halcyon

Splendid
I've got a lowly X-Fi XM and am wondering...is there any way to get 4.2 sound out of it (2 x 2.1)? It seems like when I connect speakers/headphones to the #2 output I get this surround-effect even though I've got all that mess turned off? For purity reasons I was trying to avoid running a 1/8" minijack splitter out of the front channel outputs as I'm not convinced how good the wiring is in those little splitter dohickys is and it might affect sound quality or signal strength in a noticable way. Call me @n@l, fine.

So, again, I'm wondering if anyone knows of a way to get full spectrum sound out of 2 of the X-Fi's output jacks for the reasons stated above? I may be overlooking something painfully obvious. I'm serious about this signal strength clarity issue, that's why I don't want to run a splitter...I've even considered just getting another X-Fi and switching to that card when I want to hear those speakers/headphones. I'm thinking the drivers will accommodate this as it seems logical.

I apologize if I wasn't able to articulate what I'm trying to acheive with the same clarity that I want from my audio cards. :D
 

halcyon

Splendid
Thanks. I just want to make sure I understand you correctly. Because the X-Fi's are 7.1 it means they can out stereo to 2 of their outputs. I don't want to output ANY Dolby DTS, Dolby Digital, or any of that fanciness. Again, what I'd like to do is output a stereo signal to 2 different 1/8" minijacks ports on the back of the card. With this, one could connect speakers to one port and headphones to the other...and know that the same signal is going to both ports. If a single X-Fi will do that, then I'm good...if not, I have to put another X-Fi in to run the headphones.

The goal here is two-fold:
1) not to have to wear out the jacks in back by plugging and unplugging the connections when I need to switch

2) it's 2006, do I have to be bothered with crawling around the back of the computer and switching the physical connections between the headphones and the speakers whenever I want to change?

If this did indeed work, I could simply mute the speakers when I wanted to listen to the headphones.

Is my goal a little clearer now? I apologize for this morning's post, I'd not had my intravaneous caffeine fix yet. :roll:

edit: No, I'd prefer not to use a breakout box and deal with it's headphone jack since I'll be using a dedicated headphone amp. I think the signal will stay purer if I bypass the headphone jack's potentiometer and go straight to the amp...directly to the amp, don't pass go, don't collect $200.
 

halcyon

Splendid
just to clear this up, do you want to connect headphones and speakers at the same time. now if that is so, are you wanting to be able to listen to your speakers without having to unplug you head phones?

what is the problem. i don't use the back as i got a front panel but you don't ahve to have your speakers muted when you plug in your headphones. in settings you can choose whether your speakers are muted when you plug them in or not.

also in the mixer section you can choose to mute certain things.

can you clarify what you catually need.

Thanks, I'm trying to be as crystal as I can but I may not be succeeding.
Yes, I want to have the headphones and speakers connected simultaneously via the back-panel connections. So, I wanted to know if two of the connections on the back of the sound card could be configured to output stereo sound. 1 connection for the headphones and another connection for speakers.

I don't know how to explain it differently than I have in this and the above posts. My apologies.
 

halcyon

Splendid
Here's what I did...simple...oh so simple...and it works like a charm...

Installed my older SB Live! (4780) in addition to my SB X-Fi.

Senn HD595's are up on the X-Fi

Bose Companion 3's are up on the Live!

It's working like a charm with not audible artifacts or driver issues. So I just select the card that I want to listen to @ the time and off I go into my world.

This'll work until I can afford the HeadRoom MicroDac for the Sennheisers (the MicroAmp shipped today).

...and as a bonus it will also let me do listening tests to determine if there's an audible difference in sound quality with the Live! vs. X-Fi.


My little JukeBox is happy now (fed) and so am I.

:D
 

ivoryjohn

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I never use a "splitter". To properly split an audio channel passively, you need a metal resister to prevent impedence loss.

I would never plug my headphones directly into my audio card either. I recommend an amplified speaker that includes an amplified headphone jack. You'll get much better sound.
 

astrallite

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EAX panel where CMSS is, there should be an option for "Stereo Surround" which "should" be stereox3.

On previous Audigy's, stereox2 never worked perfectly (the secondary stereo channel always sounded a bit hollow) but it does *work* to my knowledge.
 

halcyon

Splendid
Aaaah, perhaps that's on the CD which I did not use to install (I don't see anything like that in the Creative Audio Console). I don't have the CD available to me so I'll have to see where I could locate that EAX Control Panel (Creative's site likely could help). Thanks for the note.
 

astrallite

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There was a free download for Creative cards the last couple years called "CTPANEL.EXE" that would enable stereo surround, but it seems like all the links have died.

Good thing tho too, the stereo surround sometimes would not disengage if you selected 7-channel mode. =P
 

halcyon

Splendid
If I can't find it, its totally okay, I actually don't mind using the Live! and the X-Fi as seperates...makes it really quick to choose either the headphones or the speakers.
 

halcyon

Splendid
I never use a "splitter". To properly split an audio channel passively, you need a metal resister to prevent impedence loss.

I would never plug my headphones directly into my audio card either. I recommend an amplified speaker that includes an amplified headphone jack. You'll get much better sound.

The HeadRoom TotalBitHead DAC/Amp should arrive today, that should give the 595's pretty descent quality power/sound.