Best SOUND BLASTER AE-7 Settings

E

Elevation

Weaksauce
Joined
Oct 28, 2021
Messages
87
Hi, I'd like to know what the best configuration would be to take advantage of the Sound Blaster AE-7 in games or movies.

I'm currently using Sound Blaster Command (it hasn't been updated for too long). I don't know if there's a more recent program.

In Sound Blaster Command, do you recommend using the SBX profiles? Or is it better to disable it? Is there a profile for the equalizer, or should we disable it?

And in Encoder, do we select DTS or Dolby Digital?

The speakers I'm using are the Logitech Z906, which "only" support DTS and Dolby Digital. I don't know if Dolby Pro Logic 2 is available with other software.

My last question: I'm playing Grip 2019, and in the sound options, you can enable Dolby Atmos, but can I hear the Grip with Dolby Atmos on the Z906? What does that sound option actually do?

Thanks.
 
most of it is personal preference, what sounds good to you. play with it.
you dont have atmos with that card, leave it off.
 
Elevation said:
Hi, I'd like to know what the best configuration would be to take advantage of the Sound Blaster AE-7 in games or movies.

I'm currently using Sound Blaster Command (it hasn't been updated for too long). I don't know if there's a more recent program.

In Sound Blaster Command, do you recommend using the SBX profiles? Or is it better to disable it? Is there a profile for the equalizer, or should we disable it?

And in Encoder, do we select DTS or Dolby Digital?

The speakers I'm using are the Logitech Z906, which "only" support DTS and Dolby Digital. I don't know if Dolby Pro Logic 2 is available with other software.

My last question: I'm playing Grip 2019, and in the sound options, you can enable Dolby Atmos, but can I hear the Grip with Dolby Atmos on the Z906? What does that sound option actually do?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
I've got one, the best sound quality is always direct mode. The 5.1 surround would be second best, but with all the effects turned off. It depends on the game sound engine though. Some games it helps with the 5.1 virtual, but others which were made for stereo are most accurate in direct mode. Check game sound settings to see if it has a 5.1 option, if not, direct mode. The effects it has add distortion in the 2nd and 3rd harmonic, so I avoid them. The Thrall in Destiny 2 explode with a reverb sound effect added to make the explosion more dramatic, but with effects turned on, it gets too much like distortion. If explosions are sounding blurry, in direct mode you can change the filter to slow, which reduces pre and post ringing and explosions finish clean.
I'd start in direct mode with a slow filter, then try 5.1 if your game supports it.
 
Hi again, I downloaded a movie with DTS-HD sound, but it's not playing in Windows 10's video player. Neither analog nor digital.

Can I listen to DTS-HD sound with the AE7 and the Z906? Am I missing a codec? Do I need a sound bar like the one on your Samsung 990?

Thanks and best regards, friend.
 
Elevation said:
Hi again, I downloaded a movie with DTS-HD sound, but it's not playing in Windows 10's video player. Neither analog nor digital.

Can I listen to DTS-HD sound with the AE7 and the Z906? Am I missing a codec? Do I need a sound bar like the one on your Samsung 990?

Thanks and best regards, friend.
Click to expand...
You can probably only play DTS-HD through HDMI and a receiver, it only mentions DTS on the product page for the AE-7 which is probably just the basic DTS codec.
 
yeah, dont think it has HD, just regular. youll have to do that^^^ or dumb it down to just DTS in the player.
 
It helps to install this https://www.free-codecs.com/download/dts_ac3_source_filter.htm
Or maybe not,
Here's an image of the movie Alien 3, which has Dolby and DTS audio, both with 6 channels. I can't select DTS audio; I can only select Dolby.

Am I missing a codec? Should I try another player?


https://************/FLSf26Dc
 

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  • peli dolby.jpg
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possibly. you could try loading the mega klite codec pack.
 
Elevation said:
Hi, I'd like to know what the best configuration would be to take advantage of the Sound Blaster AE-7 in games or movies.

I'm currently using Sound Blaster Command (it hasn't been updated for too long). I don't know if there's a more recent program.

In Sound Blaster Command, do you recommend using the SBX profiles? Or is it better to disable it? Is there a profile for the equalizer, or should we disable it?

And in Encoder, do we select DTS or Dolby Digital?

The speakers I'm using are the Logitech Z906, which "only" support DTS and Dolby Digital. I don't know if Dolby Pro Logic 2 is available with other software.

My last question: I'm playing Grip 2019, and in the sound options, you can enable Dolby Atmos, but can I hear the Grip with Dolby Atmos on the Z906? What does that sound option actually do?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
So I just got a killer deal on a AE-7.

But on the AE-5 which is similar. So I find the best setting is to use the digital TOSlink cable connected to the Z5500 or Z906 directly as well as the headphones connected directly into the AE-5 (or AE-7)

Then in sound blaster command encoder set to DTS Neo home Cinema settings. Everything else off. DTS X enabled in windows 11 for spacial audio and that's it.


So far this is what has worked perfectly for me. I will update when the AE-7 coming in next week.
 
Dunring said:
I've got one, the best sound quality is always direct mode. The 5.1 surround would be second best, but with all the effects turned off. It depends on the game sound engine though. Some games it helps with the 5.1 virtual, but others which were made for stereo are most accurate in direct mode. Check game sound settings to see if it has a 5.1 option, if not, direct mode. The effects it has add distortion in the 2nd and 3rd harmonic, so I avoid them. The Thrall in Destiny 2 explode with a reverb sound effect added to make the explosion more dramatic, but with effects turned on, it gets too much like distortion. If explosions are sounding blurry, in direct mode you can change the filter to slow, which reduces pre and post ringing and explosions finish clean.
I'd start in direct mode with a slow filter, then try 5.1 if your game supports it.
Click to expand...

For basic stereo sound on games that don't support spatial 5.1 direct mode is clean but for surround sound definitely need to enable Dolby or DTS in the encoder. Battlefield 6 with DTS is mind blowing. I've been blasting my 5.1 with BF6 and it's so much damn fun I feel like I'm in the battlefield way better than headphones with the real surround sound enabled.
 
Imo

- Connect via the analog 5.1 connections between the AE-7 and the Z906. This is the technically the highest quality connection unless you encounter issues. Both DDL and DTS connect are compressed lossy formats and by definition come with a quality drop. They also introduce a very minor lag, caused from the SoundCard to encode and from the Z906 to decode (the lag honestly... likely not really a big deal. You may not even notice).
- DTS and DD decoding for video,music etc just requires the codecs. But personally... I'd just switch to a better media player. Either MPC-BE or VLC.

https://github.com/Aleksoid1978/MPC-BE/
https://www.videolan.org/vlc/

- SBX, personal perference. I would generally leave it off, expcept if 1) I'm watching something that is just in stereo and I want more immersion or 2) Headphones, can be nice there in some games.
- Equalizer, off. Unless you want to tweak or tune how the Z906 sounds.
- Speaker configuration... type to "Tower" (doesn't really matter because...), "Full-Range Speakers" un-ticked and "Bass Redirection" to off. That should ensure the proper frequency ranges are on the right channels for the Z906 so it can handle it while reducing the mount of processing it has to do.
- "Direct Mode" off, unless you encounter a problem or if you like how it sounds. Play with it abit, but be aware you can't use either SBX or the equalizer when enabled.
 
Yeah I’d keep it stupid simple, man.
- Plug AE-7 into the Z906 with the 3 analog cables (5.1)
- In Sound Blaster Command:
- Set speakers to 5.1
- Turn SBX off
- EQ off / flat
- In games: pick 5.1 or “home theater” in the audio settings

For movies:
- AE-7 cannot do DTS-HD / TrueHD / Atmos to the Z906
- Just use a player like MPC-HC / MPC-BE or VLC
- Let the player decode to PCM, send that to the AE-7, AE-7 sends 5.1 analog to Z906

Dolby Atmos in Grip is for HDMI into an Atmos receiver or soundbar. On Z906 it just gets downmixed, so I’d leave Atmos off and stick to regular 5.1.
 
TrunksZero said:
Imo

- Connect via the analog 5.1 connections between the AE-7 and the Z906. This is the technically the highest quality connection unless you encounter issues. Both DDL and DTS connect are compressed lossy formats and by definition come with a quality drop. They also introduce a very minor lag, caused from the SoundCard to encode and from the Z906 to decode (the lag honestly... likely not really a big deal. You may not even notice).
- DTS and DD decoding for video,music etc just requires the codecs. But personally... I'd just switch to a better media player. Either MPC-BE or VLC.

https://github.com/Aleksoid1978/MPC-BE/
https://www.videolan.org/vlc/

- SBX, personal perference. I would generally leave it off, expcept if 1) I'm watching something that is just in stereo and I want more immersion or 2) Headphones, can be nice there in some games.
- Equalizer, off. Unless you want to tweak or tune how the Z906 sounds.
- Speaker configuration... type to "Tower" (doesn't really matter because...), "Full-Range Speakers" un-ticked and "Bass Redirection" to off. That should ensure the proper frequency ranges are on the right channels for the Z906 so it can handle it while reducing the mount of processing it has to do.
- "Direct Mode" off, unless you encounter a problem or if you like how it sounds. Play with it abit, but be aware you can't use either SBX or the equalizer when enabled.
Click to expand...
Interesting you prefer the 3 analog cables vs the 1 optical TOSlink?
 
zoomrix said:
Yeah I’d keep it stupid simple, man.
- Plug AE-7 into the Z906 with the 3 analog cables (5.1)
- In Sound Blaster Command:
- Set speakers to 5.1
- Turn SBX off
- EQ off / flat
- In games: pick 5.1 or “home theater” in the audio settings

For movies:
- AE-7 cannot do DTS-HD / TrueHD / Atmos to the Z906
- Just use a player like MPC-HC / MPC-BE or VLC
- Let the player decode to PCM, send that to the AE-7, AE-7 sends 5.1 analog to Z906

Dolby Atmos in Grip is for HDMI into an Atmos receiver or soundbar. On Z906 it just gets downmixed, so I’d leave Atmos off and stick to regular 5.1.
Click to expand...
Also interesting I usually leave DTS X on for headphones or when using the z5500. I figured it was better for directional audio? For Battlefield I needed it to enable 3D directional sound option in the audio menu.
 
xDiVolatilX said:
Interesting you prefer the 3 analog cables vs the 1 optical TOSlink?
Click to expand...

Prefer? Not really, but wouldn't be world ending to cable manage them. And so long as there are no interference issues... I'd do it to ensure a higher quality connection.
 
TrunksZero said:
Prefer? Not really, but wouldn't be world ending to cable manage them. And so long as there are no interference issues... I'd do it to ensure a higher quality connection.
Click to expand...
Wait so are you saying the triple cable is a higher quality than the single optical TOSlink? In what way? Do you know?
 
xDiVolatilX said:
Wait so are you saying the triple cable is a higher quality than the single optical TOSlink? In what way? Do you know?
Click to expand...
If your doing 5.1, then there is no question that TOSlink is lower quality than the 3 analog cables. Because to do 5.1 over TOSlink/Optical, or SPDIF, you have to encode to DolbyDigital or DTS. Both of which are lossy compression formats.
 
TrunksZero said:
If your doing 5.1, then there is no question that TOSlink is lower quality than the 3 analog cables. Because to do 5.1 over TOSlink/Optical, or SPDIF, you have to encode to DolbyDigital or DTS. Both of which are lossy compression formats.
Click to expand...
Oh wow never payed attention to this. Yeah I'm doing DTS X on the headphones and Z5500 for Battlefield so I should go back to the original triple analog cables then right? For other games that don't support DTS it's just the sound blaster command doing to 5.1 software for headphones and 5.1 speakers meaning DTS is useless? Cause I still see DTS digital active on the control unit for the Z5500, is that just the signal from the card to the unit?
 
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xDiVolatilX said:
Oh wow never payed attention to this. Yeah I'm doing DTS X on the headphones and Z5500 for Battlefield so I should go back to the original triple analog cables then right? For other games that don't support DTS it's just the sound blaster command doing to 5.1 software for headphones and 5.1 speakers meaning DTS is useless? Cause I still see it active on the control unit for the Z5500, is that just the signal from the card to the unit?
Click to expand...
So couple things....

- Sounds like your using DTS for encoding over optical to get 5.1 to the Z5500's. Which the AE-7 does support and so does the Z5500's. No issue there.
- Should you switch to analog? I mean... technically its higher quality... whether you will notice a difference is another story entirely (pendragon1 nailed it). I would try it and see what you think.

Game support doesn't really matter much so long as it can support multi-channel audio. It will give the AE-7 whatever it tell the game it supports and is selected in game to send it. The AE-7 will then do whatever SB Command is configured to do. Which in this case reads like you have it configured to send DTS encoded 5.1 over the optical connection. The Z5500 then gets that DTS signal over its optical in and decodes it accordingly.
 
Elevation said:
Is posible play Gears of War 5 with DTS on AE7?
Click to expand...
I don't see why not? You might have to force Gear of War 5 into multi-channel... as it doesn't provide an option in game to select what the output is. It's an unreal engine based game though, so it's very easy to google what the engine.ini settings would be to force it into 5.1. Then the AE7 just needs to be setup for 5.1, DTS Connect enabled and connected via optical or spdif to a speaker system capable of decoding DTS (y)
 
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