[iNcontroL]

Hey everyone, I just bought a Sound Blaster X7 Limited Edition.
 
I'm a bit confused about a few settings and couldn't find much information on them searching google.
 
In the Speakers/Headphones section there's an option called Direct Mode "Direct Mode gives you audio in its purest form, directly from the source.", now is this essentially like ASIO but for everything including games and music?
 
Another option I'm confused about is "Dynamic Range Control" it has three choices:
        - Full (maximum)
        - Normal (standard)
        - Night (minimum)
 
The default setting is Normal, however I'm not sure what it exactly does. What would give me the best quality sound?
 
On a side note: I still have my Titanium HD PCI card installed. They're both working fine and I can interchange between them easily through my PC. I'm currently using the X7 for my Headphones because of the convenience of switching them out. However, I have my Airmotiv 5s hooked up permanently to my Titanium HD. Would that give me the best sound quality or should I go ahead and hook up the speakers to my X7 as well? Is the DAC on the X7 superior to the X-FI Titanium HD?
 
Any insight or comments are greatly appreciated!

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Hey everyone, I just bought a Sound Blaster X7 Limited Edition.
I'm a bit confused about a few settings and couldn't find much information on them searching google.
I'm confused about is "Dynamic Range Control" it has three choices:
        - Full (maximum)
        - Normal (standard)
        - Night (minimum)
The default setting is Normal, however I'm not sure what it exactly does. What would give me the best quality sound?
On a side note: I still have my Titanium HD PCI card installed. They're both working fine and I can interchange between them easily through my PC. I'm currently using the X7 for my Headphones because of the convenience of switching them out. However, I have my Airmotiv 5s hooked up permanently to my Titanium HD. Would that give me the best sound quality or should I go ahead and hook up the speakers to my X7 as well? Is the DAC on the X7 superior to the X-FI Titanium HD?

 
I'm guessing dynamic range control help you hear the audio detail, during the day time, when there is other distracting noise around
Where at night you have no other noise around that might interfere with your audio listening, so the Dynamic Range Control is not needed (my best guess).
 
Personally I would have not gotten the X7 and have just gotten an external headphone amplifier, that also comes with a separate line-output, for the speakers.
Connect that external headphone amplifier to the Titanium-HD's RCA jacks.
External headphone amplifier would be way cheaper then the X7.

 

[cdsa35000]

Direct mode = bypass any extra processing like: EQ, Surround, Crystalizer, Bass , Smaret Volume , Dialog Plus etc.

DRC applies only to the Dolby Digital signal through the optical input.
Its a dynamic volume normalizer/compressor: dynamic range= the volume level range between lowest hearable sound and loudest sound content possible.
Full range= off, volume levels unprocessed.
Normal= on, lowest sound content will be boosted and loudest sound attenuated= normal volume compression.
Night= on = maximum DRC volume compression/normalization for night listening with speakers not to disturb neighbors, so at low volume listening you can still hear the lowest sound without the blasting loudest sound explosions etc.
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_7_2/feature-article-dialog-normalization-6-2000.html
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec01/articles/surround5.asp


http://www.head-fi.org/t/756102/creative-sound-blaster-x7-detailed-review-impressions

 

[PurpleAngel]

Direct mode = bypass any extra processing like: EQ, Surround, Crystalizer, Bass , Smaret Volume , Dialog Plus etc.

DRC applies only to the Dolby Digital signal through the optical input.
Its a dynamic volume normalizer/compressor: dynamic range= the volume level range between lowest hearable sound and loudest sound content possible.
Full range= off, volume levels unprocessed.
Normal= on, lowest sound content will be boosted and loudest sound attenuated= normal volume compression.
Night= on = maximum DRC volume compression/normalization for night listening with speakers not to disturb neighbors, so at low volume listening you can still hear the lowest sound without the blasting loudest sound explosions etc.
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_7_2/feature-article-dialog-normalization-6-2000.html
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec01/articles/surround5.asp
http://www.head-fi.org/t/756102/creative-sound-blaster-x7-detailed-review-impressions

 
CDSA3500,
the OP listed the DRC setting opposite of what you listed them as?
- Full (maximum)
- Normal (standard)
- Night (minimum)
You listed Night as maximum, but the OP has Night listed as minimum?

 

[cdsa35000]

CDSA3500,
the OP listed the DRC setting opposite of what you listed them as?
- Full (maximum Dynamic Range)
- Normal (standard Dynamic Range)
- Night (minimum Dynamic Range)
You listed Night as maximum, but the OP has Night listed as minimum?

Night= on = maximum Dynamic Range Control/compression volume compression/normalization = minimum dynamic range!

 

[iNcontroL]

   
I'm guessing dynamic range control help you hear the audio detail, during the day time, when there is other distracting noise around
Where at night you have no other noise around that might interfere with your audio listening, so the Dynamic Range Control is not needed (my best guess).
 
Personally I would have not gotten the X7 and have just gotten an external headphone amplifier, that also comes with a separate line-output, for the speakers.
Connect that external headphone amplifier to the Titanium-HD's RCA jacks.
External headphone amplifier would be way cheaper then the X7.

Was the X7 a waste of money? Absolutely, I pretty much only bought it for convenience sake. Mainly when switching between my headset and headphones.
 
The Titanium HD required me to get on my knees behind my desk and unplug my headset because the headphone amp on it was exclusive. So in order to use the headphones connected to my Schiit Magni through RCA cables going to my Titanium HD I had to unplug my headset completely. The reason I couldn't just connect my headset to the Magni either was because of the mic cable which would require going to the back of the card. So I essentially spent 500 dollars so I don't have to keep pulling cables out of the back my computer and plugging them back in several times a day.
 
Sometimes I experience buyers remorse on a whole new level.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Was the X7 a waste of money? Absolutely, I pretty much only bought it for convenience sake. Mainly when switching between my headset and headphones.
 
The Titanium HD required me to get on my knees behind my desk and unplug my headset because the headphone amp on it was exclusive. So in order to use the headphones connected to my Schiit Magni through RCA cables going to my Titanium HD I had to unplug my headset completely. The reason I couldn't just connect my headset to the Magni either was because of the mic cable which would require going to the back of the card. So I essentially spent 500 dollars so I don't have to keep pulling cables out of the back my computer and plugging them back in several times a day.
 
Sometimes I experience buyers remorse on a whole new level.

 
Can you return the X7?

 

[iNcontroL]

Nope and I wouldn't even know what to replace it with to get around the problem I had. Seems the X7 was the only solution.

 

[xxlbeerz]

I just use RCA splitters on the Titanium HD output.  One set to monitors, the other to heaphone amp.