[Yethal]

IDK why it sounded as bad as it did, but I'm not the only one. @NamelessPFG noted the same thing:

I recorded a quick sample from Battlefield 4. File recorded at 44.1kHz 16bit PCM using What U Hear virtual device as input in Audacity. All settings on default.
 You can download it from here.
In the beginning I picked up the M82A3, shot down the drone and threw a Hand Flare on the ground. Afterwards I started rotating so that the flare sound would travel around my head.

 

[thuNDa]

For me it could have the best SQ in the world, but delayed sound in games is very bad.
Therefore i couldn't use Razer Surround, which has delay on my PC:
 
(at half speed)
https://youtu.be/0R6NFxgIk-o?t=40

 

[BlueNinja0]

  Sounds good to me with 5.1 music sources.
With a 2.0 source SBX Surround acts as a spatializer which will of course sound bad.

Yeah, I was mainly talking about 2.0 sources.
 

   
That said, I think this leaves us only one alternative for the cases when you use external DACs (software based Virtual Surround). For the rest of the cases, when you don't use external DACs, the sound cards would be a good option for Virtual Surround and low latency :__

Yup, and that's sad. Specially because software based Virtual Surround seems to add quite a lot of latency (at least Razer Surround does). Has anyone testes the Creative X-Fi MB3 to check for latency?

 

[Skippman]

So I've been looking into getting a set of gaming headphones as I really need a mic for the games I'm playing (MWO, BF4, Star Citizen). I've been looking at the Kingston HyperX Cloud, Cloud II, and Revolver headphones. The Cloud and the Cloud II are only differentiated by an inline USB DAC that simulates 7.1 surround sound on their headphones.
 
I'm currently running a Creative Labs Z card and I'm curious if I would even need the USB DSP/DAC to achieve the same thing with my sound card. Should I be able to get a better experience using just the sound card than using their inline DSP/DAC?

 

[BlueNinja0]

  So I've been looking into getting a set of gaming headphones as I really need a mic for the games I'm playing (MWO, BF4, Star Citizen). I've been looking at the Kingston HyperX Cloud, Cloud II, and Revolver headphones. The Cloud and the Cloud II are only differentiated by an inline USB DAC that simulates 7.1 surround sound on their headphones.
 
I'm currently running a Creative Labs Z card and I'm curious if I would even need the USB DSP/DAC to achieve the same thing with my sound card. Should I be able to get a better experience using just the sound card than using their inline DSP/DAC?

By using a pair of USB headphones you'll completely bypass your sound card. You can probably achieve the same effect using just the sound card. The effects might sound different though.

 

[Skippman]

  By using a pair of USB headphones you'll completely bypass your sound card. You can probably achieve the same effect using just the sound card. The effects might sound different though.

 
I think I phrased this wrong, let me rephrase. 
 
The headsets for PC gaming almost universally seem to include their own USB DSP/DAC. These boxes in turn have 3.5mm jacks on them that the headphones plug into. If I'm using a Creative Labs Z I don't think I'll need to use these DSP/DAC. I'm hoping I can achieve the same virtual 5.1/7.1 surround sound using the Creative software, but would like confirmation before I order anything.

 

[BlueNinja0]

   
I think I phrased this wrong, let me rephrase. 
 
The headsets for PC gaming almost universally seem to include their own USB DSP/DAC. These boxes in turn have 3.5mm jacks on them that the headphones plug into. If I'm using a Creative Labs Z I don't think I'll need to use these DSP/DAC. I'm hoping I can achieve the same virtual 5.1/7.1 surround sound using the Creative software, but would like confirmation before I order anything.

I understand what you mean, yeah. If the headphones are standard 2.0 headphones yes, you can just plug them to your Creative and use it's surround virtualization instead.

 

[thuNDa]

Cloud 2 has a 4-pin 3.5mm plug, which is used for stereo + mic, so one would need an adaptor to make it work with the Soundblaster Z(splitting stereo and mic again).

 

[Skippman]

I ended up getting the Cloud Revolver. It's FANTASTIC. Extremely comfortable and great audio reproduction. Very happy with my purchase.

 

[Skippman]

Question. After reading the main post a second time I'm lead to believe that the Creative Labs Z card is technically inferior to my old X-Fi card? Is that true? I still have my X-Fi card around and could swap it out if there's an actual difference in quality between the two cards.

 

[thuNDa]

  Question. After reading the main post a second time I'm lead to believe that the Creative Labs Z card is technically inferior to my old X-Fi card? Is that true? I still have my X-Fi card around and could swap it out if there's an actual difference in quality between the two cards.

Technically, it's only "inferior" when it comes to EAX-processing, which the SB-Z apparently can't do in hardware.
X-Fi has CMSS-3D for virtual surround on headphones, SB-Z has SBX-Surround - the latter has by far a better SQ (IMHO).

 

[ArcadeBR]

Hey everyone, great thread was able to learn a lot from this but I still have a question, maybe someone had a similar situation and may be able to help me.
 
So I've been reading a lot about DACs and External Soundcards because I just put together a new PC and I'm hearing a bit of hissing on both of my Headphones.
 
I use two sets of headphones on my PC one is a newly acquired Sennheiser HD598 (amazing headphone) and the other is a Razer Kraken Pro headset, YES, it is a gaming headset and I know most of people here hate them however if you ask me they are preety decent for the 50 bucks (the mod mic alone costs that and at the time couldn't aford spending more than that) I paid for them and the mic actually sounds better than my friend's Sennheiser Gam3 Pro headset which sounds muffled and also the Razer is a lot more confortable (not more confortable than my HD598 though that thing is on a totally diferent level).
 
So to the symptons, I read in a lot of sites (and on some comments here) that good quality headphones will sound everything that is sent by the soundcard (hence the hissing), however the hissing is a lot more pronounced on the Kraken Pro than on the HD598's, so that didn't make sense since the HD598's are supposed to be of better quality, then I learned that it might be related to the fact that the Razer has lower impedance (32 vs 50). Since I game a lot and when I do I use the Kraken for the mic the hissing blows my CS play for example since it is more noticeable on silent moments (when I need to hear them footsteps ).
 
My motherboard is the Gigabyte GA-Z170X Gaming 7 and I'm using it's on-board sound which is Creative Sound Core3D (CA0132 chip). I want to take my sound external either through a DAC or Ext. Soundcard, however on this thread I learned that the DAC won't support more than two channels through the S/PDIF out (unless the conditions described on the thread are met) and through USB it introduces some delay.
 
I would like to know wether that Creative Chip is able to output more than 2 channels through the S/PDIF (so I would be good with a DAC) or in the case it can't output that many channels then wether I would be better with a Creative Omni or Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround.
 
Thanks a lot for any help anyone is able to provide.

 

[thuNDa]

  I would like to know wether that Creative Chip is able to output more than 2 channels through the S/PDIF (so I would be good with a DAC) or in the case it can't output that many channels then wether I would be better with a Creative Omni or Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround.
 
Thanks a lot for any help anyone is able to provide.

 
the virtual surround for headphones only contains 2-channels when it's processed.
So you also need only these 2-channels to be passed through to the external DAC.
If your onboardsound can output the processed audio through SPIDF is another question - the Soundblaster Z can, and for this you have to check the stereo-mix under "advanced settings" in the controlpanel.

 

[ArcadeBR]

   
the virtual surround for headphones only contains 2-channels when it's processed.
So you also need only these 2-channels to be passed through to the external DAC.
If your onboardsound can output the processed audio through SPIDF is another question - the Soundblaster Z can, and for this you have to check the stereo-mix under "advanced settings" in the controlpanel.

Ty for the tip, currently at work, will try that when I get home.

 

[arandomguy]

I'm wondering if anyone is aware of more information for the virtual surround options bundled with various motherboards.
 
Gigabyte seems to bundle Creative xfi MB3 which there is plenty of information on.
 
But
 
Asus uses something called Sonic Studio II (https://www.asus.com/ca-en/support/faq/1015213/) 
 
and
 
MSI uses Nahimic (https://gaming.msi.com/features/nahimic)
 
Are they just rebrands/reskins of something existing? Possibly Creative xfi MB3?