Prelude and low volume from headphones?

[Richard Dower]

X-Fi Prelude seems to have a much lower volume output then my older Creative X-Fi XtremeMusic, i normally plug my headphones directly into the front speaker output on the back of the X-Fi...but for the life of me i can't understand why the Auzen is not as loud as the older Creative card at the same levels as i used before?

[Soulburner]

Hmm I don't have any problems with volume with my headphones?

I have heard of this before though, I'd use the search function as I know there was a thread not too long ago.

[[cTx]Raptor22]

Volume is turned all the way up in windows and your media player right? Hmm... I use a receiver so I really wouldn't know. Im sorry, :(

I wish I could help more man, but as soulbuner said there was a thread.... ;)

[WeStSiDePLaYa]

different headphones have different impedance. high impedance headphones wont get as loud without an amp as low impedance headphones. Try different headphones.

And the headphone out wont be the same level on all cards.

[Richard Dower]

Can you recomend headphones?....something for everyday use such as music, games, DVD etc?

[[cTx]Raptor22]

Can you recomend headphones?....something for everyday use such as music, games, DVD etc?

Do you have a budget?

[STEvil]

Try the rear speaker output, sometimes it is amplifed more when the headphone option is selected.

[[cTx] Nooc]

Raptor22;2916372']Do you have a budget?

Judging by his computer he can afford a nice pair of cans, in which case I recommend AKG K701.

[Soulburner]

Guys my Koss KSC75's are 60ohms and they get plenty loud. I use the front speaker plug and set them to headphone. Plenty of volume, and they aren't low impedance headphones.

[[cTx]Raptor22]

Sennhieser HD 5XX series are great, depending on your budget.

Also look for preowned HD280s.. :up:

[Donnie27]

Raptor22;2917665']Sennhieser HD 5XX series are great, depending on your budget.

Also look for preowned HD280s.. :up:

I wouldn't touch either of those but that's just my ears;) I second the AKG K701. Even compared to other Sennheissers the 280 should be sold for about $49 US LOL!

[Donnie27]

Try the rear speaker output, sometimes it is amplifed more when the headphone option is selected.

Oh the Prelude the rear channels are much lower than the Front. It's set up for Superior sound for Stereo Music. The Main Channel has the best Opamp. This is why many 5.1 Systems ship with larger Front channel that than side, rear or center channels. There aren't any more cards like the old AV710 that had better stuff on the rear.

[Donnie27]

X-Fi Prelude seems to have a much lower volume output then my older Creative X-Fi XtremeMusic, i normally plug my headphones directly into the front speaker output on the back of the X-Fi...but for the life of me i can't understand why the Auzen is not as loud as the older Creative card at the same levels as i used before?

By default Vista's Wave sound is set to 50%. You have to use a 3rd party mixer to get the volume level up. The other option is an Headphone AMP.

[ROBSCIX]

Oh the Prelude the rear channels are much lower than the Front. It's set up for Superior sound for Stereo Music. The Main Channel has the best Opamp. This is why many 5.1 Systems ship with larger Front channel that than side, rear or center channels. There aren't any more cards like the old AV710 that had better stuff on the rear.


That is not quite right. The front channel has a better sounding opamp but that is it.
The output levels on the Prelude are ALL the SAME. Unless you set the Preludes mixer differently. The Prelude has hot outputs that make it louder then CLX-fi's but the channels DO NOT have mismatched volume levels. When you set up a surround device you make sure all the levels have exactly the same volume for accurate imaging also. Sure, many 5.1 systems ship with large fronts and many ship with fronts exactly the same size as the rest of the sats, that means nothing. It is easy to think the fronts are louder because they output most of the imaging but they are not any louder then others. Hope that helps.
BTW, some of the creative cards such as the SB Live have better "stuff" on the rears also.

X-Fi Prelude seems to have a much lower volume output then my older Creative X-Fi XtremeMusic, i normally plug my headphones directly into the front speaker output on the back of the X-Fi...but for the life of me i can't understand why the Auzen is not as loud as the older Creative card at the same levels as i used before?

I would check all your levels in your mixers, as the Prelude has HOT outputs that make the card much louder then CL X-fi's. You should have no trouble with volume unless your running high impedance headphones. If they are over 150 ohms, you will need a headphone amp. Of course you can always use a can amp just for the sake of volume.

[Donnie27]

That is not quite right. The front channel has a better sounding opamp but that is it.
The output levels on the Prelude are ALL the SAME. Unless you set the Preludes mixer differently. The Prelude has hot outputs that make it louder then CLX-fi's but the channels DO NOT have mismatched volume levels. When you set up a surround device you make sure all the levels have exactly the same volume for accurate imaging also. Sure, many 5.1 systems ship with large fronts and many ship with fronts exactly the same size as the rest of the sats, that means nothing. It is easy to think the fronts are louder because they output most of the imaging but they are not any louder then others. Hope that helps.
BTW, some of the creative cards such as the SB Live have better "stuff" on the rears also.


Again, they aren't as balanced as the Creative X-Fi. Not just me but others who own them told me they noticed the same thing to varying degrees. Then depending on the source. Example, games rear sounds are the same as movies or my DIY 5.1 files. We either owned or still own Creative X-Fi's to do direct AB. Before you blame equipment these are connected to everything from cheap 5.1 to multiple Crown and Caver Power AMP'S. Maybe I shouldn't have joked about loudness since the Prelude will distort easily when the volume is too loud.

I can easily connect either of the X-Fi's to the same receiver and speakers. The sounds the rear with the Prelude just aren't as robust (the best word I can think of) but not bad at all. Sure the Fronts are GREAT! I can then connect the CXM X-Fi and then bang, the rear is fuller, louder and a decent sound stage as well. I even un-calibrated the THX on the Creative card to make up for the Prelude not having it. The front gets spanked by the Prelude:eek:

[ROBSCIX]

The channels on the Prelude are ALL the SAME volume. We are not talking about one card compared to another or any of the other back pedaling you wrote. It is very simple: You said the Prelude has louder front channels, which you are totally 100% wrong about.
To your ears or whatever else, you may hear/perceive more volume from the fronts as the LM4562 is a bit brighter and fuller but everything is of equal volume. I don't blame equipment, again user perception. Placebo effect at it's best. Any source has varying volume levels. -Is that what you meant to say?

[Donnie27]

The channels on the Prelude are ALL the SAME volume. We are not talking about one card compared to another or any of the other back pedaling you wrote. It is very simple: You said the Prelude has louder front channels, which you are totally 100% wrong about.
To your ears or whatever else, you may hear/perceive more volume from the fronts as the LM4562 is a bit brighter and fuller but everything is of equal volume. I don't blame equipment, again user perception. Placebo effect at it's best. Any source has varying volume levels. -Is that what you meant to say?


It's very simple, learn some frakkin tact:rolleyes: I stand by what I said=P

[ROBSCIX]

It's very simple, learn some frakkin tact:rolleyes: I stand by what I said=P

Stand by what ever you like, it won't make your comments on levels correct.
Your the one getting all bent out of shape over being given correct info, if anybody needs a lesson or two in tact it is you. :down:

[Donnie27]

Stand by what ever you like, it won't make your comments on levels correct.
Your the one getting all bent out of shape, if anybody needs a lesson or two in tact it is you. :down:

It will not make your useless BS any less tacky either LOL! Pull your head out and wake up? Please learn how to talk to people without looking like a Jerk and an Ahole!

[ROBSCIX]

Considering you think correct information is useless and tacky I don't think there really is any hope for you. Your comments on "tact" look rather foolish considering your responses. You are making yourself look quite bad. Don't ruin the thread, if you can't post anything but crap go elsewhere.

[Donnie27]

Considering you think correct information is useless and tacky I don't think there really is any hope for you. Your comments on "tact" look rather foolish considering your responses. You are making yourself look quite bad. Don't ruin the thread, if you can't post anything but crap go elsewhere.

Speaking of looking foolish, you have that title won hands down. I know what I heard on my system and 3 others. None of you Ding Bat rands can change that:rofl: Go ahead and keep making you tacky baseless BS posts! The only thing that looks foolish and silly is your pretending to know everything when you don't. No ones does.

Dewd, I don't have any problem with you disagreeing. The point is how you disagree and the childish tacky way you do it, please grow the hell up! This is what, the 4th time I've tried to explain this to you? Post where and how you disagree, but please do it like the thousands of other adult posters here?
Then you don't you come off looking like an @$$hole!:rolleyes:

The simple point is made for anyone else reading this. I and others have to lower the Volume on our Front channels on OUR Prelude FOR GAMES.

[Radical_53]

Maybe you messed up the drivers, are you using CMSS3D? I had this several times, the rears were much lower in volume when something was messed up.
When it's working as it's supposed to, the channels indeed are all on one level. I use dB-meter to calibrate my surround setup, so if I'm at the same distance to the speaker, front and rear are exactly the same volume without any further calibration.
As it was said here before, considering the headphone problem, the Prelude should have plenty of "juice" to power most headphones. I'm using a set of Ultrasone HFI780's and I had a set of Sennheiser HD590, no problems whatsoever for the Prelude.

[ROBSCIX]

Maybe you messed up the drivers, are you using CMSS3D? I had this several times, the rears were much lower in volume when something was messed up.
When it's working as it's supposed to, the channels indeed are all on one level. I use dB-meter to calibrate my surround setup, so if I'm at the same distance to the speaker, front and rear are exactly the same volume without any further calibration.
As it was said here before, considering the headphone problem, the Prelude should have plenty of "juice" to power most headphones. I'm using a set of Ultrasone HFI780's and I had a set of Sennheiser HD590, no problems whatsoever for the Prelude.


Well something is wrong somewhere. My guess would be user error and/or placebo effect. It makes no sense to have any channels mismatched volume as the the other guy tried to say they are. As you said proper setup of a surround system entails proper level matching for correct surround imaging of anything. This is why we have test tones on the card and most surround devices also, to show channel ID and for level matching. If the rear channels were off in volume level, it would seriously mess up the rear image for everything.:yepp:

Yes back to the original topic, the Prelude drives my cans just fine also. Unless his cans were over 150 ohm the Prelude and most other soundcards should drive them easily. 150 ohm is usually considered the mid point as anything over it is considered high impedance and would need a can amp for best sound. at least that is how I understand it.

[Donnie27]

Maybe you messed up the drivers, are you using CMSS3D? I had this several times, the rears were much lower in volume when something was messed up.
When it's working as it's supposed to, the channels indeed are all on one level. I use dB-meter to calibrate my surround setup, so if I'm at the same distance to the speaker, front and rear are exactly the same volume without any further calibration.
As it was said here before, considering the headphone problem, the Prelude should have plenty of "juice" to power most headphones. I'm using a set of Ultrasone HFI780's and I had a set of Sennheiser HD590, no problems whatsoever for the Prelude.

Thank's for the info and the Adult manner in which you posted it:up: Keep in mind that none of us are at an Equal Distance from or between the speakers. My measured distance is 3ft to Center, 5ft to each of the mains and 9.5ft to the rears. Volume and in some cases tone are adjusted for that extra distance/s. Most of the others are the same or similar with varying distances. None us are in the Middle or equal distances from all of the speakers.

Most of us have our speakers Calibrated to the Room and no two are a like. As one other guys put it, the rears aren't as Bright as the Front. He has a Denon System with all 5 matching speakers. Other comments go are like Sound Stage, Image, Presence and others are different than the X-Meridian and the other X-Fi's. Note, Different doesn't mean worse or a problem.

Nice Cans!