Does rfactor 2 support 7.1 surround sound?

Really? But this Audio Control Module (ACM) comes with the sound card and is gold plated. They included the 1/4 inch jack specifically because the card and ACM can power up to 600 ohm headphones. Wouldn't it be strange if the included ACM downgraded quality?

Plus i don't that i could use the ACM purely as a separate volume control because there is only 1 audio out so i would presume the ACM connects to the cards audio out and then you connect whatever headphones or speakers to the ACM if you want the volume control and beamforming microphone inside the ACM to work.

Forgive me if I'm misunderstanding but why put a gold plated adapter between the headphones/speakers 3.5mm jack and the sound cards 3.5mm audio out?

 

I have the new Bose active noise cancelling earphones -- they are excellent.

 

Never buy active noise cancelling either

 

There should be to outputs in the back of the soundard, the front out for your stereo speakers and the headphone out for your headphones. Then you have both plugged into their respective outs in the back of the card.

It may be a very minor difference plugging into the acm as opposed to the back, but technically there will almost certainly be some loss, is it enough to tell a difference? Maybe, maybe not, but when spending money on a soundcard + nice headphones I would want to maximize the sound quality as much as I can. It's the same reason why it's not recommended to use the audio output on the front of your PC, directly into the soundcard will always be best.

 

I have -- twice -- and found it to be excellent. It massively improves journeys for example.

 

This
View attachment 11328
+
for buffer section
View attachment 11329 LME49710ha x 2
+
for current to
voltage converter
section
View attachment 11330 THS4032 x 2

+
PAX MASTER PCIe Titanium Driver HD Suite 2014 V1.00 Default Tweak Edition
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/downl... HD Suite 2014 V1.00 Default Tweak Edition.7z

= MIND BLOWN

 

Yep.. No Bose and no Noise Cancelling. Closed headphones do a better job, don't add hiss or batteries and cost less.

 

Not for me

I upgraded from QC 15 over the ear headphones and they are just as good. No battery hiss here. Perhaps you have hyper sensitive ears. Slightly worried what gets written in expert reviews now.

 

Well all noise cancelling headphones by their very nature have to play static in the inverse waveform of the noise the microphones are hearing so that it can "cancel out" all those sounds. That means when it is very quiet it is trying to very quietly cancel out nothingness and there is usually a very odd sounding anti-hiss in the background. I have never had a pair of headphones cancelling or not beat the ambient attenuation the Sennheiser HD280pro's could pull off. 32db!! That is enough to use them at the gun range. Even at very low volumes I would have things thrown at me because people were screaming to get my attention.

Or just get these.

 

Ok, so as Spinelli said the ACM (audio control module that connects your speakers/headphones to the sound card so that you have a handing volume control knob on your desk) reduces the sound quality and from what i've been reading on various forums is that this is certainly the case. I don't have my sound card yet but i was somewhat sceptical (before reading posts by people with specifically this ACM) that it could make a difference (me thinking why on earth would they screw over their customers by fudging a good sound card with the included ACM in their premium version sound cards, the Zx and ZxR). I think there was only 1-2 people out of the 20+ i read saying that they couldn't hear any difference....so doesn't look good for me.

I went with the Zx specifically because i wanted the ACM. In the past i've always plugged my headphones into my speakers headphone out and could then use the speaker volume knob to control the headphone volume which i really like.

I've been trying to find a decent yet cheap (and doesn't look ugly) alternative of some kind of separate volume control device (probably usb) for my desk but can't find anything decent.

At this point, having spent so much on a pair a great headphones and noticing the leap in quality on my current setup alone i really want to follow the advice of spinelli and plug the audio directly into the sound card. But i also badly want the easy & handy volume control.

Does anybody have a suggestion please?

fyi...

I bought the Zx for £90

I can get the standard Z for £80, that has no ACM and the capacitors are said to be lower quality (non nichicon's) but has the same shielding and a separate beamforming microphone (for which i care not so much about tbh).

Or i can get the standard Z OEM for £50 which comes without the shielding and no microphone.

I basically paid £40 extra for the (bad) ACM, lol.

If i can find a good solution to my dilemma i would return the Zx for the Z OEM.

 

I'd just get the z to be honest with you, shop around, you should be able to find the shielded z for cheaper than that. Also search for reviews on the oem non-shielded z vs the z.

 

How do you guys change your headphone volume if you plug in directly to the sound card?

 

Most keyboards have main volume controls. You just setup you windows mixer and adjust the master volume.

I on the other hand use one of these.



Which is awesome.

 

oooh...what's it called and how much is it? Is this a mini amp/volume controller? So it's like the ACM but without sound degradation?

 

It is the FiiO E10.. Full 24 bit dac and headphone amp. Also outputs line out and SPDIF Coaxial.

 

SON OF A B****!

This just may be the perfect device for me.

Sound this basically plugs into any usb port and i can plug in my headphones and speakers and get 100% pure unadulterated sound quality? More than (if not at least equal) to any of the best sound cards on the market?

How does it fair with virtual surround? Is the only option to use razer surround with this FiiO E10 because there is no sound card hence no SBX Pro surround, CMSS-3D, etc specific software/hardware virtual surround?

 

Yep.

As long as the virtual surround takes place at the software level this will reproduce it with the PCM stream. I was playing the new DayZ standalone and the positional audio was amazing.

 

Was that "positional audio" built into that specific game though?

 

Yes, all games should have it. The fancy titled SBX Pro surround, CMSS-3D are all there to sell soundcards. Good stereo into headphones shouldn't need any real hammering.

 

Good stereo into headphones shouldn't need any real hammering??? If you are only sending stereo/2.0 to your headphones then you will not be getting 3D simulated/converted surround in yiur headohones.

Most positional 3d surround audio, when in 2 speaker mode, IS NOT built into the game, that's why CMSS-3D/Dolby Headphone, etc. is so important to have. You set everything (windows, the game, etc.) to regular speaker surround sound, like 5.1, and then the the soundcard set to headphone mode and CMSS-3D so that everything is still getting sent to the soundcard in PROPER TRUE 5.1 surround sound, and then the soundcard deciphers how to send that true, full, 5.1 surround audio out to your 2.0 headphones in as much 3D surround sound positioning as possible.

Without the CMSS-3D/Dolby Headphone etc. you are not getting any kind of simulated/converted true surround from your game, unless maybe some rare games happen to do all this for you without the need for CMSS-3D/Dolby Headphone/Razer Surround, etc.

Also, the FiiO is a good headphone amp but, for the most part, a waste of money if he is already buying a soundcard, especially considering the fact that the soundcard already comes with an up to 600 ohm headphone amp.

Doesn't your keyboard have basic media controls on it like mute, volume, play, stop, etc.?