[Thekarma]

With Surround off on the SBZ you are just listening to stereo; try the default (67%). Windows speakers set to 5.1, csgo speakers set to 5.1 and SBZ set to headphones.

 

[shankly1985]

  With Surround off on the SBZ you are just listening to stereo; try the default (67%). Windows speakers set to 5.1, csgo speakers set to 5.1 and SBZ set to headphones.

This isn't true
The SBz takes the 5.1 and creates its own headphone surround sound from the 5.1 channel. The SBz effect is just to add on the effect more by adding in Reverb Just like on the GSX you can enable and disable.

You can test this by downloading a 5.1 test file.

Now had I set Windows to 2.0 and that would be stereo.

 

[Thekarma]

  This isn't true
The SBz takes the 5.1 and creates its own headphone surround sound from the 5.1 channel. The SBz effect is just to add on the effect more by adding in Reverb Just like on the GSX you can enable and disable.

You can test this by downloading a 5.1 test file.

Now had I set Windows to 2.0 and that would be stereo.

 
Wow the SBX slider really does very little, thanks for the information. I've just found out that when I was switching audio device that csgo was going back to stereo speakers every time.. So I've effectively been testing SBZ stereo vs GSX stereo. Doh. I'm going to take some time to retest everything.

 

[pietcux]

Wow the SBX slider really does very little, thanks for the information. I've just found out that when I was switching audio device that csgo was going back to stereo speakers every time.. So I've effectively been testing SBZ stereo vs GSX stereo. Doh. I'm going to take some time to retest everything.

Looking forward to your findings.

 

[Thekarma]

So I've been playing around with the SBX software and the slider on surround does make a difference. If you stand in a game with a sound on your left with the surround slider to 0 or off and take of your left ear cup/bud you will hear nothing in your right ear. As you slide the surround up the sound becomes more apparent in the right ear. This is because virtual surround works by simulating the consciously imperceptible time delay between sounds arriving at each ear, that the brain then uses to work out what direction sounds come from. So if you are not hearing anything in the opposite ear your brain cant work out where the sound is coming from apart from left; ergo the virtual surround isn't doing it's job.  

 

[shankly1985]

So I've been playing around with the SBX software and the slider on surround does make a difference. If you stand in a game with a sound on your left with the surround slider to 0 or off and take of your left ear cup/bud you will hear nothing in your right ear. As you slide the surround up the sound becomes more apparent in the right ear. This is because virtual surround works by simulating the consciously imperceptible time delay between sounds arriving at each ear, that the brain then uses to work out what direction sounds come from. So if you are not hearing anything in the opposite ear your brain cant work out where the sound is coming from apart from left; ergo the virtual surround isn't doing it's job.  

With the gsx another thing too point out make sure your default playback device is speakers and not headset earphone.
By default its setup to earphone, earphones is for teamspeak etc

 

[Falkentyne]

I can tell you directly the GSX sounds better than CMSS 3D, and CMSS 3D is considered to be slightly better than SBX.  I haven't bothered to test SBX in Alchemy games, except 1 silly run in UT2004, but the GSX wins hands down in terms of clarity of positional audio.

 

[Thekarma]

 

  I can tell you directly the GSX sounds better than CMSS 3D, and CMSS 3D is considered to be slightly better than SBX.  I haven't bothered to test SBX in Alchemy games, except 1 silly run in UT2004, but the GSX wins hands down in terms of clarity of positional audio.

 
CMSS-3D is a bit better than SBX but not a lot, I have an X-FI Titanium and in the end chose to stick with the SBX as the positional was only marginally better with the X-FI, but for a substantial drop in SQ. I'll could dig out my X-FI and do a comparison but I could confidently guess that the GSX would sound better and be very similar in positional accuracy.

 

[Thekarma]

I'll give it a bit more time but I'm pretty sure I'm sending back the GSX. It's just not different enough to warrant £190. I think if I didn't have an amp/dac already it would be a good upgrade, and for people who are running basic sound cards/on-board sound it could be a good purchase.  The problem is, although there is a little extra clarity on the GSX, the SBX positional audio accuracy is pretty much the same. I controlled a bot in CSGO with my eyes shut and attempted to randomly position it at 45, 135, 225 and 315 degrees in an open space. With both GSX and SBX I was able to predict the angles with very similar levels of error. There is only so much tweaking that can be done to an algorithm that is designed on inter-ear timing. I spent a lot of time trying out Dolby Headphones vs Razer Surround vs CMSS-3D vs SBX and found SBX to be the best; and the GSX is at least on par with SBX. Also, it became apparent whilst playing CSGO that the GSX has a very low quality microphone input (16bit,16KHz, Tape Recorder level). Several of my friends noticed that my voice was ‘muddy’ compared to using the Sound Blaster Z (SBZ) connection. However, I am using a high quality stereo mic, so it may be less noticeable on a lower quality mic.. The two games I happen to have installed, Rise of Tomb Raider and Witcher 3, were next to identical in blind tests. The SBZ also has the advantage of custom EQ settings, 5.1 speaker support and optical out and in. Musically, the GSX is good but obviously is not as good as my dedicated Amp and Dac, which is another advantage of the SBZ using optical out, you get SBX positional audio and the ability to drive high Ohm headphones.
 
I will do some more location and blind tests on some different games before I write a review, because I still want the GSX to be great, but maybe the GSXv2 will be the one for me.

 

[pietcux]

Thekarma
May I ask which can of your Sennheiser collection you used for this comparison?

 

[Thekarma]

Thekarma
May I ask which can of your Sennheiser collection you used for this comparison?

I used the 598 and the 598c, haven't tried the 600 yet. 598 is my go to gaming headphone.

 

[pietcux]

I used the 598 and the 598c, haven't tried the 600 yet. 598 is my go to gaming headphone.

Have the HD650. With it the sound lacks dynamics. So I would suggest double amping. But with my Beyer DT1990/1770 and the Sony Z7 all is good dynamic wise.

 

[EvenR]

Have the HD650. With it the sound lacks dynamics. So I would suggest double amping. But with my Beyer DT1990/1770 and the Sony Z7 all is good dynamic wise.

Double amping? I'm pretty sure the GSX1000 can't be connected to any other amps/dacs, and only works on it's own, if that's what you mean.

 

[pietcux]

Double amping? I'm pretty sure the GSX1000 can't be connected to any other amps/dacs, and only works on it's own, if that's what you mean.

Headphone out into line in is possible. You only need the corrct cable.

 

[EvenR]

Headphone out into line in is possible. You only need the corrct cable.

So i would use an aux to 2x rca cable from the GSX to the back of my HDVA600 if i wanted to use that amplifier? Correct me if im wrong.