[8bitg33k]

  I rewrote the steps into an actual guide. Crosspost from the MLE thread:
 
Here's how to do the handoff of CMSS processed output completely in software:
  Before following this checklist, make sure your current audio device is fully configured for CMSS (Windows configure speakers wizard is done and set to a surround setup, Creative Console speakers set to headphones, CMSS-3D is enabled, Crystalizer is disabled, "Disable Sound Blaster enhancements" under the Sound Blaster tab of your default audio device's properties is unchecked). I like unchecking the sub in the Windows wizard here to create a virtual 5.0 rather than a virtual 5.1 because I think it may help tame the overbearing bass some of you were talking about on the 770 80 ohms. The Beyers are already mashing together the bass output from the other 5 virtual channels into a pair of very bass-capable headphones, do you really need a virtual sub as well? Also, as we all know, subwoofer bass position is something your brain can't pinpoint, so I don't see why you'd want lots of it in your pinpoint accurate virtual surround. I think I remember hearing a noticeable difference with this changed in my limited A-B testing with a ripped BD of Evangellion 1.11 (the last battle scene has explosions and technobabbling jumping ALL over every channel when I listen with my physical 5.1 Acoustic Research HC6, so far it's by far the best test of virtual surround I've tried yet), but I wish I had another pair of Beyers to do a real A-B and not rely on my terrible memory/imagination.
 
1. Right click on your volume tray in Windows 7 and select "Recording devices"
2. Select "What U Hear" and click "Properties" (cringe inducing grammar there Creative)
[Note - you do NOT have to set this as the default recording device]
3. Select the "Listen" tab and check the box marked "Listen to this device"
4. Under the drop down marked "Playback through this device:" select your desired DAC
5. Make sure "Continue running when on battery power" is selected as a software passthrough should have no effect whatsoever on your battery life
6. Select the "Levels" tab and set it to something comfortable, as the volume control for the Creative card's standard output will have no effect on the volume of the software recording device.
7. Enjoy listening to CMSS freed from the noisy and inferior hardware confines of your internal soundcard!
 
In other news, I've been trying to figure out whether I can use the Windows 5.1 balance setting to adjust the virtual surround. It doesn't work in the Creative headphone test, but I think that might just be a recording. If I can use that balance menu to adjust the volume of the virtual surround mix and turn up the rear speakers, that would be really nice. Don't know if that would work in combination with the Creative handoff to another DAC though, even if it did indeed work on the CMSS virtual surround in the first place.

 

How do I get this to work with an Asus Xonar DG?

[This would be a screenshot of my available devices under "Recording" if my account had the option to post images.]

 

 

[CommanderKeen85]

I know this thread is way old, but instead of starting up a new one, I thought I'd post in here.
 
Can anyone say whether or not you have an advantage when in audio creation mode on the X-Fi line of cards compared to a stand-alone dac(stereo only) for gaming? The reason I ask is that this is my preferred mode on my current x-fi line card (xtremegamer) and I'm contemplating either upgrading to a standalone dac or the Titanium HD next to improve audio quality for music.
 
I don't know much about it but I read in audio creation mode it's ASIO. Is this essentially stereo mode, the same thing as what a DAC would provide, or is there some advantage it gives for surround sound in games still?

 

[roguegeek]

  I know this thread is way old, but instead of starting up a new one, I thought I'd post in here.
 
Can anyone say whether or not you have an advantage when in audio creation mode on the X-Fi line of cards compared to a stand-alone dac(stereo only) for gaming? The reason I ask is that this is my preferred mode on my current x-fi line card (xtremegamer) and I'm contemplating either upgrading to a standalone dac or the Titanium HD next to improve audio quality for music.
 
I don't know much about it but I read in audio creation mode it's ASIO. Is this essentially stereo mode, the same thing as what a DAC would provide, or is there some advantage it gives for surround sound in games still?

The advantages gaming specific sound cards have over DACs is their sound sound codecs. If emulating surround sound through your headphones is important to you, you're going to want to get a nice card (the Titanium HD you pointed out is excellent) and possibly some external amplification depending on the cans you use.
 
FYI, this thread may have been created a while ago, but it's still very active and has a wealth of knowledge to pick from. There's other gaming threads around here, but they're 95% fluff and off-topic where as this one is all business. So you came to the right place.

 

[CommanderKeen85]

The advantages gaming specific sound cards have over DACs is their sound sound codecs. If emulating surround sound through your headphones is important to you, you're going to want to get a nice card (the Titanium HD you pointed out is excellent) and possibly some external amplification depending on the cans you use.

FYI, this thread may have been created a while ago, but it's still very active and has a wealth of knowledge to pick from. There's other gaming threads around here, but they're 95% fluff and off-topic where as this one is all business. So you came to the right place.

Thank you very much!! I have the dt990 premium and O2 amp. Sounds like this will be a good combo.

 

[8bitg33k]

  How do I get this to work with an Asus Xonar DG?

[This would be a screenshot of my available devices under "Recording" if my account had the option to post images.]

 

Quoting my own post, hehe
 
I got it to work after fiddling around a bit. Hope this post helps someone else down the road!

 

[Davidtech]

Can anyone comment on sound quality diffrences betiween the ASUS Xonar DS and ASUS Xonar DG ?
 
What I'm asking is if one has a clear advantage in sound quality over the other (and thus if twice the money is worth it)

 

[8bitg33k]

  Can anyone comment on sound quality diffrences betiween the ASUS Xonar DS and ASUS Xonar DG ?
 
What I'm asking is if one has a clear advantage in sound quality over the other (and thus if twice the money is worth it)

 
Asus Xonar DG:
 

1. Spoiler: Asus Xonar DG Specs

   1. Audio Performance Output Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted):
      105 dB 
      Input Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted):
      103 dB 
      Output THD+N at 1kHz:
      0.0025% (-92dB) 
      Input THD+N at 1kHz:
      0.0022% (-93dB) 
      Frequency Response (-3dB, 24-bit/96kHz input):
      <10Hz to 48kHz 
      Output/Input Full-Scale Voltage
      1Vrms (3Vp-p) 
      
   2. Bus Compatibility PCI:
      PCI v2.2 or above bus compatible
      
   3. Main Chipset High Fidelity Headphone Amplifier:
      Optimized for 32~150Ω Audio Processor:
      C-Media CMI8786 High-Definition Sound Processor (Max. 96KHz/24bit) 
      24-bit D-A Converter of Digital Sources:
      Cirrus Logic CS4245*1 (104dB DNR, Max. 192KHz/24bit) / Cirrus Logic CS4361*1 (103dB DNR, Max. 192KHz/24bit) 
      24-bit A-D Converter for Analog Inputs:
      Cirrus Logic CS4245*1 (104dB DNR, Max. 192KHz/24bit) 
      
   4. Sample Rate and Resolution Analog Playback Sample Rate and Resolution:
      44.1K/48K/96KHz @ 16/24bit for all channels 
      Analog Recording Sample Rate and Resolution:
      44.1K/48K/96KHz @ 16/24bit 
      S/PDIF Digital Output:
      44.1K/48K/96KHz @ 16/24bit, Dolby Digital, DTS, WMA-Pro 
      ASIO 2.0 Driver Support:
      44.1K/48K/96KHz @ 16/24bit
      
   5. I/O Ports Analog Output Jack:
      3.50mm mini jack *3 (Front/Side/Center-Subwoofer) 
      Analog Input Jack:
      3.50mm mini jack *1 (Line-In/Mic-In) 
      Other line-level analog input (for CD-IN/TV Tuner):
      Aux-In (4-pin header on the card) 
      Digital S/PDIF Output:
      High-bandwidth Optical Connector supports 96KHz/24bit 
      -additional SPDIF-out header for HDMI audio output 
      Front-Panel Header: 
      Supports headphone jack-detection, automatically switch audio output from back-panel to front 
      
   6. Driver Features VocalFX™:
      The latest vocal effect technologies for gaming and VoIP, including: 
      - VoiceEX: produces vivid environmental reverberation for your voice in EAX games 
      - ChatEX: emulates different background environment effects when you chat online 
      - Magic Voice: changes your voice pitch to different types (Monster/Cartoon…) for disguising your real voice or just for fun in online chatting Operation System:
      Windows Vista/XP(32/64bit)/MCE2005 
      Dolby® Technologies:
      Dolby Headphone: technology allows users to listen to music, watch movies, or play games with the dramatic 5.1-channel surround or realistic 3D spacious effects through any set of stereo headphones. 
      Smart Volume Normalizer™:
      Normalizes the volume of all audio sources into a constant level and also enhances your 3D sound listening range and advantages in gaming 
      Xear 3D™ Virtual Speaker Shifter:
      Adjustable virtual 7.1-speaker positioning 
      Magic Voice™:
      Changes your voice pitch to different types (Monster/Cartoon…) for disguising your real voice or just for fun in online chatting 
      Karaoke Functions:
      Music Pitch-Shifting, Vocal Cancellation, and Microphone Echo effects with Stereo Mix recording (Wave and Mic-in) for online Karaoke or online DJ applications 
      FlexBass™:
      Professional Bass Management/Enhancement system 
      Other Effects:
      10-band Equalier/27 Environment Effects 
      3D Sound Engines/APIs:
      7: DirectSound3D® GX 2.5, EAX®2.0&1.0, DirectSound® HW, DirectSound SW, A3D®1.0, OpenAL generic modes, 128 3D sounds processing capability 
      Vista: DirectSound3D® GX 2.5, EAX®2.0&1.0, DirectSound® HW, DirectSound SW, A3D®1.0, OpenAL generic modes, 128 3D sounds processing capability 
      XP: DirectSound3D® GX 2.5, EAX®2.0&1.0, DirectSound® HW, DirectSound SW, A3D®1.0, OpenAL generic modes, 128 3D sounds processing capability 
      
      DS3D GX2.0:
      DS3D GX 2.5 supports EAX gaming sound effects and DirectSound 3D hardware enhanced functions on Windows 7/Vista. (DirectX/DirectSound 3D compatible) 
      
   7. Accessories 1 x Quick Start Guide
      1 x Driver CD
      1 x Low-profile Bracket
      
   8. Size 64.39 170.44mm x
      
    
   
2.  
3. Asus Xonar DS
4.  

Spoiler: Asus Xonar DS Specs

1. Audio Performance Output Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted):
   Up to 107 dB 
   Input Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted):
   100 dB 
   Output THD+N at 1kHz:
   Up to 0.0017% (-95dB) 
   Input THD+N at 1kHz:
   Up to 0.0017% (-95dB) 
   Frequency Response (-3dB, 24-bit/96kHz input):
   <10Hz to 48kHz 
   Output/Input Full-Scale Voltage
   1 Vrms (3Vp-p) 
   Sample Rate Conversion Quality:
   Almost lossless, high-fidelity floating-point filters, with: 
   -140dB THD+N (typical value for 44.1K->48KHz, 24bit) 
   145dB Dynamic Range (typical value for 44.1K->48KHz, 24bit) 
   
2. Main Chipset Audio Processor:
   ASUS AV200 High-Performance Sound Processor (Max. 192KHz/24bit) 
   24-bit D-A Converter of Digital Sources:
   Wolfson WM8776* 1 (108dB SNR, Max. 192kHz/24bit) / Wolfson WM8766*1 (103dB SNR, Max. 192kHz/24bit) 
   24-bit A-D Converter for Analog Inputs:
   Wolfson WM8776* 1 (102dB SNR, Max. 96kHz/24bit) 
   
3. Sample Rate and Resolution Analog Playback Sample Rate and Resolution:
   44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit for all channels 
   Analog Recording Sample Rate and Resolution:
   44.1K/48K/96KHz @ 16/24bit 
   S/PDIF Digital Output:
   44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit, Dolby Digital, DTS, WMA-Pro 
   ASIO 2.0 Driver Support:
   44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
   
4. I/O Ports Analog Output Jack:
   3.50mm mini jack *4 (Front/Side/Center-Subwoofer/Back) 
   Analog Input Jack:
   3.50mm mini jack *1 (Line-In/Mic-In) 
   Other line-level analog input (for CD-IN/TV Tuner):
   Aux-In (4-pin header on the card) 
   Digital S/PDIF Output:
   High-bandwidth Optical Connector supports 192KHz/24bit (shared with Back surround output jack) 
   Front-Panel Header:
   Intel HDA front-panel compatible and supports HP jack-detection and automatically switch audio output from back-panel to front 
   S/PDIF Header:
   Additional SPDIF-out header for connecting graphics card with HDMI audio output
   
5. Driver Features Operation System:
   Windows Vista/XP(32/64bit)/MCE2005 
   DTS® Technologies:
   DTS® Connect (DTS Interactive Encoder and DTS NeoC) for both XP and Vista 
   -DTS Interactive encodes any 3D gaming audio into true-to-live 5.1 DTS Digital Surround sound experience 
   -DTS NeoC could expand any stereo music to 7.1 surround sounds 
   Smart Volume Normalizer™:
   Normalizes the volume of all audio sources into a constant level and also enhances your 3D sound listening range and advantages in gaming 
   Xear 3D™ Virtual Speaker Shifter:
   Adjustable virtual 7.1-speaker positioning 
   Karaoke Functions:
   Music Pitch-Shifting, Vocal Cancellation, and Microphone Echo effects with Stereo Mix recording (Wave and Mic-in) for online Karaoke or online DJ applications 
   FlexBass™:
   Professional Bass Management/Enhancement system 
   Other Effects:
   10-band Equalier/27 Environment Effects 
   3D Sound Engines/APIs:
   Vista: DirectSound3D® GX 2.5, EAX®2.0&1.0, DirectSound® HW, DirectSound SW, A3D®1.0, OpenAL generic modes, 128 3D sounds processing capability 
   XP: DirectSound3D® GX 2.5, EAX®2.0&1.0, DirectSound® HW, DirectSound SW, A3D®1.0, OpenAL generic modes, 128 3D sounds processing capability 
   VocalFX™:
   The latest vocal effect technologies for gaming and VoIP, including: 
   - VoiceEX: produces vivid environmental reverberation for your voice in EAX games 
   - ChatEX: emulates different background environment effects when you chat online 
   - Magic Voice: changes your voice pitch to different types (Monster/Cartoon…) for disguising your real voice or just for fun in online chatting 
   
6. Bundled Software Utility  
   
7. Accessories 1 x S/PDIF optical adaptors
   1 x Low-profile Bracket
   
8.  

tl;dr The DS features a better DAC and has some capabilites such as DTS that the DG does not have. I honestly doubt you will hear any difference though unless you have a very high quality headset.

 

[genclaymore]

THe main differents between the DG and the DS, is the DG has dolby headphone and not encoders but have a decent headphone amp. While the DS has the encoders and the op-amp socket and no headphone amp. Meaning you can swap op-amps on the DS but at the cost of having no dolby headphone. Where the DG you can use Dolby headphone but at the cost of not being able to change the sound signature of the card  and be able to send Dolby Digital 5.1 encoded thru optical.

 

[Davidtech]

Well yes the spec differences are very telling. But I'm asking from a general perspective as to how they actually sound (ie midrange clarity, bass etc)

 

[CommanderKeen85]

 
The advantages gaming specific sound cards have over DACs is their sound sound codecs. If emulating surround sound through your headphones is important to you, you're going to want to get a nice card (the Titanium HD you pointed out is excellent) and possibly some external amplification depending on the cans you use.
 
FYI, this thread may have been created a while ago, but it's still very active and has a wealth of knowledge to pick from. There's other gaming threads around here, but they're 95% fluff and off-topic where as this one is all business. So you came to the right place.

I won a Titanium HD from ebay last week, just received and installed it... I was really expecting the slight hiss sound with the xtremegamer, which becomes more pronounced the higher the volume, to disappear. Sounds great by the way, I'm just trying to figure this last thing out. Any idea what might be causing this? Obviously it's not the sound card. It's not the dt990 premiums. So it's either the O2 amp, the cable that connects the O2 amp to the sound card, or the song source. Some songs don't seem to have an issue while 85 percent or more have the hiss/static sound. It really messes with the experience. 
 
EDIT: Also, it seems sometimes it'S tough to get enough volume... maybe I have a faulty power adapter to the 02? SIGH.... Right at the moment I have the O2 amp on full volume (knob twisted to max with windows volume at max and software max) it's not even close to overboard...

 

[roguegeek]

  I won a Titanium HD from ebay last week, just received and installed it... I was really expecting the slight hiss sound with the xtremegamer, which becomes more pronounced the higher the volume, to disappear. Sounds great by the way, I'm just trying to figure this last thing out. Any idea what might be causing this? Obviously it's not the sound card. It's not the dt990 premiums. So it's either the O2 amp, the cable that connects the O2 amp to the sound card, or the song source. Some songs don't seem to have an issue while 85 percent or more have the hiss/static sound. It really messes with the experience. 
 
EDIT: Also, it seems sometimes it'S tough to get enough volume... maybe I have a faulty power adapter to the 02? SIGH.... Right at the moment I have the O2 amp on full volume (knob twisted to max with windows volume at max and software max) it's not even close to overboard...

 
It could be a number of things. Let me see if I understand you correctly. You have a DT 990 (250 Ohm) connected to an O2 amp connected to the X-Fi Titanium HD and you're hearing a hiss when the volume is turned up. Do you hear it only on playback of a song or can you hear it when you just turn up the volume with nothing playing? My first thought is it's your amp, but yeah, it could be a lot of things. When you remove the amp from the line (I know that card can't power that can very well, but for testing purposes) and turn up the volume, do you still hear the hiss?

 

[CommanderKeen85]

Nothing when no song is playing... im thinking its the amp. Very frustrating day off... music barely was playing loud enough... i dont know what is going on. Computer is acting up, I tried doing a windows reinstall and I now cant find my windows 7 disk and key... went from a high to a very current low.

 

[MrEleventy]

Nothing when no song is playing... im thinking its the amp. Very frustrating day off... music barely was playing loud enough... i dont know what is going on. Computer is acting up, I tried doing a windows reinstall and I now cant find my windows 7 disk and key... went from a high to a very current low.

This will help you get your CD Key back. Produkey
As for a copy of Windows 7... bit torrent?

 

[mindbomb]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wFdQPGxKIQ
 
Here's a short 13s video that compares a 5.1 speaker test through dolby headphone to standard stereo. I think it's pretty telling.

 

[wilflare]

okay I have a Soundblaster Zx... which honestly has been VERY underutilized.
I still use my Audinst HUD-MX1 way more.
 
I do game on my PC but I don't know it justifies the cost of a soundcard
 
any thoughts?
 
(I usually play the multiplatform games on PC, strategy, building sims and the PC-only indies)
 
EDIT: my bad
so my question is - should I keep the soundcard? or save the money? does it make that much of a difference with the kind of games I play to justify the cost?