YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
- Aug 6, 2001
- 31,205
- 45
- 91
Patrick Wolf
Platinum Member
- Jan 5, 2005
- 2,443
- 0
- 0
Actually there about $58, and Logitech.com sells them for $79.95. And yeah, they probably do sound better connected to a good sound card than a game console. But, I do expect volume control for the headphones, doesn't matter how cheap a speaker system is. It just seems really dumb the master volume can't change the volume with headphones. Although, I don't know if it is possible to adjust it on a computer with an equalizer or some sort of software.
Logitech's next higher-end 5.1 system is the Z-5300e for about $140, which is bit too much for what I'm willing to pay. I think I'll have to sell the X-530 and get a good 2.1 system. 5.1 isn't really worth it if it's not very good, right?
YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
- Aug 6, 2001
- 31,205
- 45
- 91
They've been as low as $35AR afaik.
The z-5300s can be around $100 on a good deal. You'd run into the same issues with fake surround sound from the xbox with them though.
If you're after reducing your bass though, another Logitech set is probably not the answer.
Patrick Wolf
Platinum Member
- Jan 5, 2005
- 2,443
- 0
- 0
Hmmm, so unless I get a high-end 5.1 system with "true" surround sound, I'm better off getting a nice 2.1 system instead, seeing that the quality will be much better and the bass pobably nicer sounding. Would you/anyone agree?
YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
- Aug 6, 2001
- 31,205
- 45
- 91
That's personal preference.
If you like the stereo surround effect, then you can get another 5.1 set without a decoder.
You can get a better sounding system with less bass for that budget though if you go 2.0/2.1
Patrick Wolf
Platinum Member
- Jan 5, 2005
- 2,443
- 0
- 0
Well, after testing 5.1 vs. 2.1 on the X-530, the only thing 5 speakers really does is make what your listening to louder, especially for games in a 3D enviroment, not having true surround sound....sucks. It can also produce false directional sounds, cause if there's a surveillance camera, for example, and your facing right at it, it sounds like there's another one behind you from the back speakers, even though there isn't one. In 2.1 it was actually easier to tell where sounds were coming from.
So I'm looking at the ProMedia 2.1, I have the ProMedia 5.1 so I know how great they sound. 2.1 is better for my current situation anyway. I'm going to hook up my 2 front speakers and sub from my Promedia 5.1 to the Xbox and test how that will sound running 2.1.
EDIT: The SB Audigy 2 Value has a built-in Dolby Digital EX decoder, so if the X-530 was hooked up to that, than I would get "true" surround sound?
YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
- Aug 6, 2001
- 31,205
- 45
- 91
Well before that, you'd need to get the digital signal into the card in digital form.
I've never done with with a soundcard though. There's an active thread about getting SPDIF into a A2 right now in GH.
If you can get an SPDIF signal into the card and then have the card decode it, you should get true surround from the 5.1 analog output of the A2.
I've never done with with a soundcard though. There's an active thread about getting SPDIF into a A2 right now in GH.
If you can get an SPDIF signal into the card and then have the card decode it, you should get true surround from the 5.1 analog output of the A2.
You're complaining the $45 set (I recently got the OEM X530 for $42) doesn't have a headphone volume adjustment? At that price its lucky to have a handy headphone input from what I've seen. And of course you can control the headphone volume with some software. Its called Volume Control! Furthermore, if you didn't have such crappy headphones, there would be a volume control on them, where there should be! 
I like my X-530's
And thats just me. Plus I live in my own house so no one really cares (and there isn't anybody to be there to care) how loud I make the speakers
I think there the best dam speakers in the world, but I have yet to experience "true" good speakers yet (apparently).
And thats just me. Plus I live in my own house so no one really cares (and there isn't anybody to be there to care) how loud I make the speakers
I think there the best dam speakers in the world, but I have yet to experience "true" good speakers yet (apparently).
Yeah, I'm also quite happy with my X-530's. I'm definitely not an audiophile, and these are the best speakers I've ever owned.
Patrick Wolf
Platinum Member
- Jan 5, 2005
- 2,443
- 0
- 0
Originally posted by: duragezic
1. You're complaining the $45 set (I recently got the OEM X530 for $42) doesn't have a headphone volume adjustment? At that price its lucky to have a handy headphone input from what I've seen.
2. And of course you can control the headphone volume with some software. Its called Volume Control!
3. Furthermore, if you didn't have such crappy headphones, there would be a volume control on them, where there should be!
1. You may be right.
2. My X-530 is connected to the Xbox, thus, no software to adjust volume.
3. My headphones are kinda crappy (KOSS TD-61), but many high quality headphones don't have a volume control.
4. I don't really care about the headphone volume, I care that this damned thing is too boomy. How was I supposed to know? Can't test speakers over the internet, unfortunetly.
Patrick Wolf
Platinum Member
- Jan 5, 2005
- 2,443
- 0
- 0
Are you saying a 5.1 speaker system can only produce Dolby Digital surround sound if the output is digital, and not analog? So the Z-5500 can produce Dolby Digital surround sound through the A2, but not the ProMedia Ultra 5.1?
YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
- Aug 6, 2001
- 31,205
- 45
- 91
No.
You could hook z-5500s straight up to the xbox and get surround sound though.
I'm saying you need to get the digital signal input to the audigy so it can decode it. If your A2 can be set up to take a digital coaxial input correctly, then you shouldn't have a problem hooking up an analog set of speakers without their own decoder.
I've never done something like that though so I'm not sure if it will work right.
Patrick Wolf
Platinum Member
- Jan 5, 2005
- 2,443
- 0
- 0
Sorry for the noob questions, I'm just a bit confused.
Alright, setting aside getting a digital signal input to the A2, even though the A2 has a Dolby Digital decoder, it can't produce true DD surround sound through a 5.1 analog speaker system. But, since the A2 has EAX, true surround sound is possible with movies and games, it just won't be true DD surround sound. Correct?
And the only way to get true 5.1 surround sound from the Xbox is to have a DD decoder, or possibly using a digital coaxial input thinger-ma-jiggy. Correct?
And by "true surround sound" I mean being able to hear someone shooting at you from behind through the 2 back speakers, and not so much from the 2 front ones. You know what I mean.
YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
- Aug 6, 2001
- 31,205
- 45
- 91
Yeah, I think you've pretty much got it now.
The A2 can only output DD if something is already encoded for DD (A DVD movie for example). There are cards that can encode DD in real time and those can give a DD signal from a source like a game, but the A2 can only decode what is already encoded for DD.
For games, DD isn't really any better than whatever analog output something like an A2 would create though. Cards that do DD in real time are just taking what they would output via analog and then encoding that into a DD stream for your external decoder.
On the xbox, there isn't a 5.1 analog output, so the only way to get 5.1 out of it is to decode that DD signal that it's outputting. This can be done by and external decoder (z-5500 control pod / DD receiver / DD capable Pre-amp / etc) or if you can get the A2 to capture the DD stream and then decode it, it should be able to decode it. So, if you can get it set up right and creative has done a decent job on their design, you should be able to hook up a 5.1 set of analog input speakers to it and get 5.1 from the Xbox.
When I'm saying 5.1 I mean true surround
The A2 can only output DD if something is already encoded for DD (A DVD movie for example). There are cards that can encode DD in real time and those can give a DD signal from a source like a game, but the A2 can only decode what is already encoded for DD.
For games, DD isn't really any better than whatever analog output something like an A2 would create though. Cards that do DD in real time are just taking what they would output via analog and then encoding that into a DD stream for your external decoder.
On the xbox, there isn't a 5.1 analog output, so the only way to get 5.1 out of it is to decode that DD signal that it's outputting. This can be done by and external decoder (z-5500 control pod / DD receiver / DD capable Pre-amp / etc) or if you can get the A2 to capture the DD stream and then decode it, it should be able to decode it. So, if you can get it set up right and creative has done a decent job on their design, you should be able to hook up a 5.1 set of analog input speakers to it and get 5.1 from the Xbox.
When I'm saying 5.1 I mean true surround
if youre trying to subdue the sub you might try stuffing a cloth into the port (if it has one) but I dont know if that would damage the driiver if you leave it in when you do play it loud.
Hello all! I just wanted to thank you for helping me with this as well. For over 2 years I've been trying to figure out how to lower the bass on my subwoofer...from my Altec Lansing 2.1s, to my Logitech Z-640s, and now my X-530s. My God it was so easy. I didn't even notice the damn equalizer in my ALC sound control panel (running onboard audio on an Asus A8N-SLi NF4 mobo).
Wow...just amazing. And I was really just searching for a way to OPEN the speakers, as to mod them with some EL-wire I have lying around. Heh, amazing what you find on the internet. ^_^
Thanks!!
Wow...just amazing. And I was really just searching for a way to OPEN the speakers, as to mod them with some EL-wire I have lying around. Heh, amazing what you find on the internet. ^_^
Thanks!!
If you ever upgrade your sub, it'll be a great feeling because most of the "noise" that was bothering neighbors was distortion, not the bass itself.
Patrick Wolf
Platinum Member
- Jan 5, 2005
- 2,443
- 0
- 0
That statement is confusing. Cards that do DD in real time, like the A2? Does this statement apply to games and movies that have DD encoding?
Basically what I'm asking is, if a movie or game has DD encoding, and I have analog speskers, and the A2; which has a built-in Dolby Digital EX Decoder; which decodes the encoding, and sends that now-decoded DD signal to my analag speakers, giving me DD Surround Sound, without an external decoder? Example: Z-5500 control pod
:laugh:, wow, I hope that's not too confusing.^^
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 25K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes + WCL Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 22K
-
News NVIDIA and Intel to Develop AI Infrastructure and Personal Computing Products- Started by poke01
- Replies: 384
-
Discussion Intel current and future Lakes & Rapids thread- Started by TheF34RChannel
- Replies: 23K
Facebook
Twitter