Two questions regarding CMSS 3D and OS synching in Creative Console

[Rangoon]

Can anyone help me with this?
 
With regard to surround speakers, not headphones, does CMSS so anything more to the surround experience? Does it smooth out the transition from speaker to speaker?  Or is it only used in cases where you want to upmix from stereo to surround?
 
Also, in order to use headphones with CMSS virtual surround, I am supposed to un-synchronize the creative console with Windows.  I cannot find any option to select or deselect this. So I cannot choose headphones in the console but 7.1 in Windows.  It is supposed to be in the Speakers tab of the console, but it's not there.  I have the latest drivers.  I recall seeing it years ago when I first bought my X-Fi XtremeGamer card, but it's not there now.  Any idea where I can deselect this option?
 
Thanks!

 

[NamelessPFG]

There used to be a checkbox for Control Panel synchronization in XP, but it's not present in Vista/Win7/Win8.
 
It's mandatory for all X-Fi speaker settings EXCEPT Headphones, which allows a desynchronized Windows speaker setting, but as soon as you switch back to a speaker setting in the X-Fi control panel, Windows gets instantly resynced. Creative does nothing to make this little quirk clear, frustratingly enough.
 
Also, now would be a good time for me to elaborate on the confusingly-named CMSS-3D features:
 
-CMSS-3D Surround. This is basically just a stereo upmix for surround speakers.
 
-CMSS-3D Headphone/Virtual. These are binaural HRTF surround mixes for headphones and speakers, respectively.
 
-5.1/7.1 speakers can only use CMSS-3D Surround. Stereo speakers can only use CMSS-3D Virtual. Weirdly enough, quadraphonic speakers can use both, making you wonder why they won't let you try out CMSS-3D Virtual with 5.1/7.1 speaker modes.

 

[Rangoon]

Thanks.  I was really going bonkers over that synchronization question.  Sure enough - when I set the creative console to headphones, it will leave 7.1 set in the windows control panel. 
 
I just wondered if CMSS would add any nuance to the sound to either better fill in the space between speakers, or to possibly add a little elevation depth.  I couldn't hear a difference when I tried ArmA 2 with 7.1 and CMSS selected, so as you pointed out, there seems to be nothing going on in that situation.
 
Thanks for the clarification.