optimal setup with Auzentech X-Plosion SC with Logitech Z-5500

[DragonChi]

Hello,

I have had both these parts for over a year, and not being very sound savvy, i don't really know what settings are prime for movies,music etc. Can anyone advise on this?

also, on a side note. when im using VLC, and the sound setting is on "5.1" for some reason the vocals are lost and the background sounds are dimmed. but when its on Stereo i get all of it, but likely not getting the full 5.1 sound I SHOULD be getting. anyone else have this issue or a way to solve it? any solutions would be appreciated to both issues.

Thanks.

 

[Deshman]

Hello,

I have had both these parts for over a year, and not being very sound savvy, i don't really know what settings are prime for movies,music etc. Can anyone advise on this?

also, on a side note. when im using VLC, and the sound setting is on "5.1" for some reason the vocals are lost and the background sounds are dimmed. but when its on Stereo i get all of it, but likely not getting the full 5.1 sound I SHOULD be getting. anyone else have this issue or a way to solve it? any solutions would be appreciated to both issues.

Thanks.

I'm just going on my experiences with the X-Fi Fatal1ty Platinum with the Z-5500 here but it should be similar. Being that you've gone full whack with the Auzentech I'm guessing you got it for the Digital connection? If you haven't then you probably should as it gives Movies/Music that extra clarity and quality you wouldn't have seen with the Analogue connections.

Once you've got the digital connection sorted (Optical or Coax it's up to you, personally I prefer Optical) you can tell VLC to output sound from the S/PDIF and this will bypass the sound card for the most part sending the original signal straight to the Z-5500 decoder - this gives much greater clarity to the sound.

If you're trying to play 5.1 over a digital connection from a non encoded source (music) this will not work. In my above example the data is transmitted as it is encoded so if the sound is Dolby Digital, the decoder will pick up the stream as Dolby Digital and decode it properly. What you are doing with the 5.1 mixer is modifying a 2 channel audio source then passing it to the digital connection which is by default 2-channel PCM, therefore you lose any signals not mapped to the two primary channels. To transmit the modified music track in full 5.1 you will need to force the Digital connection to constantly operate in Dolby Digital or DTS mode and the only way to do this is to have your soundcard act as an encoder. Doing so will allow your modified 5.1 to be encoded into Dolby Digital so it can be decoded properly by the Z-5500 Decoder.

The only problem in this method is you're squeezing 5 channels and a LFT (bass) channel into the same signal space the 2-channel PCM was operating - so the signal quality is slightly lower and you won't be able to operate at 24-bit (until they invent a better transmission method). On the upside the sound quality is VERY good considering and the channel separation is rather nice creating a very full sound field (not as full as DTS but it's got much more punch to the sound).

 

[DragonChi]

I actually don't have a digital connection. so most of your advice is likely not to be useful quite yet. That is not to say, that i don't intend on getting optical at some point, cause i do. but in the meantime, i just wanted some detailed settings advice and an answer to my VLC issue.

However, thank you for the information you gave. i will make use of it when i can.

 

[Deshman]

Does your card use the same control panel and carry the same features as the X-Fi? If so I can give you some general hints until you get Digital up and running

 

[DragonChi]

as i have never used the fatality xi-fi card. i can't say. i would assume its different in some respects. and also, before you get too hooked up on digital information. if digital requires an amp, optical cords and whatever else. that isnt something i can afford just now.

 

[Deshman]

The Z-5500 has an amp built into the subwoofer and the volume control unit is also the decoder The only thing you need is an optical cable which you should have got with the card. Failing that they really aren't expensive (Click Here) and as it's optical the only thing you have to worry about is the cladding, thicker clad typically means less signal loss but over a couple of meters you're not gonna notice much.

Other than that it's plug and play really. Your card already comes with the encoders in the software so unlike me you don't have to pay the huge price of $4 for them.

 

[DragonChi]

Ok, so today i bought my fibre optic cable. so you now have my full attention on what the best sounds settings are.:worship:

 

[Deshman]

Your card states it supports Dolby Digital so the first stop is to find out how to do that. On the X-Fi it's integrated into the control panel and if this website is right it seems the Auzentech is just a modified version of the Creative drivers:

http://www.elite*******s.com/cms/in...sk=view&id=689&Itemid=27&limit=1&limitstart=3

If this is true you should find it under the Encoders section. You can encode to Dolby Digital or if you have Vista you can encode in DTS too.

If this is the right control panel then I'll be able to give you some more hints.

Edit: haha swear filter on the URL. The missing word is b-a-s-t-a-r-d