using or could use as a reference by testing out the config on it to get a more accurate view of how I intend it to sound like (since various DACs seem to offer such a big difference in sound at the same settings).
 
Anyone with a Realtek onboard chip (this was tweaked on ALC889A chip) able to test? Comments? Normally I completely despise using the Realtek chip but I'd say it sounds reasonably good like this. 
 
Preconfigured link: foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.Realtek-RPGWiZaRD
 
Settings:
 

 

 

 

 
EDIT: Realtek onboard chip actually sounded so great with this config I just had to continue listening to it for a while.

 

[xnor]

I did another quick check with the updated dlbyhph.dll version. Reverb's more acceptable now but kinda not my cup of tea and it also sounds quite muffled so I'll not switch from my beloved conventional crossfeed setup.
 
Btw, on my system an amplification of 120% leads to severe clipping (mentioned that before) which ruins the sound. Also, the dolby headphone effect does not change with amplification % like described in post #1, I just nulled a 120% and 100% processed file. The only difference is gain (and severe clipping unless you attenuate a few dB with the EQs master gain). It's like a simple volume control to counter-act the volume losses in the simulated environment.
Maybe what you heard was not the dolbyhp effect but clipping or dynamic range compression (Windows audio engine does that if you use DirectSound).

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Well I'm positive that for me it's more than a volume control, the effect is enhanced but it's more noticable on my Audigy 2 ZS than using the Realtek onboard. I also neither get any clipping on either of those DACs, I've used dolby headphone at around 120% for probably a year and would notice clipping immediatly. Anyway I mentioned in the guide this setting has to adjusted on your own. I might also drop the v1.0.3 config now that I've managed to get the v1.1.6 sounding better than 1.0.3 in my ears at least (finally).
 
What you're hearing is most likely related to we're using different setups and on mine there's no probs with it and on yours it is with those settings.
 
What's your setup?

 

[xnor]

Quote:

Well I'm positive that for me it's more than a volume control, the effect is enhanced but it's more noticable on my Audigy 2 ZS than using the Realtek onboard. I also neither get any clipping on either of those DACs, I've used dolby headphone at around 120% for probably a year and would notice clipping immediatly. Anyway I mentioned in the guide this setting has to adjusted on your own. I might also drop the v1.0.3 config now that I've managed to get the v1.1.6 sounding better than 1.0.3 in my ears at least (finally).
 
What you're hearing is most likely related to we're using different setups and on mine there's no probs with it and on yours it is with those settings.
 
What's your setup?

 
But that's what it is, a simple volume control. The effect is not enhanced, as tested by my nulling test. Even at 1% and 200% the effect and output is exactly the same, the only difference is volume.
 
All of this works completely regardless of your hardware setup, because we're talking about DSP (= digital signal processing) here. All of this happens before the samples are sent to the hardware.
 
Have you ever looked at the peak meter in foobar2000? Here's what you get with 120% amplification and a rock track:
 

 
Se how the peaks far exceed 0 dB? That's clipping, big time.
 
Depending on the output plugin you use this either causes hard clipping (e.g. ASIO) or hard limiting (DirectSound), both of which mangles sound.
 
 

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Which plugin is that? Tried some peak meter but don't know how to load it doesn't show up in the list.

 

[Roller]

Quote:

Which plugin is that? Tried some peak meter but don't know how to load it doesn't show up in the list.

It's the integrated peak meter. Don't be fooled by the window title as it's an editable window, therefore it's current name.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

It's weird how it's showing above 0dB when there's absolutely no distortion heard as well as the peak meter in kX Audio drivers usually never go above -5dB or so. BTW I'm using DS and windows volume slider is usually set around 25~30%

 

[Roller]

Well, xnor does have a point, as when I set up the Dolby Headphone chain, peaks do go to almost 5dB, while my regular setup runs at -10dB.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

I might follow your advice and set default value to 93% or so possibly (this sounded from a quick test roughly similarly loud as iTunes for example and it would probably make more sense matching other player's volume levels) and then there would be also less reverb conflicting issues. I think whatever difference I think I hear would in this case be related to DirectSound's dynamic range compression. Since there's probably a lot of people using WASAPI/ASIO (I would as well in case I would have some kind of external volume knob), using 120% then is probably not a good idea from what's been established here, for me using DS with windows volume sliders set a lot lower may work a bit better in this case though I suppose. 
 
EDIT: There, updated the configs to use default value 93% in amplification for Dolby Headphone as well as did quite a lot of editing to the original post and also removed the v1.0.3 config as I feel it doesn't serve any purpose any longer and only clogs up the guide!
 
EDIT2: Also reverted the one-step change I made to the 63Hz slider on the EQ some time ago as upon some more critical listening the bass covers up microdetails too much with it (yes really even if we're talking one step change it really made an audible difference for me). 
 
Anything more you'd like to nitpick and you're welcome! I just want the best possible result so will carefully evaluate your suggestions. Thanks for all the input so far.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Updated the configs slightly again as I did some small adjustment to the channel mixer settings on the default config as well as adjusted the Graphic Equalizer Master gain setting from +0.5 to -0.5 for cleaner output. 
 
It sounds heavenly as usual for me but would be nice with feedback to know how these settings I provide works like for you others as I'd prefer to provide a config that sounds great for as many as possible.
 
Preconfigured link: foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone-RPGWiZaRD
 
Settings:
 

 

 

[Ra97oR]

Listening to the latest version here with my STAX setup. The treble is quite hot and the vocal does sound quite metallic and echoy. My headphones are quite the opposite of what is yours, that might explain the differences.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

Listening to the latest version here with my STAX setup. The treble is quite hot and the vocal does sound quite metallic and echoy. My headphones are quite the opposite of what is yours, that might explain the differences.

 
Hmm, you don't think treble on for example iTunes sounds any hot then? Because it sure does to me (I'd say a tiny bit more harsh treble on iTunes around 8~10kHz probably), more cold/analytical. I've only tried to match the frequency balance on foobar2000 when using Dolby headphone compared to other players at unEQ'd/stock settings and haven't tried to EQ for my own headphones in mind. I did made some small derivations in some aspects that I thought sounded well with all my headphones and a funny thing is that the treble did actually sound slightly warmer/darker to me even on this foobar config but I thought it sounded better like this so.
 
Dolby headphone will always add some reverb, that's unavoidable but me again couldn't go back to listen without any reverb so that might be a matter of getting used to, if you've always in your life listened to reverb-less sound and suddenly hear a bit reverb your first reaction will probably be negative I could imagine. Give it time.

 

[Roller]

Quote:

 
Hmm, you don't think treble on for example iTunes sounds any hot then? Because it sure does to me (I'd say a tiny bit more harsh treble on iTunes around 8~10kHz probably), more cold/analytical. I've only tried to match the frequency balance on foobar2000 when using Dolby headphone compared to other players at unEQ'd/stock settings and haven't tried to EQ for my own headphones in mind. I did made some small derivations in some aspects that I thought sounded well with all my headphones and a funny thing is that the treble did actually sound slightly warmer/darker to me even on this foobar config but I thought it sounded better like this so.
 
Dolby headphone will always add some reverb, that's unavoidable but me again couldn't go back to listen without any reverb so that might be a matter of getting used to, if you've always in your life listened to reverb-less sound and suddenly hear a bit reverb your first reaction will probably be negative I could imagine. Give it time.

Perhaps different EQ settings should be made, aside from Dolby Headphone and Channel Mixer settings, exactly due to headphones' different sound signatures.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Well my point with the EQ setting were only to neglect the frequency response change the dolby headphone plugin adds so that it sounds roughly the same as without Dolby headphone. Yes I can hear it's not 100% the case and whatever difference there is then the setting is made very "musical" if that makes any sense, it may be a bit similar effect as tube-rolling. I use my soundcard's EQ from there to tweak my own headphone invidually. So that if a person has a problem with treble they should also have it with default config...
 
Since it's impossible to use that EQ to make it sound optimally for every1, each person has to do their own EQing from there but the provided config was meant to correspond to a "flat" EQ setting with Dolby Headphone enabled, the sound you get should be reasonably similar as foobar2000 with stock config, the upper-mids to lower-highs sound a bit smoother but it still provides the same amount detail on my headphones and there's some mild very deep bass enhancement for example but since most headphones rolls off att those frequencies and I've also demoed it closely so that it wouldn't ruin the other frequencies either.
 
You can always make a copy of the folder and put it somewhere else, run 2 instances of foobar2000, one with my tweaks applied and the other with all the DSPs removed for completely stock config and compare. I often find the midrange to be even more detailed with my config when doing that without making it any brighter sounding. Then while you're at it, try removing/adding the Graphic EQ from the list temporarily (It's ok as long as you stay in the DSP manager page the EQ setting won't be forgotten until you click on ok or cancel) and compare vs the stock foobar2000 config and see how much of a bass boost the Dolby headphone adds. It really masks a lot of detail if not taking care of the change it adds in my ears, with the provided EQ setting it brings back the microdetail to front.

 

[Roller]

While full configs are worth having separate install folders, DSP chain presets are much more handy to use IMO. And I still say that the theory of partially cancelling the effect of Dolby Headphone is a good idea, but not through EQing, as it will be mostly effective with certain sounding headphones. A config should be set with flat EQ in mind, so people can take it from there a custom tweak to their gear.