[SierraMadre]

I wonder what the difference is, from what I can find they look like the same apps.

They aren’t. The expensive one is for mixing and pro monitoring of audio streams and offers a central hub for various plug-ins.

The entertainment one just turns VSS on and off, offers some limited fx customisation and head tracking.

So you need to use it with a GSX1000, G6 or SXFI for example,, a 2 channel DAC won't work?

2 channel dac would only offer virtualisation of 2.0 stereo speakers.

Any multichannel capable device that windows can recognise as such would give you the full/proper experience, including even just a multichannel capable mobo/onboard audio chip.

 

[AppleheadMay]

They aren’t. The expensive one is for mixing and pro monitoring of audio streams and is offers a central hub for various plug-ins.

The entertainment one just turns VSS on and off, offers some limited fx customisation and head tracking.


2 channel dac would only offer virtualisation of 2.0 stereo speakers.

Any multichannel capable device that windows can recognise as such would give you the full/proper experience, including even just a multichannel capable mobo/onboard audio chip.

Thank you very much, definitely something to look into!
I suppose you disable all VSS on the 7.1 device then.

 

[AppleheadMay]

Or my AVR receiver over HDMI, that one gets detected as 7.1 as well.
So if I take that one, configure it as 7.1, apply the Waves NX effect for headphones and listen to the phones out of the receiver.
Would that work?

 

[SierraMadre]

Thank you very much, definitely something to look into!
I suppose you disable all VSS on the 7.1 device then.

You’re welcome and yes.

Or my AVR receiver over HDMI, that one gets detected as 7.1 as well.
So if I take that one, configure it as 7.1, apply the Waves NX effect for headphones and listen to the phones out of the receiver.
Would that work?

Probably. Can’t imagine why not. There’s a free trial so you can try before you buy.

I just started playing with Boom3D and liking it more then WavesNX maybe because i have no way to use it with the head tracker and my desktop inboard sound card is pretty crappy but it doesnt support 5.1 / 7.1. Plus for me the presets seems to have a lot of reverb with my dt 990's.

I was thinking of getting the sxfi amp which was mentioned but for some reason i cannot get it on creative website, amazon or newegg here in canada same goes for the sxfi theater and i hear the headphones haven't gotten the sxfi gen2 yet.

I really want the Mobius but i am having a hard time to justify the price since i game on PC and Console and while i was thinking of getting the Platinum headset is it worth it now that PS5 will be coming out.

The G6 would probably be the best for me, but again i am probably over thinking it but i have a hard time paying 250CDN for something 2+ years old and my opinion sxfi would probably be the future.

If you get the G6, you would also be able to use it for Waves with webcam or headtracker, Boom, Atmos headphone etc. on PC and probably apply any software VSS offered by the next gen consoles (assuming Sony allow the PS5’s proprietary native VSS to be pushed to external third party devices) which is particularly useful because it’s just a very good gaming dac/amp for the price in general. You can also push audio, EQ and FX out to speakers or another Dac/amp like your Syba Sonic if you so choose.
I use the G6 for Waves, Atmos for headphone and Boom 3D on the PC and Atmos for headphone on the Xbox One.


Re Mobius and SXFI future proofing

It’s just speculation at this point but I have a feeling that the next gen consoles will support discrete multichannel PCM output via USB just like PC does at the moment. If this does happen then there’s a good chance that Mobius / Orbit and SXFI devices will be updated for full compatibility so getting a Mobius or SXFI device may not rule out full console compatibility in the future.


Platinum Wireless and cheap alternative option for PS4 VSS dac/amp - Earforce DSS2

The Platinum Wireless doubles as a good wireless headset for PC although the VSS is limited to PS4 only. It’s also relatively inexpensive.
I’d say the Platinum’s worth it as a temporary PS solution but if you want to go the SXFI or Mobius route now and just want something to tidy you over on PS P4 for ultra cheap, then if your Beyer’s are the 32ohm model (which I have heard are easy to drive) then you could just get the Earforce DSS2.

It can be found new for around 20 bucks if you shop around, supports Dolby digital 5.1 decoding via optical in and is the only gaming dac/amp I know of that offers configuration of the virtual surround speaker positions (you can choose from multiple presets). Additionally it’s very small and light. I got one recently for 20 and was very impressed. It’s a bit reverby but not that much more than SXFI.


In any case, I think we have reached the limit of recommendation and conjecture, where you go from here is best determined by you trying/buying, forming your own hands-on impressions and return/refunding as necessary until you are happy.

Good luck!

 

[AppleheadMay]

You’re welcome and yes.



Probably. Can’t imagine why not. There’s a free trial so you can try before you buy.


If you get the G6, you would also be able to use it for Waves with webcam or headtracker on PC and probably apply any software VSS offered by the next gen consoles (assuming Sony allow the PS5’s proprietary native VSS to be pushed to external third party devices) which is particularly useful because it’s just a very good gaming dac/amp for the price in general. You can also push audio, EQ and FX out to speakers or another Dac/amp like your Syba Sonic if you so choose.
I use the G6 for Waves, Atmos for headphone and Boom 3D on the PC and Atmos for headphone on the Xbox One.


Re Mobius and SXFI future proofing

It’s just speculation at this point but I have a feeling that the next gen consoles will support discrete multichannel PCM output via USB just like PC does at the moment. If this does happen then there’s a good chance that Mobius / Orbit and SXFI devices will be updated for full compatibility so getting a Mobius or SXFI device may not rule out full console compatibility in the future.


Platinum Wireless and cheap alternative option for PS4 VSS dac/amp - Earforce DSS2

The Platinum Wireless doubles as a good wireless headset for PC although the VSS is limited to PS4 only. It’s also relatively inexpensive.
I’d say the Platinum’s worth it as a temporary PS solution but if you want to go the SXFI or Mobius route now and just want something to tidy you over on PS P4 for ultra cheap, then if your Beyer’s are the 32ohm model (which I have heard are easy to drive) then you could just get the Earforce DSS2.

It can be found new for around 20 bucks if you shop around, supports Dolby digital 5.1 decoding via optical in and is the only gaming dac/amp I know of that offers configuration of the virtual surround speaker positions (you can choose from multiple presets). Additionally it’s very small and light. I got one recently for 20 and was very impressed. It’s a bit reverby but not that much more than SXFI.


In any case, I think we have reached the limit of recommendation and conjecture, where you go from here is best determined by you trying/buying, forming your own hands-on impressions and return/refunding as necessary until you are happy.

Good luck!

Thanks!
You gave me a lot of info and useful tips. I really appreciate the software tips, especially Waves NX intrigues me.
I will indeed have to try some stuff out and I have an idea of the direction I want to go in, I just need to hear what device and/or software works and sounds best for me now.
Luckily I have a 4-day weekend ahead so I'll be able to do some testing.

 

[stavros.m]

You’re welcome and yes.



Probably. Can’t imagine why not. There’s a free trial so you can try before you buy.


If you get the G6, you would also be able to use it for Waves with webcam or headtracker, Boom, Atmos headphone etc. on PC and probably apply any software VSS offered by the next gen consoles (assuming Sony allow the PS5’s proprietary native VSS to be pushed to external third party devices) which is particularly useful because it’s just a very good gaming dac/amp for the price in general. You can also push audio, EQ and FX out to speakers or another Dac/amp like your Syba Sonic if you so choose.
I use the G6 for Waves, Atmos for headphone and Boom 3D on the PC and Atmos for headphone on the Xbox One.


Re Mobius and SXFI future proofing

It’s just speculation at this point but I have a feeling that the next gen consoles will support discrete multichannel PCM output via USB just like PC does at the moment. If this does happen then there’s a good chance that Mobius / Orbit and SXFI devices will be updated for full compatibility so getting a Mobius or SXFI device may not rule out full console compatibility in the future.


Platinum Wireless and cheap alternative option for PS4 VSS dac/amp - Earforce DSS2

The Platinum Wireless doubles as a good wireless headset for PC although the VSS is limited to PS4 only. It’s also relatively inexpensive.
I’d say the Platinum’s worth it as a temporary PS solution but if you want to go the SXFI or Mobius route now and just want something to tidy you over on PS P4 for ultra cheap, then if your Beyer’s are the 32ohm model (which I have heard are easy to drive) then you could just get the Earforce DSS2.

It can be found new for around 20 bucks if you shop around, supports Dolby digital 5.1 decoding via optical in and is the only gaming dac/amp I know of that offers configuration of the virtual surround speaker positions (you can choose from multiple presets). Additionally it’s very small and light. I got one recently for 20 and was very impressed. It’s a bit reverby but not that much more than SXFI.


In any case, I think we have reached the limit of recommendation and conjecture, where you go from here is best determined by you trying/buying, forming your own hands-on impressions and return/refunding as necessary until you are happy.

Good luck!

thank you again so much to think about before i decide what to get

 

[474194]

What you are sending to the Fulla / Hugo would be pre-virtualised surround in a stereo signal anyway so you don't really need to mandate optical in this instance unless you prefer it to USB for other reasons (such as USB giving you problems with noise etc.).

Fulla and Hugo are not multichannel capable so you can't configure them as multichannel. You can use an existing multichannel capable device for Hesuvi to piggy back your stereo-only output device onto.

VB cable is only for when there are no such multichannel proxy devices available. It is unnecessary and not recommended for when you have a multichannel capable device to hand as appears to be the case with your onboard soundchip.

Use the Audio Repeater KS method detailed in the Hesuvi setup help guide on the wiki. It's right above the VB cable setup instructions.

Many thanks. I'll try out over weekend. I see an issue though as Audio Repeater KS requires you follow steps 1-6 of the VB Cable section. So will have to re-visit getting VB Cable to work.

 

[SierraMadre]

Many thanks. I'll try out over weekend. I see an issue though as Audio Repeater KS requires you follow steps 1-6 of the VB Cable section. So will have to re-visit getting VB Cable to work.

That is true but if you can get it to work then no added latency. There are two separate download links for VB cable so try both if you have problems installing

 

[474194]

I'm trying to wrap my head around all this 5.1, 7.1, surround stuff for gaming, but I remember I have a few optical devices I can use for videos. Below I use the larger device on the left because the sound is much more dynamic. The smaller device in the middle sounds flat, so I'm thinking of repurposing to a OSMC (KODI) media center. It should be able to output DD/DTS. Do you recommend a G6? Any device that also decodes DTS? I plan to stick with headphones and output video to an HDMI monitor.

https://osmc.tv/

https://www.instructables.com/id/Create-a-video-player-with-Dolby-DigitalDTS-output/

 

[SierraMadre]

I'm trying to wrap my head around all this 5.1, 7.1, surround stuff for gaming, but I remember I have a few optical devices I can use for videos. Below I use the larger device on the left because the sound is much more dynamic. The smaller device in the middle sounds flat, so I'm thinking of repurposing to a OSMC (KODI) media center. It should be able to output DD/DTS. Do you recommend a G6? Any device that also decodes DTS? I plan to stick with headphones and output video to an HDMI monitor.

https://osmc.tv/

https://www.instructables.com/id/Create-a-video-player-with-Dolby-DigitalDTS-output/

You don’t need Dolby or DTS capable devices for PC gaming as PC games typically use PCM. It’s just PS and Xbox that require DD5.1 via optical for decoding discrete multichannel and converting into headphone VSS via external dac/amps.

If it’s PC videos only then you will need a media player app that supports Dolby Digital and DTS5.1 passthrough and a dac/amp receiver that can decode it and convert into headphone VSS. I think Windows now supports both as of last year, not sure if it supports vanilla Dolby digital or DD+. It would need to be vanilla DD or DTS 5.1 if you’re using optical for the multichannel stream though as DD plus and higher are not supported by optical.

In that type of situtation, I’d me more inclined just to do everything via Atmos for headphone or the like and not worry about the external dac/amps decoding capabilities.

Beyond that, I’m not the best person to ask about audio for HTPCs. I use Netflix on PC sometimes but for everything else, streaming, disc media, it’s all Xbox or the onboard apps on my TV.

Also, I don’t know of any DTS decoding capable gaming dac/amps or cheap all purpose dac/amps, only Dolby Digital.

 

[474194]

You don’t need Dolby or DTS capable devices for PC gaming as PC games typically use PCM. It’s just PS and Xbox that require DD5.1 via optical for decoding discrete multichannel and converting into headphone VSS via external dac/amps.

If it’s PC videos only then you will need a media player app that supports Dolby Digital and DTS5.1 passthrough and a dac/amp receiver that can decode it and convert into headphone VSS. I think Windows now supports both as of last year, not sure if it supports vanilla Dolby digital or DD+. It would need to be vanilla DD or DTS 5.1 if you’re using optical for the multichannel stream though as DD plus and higher are not supported by optical.

In that type of situtation, I’d me more inclined just to do everything via Atmos for headphone or the like and not worry about the external dac/amps decoding capabilities.

Beyond that, I’m not the best person to ask about audio for HTPCs. I use Netflix on PC sometimes but for everything else, streaming, disc media, it’s all Xbox or the onboard apps on my TV.

Also, I don’t know of any DTS decoding capable gaming dac/amps or cheap all purpose dac/amps, only Dolby Digital.

Okay, I'll check what's out there for videos. It's kinda off-topic anyways. Maybe a simple A/V receiver would work better than something like the G6. I guess I'm just looking for a reason to keep from returning the G6. If Hesuvi doesn't work out, maybe there is no choice.

 

[474194]

oic now, HDMI is needed for modern video surround tech:

I just need basic DD, nothing serious. I think it's best to keep the G6. It's too much trouble for workarounds and worrying about possible latency. I hope I can optical into the G6, configure 7.1 / hesuvi / direct mode and possibly optical out into a Chord DAC.

I'll open G6 package and attempt this weekend.

 

[AppleheadMay]

I wonder since I seem to like software solutions like Dolby Atmos for Headphones a lot that I could do with just adding Waves NX and not use hardware like the G6.
I could then enable the soundcard on my MB (Pretty decent, based on SB, the MB is an Aorus Z390 Extreme), apply either DAH or Waves NX and send digital optical out to a Modi/Magni stack.

 

[SierraMadre]

oic now, HDMI is needed for modern video surround tech:



I just need basic DD, nothing serious. I think it's best to keep the G6. It's too much trouble for workarounds and worrying about possible latency. I hope I can optical into the G6, configure 7.1 / hesuvi / direct mode and possibly optical out into a Chord DAC.

I'll open G6 package and attempt this weekend.

That’s what I was trying to say. Optical is limited to a max channel count of DD5.1, DTS 5.1 and PCM 2.0.

I don’t think there’s any point to your plan of PC > optical > G6 > optical > Chord For Hesuvi.
That would require a third audio device to be the origin of the initial PC > optical connection. That could be a multichannel onboard sound chip or a stereo one but that would be needlessly adding a third device (and in the case of a stereo onboard chip, you’d need a fourth device with multichannel capability for piggybacking or else you would have to use the not recommended VB cable method).

It would be PC > usb > G6 and simultaneously PC > usb > Chord for the Hesuvi audio KS repeater method that spoofs the multichannel capability of the G6 onto the Chord. The PC would be taking the audio from the G6, processing it with Hesuvi and then sending it out to the Chord as default/endpoint device for output.

. . . But on consideration, that would just be needlessly convoluted and a hassle to setup.
Better just to apply Hesuvi to G6 via USB and set it as Windows default audio device. No need to bother with spoofing/ piggy backing / repeating onto the Chord. The Chord would receive the processed audio from the G6 via optical and would not need to be registered or active as an audio device in Windows at all. In fact, it would not even need to be connected to the PC.

 

[ronfifer]

Someone in this thread bought the TH-600 + Mixamp (+some portable amp) and was hugely amazed by it. I can only speak for the TH-900 and it's still my favorite can. Relatively easy to drive, great, cohorent soundstage, very very deep hard hittingbass with low decay, very low distortion so despite its pronounced bass not fatigueing at all (like X1 or Signature DJ from my own experience) and very detailed.

So if the TH-600 is even half as good it would be a very good recommendation. Plus he'd save quite some money.
Maybe that guy can chime in and give his further impressions.

U said the th-900 had a fast decay in other posts and that's why MLE eventually abandoned his pair because he preferred a slower decay as in the D7000. Maybe i misunderstood.