[germanium]

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So how did you mod it? I'm new to soundcards and I was talking to my dad about it yesterday. He's techniquely a sound engineer so he knows top quality parts when he sees them, except he doesn't know about PC soundcards. He is more on the professional side with TV engineering and musician/band support sound quality.
 

I direct coupled the line out on the STX & direct coupled the I/V section to the buffer amp on the Titanium HD (not an easy proposition on this card). Bypassed power supply caps to the opamps with large value metalized film caps as well as the 5 volt supply for the analog section of the DAC. If you do one you have to do the other as it corrects the glare created in the upper mids when bypassing the opamp power supplies. Eliminates the glare without reducing the detail. Ends up sounding balanced & extremely detailed with strong but crisp (detailed) bassthat captures the room acoustics of the recording vinue exceedingly well. Gives you the you are thier feeling on really good recordings..
 
The parts I use are high quality but quite large  & do not fit into tight spaces consequently they cannot be used on a stock soundcard which the manufacturer has to design for a single slot where as with my mods takes up 3 slots.
 
Large value for metalized films are in my interpretation 2.0uf or larger. 2.0uf is to me the minimum size for this mod. On my latest mods I used 4-12.0uf caps & 2-4.7uf caps on the 5 volt DAC supply.for the Titanium HD & 4-4.7uf on the STX DAC supplies.
 
Noise may be slightly higher after mods but still inaudible & this will alter distortion specs but actual distortion spectrum in level or distribution is unaltered as is measured frequency response

 

[NinjaSushi2]

Quote:

I direct coupled the line out on the STX & direct coupled the I/V section to the buffer amp on the Titanium HD (not an easy proposition on this card). Bypassed power supply caps to the opamps with large value metalized film caps as well as the 5 volt supply for the analog section of the DAC. If you do one you have to do the other as it corrects the glare created in the upper mids when bypassing the opamp power supplies. Eliminates the glare without reducing the detail. Ends up sounding balanced & extremely detailed with strong but crisp (detailed) bassthat captures the room acoustics of the recording vinue exceedingly well. Gives you the you are thier feeling on really good recordings..
 
The parts I use are high quality but quite large  & do not fit into tight spaces consequently they cannot be used on a stock soundcard which the manufacturer has to design for a single slot where as with my mods takes up 3 slots.
 
Large value for metalized films are in my interpretation 2.0uf or larger. 2.0uf is to me the minimum size for this mod. On my latest mods I used 4-12.0uf caps & 2-4.7uf caps on the 5 volt DAC supply.for the Titanium HD & 4-4.7uf on the STX DAC supplies.
 
Noise may be slightly higher after mods but still inaudible & this will alter distortion specs but actual distortion spectrum in level or distribution is unaltered as is measured frequency response

So which is the better card non modded? lol

 

[KmhK]

I'm deciding between the TiHD and ST/X atm too. I'm kinda wary of the STX though, with people reporting beeping noise problems.
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The basic gist of it is that any game that uses DirectSound3D or OpenAL will sound better on a proper X-Fi card because of how CMSS-3D Headphone uses the 3DPA data, and also because of the games that use those APIs also frequently using EAX 3/4/5, which you can't get proper implementations of on non-Creative-based hardware.
 
However, that's mostly covering games from 2006 and prior. 2007 and onward brought a rise in XAudio2 + X3DAudio and FMOD Ex usage, mixed and processed all in software, so it doesn't really sound any different (no missing reverb/chorus/occlusion/etc. effects like if your card didn't support EAX) between audio devices. Unfortunately, you're limited to virtual 7.1 at most no matter what you go with, whereas it was possible to get proper binaural audio with the old APIs. This also eliminates CMSS-3D Headphone's binaural advantage over Dolby Headphone, making them play on the same field.

So if you don't play older games, and only the newer ones (eg, BF3, CoD4->, L4D2, etc.) would the TiHD have any positional accuracy/immersion/soundstage advantage over the ST/X?
 

 

[germanium]

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So which is the better card non modded? lol

It's a toss up as the Titanium HD is somewhat more detailed but not as smooth I.E. harsher high frequencies sounding & the STX though smoother still has it's rough edges up there as well. Overall I like the STX better stock & is far easier to modify though results are very close to the same as the modified Titanium HD once modified.

 

[NamelessPFG]

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I'm deciding between the TiHD and ST/X atm too. I'm kinda wary of the STX though, with people reporting beeping noise problems.
So if you don't play older games, and only the newer ones (eg, BF3, CoD4->, L4D2, etc.) would the TiHD have any positional accuracy/immersion/soundstage advantage over the ST/X?

 
Probably not, now that said games aren't even using the X-Fi DSP and all you're getting from the game engine are pre-mixed 7.1 channels at most.
 
Left 4 Dead 2 is a strange case, though, as it's a Source-engine game, and all Source-engine games use the Miles Sound System. It seems to default to software mixing, but if the "snd_legacy_surround" console setting is set to 1, that should set it up to use DirectSound3D. Then all you have to do is point ALchemy toward the root folder of L4D2 or any other Source-engine game in question, and you'd get proper positional audio.

 

[KmhK]

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Probably not, now that said games aren't even using the X-Fi DSP and all you're getting from the game engine are pre-mixed 7.1 channels at most.
 
Left 4 Dead 2 is a strange case, though, as it's a Source-engine game, and all Source-engine games use the Miles Sound System. It seems to default to software mixing, but if the "snd_legacy_surround" console setting is set to 1, that should set it up to use DirectSound3D. Then all you have to do is point ALchemy toward the root folder of L4D2 or any other Source-engine game in question, and you'd get proper positional audio.

Thanks for the input. I guess I'll just go with the ST/X.

 

[NinjaSushi2]

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Probably not, now that said games aren't even using the X-Fi DSP and all you're getting from the game engine are pre-mixed 7.1 channels at most.
 
Left 4 Dead 2 is a strange case, though, as it's a Source-engine game, and all Source-engine games use the Miles Sound System. It seems to default to software mixing, but if the "snd_legacy_surround" console setting is set to 1, that should set it up to use DirectSound3D. Then all you have to do is point ALchemy toward the root folder of L4D2 or any other Source-engine game in question, and you'd get proper positional audio.

You lost me there. lol

 

[NamelessPFG]

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You lost me there. lol

 
Can't say I've ever been known for using layman's terms...
 
The gist of it is that even recent/frequently-updated Source-engine games like L4D2, TF2, and probably even CS:GO can take full advantage of CMSS-3D Headphone if you know how to configure the game properly, but everything else you mentioned won't.

 

[NinjaSushi2]

That was him. I play mostly RTS or hack n slash on my PC, FPS on my xbox, and RPG on my PS3. 
 
I think each platform has it's goods and bads but mainly those are how I feel they preform the best at.
 
PC - RTS and Hack N Slash dungeon crawlers.
 
Xbox - Best for online gameplay and FPS games hands down. (I know PC has mods and larger rooms but also more hackers back in the day, not sure now.)
 
PS3 - So many epic RPG titles are released for the PS platform mainly because it is a Japanese system.

 

[KmhK]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/593050/the-nameless-guide-to-pc-gaming-audio-with-binaural-headphone-surround-sound

Nameless' (useful) guide explains a bit. There's also a link to vids that use CMSS 3D and DH.

 

[NinjaSushi2]

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http://www.head-fi.org/t/593050/the-nameless-guide-to-pc-gaming-audio-with-binaural-headphone-surround-sound

Nameless' (useful) guide explains a bit. There's also a link to vids that use CMSS 3D and DH.

I've read this thread, very impressive. Though I should probably read it again.

 

[EarHead1]

NinjaSushi2, The sound card i can recommend without reservation is an Asus Sonus Audiophile card listed on amazon .com and lists for $245.00. It's fabulous and you would have to spend 3-4K$ to beat it and it would not do so easily. EarHead1

 

[NamelessPFG]

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That was him. I play mostly RTS or hack n slash on my PC, FPS on my xbox, and RPG on my PS3. 
 
I think each platform has it's goods and bads but mainly those are how I feel they preform the best at.
 
PC - RTS and Hack N Slash dungeon crawlers.
 
Xbox - Best for online gameplay and FPS games hands down. (I know PC has mods and larger rooms but also more hackers back in the day, not sure now.)

 
Are you sure you're not talking about the PC there? Mouse aim, better online play that you don't have to pay extra for, mods, more FPSs to choose from (where do you think the genre got its start to begin with?)...I don't see how anyone could possibly prefer FPSs on a console, unless they're titles like Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, or TimeSplitters that never had PC releases. (But those are few and far between, compared to Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, System Shock, Rise of the Triad, Quake, Unreal, Duke Nukem 3D, Half-Life, Serious Sam, Starsiege: Tribes, Battlefield, Red Orchestra, Operation Flashpoint/ArmA, and so on that all debuted on the PC and still have their best versions on PC.) The way I see it, if you have the money for a powerful enough PC, the PC wins for FPSs, no contest.
 
I won't hold it against you, though-to each his own.

 

[NinjaSushi2]

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Are you sure you're not talking about the PC there? Mouse aim, better online play that you don't have to pay extra for, mods, more FPSs to choose from (where do you think the genre got its start to begin with?)...I don't see how anyone could possibly prefer FPSs on a console, unless they're titles like Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, or TimeSplitters that never had PC releases. (But those are few and far between, compared to Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, System Shock, Rise of the Triad, Quake, Unreal, Duke Nukem 3D, Half-Life, Serious Sam, Starsiege: Tribes, Battlefield, Red Orchestra, Operation Flashpoint/ArmA, and so on that all debuted on the PC and still have their best versions on PC.) The way I see it, if you have the money for a powerful enough PC, the PC wins for FPSs, no contest.
 
I won't hold it against you, though-to each his own.

Indeed. I just find FPS on console more enjoyable. It's more simplistic, etc. Now I know I could always use my 360 controller on my PC, yoda yoda yoda... Besides, everytime I get on a PC I end up loading an RTS instead lol. Playing Total War atm and man do I miss this game. I was without a gaming PC for about a year.

 

[NinjaSushi2]

I play mostly Steam games on PC and I know that steam uses X-Fi Sound Blaster by Creative. So I am thinking I'll go with a creative card but I wanted one that supports TOS cables, etc. to use with my mixamp if I so choose, or will I not the mixamp and just the O2?