I have some questions regarding this card. I am using both headphones and 2.1 speakers for it.I I've read lots of guides, and while they mostly agree on channel setup etc, they disagree on other things. So I decided to make this post in hope for people that know to answer. I am looking to get the optimal quality, with all the surround functions enabled.
Speaker setup
1. Settings I use for watching videos: PCM 48 KHz, 2 channels, dolby virtual speaker. Is this correct, should I use HIFI?
2. I use same settings for playing games, but with HIFI enabled, is this correct to produce the most true and clear sound with all surround options?
3. I have HIFI enabled and 2 channel mode for listening to music, is this correct to produce the most true and clear sound?
Headphone setup
4. Settings I use for watching videos: PCM 48 KHz, 6 channels, HIFI on. I've tried both Dolby Headphone and HIFI, and I really don't know which gives the best quality. What do you guys think? Also, does the use of HIFI prevent surround sound or ANY feature at all, from a movie with 5.1 sound for example? Whats the real difference between those, preference?
5. For playing games, I use the same settings as for movies, PCM 48 KHz, 6 channels, HIFI on. Are these settings correct? I really think that HIFI produces a more rich and chrisp sound than Dolby Headphone does, what do you think? Also, is there ANYTHING at all in terms of audio positioning or quality, that is not utilized by using HIFI? Do I have to use Dolby Headphone to get all the sound features from a game? Should I use more than 48 KHz for games like WoW, Crysis 2, and BF3?
6. For listening to music, I set the channels to 2, and use the HIFI mode, with 48 KHz. Is this correct for producing the most accurate sound?
I am generally not sure what the difference between Dolby Headphones/Dolby Speakers are. Is it a matter of preference? I've found that Dolby seems to be better for the speakers, and HIFI much better for headphones. Do you guys agree on this? Is there any real difference in audio quality, positioning etc?
Would be fantastic if you could explain these things to me. Thanks a lot.