Sound Card 7.1?

[Elijah McKay]

Okay, so I am building a gaming PC and I want to get the Sennheiser 598s and the Asus Xonar Essence STX sound card.  This is a 7.1 sound card, but I am wondering if you get true 7.1 virtual surround by just plugging the headphones into the 3.5 jack?  I don't think you do.  And if not, how do you get 7.1 surround from the card?  Do you have to use the optical out port?  If so, how to connect the headphones to the optical?  I'm really new to this so please be easy on me.  If anyone can, please just explain this whole thing to me, but any answers are appreciated.  Also, anyone who can give me a suggestion on a sound card besides the Essence STX, please do.  I am looking for a card with great surround and sound quality in general. Thanks.
 
 
Edit:  I have come to find out that S/PDIF can only carry up to 5.1 surround, so how is it possible that this card would be 7.1?  It has a ; (this is copied from Amazon)Main stereo RCA out, headphone out, SPDIF out, line in (Mic in) Other frount audio header, Aux in, S/PDIF header.  Which one of these jacks can do 7.1? 
 
I need this question answered fast so sorry if I asking to many questions.

 

[PurpleAngel]

The Essence STX's Audio Channel comes with a 8-channel (7.1) setting.

 

[Elijah McKay]

But which port do you connect your headphones into to get that?

 

[darinf]

  But which port do you connect your headphones into to get that?

You don't get 7.1 in your headphones.
 
For that card, they do list Dolby Headphone and Dolby Speaker which will synthesize a sort-of 5.1 surround sound, but it's not great:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1750016
 
Certainly not audiophile quality by any stretch.
 
To do it so it sounds like real speakers, you need a Smyth Realiser, but that's $3,000. Otherwise, my software will do it, but the delay is too long for gaming (400ms). It's only good for movies.and music.

 

[Elijah McKay]

What about the Creative sound blaster Zx?  Can you do 7.1 with that?

 

[PurpleAngel]

  But which port do you connect your headphones into to get that?

You connect your headphones to the "Headphone Out" port.
On the back panel, that's really the only place for plugging in headphones.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Okay, so I am building a gaming PC and I want to get the Sennheiser 598s and the Asus Xonar Essence STX sound card.  This is a 7.1 sound card, but I am wondering if you get true 7.1 virtual surround by just plugging the headphones into the 3.5 jack?  I don't think you do.  And if not, how do you get 7.1 surround from the card?  Do you have to use the optical out port?  If so, how to connect the headphones to the optical?  I'm really new to this so please be easy on me.  If anyone can, please just explain this whole thing to me, but any answers are appreciated.  Also, anyone who can give me a suggestion on a sound card besides the Essence STX, please do.  I am looking for a card with great surround and sound quality in general. Thanks.
 
Edit:  I have come to find out that S/PDIF can only carry up to 5.1 surround, so how is it possible that this card would be 7.1?  It has a ; (this is copied from Amazon)Main stereo RCA out, headphone out, SPDIF out, line in (Mic in) Other frount audio header, Aux in, S/PDIF header.  Which one of these jacks can do 7.1?

The S/PDIF (optical & coaxial) ports can pass 2-channels of PCM digital audio, or up to 6-channels of compressed digital audio.
You do not have to use the optical port.
 
The Essence STX can take in 6-channel (5.1) or 8-channels (7.1) of digital audio and convert it into Headphone Surround Sound, which is a specialized 2-channel audio signal that is sent thru the STX's headphone amplifier, then out the "Headphone Out" port.
 
When you installed the Essence STX sound card, did you disable the motherboard's on-board audio? in the BIOS.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  What about the Creative sound blaster Zx?  Can you do 7.1 with that?

I believe the SB-Z card are 6-channel (5.1)?

 

[Elijah McKay]

I don't have the card yet, but I though that a standard headphone cord could not carry anything except for stereo?  Or does it just send the signal to certain parts of the driver to simulate surround?  I really don't know how this works.  Thanks for the answer anyways.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  I don't have the card yet, but I though that a standard headphone cord could not carry anything except for stereo?  Or does it just send the signal to certain parts of the driver to simulate surround?  I really don't know how this works.  Thanks for the answer anyways.

You only have 2-channel input into your brain (left and right ear), so it only takes two diaphragms (speakers), one in each headphone cup, for Headphone Surround Sound.
Some really smart guys figured out how our two ears processes surround sound and how to make two headphone cups (right and left) emulate that surround sound.

 

[Elijah McKay]

Okay thank you so so much for that.  Sorry if the thread was ignorant or bothersome.  I really appreciate your help.