[Bakuryu]

baku, what are you plugging your DSS to? If the DSS is getting a Dolby Digital signal, there is no way it isn't doing proper Dolby headphone (the light should be on).

If you're gaming on PC... your PC has to have an optical out that is capable of sending a olby Digital signal. For example, my Alienware laptop has an optical out, but it ONLY does 2 channel pcm, no Dolby. In order for me to get Dolby from my PC, I have to use my Xonar U3 external soundcard. It does Dolby Headphone OR it can send out an untouched Dolby Digital signal if you really wanna use the DSS.

 
Rereplying because mine got lost in the last few posts.

I'm using this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA3KX16D4582

I have an optical cord going from that to the DSS annd from the DSS a 3.5mm to the headset.

is that external sound card my weak link?
 
Do I need to buy a new usb sound card? What is the DSS considered? Is it an amp? Do I need it?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I dunno about that thing, but if you're plugging your DSS into that, I'm willing to bet all my money that the optical out on that thing is limited to 2 channel PCM, which is why you'll never get Dolby from it.


Hoffen: Do people not know how to configure their sound devices?



You can either go to your control panel, and hit sound, or go to that icon on the taskbar.

The little speaker icon on the bottom right of your taskbar. RIGHT CLICK IT, PLAYBACK DEVICES, RIGHT CLICK ON THE DEVICE IN QUESTION, CONFIGURE SPEAKERS, SET TO 7.1, NEXT, NEXT, NEXT, FINISH.

Also, instead of hitting configure speakers, hit properties, advanced, change default format to a higher bitrate/frequency. For the Xonars, you can only go up to 24/48. Any higher is for stereo, it won't work when using 7 channels, higher frequencies.

I'm willing to bet, people never do this with their audiophile dacs, and they're stuck in 16bit/44khz. All this time thinking they're getting 24bit/96khz, when they didn't bother to change the settings.

DON'T TOUCH THE 7.1 VIRTUAL SPEAKER.

 

[Bakuryu]

   
Quote:

I dunno about that thing, but if you're plugging your DSS into that, I'm willing to bet all my money that the optical out on that thing is limited to 2 channel PCM, which is why you'll never get Dolby from it.

 
That is the thing I can get Dolby out of it. Like I said if I do this:
 

 
And press Test the light goes on, but then switches back when the test ends.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Well, the light is obviously not gonna stay on after the test, as you're not playing anything that uses Dolby UNTIL you start a game/movie, etc. If the light is not turning on during games, then you just don't have the right settings in the Windows Control Panel or the game just doesn't support it.

 

[Bakuryu]

Well, the light is obviously not gonna stay on after the test, as you're not playing anything that uses Dolby UNTIL you start a game/movie, etc. If the light is not turning on during games, then you just don't have the right settings in the Windows Control Panel or the game just doesn't support it.

So its not suppose to be on all the time? This whole process confuses me really. I'm reading some people say the process of decoding PCM into DD is a decrease in quality. I just want to know how to get the best sound to my soon to be headphones. And if anything I have right now is of use or if I still need to buy more hardware.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Some people are probably the same kind of people that would never use virtual surround because it's not uncompressed pcm. PCM = STEREO. You wanna play in stereo? Enjoy your better quality, but lack of surround.

You're also sadly mistaken if you think everything can be set to output in Dolby Digital.

It's not. Things have to be ENCODED in Dolby. Things can't be just slapped on with Dolby with a touch of a button. Like I said, Dolby is encoded into sources like movies, games, etc. It's not something that can be slapped onto to everything you listen to. That is why you don't get the Dolby light.

Even DVDs don't have Dolby on at ALL times. The movie will, but menus or previews may just be in standard PCM/stereo.

Think of it like a TV channel in HD. Some content is HD, some things like commercials may not be.

You can be playing a DVD on your Pc which has Dolby, but your mediaplayer may not have the right settings that allow Dolby Digital to play.

PC has a billion on confusing settings, and if even one is wrong, It can block Dolby Digital from being sent to your Dolby headphone device.

Hardware settings, software settings, software device, etc. All these things have to be right.

This is why PC gaming is a pain in the ass. Even just getting the internal soundcard to do virtual surround, I have to manually adjust settings EVERY SINGLE time I plug in a headphone.

Like I have mentioned time and time before, PC gaming related advice/issues, should be asked in the Nameless guide, which is linked on the first page.

 

[Bakuryu]

Some people are probably the same kind of people that would never use virtual surround because it's not uncompressed pcm.

You're sadly mistaken if you think everything is in Dolby.

It's not. things have to be ENCODED in Dolby. Things can't be just slapped on with Dolby with a touch of a button. Like I said, Dolby is encoded into sources like movies, games, etc. It's not something that can be slapped onto to everything you listen to. That is why you don't get the Dolby light.

Even DVDs don't have Dolby on at ALL times. The movie will, but menus or previews may just be in standard PCM/stereo.

Think of it like a TV channel in HD. Some content is HD, some things like commercials may not be.

You can be playing a DVD on your Pc which has Dolby, but your mediaplayer may not have the right settings that allow Dolby Digital to play.

PC has a billion on confusing settings, and if even one is wrong, It can block Dolby Digital from being sent to your Dolby headphone device.

Hardware settings, software settings, software device, etc. All these things have to be right.

This is why PC gaming is a pain in the ass. Even just getting the internal sound card to do virtual surround, I have to manually adjust settings EVERY SINGLE time I plug in a headphone.

 
So if a PC game isn't encoded for Dolby Digital it wont do it, based on what I am reading most games aren't encoded for DD. So whats the point Ear Force that is supposedly decoding Dolby Digital? Headphones are stereo right? So even if a game has the potential for surround sound it will only ever put out 2.1 sound, unless you do virtual surround sound? Does that sound have to be pushed through optical?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Sigh... yes, headphones are stereo. Dolby headphone takes the DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 signal and converts it into Dolby headphone virtual surround. it's a virtual surround that is TWO CHANNEL. How else do you think a standard STEREO headphone can possibly get virtual surround?

You're really misinformed, misunderstanding, and overthinking it.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS MAKE SURE THE DSS IS BEING SENT A DOLBY DIGITAL SIGNAL when you play your games. If you're playing a game, and the light turns on, you're good. If not, then you're out of luck. That device you're using may be downconverting the signal to basic stereo beforeit sends it to the DSS. I don't know, as I don't have it, and I don't know what type of setup and settings you have. Again, ask on the Nameless guide.

Most retail games have Dolby Digital. I haven't played a single one that my Xonar hasn't put proper Dolby headphone to. Some indie games, maybe, but that also happens on consoles.

I've said all I can say to you. I'm just repeating myself now.

 

[Bakuryu]

Sigh... yes, headphones are stereo. Dolby headphone takes the DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 signal and converts it into Dolby headphone virtual surround. it's a virtual surround that is TWO CHANNEL. However, it is not basic stereo. You're really misinformed, misunderstanding, and overthinking it.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS MAKE SURE THE DSS IS BEING SENT A DOLBY DIGITAL SIGNAL when you play your games. If you're playing a game, and the light turns on, you're good. If not, then you're out of luck. That device you're using may be downconverting the signal to basic stereo beforeit sends it to the DSS. I don't know, as I don't have it, and I don't know what type of setup and settings you have. Again, ask on the Nameless guide.

Most retail games have Dolby Digital. I haven't played a single one that my Xonar has put proper Dolby headphone to. Some indie games, maybe, but that also happens on consoles.


I'm kind of done with this line of questioning, since this is stuff that has been covered time and time again, online, here, google, etc.

 
Sorry for being ignorant. My multiple searches on google have lead me to the same results as far as PC games and DD and I have no one to live chat with so my only source of information is these forums and whatever I find on google. Its easier to find something when you know what your looking for. I think a guide on why head phones are better for different tasks would be more beneficial then just a list of good ones. If someone knew what to look for in headphones they wouldn't ask "is this one good" all the time. Until I learned more about building PCs I had no idea what to look for, but once I did it made finding parts much easier.
 
I know it sounds petty, but I don't have a lot of money to spend, I'm losing my job soon. I might not even be able to afford to get these yet, but when I do I want to make sure I have the right stuff and how to use it. I always ask questions because I hate assuming, which leads to more trouble then its worth.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Unless you're buying some multiple driver headphones, all headphones are essentially the same. You have:

stereo headphones (the overwhelming majority of headphones, which includes in ears, on ears, wireless, noise cancelling, open, closed, etc)
headsets (headphones with microphones)
surround headphones (headphones with multiple speakers in each ear cup, which are much, much worse than a standard pair of headphones)

Assigning eadphones for different tasks is unnecessary. A good headphone will do good in basically any and every task. Your main choice comes down to what benefits you want.

And I'm not just posting a guide on what headphones are good. I state why they're good, what their strengths are, and what their weaknesses are. Some may have more bass, some may have more treble, etc. I don't know what you're looking for, but you're clearly overthinking it.

 

[conquerator2]

  dx700 is 530 at amazon. But the dx700 midrange isn't recessed. With the x1 comparatively speaking the x1 midrange is more distant as well as everything else besides the bass.. The dx700 does everything...besides air and the x1 having a slightly more transparent sound... better. Better details, better and stronger textured bass, better soundstage width, better soundstage height and depth, better instrument separation, stronger midrange, similar treble, more natural instruments, better timbre, way more cohesive and musical... yeah thats almost everything. I have had both and really liked the x1 but it's no match for the dx700.

Still, my point stands - the DX700 is almost 2x more expensive and it is closed.
However, it seems to be a really good headphone, I give you that.
But they would probably need some sort of amplification to sound great, right?

 

[catspaw]

If on consoles, yes, you will lose virtual surround. Your Mixamp or equivalent device IS a dac and amp. If you try putting an audiophile dac first, they'll convert everything to standard stereo.

If on PC, yes, UNLESS your soundcard has an option to send your dac an already converted Dolby headphone signal through the optical out. The Xonar U3 does it (cheapest), and I assume the Xonar DG (which is what internal equivalent to the U3) does this. Since I don't have, nor am I knowledgeable about soundcards in general, I can't say which do/don't have that option. I assume all the Xonars with Dolby Headphone will.

Not sure on Creative's soundcards or other offerings.

Also, as far as the U3, this signal is capped at 16bit/48khz, IIRC. Might be 24/48, I'll have to check. So I'd still use your audiophile dac with a better source signal when listening to music, if you care about 24/96 or higher.

Well, ill drop a few buck on a sound card if I can get dolby headphone to a good DAC . Just need to find the right one. Currently i have creative X-fi Titanium (non-HD version).

 

[Gdubz]

Hey MLE,
 
Been reading up here a bit and decided to join up on the forums because I had a question (here's my intro thread). I think you said you're rocking the playstation so you don't have to deal with the Xbox One lack of surround via optical, but Microsoft stated that you can still receive a surround signal from their HDMI out. 
 
I was wondering if you know anything about this 4x1 HDMI switcher and if I could receive surround sound from that optical audio out port, since it will technically receive surround signal from the HDMI cable I connect to it. It states:
 

* The S/PDIF Optical (Toslink) and Digital Coax audio output formats are based on the HDMI audio output. If any of the sync devices (e.g., HDTV, Projector, etc.) connected to the output can only support stereo audio, then the S/PDIF Optical (Toslink) and Digital Coaxial outputs will be limited to PCM stereo audio.

 
I think that's a "yes" to my question, but I'm still really new to all this madness and it's a lot to take in all at once.
 
Thanks for any help you, or anyone else in this thread, might be able to give!

 

[threei]

  but Microsoft stated that you can still receive a surround signal from their HDMI out. 
 
 

As far as I know the surround output through HDMI is pcm.  Here's a quote from the MS guy:
 
Penello posted in the thread to cool matters. He said, “Dolby Digital is coming post launch. This was a SW scheduling issue pure and simple, and I know people are disappointed, but we will have it. Anyone with an HDMI receiver should be fine, as we pass the uncompressed 5.1 and 7.1 through HDMI as well as DTS. 

 

[texasnightowl]

Hey everyone...looking for input. I did post in the help/intro thread initially but my price range is changing and since I'm looking for headphones primarily for gaming I thought I'd pop in over here.
 
Basically I need headphones for use in my study/gameroom with my PS3 (PS4 sometime next year). I do have the PS3 (and other stuff) running into a Yamaha AVR (RX-V1800) which has Silent Cinema (aka Dolby Headphone).  I'm looking for headphones, not a head set...don't need a mic. For music, I listen to mostly classic rock and country but can be a little bit of everything....Adele, Billy Joes, Bon Jovi, Mat Kearney, Idina Menzel, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, John Mellencamp, The Eagles.
 
I'm leaning towards open, circumaural. The only caveat to choosing open is that my office is right around a corner from the living room and the TV in that room can be pretty loud (family member with hearing loss). So it's more a question of how much sound will come into my ears as opposed to sound leakage from the headphones.
 
Budget...under $150 USD...closer to $100 would be even better.
 
The Yamaha manual has this to say about the headphones jack:

Headphone Jack Rated Output/Impedance
CD, etc. (1 kHz, 40 mV, 8 O) ................................ 150 mV/100 O

 
I did also email Yamaha and their response is:

The headphone output is designed to work with consumer grade headphones, which typically have impedance ratings ranging between 15 and 60 ohms.

The output will still work with higher and lower impedance ratings, you would just need to adjust the volume control to compensate for the increased or decreased draw.

 
With all that out of the way, some of the cans on my list (all open/semi-open) include:
 
(low end) AKG K99 or Pioneer SE-A1000
Yamaha HPH-200
AKG K240 MKII
Senn HD 558
and at the upper end of the range, ATH-AD700x or Beyer DT990 Pro 250.
 
Any comments on any of these? The sweet spot in my budget would be $100-125 so the AT's and Beyer are above that but I could possibly stretch.
 
Any others to strongly consider? Or should I be considering closed instead of open? Thanks.