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Windows 7 "Playback Devices" Choice for Surround Headphones and more?

773 Views 20 Replies 2 Participants Last post by alperciz, Mar 31, 2014

alperciz

Discussion Starter · Mar 22, 2014

Hi!

I spent more than an hour putting this image together so I hope I can get the information I need.

Please see the photo in its original resolution. So yeah, I have those pair of headphones (Turtle Beach AK-R8). They come with their own sound card. I don't think the sound card has its own dolby or dts decoder. Correct me if I'm wrong. I collected all the information I could find about them online and on the manual. There is even a screenshot of a "q and a" in the picture. So, could you tell me how that sound card functions? I've read it all but I still don't quite get it. I think the card leaves the decoding to the software. I use these on my computer. So, when I watch a bluray movie with dts sound, what decodes dts? Is it the audio codecs, or the software of the headphones (whose image you can see at the lower left of the picture)? And what is the role of windows 7's "playback devices" (upper right of the picture.) When I choose "digital output", the changes I make in the sound card's software won't make any difference. It's like that software is out of the picture completely. When I choose "speakers" however, the changes I make makes difference. Someone PLEASE explain this whole ordeal to me.

Thanks a lot in advance!

Please click on "original" on the bottom right of the picture for original resolution.

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Mrkazador

· #2 · Mar 23, 2014

Quote:
So, could you tell me how that sound card functions?

Your headphones have 3 speakers in each cup so you get 5.1 audio. The media player should be setup to decode the audio (Dolby Digital and DTS) to multichannel pcm (5.1 speakers) then that is sent to the turtle beach sound card through USB. The turtle beach sound card will then convert that multichannel pcm to analog using a DAC (digital analog converter). From there it goes to the built-in headphone amplifier and then to your headphones. Now you get 5.1 sound through your headphones!

Quote:
When I choose "digital output", the changes I make in the sound card's software won't make any difference.

When you use your headphones, you are not using the digital output so any changes you make there won't make a difference. If you select the one labeled "Speakers" that will affect your headphones. The Digital Output is for the optical output which you are not using if you use headphones.

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alperciz

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 23, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrkazador /t/1523721/windows-7-playback-devices-choice-for-surround-headphones-and-more#post_24517616

Your headphones have 3 speakers in each cup so you get 5.1 audio. The media player should be setup to decode the audio (Dolby Digital and DTS) to multichannel pcm (5.1 speakers) then that is sent to the turtle beach sound card through USB. The turtle beach sound card will then convert that multichannel pcm to analog using a DAC (digital analog converter). From there it goes to the built-in headphone amplifier and then to your headphones. Now you get 5.1 sound through your headphones!

When you use your headphones, you are not using the digital output so any changes you make there won't make a difference. If you select the one labeled "Speakers" that will affect your headphones. The Digital Output is for the optical output which you are not using if you use headphones.

You are a godsend! Thank you so much! Have you got a bit of a time, can I bore you with a few more questions? I want to fully understand this thing.

Mrkazador

· #4 · Mar 23, 2014

Go ahead...

alperciz

Discussion Starter · #5 · Mar 23, 2014

I also have a logitech z906 system which are connected optically. You can see them in the picture in the playback devices menu. With them, should I choose the SPDIF Out? And then, how should I set the media player's settings? As far as I know the difference between SPDIF and speakers is, spdif option enables the hardware to decode, speakers option enables the software only to decode. or is it software + hardware. Which one gives me the most distinctive surround effect?

alperciz

Discussion Starter · #6 · Mar 23, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrkazador /t/1523721/windows-7-playback-devices-choice-for-surround-headphones-and-more#post_24517616

When you use your headphones, you are not using the digital output so any changes you make there won't make a difference. If you select the one labeled "Speakers" that will affect your headphones. The Digital Output is for the optical output which you are not using if you use headphones.

Why does windows show me the digital output option for headphones if my headphones are not capable of digital output? ...to further confuse me?

I already have an SPDIF output for my X-FI sound card.

Mrkazador

· #7 · Mar 23, 2014

The logitech z906 have a Dolby Digital and DTS decoder so you want to select SPDIF out and in the media player choose to bitstream the audio. I don't know what media player you are using so it may not be called bitstream, it could be called spdif. Doing it this way will send a "digital package" through the optical output to the speakers controller that will decode that to 5.1. Decoding Dolby Digital or DTS through hardware or software shouldn't make a difference, it will sound the same.

Quote:
Why does windows show me the digital output option for headphones if my headphones are not capable of digital output? ...to further confuse me? I already have an SPDIF output for my X-FI sound card.

I don't know why it shows that.

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alperciz

Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 23, 2014

2

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrkazador /t/1523721/windows-7-playback-devices-choice-for-surround-headphones-and-more#post_24517683

The logitech z906 have a Dolby Digital and DTS decoder so you want to select SPDIF out and in the media player choose to bitstream the audio. I don't know what media player you are using so it may not be called bitstream, it could be called spdif. Doing it this way will send a "digital package" through the optical output to the speakers controller that will decode that to 5.1.

I use Kmplayer 3.6. Have you got experience with it? I understand the menu directly below.

This is the menu I don't quite understand. Should I make any changes here for the turtle beach or logitech?

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Mrkazador

· #9 · Mar 23, 2014

I'm not familiar with Kmplayer. When you select the drop down box for AC3 and DTS speakers, what options do you get? I think this is where you select to bitstream the audio.

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alperciz

Discussion Starter · #10 · Mar 23, 2014

You get this.

So for turtle beach, I should choose 3/2+sw 5.1 channels. And the speakers option in the windows playback devices menu.

And for z906, I should choose SPDIF. And the SPDIF option in the windows playback devices menu.

Am I right?

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Mrkazador

· #11 · Mar 23, 2014

Right.

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alperciz

Discussion Starter · #12 · Mar 23, 2014

What is "same as input"? Can I leave it at that? Let's say, I watch a movie with DTS sound, and I chose same as input for DTS, what does the media player do?

Mrkazador

· #13 · Mar 23, 2014

Actually... you want to set it to "same as input" when using headphones. This way it doesn't upconvert any of the audio you listen to. If you watch a movie that is 2ch and you select "3/2+sw 5.1 channels" then it will upconvert that 2ch audio to 5.1. "Same as input" doesn't alter the audio in any way, I believe thats how it works.

alperciz

Discussion Starter · #14 · Mar 23, 2014

but it (same as input option) still decodes ac3 or dts?

Mrkazador

· #15 · Mar 23, 2014

Yeah, when you choose same as input, kmplayer will decode ac3/dts. All the options will decode ac3/dts except for SPDIF.

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alperciz

Discussion Starter · #16 · Mar 23, 2014

My last question, I promise. And thanks a ton for your help!

Could you explain the titles on this menu shortly so a dummy can understand? ...if you have time. I have google and been reading about all this pcm, spdif, lpcm, multichannel pcm, analog, DAC

all these terms but it is too much for one session, it gets deeper and deeper. :/

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Mrkazador

· #17 · Mar 23, 2014

I think PCM output has to do with what your hardware supports... I'm not really sure.

SPDIF output after realtime AC3 re-encoding will convert any audio to AC3 so you can output through optical. This is useful if you have a 5.1 audio track that is uncompressed but most likely you don't have any. A few bluray movies use uncompressed audio.

LPCM output is used to connect to external filters/decoders that need this.

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alperciz

Discussion Starter · #18 · Mar 23, 2014

Thanks a lot!

alperciz

Discussion Starter · #19 · Mar 31, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrkazador /t/1523721/windows-7-playback-devices-choice-for-surround-headphones-and-more#post_24517795

I think PCM output has to do with what your hardware supports... I'm not really sure.

SPDIF output after realtime AC3 re-encoding will convert any audio to AC3 so you can output through optical. This is useful if you have a 5.1 audio track that is uncompressed but most likely you don't have any. A few bluray movies use uncompressed audio.

LPCM output is used to connect to external filters/decoders that need this.

Hi Mrkazador !

Can I ask you one more thing?

Mrkazador

· #20 · Mar 31, 2014

Sure

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