[ostuni]

Dolby Atmos & DTS - it sounds good with spatial surround features, and built into windows 11.

RazerTHX - it sounds good with additional spatial surround features, separate app.

FXSound - lacks spatial surround settings but free.

 

[Slogra]

If you want a pure EQ without spatial surround then i recommend Equalizer APO.

 

[ostuni]

If you want a pure EQ without spatial surround then i recommend Equalizer APO.

I tried to install that but it's not easy......I'm not a PC guy and hate messing with windows configs and folders. I grew up with mac OS which is way more intuitive. But my gaming is setup on a PC unfortunately.

 

[castleofargh]

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/recording-impulse-responses-for-speaker-virtualization.890719/ Check the signature link in the first post.
AutoEQ is strictly an EQ, it uses online measurements to let you try and match your headphone or IEM to some reference of your choice.


Impulcifer is a speaker simulator(free!), you need binaural microphones(goes from cheap DIY stuff to really expensive ones) and speakers to measure the sound coming from then at your own ear. Then the program allows to use convolution so that the sound sent to the headphone has most of the qualities of the speaker sound(room reverb, FR of the speakers, mix of the channels so that left channel also reaches the right ear with a delay and some FR changes, like a left channel speaker would). All that being done based on measurements at your own ears, several aspects of your own head (look up HRTF for more information) is included so it's likely to feel more realistic than most generic 3D processing.

I use the overly expensive big brother version called Realiser A16, that adds a bunch of decoding for audio formats, too many input/outputs, and The big difference is really head tracking so the virtual sound sources stay at the same location in the room while you're turning your head. Some find it useless, I find that it changes everything.
Even if you ultimately wanted that and had the money for it, I would strongly advise to try Impulcifer first. Because it's free, but also because it shows the good and the ugly of customized HRIR(head related impulse response) measurements. You can rapidly learn if you'll give up half way because it's such a bother to have to do stuff yourself and tinker with mic placement and whatever. Or if it's the one thing you didn't know you really needed to start enjoying music with headphones.

You can also try https://sxfi.com/sxfitech/ Where there is no fully customized possibility but also none of the struggle. They have a small catalog of measurements and try to match your ears to something close in their database. Like with everything not fully custom some serious amount of luck is involved in determining how successful it can be for you. Different people have different heads so different HRTF and what is incredible for one guy could be disappointing to another.


Arf, I saw you last post too late. Maybe none of those stuff are for you beside the X-fi products.

 

[ostuni]

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/recording-impulse-responses-for-speaker-virtualization.890719/ Check the signature link in the first post.
AutoEQ is strictly an EQ, it uses online measurements to let you try and match your headphone or IEM to some reference of your choice.


Impulcifer is a speaker simulator(free!), you need binaural microphones(goes from cheap DIY stuff to really expensive ones) and speakers to measure the sound coming from then at your own ear. Then the program allows to use convolution so that the sound sent to the headphone has most of the qualities of the speaker sound(room reverb, FR of the speakers, mix of the channels so that left channel also reaches the right ear with a delay and some FR changes, like a left channel speaker would). All that being done based on measurements at your own ears, several aspects of your own head (look up HRTF for more information) is included so it's likely to feel more realistic than most generic 3D processing.

I use the overly expensive big brother version called Realiser A16, that adds a bunch of decoding for audio formats, too many input/outputs, and The big difference is really head tracking so the virtual sound sources stay at the same location in the room while you're turning your head. Some find it useless, I find that it changes everything.
Even if you ultimately wanted that and had the money for it, I would strongly advise to try Impulcifer first. Because it's free, but also because it shows the good and the ugly of customized HRIR(head related impulse response) measurements. You can rapidly learn if you'll give up half way because it's such a bother to have to do stuff yourself and tinker with mic placement and whatever. Or if it's the one thing you didn't know you really needed to start enjoying music with headphones.

You can also try https://sxfi.com/sxfitech/ Where there is no fully customized possibility but also none of the struggle. They have a small catalog of measurements and try to match your ears to something close in their database. Like with everything not fully custom some serious amount of luck is involved in determining how successful it can be for you. Different people have different heads so different HRTF and what is incredible for one guy could be disappointing to another.


Arf, I saw you last post too late. Maybe none of those stuff are for you beside the X-fi products.

Thanks, will check out sxfi. Looks interesting.