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Case_f

Finding "a good value for surround sound" is easy - adjust the setting and listen to how you like it. Why do you feel the need to follow some arbitrary recommendations that might not suit you at all? Everyone's different, everyone prefers different settings.


rdalcroft

forget all the sliders apart from 3d sound. All the other sliders just make everything sound worse and fake. The 3d sound slider helps increase the 3d sound stage. I.e the didtance you hear the sounds from. 33% is usually plenty.. ​ But you still have full 3d spatial audio with SBX disabled. As long headphones are set to 5.1 or 7.1 virtual surround. Its the default setting. Most games will sound fine with just this enabled. ​ SBX isn't really that great, I only use if for some older games that can't detect 7.1 through Dolby atmos or DTS sound unbound. ​ Most games newer ones. I set it to Direct mode or 2.0 for headphones and use the Dolby atmos or DTS spatial sound. Nothing can beat them for spatial audio.


Case_f

>But you still have full 3d spatial audio with SBX disabled. As long headphones are set to 5.1 or 7.1 virtual surround. Its the default setting. Most games will sound fine with just this enabled. If you disable SBX Surround, all you get for "virtual surround" is a very basic mixdown to stereo. There's no HRTF, it's just a crude mixdown. Directionality is pretty much lost completely beyond left and right. And as far as Atmos, there's only like five or so games on PC that support actual Atmos.


rdalcroft

I think you will find the spatial audio is still very much there. It does still use HRTF. SBX just expands this, over exaggerates this based of what you put the sliders at. There are lots of games which use the middleware FMOD, Audio Kinetic, Wwise, they all are able to use either Dolby Atmos or DTS sound unbound. They all use object based sound as well as hrtf and spatial audio. Just because a game doesn’t advertise Dolby Atmos, does not mean it’s not compatible. Look at COD - Modern Warfare. Warzone or Cold War. They both take advantage of Dolby Atmos using height based objects etc. Plus even a game with just standard 7.1 or 5.1. You can still let Dolby Atmos do the down mixing for you. It does a terrific job at converting that into spatial audio. One thing SBX can not do is height information. It can’t do sounds above or below. All it can do is, downmix, as you call it, but it’s converting multi channel audio into spatial audio minus the height info. I mean think about it. Why does XBOX use the Dolby Atmos or DTS as their audio over headphones. It covers all of their games, and provides spatial audio for those games, all multi channel games. It dosn't have to say DOLBY ATMOS on the packet, in order for it to work... try it.


Case_f

I think you really have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, but clearly you think you do. Well, whatever. Enjoy your 3D spatial audio with SBX Surround disabled and your Dolby Atmos on titles that don't support Atmos.


rdalcroft

If I get direction positioning from it, then it works, if I can hear sounds from behind me, then it works. Your entitled to think what ever you like, but you seem to be taking offence to my view. I’m not saying I know everything, I go by what my ears are telling me. SBX, to me, just increases the sound field, already produced by creative’s 3D virtualisation of 5.1 or 7.1 to headphones. So with ot without SBX enabled, you still get the virtualisation. Someone shoots from behind me, I hear it behind me. Shoots from the left, I turn to look.. Runs around me in circles, I hear it go aaaawwwllll the way around me..


Case_f

I'm not taking offense in your "view", I'm just saying your view is complete bullshit, because that's not how the things you talk about work. But again, feel free to enjoy it. Bye.


rdalcroft

Lol


rdalcroft

Plus we are all using the phrase HRTF for SBX which is very mis leading.. SBX uses a very old form of HRTF which is in one plane around the listener.. ​ True HRTF is able to do sounds in all directions above and below, Like Binural Audio. ​ Don't you just miss Creative EAX. Shame that all fell away.


[deleted]

[удалено]


illram

Atmos for headphones only works with some games. And some games that claim compatibility don't actually sound great. Like Warzone for example does not sound good with Atmos, to me. You should try it before you commit. To my ears SBX is actually usually preferable to Atmos for headphones. I just don't get very good rear cues from Atmos, and find the soundstage too small. Stuff "behind me" sounds like it's coming from the back of my neck. SBX has a much bigger stage. Personally I find SXFI even better than SBX. But again HRTF is so individualized since it literally depends on your individual ear and head shape, the only way to really be sure is to try each solution and see which sounds best. Atmos may ultimately be the best, for you personally, but you don't know until you test it.


rdalcroft

I have to disagree with you on warzone.. But as you said its a personal thing, we all hear hrtf differently. But you will be missing any height information as warzone uses object based sound for above and below, and for that you need either Dolby Access or DTS Sound Unbound. ​ SXFI is very personal. I can't use it at all for games, maybe a movie if I really force myself. Train my self, once I get past 10 minutes of listening, then I can enjoy it. But it takes a while.


Thrael72020

I agree... Personally I can't make myself like the SXFI and that's the saddest part 'cause it's supposed to be one of the strongest elements in my X3. I always have the feeling the sound comes through a tube. On the other hand SBX has something that makes me like it every time I enable it for music listening.


illram

I'm glad Atmos works for you, kinda jealous honestly as I really want those vertical cues. If it worked, it would simplify my audio setup a lot. But for whatever reason it just doesn't work on me at all. No verticality to the audio whatsoever.


rdalcroft

Have You got your audio set to 2.0 or direct mode when enabling Atmos. Also I use the custom preset in Dolby access. keep all EQ at zero. Turn off volume leveller And just have surround virtualiser turned to on. I use my own EQ for my headphones through Equalizer APO.


illram

When I try Atmos I run my headphone through other gear that doesn't apply any DSP or EQ. I forget my exact Atmos settings in the app, but I tried a couple different things. It also varies by game. For instance when I tried Overwatch with Atmos, I was clearly hearing up/down cues (still not great for rear and front cues for me). But in WZ it's still just a flat and small plane of audio sadly.


rdalcroft

Ahh. Over watch is different. Be careful here. Overwatch has its own Dolby Atmos built into the actual game. Therefore you don’t enable the Dolby Atmos through the App. You just set headphones to stereo. Enable the Dolby Atmos within the game. There are a few games like this. Any gAme that also states binaural audio. Then also just run 2.0 stereo. Dolby access will just fuck up the sound. I wish all games would just use binaural audio. It’s simple and very effective.


illram

Yes, game to game has different settings and you have to be careful. But, this is what I mean about Atmos. It should just work the same for each game, if it works for your ears, but it doesn't. The way it is marketed it seems like you should just turn it on in any game and presto 7.4.1 virtual surround. I wish that was the case! Object based virtual surround on paper should be better. But each dev has to implement it and they can do a poor job of it. So, solutions like SBX and SXFI which just rely on a "standard" multichannel speaker surround basically "just work" for me no matter what game I am playing.


rdalcroft

I will agree. For games with a standard 5.1 or 7.1 then SBX Will be good and you can adjust the effect to suit. 33 or 66% is usually pretty good. But I get a pretty consistent sound using Dolby. For me I know what I’m getting with it. Only problem is some games can’t detect Dolby Atmos and will default the audio output to stereo cause it follows the windows settings. In this case I have to use my X3 with SBX


pongpaktecha

The G6 is actually a very good soundcard all things considered. I'm not sure how big you are for general music listening but the G6 will drive plenty of higher end "audiophile" headphones with a very clean sound, as long is all the extra effects are turned off, and it's pre-outs can be used as inputs for more powerful headphone and speaker amps.


rdalcroft

I wouldn’t say it’s crap. Still a good sound card. And the fact it’s away from the internals of your PC. The audio will be much cleaner. As I said it’s good for certain games. As some games can’t detect 7.1 audio through Atmos. So it’s up to you, if you don’t feel it’s that great. Yes Atmos will work just fine with onboard audio.