Which would you prefer. I just ordered the Asus DLX Raid and I had Asus Xonar Phoebus and now I have ZXR for the last 2 years I think. I think I liked the Asus Dolby better but in some way it was limited to 2 channels and was Upmix to more channels , it cause me many issues cause it wasn't "Real" Virtual Surround. With ZXR it's 5.1 channels. with the Asus DLX Raid it's 7.1 . So would you say the "Real" Virtual Surround 7.1 on the Asus would be better than the Creative SBX 5.1 Virtual Surround ? Anyone tested ? had them both ? had them 3 ? Would you use the Asus DLX Raid Sonic Raid Virtual Surround or the Dolby ?
While I did enjoy Strix soar I had and it's virtual surround headphone function, I found it to not do as well as SBX surround on my ZXR, but to be fair, with the Strix soar I wasn't using the op-amp combinations that I currently use on my ZXR, so that effected the results a lot, besides the headphones. When I had an HD700 the soar functionally of it to me worked good, and as well to SBX on that headphone, even at the time I had the HD700 ran to an gustard H10 amp. Now I don't know how the R70x would had done on the strix soar as I no longer own the card, But on my ZXR while using 2x LT1498 with 2x LME49990MA op-amps, SBX worked wonderfully. But then the results can be different between people, the best thing you could do, is go with what sounds good to you, which what really matters. As not every one will like the same thing. But personally since you already have an ZXR, I would keep using that, just make sure to config your ZXR to 5.1 in the windows audio control panel, while using headphones in your sound blaster ZXR panel. That way it is config correctly and work better that way. Instead of keeping it on 2 channels control panel and having it not work the way it should.
Hi, ye that's the current way I'm using it now. so you say you like the ZXR more because you have other op-AMPS and other headphones. As I heard the difference between the ZXR and the Phoebus, in the ZXR you can barely hear the footsteps. it's like far far away. you can check it here https://youtu.be/lw9Z_aMclR0?t=17m44s I posted the right time it starts. so tell me which one you think better , and that's only with Phoebus @ and Dolby I guess, not sure what he is using.
Your and his results are not gonna be the same as mine due to me removing the stock op-amps and having an different audio setup. The stock op-amp is effecting the overall sound performance of the ZXR and the way SBX is working, also the type of sound your headphones offers also comes into play in how Sbx perform. Only way I can get similar results if I place the stock op-amps back into the card.Because as it stands my results in my games are totally different. I don't have access to an Asus Xonar STX to see how Dolby Headphone would perform with my R70X's while using the same op-amps I using now. But I doubt I would like it more over SBX with my current set of headphones. Because of people having different ears , gears including having different op-amps installed,as not every one results will be the same because of the wide difference of config, and it best to use what sound good to you. But usually its the stock op-amps that cause people to move away from the ZXR and they don't realize they can solve their dislike by switching out the stock op-amps to another pair that offers the type of sound that they are looking for that pairs well with their headphones.
Ye also because my headphones are open it gives already and effect of been outside the game, and with the SBX it adds extra, I forgot the name of it, like you are not inside but just hearing it on the outside, you know ? So I want the Asus to change that, but I can't hear ONE REVIEW about the virtual surround .......
The one major thing about the Asus Surround function on their newer sound cards is that it did not have any of the echo, that their Xonar series had with Dolby headphone, besides having 3 modes, Balance which was the default, Rear panned and Front Panned, I do recall not liking the only modes and kept it on balance. While they're was an setting to switch on reverb, it wasn't on by default. But other then that, I can't seem to fully recall about how it compared, Only that I enjoyed it to the point it didn't bother me. I doubt any one will release an comparison video like they had for SBX,DH, and razer surround. So far I haven't found any one that done it yet. Edit: I found my older Strix soar review where I mentioned the virtual surround worked good, but not perfect, since you couldn't config it like SBX where you set up the speakers in the sound panel. So it doesn't work as good as SBX, but it worked. At least on my HD700 that I had when I did the review of the card.
