[NamelessPFG]

Quote:

Hey nameless. I have a few questions. I am planning on buying an A900X for gaming and I'm wondering how much benefit I would get from putting in a soundcard. I currently have an old creative audigy 2 sound blaster zs lying around and my motherboard has the Realteck ALC892 audio codec. I'm wondering if a cheap card, say in the Asus Xonar series, would be any better than one of these options.
 
My motherboard's onboard audio seems to have the same specs as the Xonar series - see manufacturer description below.
 
"Only MSI offers the Loss-less 24-bit/192KHz HD Audio function with an incredible 109 SNR dB value to provide the most clear & vivid HD audio quality and support 7.1 channels surround sound playback with a 2-channel independent stereo output (multiple streaming) through the front panel 3.5 inch phone jack."

 
You have a decent sound card already...but keep in mind that I've never actually touched an Audigy (EMU10k2) card of any sort. I skipped straight from Live! (EMU10k1) to X-Fi (EMU20k1/20k2). Thus, I'm not as certain how to work their drivers, and there's a chance that their older CMSS implementation may not have proper headphone surround.
 
RPGWiZaRD had one for a long while and ran it with the kX Project drivers and a specially-configured Surrounder plugin for headphone surround, though. Only problem is, kX drivers have broken EAX effects last time I tried 'em on that old Live! card, so they're probably a better fit for games with software-mixed audio. (He's since went to integrated Realtek codecs set to 5.1, though...something I could never, ever bring myself to do. Too much of a step down for me, but we all hear differently.)
 
Specs are one thing, but as always, manufacturers can throw numbers around all day...and only you can decide which is better using your own senses (and a bit of calibration on everything, to level the playing field between competing products). Sound cards, headphones, monitors, whatever, it's all the same when it comes to things like that.

 

[Arkanius]

Hello there!

My setup is as follows:
 
Senheiser PC350
X-Fi Titanium 
Windows 8 (24-bit 96 kHz option)
 
I understand that the best option for music is to select Audio-Creation mode and bit-matched playback.
I understood as well the whole aspect of setting the windows source as 7.1, activating CMSS-3D in Gaming mode with the Headphones option activated, for the best positional sound possible.
The thing is, I really think games don't sound correctly this way. It might give a good positional audio, but I think the sound quality is suffering.
 
Don't most games nowadays, provide through their own software, positional audio if Headphones or 2.1 sources are activated in the settings?
Isn't it better in this case, to activate audio-creation mode and select Bit-Matched playback, and let the game do the positional audio for us (Preserving the quality of the sources?)
 
Sorry if I'm being an idiot, but genuine question. I'm pulling my hairs trying to do the best configuration for my games and music. 
 
EDIT:

The games I play daily are Source games.
DOTA2, CS:Go
 
The other games are occasional. So I'm interested in maximizing my SQ for Source games

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Hey nameless. I have a few questions. I am planning on buying an A900X for gaming and I'm wondering how much benefit I would get from putting in a sound card. I currently have an old creative Audigy 2 Sound Blaster ZS lying around and my motherboard has the Realteck ALC892 audio codec. I'm wondering if a cheap card, say in the Asus Xonar series, would be any better than one of these options.
 
My motherboard's on-board audio seems to have the same specs as the Xonar series - see manufacturer description below.
 
"Only MSI offers the Loss-less 24-bit/192KHz HD Audio function with an incredible 109 SNR dB value to provide the most clear & vivid HD audio quality and support 7.1 channels surround sound playback with a 2-channel independent stereo output (multiple streaming) through the front panel 3.5 inch phone jack.

You might consider getting the Creative Labs Titanium (non-HD) sound card, you can get a used one for around $50-$60 off eBay.
I'm going to guess(?) the Titanium (non-HD) will offer at least a little better sound quality, over the Audigy 2 ZS (that's an old card).

 

[Goride]

Has anyone used the Razer Surround program?

http://www.razerzone.com/surround?src=pgm.91612700&utm_source=RazerStore&utm_campaign=RzrSurround&utm_medium=edm_EN



What exactly is this? Is this essentially a program that handles the DSP portion? So if you could output via optical and used this program, would you still need a special sound card with a 3d positioning DPS?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

My setup is as follows:
Senheiser PC350
X-Fi Titanium 
Windows 8 (24-bit 96 kHz option)
I understand that the best option for music is to select Audio-Creation mode and bit-matched playback.
I understood as well the whole aspect of setting the windows source as 7.1, activating CMSS-3D in Gaming mode with the Headphones option activated, for the best positional sound possible.
The thing is, I really think games don't sound correctly this way. It might give a good positional audio, but I think the sound quality is suffering.
Don't most games nowadays, provide through their own software, positional audio if Headphones or 2.1 sources are activated in the settings?
Isn't it better in this case, to activate audio-creation mode and select Bit-Matched playback, and let the game do the positional audio for us (Preserving the quality of the sources?)
Sorry if I'm being an idiot, but genuine question. I'm pulling my hairs trying to do the best configuration for my games and music. 
EDIT:
The games I play daily are Source games.
DOTA2, CS:Go
The other games are occasional. So I'm interested in maximizing my SQ for Source games

(My two cents for improving over all sound quality)
Is this sound card the Titanium (non-HD) or the T-HD (Titanium HD)?
 
With the Titanium (non-HD), you could add an external (optical input) DAC & headphone amplifier.
Something like the Audioengine D1 ($175)
The D1 comes with a better DAC then the Titanium (non-HD) and a true headphone amplifier (the Titanium non-HD does not)
So the D1 should improve the over all sound quality of the Senn PC350, or any future headphones you get.
The Titanium (non-HD) can pass headphone surround sound thru it's optical output.
 
If you have the T-HD, just get an external headphone amplifier (Schiit Magni $99) and connect it to the Titanium HD's analog RCA outputs.
The T-HD can pass headphone surround sound thru is RCA outputs.

 

[Merzbro]

Just learned that Razer has their own virtual surround implementation now.
 
http://www.razerzone.com/surround
 
Apparently it creates virtual 7.1 a la Dolby Headphone.

 

[Arkanius]

Quote:

(My two cents for improving over all sound quality)
Is this sound card the Titanium (non-HD) or the T-HD (Titanium HD)?
 
With the Titanium (non-HD), you could add an external (optical input) DAC & headphone amplifier.
Something like the Audioengine D1 ($175)
The D1 comes with a better DAC then the Titanium (non-HD) and a true headphone amplifier (the Titanium non-HD does not)
So the D1 should improve the over all sound quality of the Senn PC350, or any future headphones you get.
The Titanium (non-HD) can pass headphone surround sound thru it's optical output.
 
If you have the T-HD, just get an external headphone amplifier (Schiit Magni $99) and connect it to the Titanium HD's analog RCA outputs.
The T-HD can pass headphone surround sound thru is RCA outputs.

 
I have the Titanium (Non HD)
I have thought about getting an external DAC (for controling sound with a knob and to drive the headphones better), but I was always a bit reluctant due the two jacks my headphones have. It would stay a messy build. 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

 
I have the Titanium (Non HD)
I have thought about getting an external DAC (for controlling sound with a knob and to drive the headphones better), but I was always a bit reluctant due the two jacks my headphones have. It would stay a messy build. 

Just get a 3.5mm (1/8") male/female extension cable for the mic connection.

 

[genclaymore]

Quote:

Just learned that Razer has their own virtual surround implementation now.
 
http://www.razerzone.com/surround
 
Apparently it creates virtual 7.1 a la Dolby Headphone.

Because of this I took the Recon3D PCi-E out my comp that I was running a optical from into my external dac amp, since this does a good job in games so far. I not worried about old EAX5 effects since I don't play games that uses it any way. Even if I did it wouldn't bugged me as I moved past EAX.

 

[CFGamescape]

Quote:

Just learned that Razer has their own virtual surround implementation now.
 
http://www.razerzone.com/surround
 
Apparently it creates virtual 7.1 a la Dolby Headphone.

I'll be giving this a try.  Don't have high hopes, so hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[3X0]

If it works well, it'll be absolutely groundbreaking. Dolby Headphone, CMSS3D and other virtualization technology requires hardware-level support. This is hardware-agnostic so you can use it on crappy onboard audio.
 
Thanks for the link; I've been looking for something like this for a while.

 

[pietcux]

Gave it try. Ran this software and then the U7 in stereo mode as amp. Bad Company 2. It works very good. I now need to know where the catch is? A company like Razer normally does not donate something without a hidden agenda.

 

[Arkanius]

Quote:

(My two cents for improving over all sound quality)
Is this sound card the Titanium (non-HD) or the T-HD (Titanium HD)?
 
With the Titanium (non-HD), you could add an external (optical input) DAC & headphone amplifier.
Something like the Audioengine D1 ($175)
The D1 comes with a better DAC then the Titanium (non-HD) and a true headphone amplifier (the Titanium non-HD does not)
So the D1 should improve the over all sound quality of the Senn PC350, or any future headphones you get.
The Titanium (non-HD) can pass headphone surround sound thru it's optical output.
 
If you have the T-HD, just get an external headphone amplifier (Schiit Magni $99) and connect it to the Titanium HD's analog RCA outputs.
The T-HD can pass headphone surround sound thru is RCA outputs.

 
 
Is the Audioengine D1 DACs one of the best at that price point?
Also, if I link the Soundcard and the DAC through Optical, I'm basically skipping the DAC and the amplifier, everything else works the same (CMSS3D, Bit-perfect playback, etc etc)
 
I really might take the bite along with some new Ear pads for my PC350 (The old ones are falling apart, and I'm losing bass since they are progressively getting more "open" )

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Is the Audioengine D1 DACs one of the best at that price point?
Also, if I link the Soundcard and the DAC through Optical, I'm basically skipping the DAC and the amplifier, everything else works the same (CMSS3D, Bit-perfect playback, etc etc)
 
I really might take the bite along with some new Ear pads for my PC350 (The old ones are falling apart, and I'm losing bass since they are progressively getting more "open" )

People who own the AudioEngine D1 seem to like it, I really do not see much, if any negative things said about the D1.
Connecting the D1 to the Sound Blaster Titanium's optical output, bypass the Titanium's DAC (The Titanium does not have an amplifier),
And you still have access the the Titanium sound card features.
 
The D1 should work well with just about any headphone you might replace the PC350 with (in the future)

 

[Fegefeuer]

I had some 15 minutes to test the Razer with BF3+HD 800 through my DAC. From what I could gather in those few minutes the SQ is changed worse than CMSS-3D in a few parts and the imagery is not consistent throughout in terms of accurate positioning. It feels kinda weird.
 
Yes, BF3 itself is not the most accurate in rendering but this software just does worse than DHP, SBX and CMSS-3D so far. I'll need to test more though (tonight).