Questions regarding headphone surround with X-Fi card.Which option is best?DDL or not

Crow550

Platinum Member
Oct 4, 2005
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I own an X-FI card and have a Dolby 7.1 Headset.

So....

Which would be best?

Using an analog connection or optical connection to the Headsets decoder box to sound card and setting Windows Speakers to 7.1 and Creative Console to Headphones with CMSS 3D on and set the Headset's Dolby decoder to Stereo.

Or use optical with Dolby Digital Live set to 5.1 in Windows Speaker settings & Creative Console and CMSS Stereo Surround on for Stereo sources. Then set the Headsets Dolby decoder to upconvert to 7.1 Headphone.

Just wondering....
 

TheUnk

Golden Member
Jun 24, 2005
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Does the X-FI output 5.1 with DDL from any source?

My onboard Realtek has DTS Connect/Interactive which is the DTS version of Live, but it still only outputs 2 channels unless the original source is DD/DTS..

Games that will do 5.1 through analog don't get encoded on the fly and sent as 5.1 through optical as it would imply, it encodes it but only 2 channels.
 

Crow550

Platinum Member
Oct 4, 2005
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You can have Stereo Sources unconverted to 5.1 tracks too.

I don' think encoded on the fly in DD 5.1 matters.... As both are virtualizing the source for the Headphone space.

Doing further tests it seems CMSS 3D is just as good maybe even better than using DDL.

Also DDL is limited to 16bit 48000hz. Course optical is limited to max of 16bit 96000hz Stereo. I can't set it to 96000hz which the Headsets decoder box is limited to 48000hz only through optical. While analog you can push it to 24bit 96000hz <-- upconverted with the crystalizer which is fine for games....

So it's all a taste preference.... I purchased the DDL / DTS connect pack for my sound card to try it. Might be refunding it. Still testing first.

I have also noticed two annoying issues. One DDL sometimes turns off and cannot be turned back on also when something is not playing I get weird water like noises?

I don't really see the great thing with DDL? Or Dolby Headsets unless you're playing a console game. As if you have something like the X-FI which has CMSS 3D (whatever they renamed it) does similar effect.
 
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Crow550

Platinum Member
Oct 4, 2005
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Actually I think may DDL may produce a better surround effect for Headphones as long and I use DD 5.1 on the Headsets decoder box and not 7.1 upconvert which really just adds an echo effect.

If I can fix the other two issues....

However CMSS-3D on Analog with Windows Speakers set to 7.1 sounds great too.

Will do more testing as the week goes on with different games....
 
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Crow550

Platinum Member
Oct 4, 2005
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What I learned by asking in the Creative Sound Blaster Forums....

Pretty much Dolby Digital Live is not needed.

To use Dolby Headphones just set the Creative Audio Launcher to 7.1. Then the decoder box to Headphone. Which CMSS can be used to upconvert Stereo to Surround. <-- Needs to be tested as the decoder box should be doing this too....

Or set the Creative Audio Launcher to Headphones and Windows Speakers to 7.1 then set the decoder box to Stereo.

So will do more testing.
 
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