Audigy 2 + Headphones

[Nebor]

Anyone notice that the Headphones speaker selection really seems to cut out the punch of music? THere's very little bass and just like... it doesn't seem as punchy as it should. Or I should say, as it does, if you set it for 2.1 instead of headphones. It's almost as if the headphone setting itself somehow cripples the sound.

I've tried w/ Bose Triports, Senn HD600s, and Senn RS85s, and I can definitely tell the difference on all of them. What's the deal? The 2.1 Speaker setting seems MUCH better for headphones. BTW, CMSS 1 or 2 sounds like crap on headphones... it distorts and ruins the music...

 

[lazybum131]

I use 2.1 setting for headphones as well, and other ppl over at 3DSS forums do too.

I think the Headphone setting is really for gaming, something to do with positional sounds. But i just use 2.1 anyway and don't really notice any difference in games.

I hate what CMSS does to music, with both speakers and headphones.

 

[Auric]

Windows has no less than seven speaker setups for stereo, depending on the crappy source. I assumed the Creative headphone setting was likewise to somehow enhance el cheapo headphones and never considered it might be to enhance games when using them. It most definitely makes movies and muzak sound like crap though so I never used it. A decent set of headphones has better speakers than most PC speakers, hence the normal sound at the 2 Speakers setting.

 

[ViRGE]

Eh, I happen to like the headphone setting with my Audigy; it takes care of the stereo separation problem inheriant in headphones, and it doesn't seem to modify sounds too much(at least, not more than nessisary to make headphones sound like speakers would). As stated correctly by lazybum131, it's also important for gaming, since the mode listed there is what EAX uses to determine how sounds should be taken care of(HRTFs for headphones are completely different from those for 2 speakers, which is different from 4 speakers, etc). Perhaps it's all a matter of preference though - I happen to like the headphones setting, but then again, I don't have "golden ears" either.