# Foobar2000 Dolby Headphone config - Comment & discuss!



## RPGWiZaRD (Sep 22, 2018)

*RPGWiZaRD's Dolby Headphone foobar2000 info & tweaks*​ 
 Here I present you my carefully tweaked custom foobar2000 Dolby Headphone config, basicly I'm the kind of guy that can't keep my fingers off when it comes to settings and tweaking for the best possible result using my own ears (or eyes when it comes to calibrating TVs etc) and can spend literally months tweaking all sliders one by one, making one or a few step change and listen if I find it better/worse until I'm certain about it etc until I eventually get a really nice (in my opinion obviously) result. I realize different headphones or especially DACs/sources may skew the results or the same setting may not be ideal for every DAC/source but trying it with my different headphones it all sounded pretty much optimal or near it so headphones themselves shouldn't have a large impact, DACs might have though

 Soundcard users get the best result when the output device is set to *5.1 speakermode*. Also please note it seems like Dolby Headphone plugin only supports max* 48kHz sample rate*. 



Here's some examples of my custom Dolby Headphone config recorded video







​

 
*Preconfigured install *

 You can download a preconfigured foobar2000 archieve from here if you don't feel like manually setting it up and you only need to extract it somewhere but if you already have foobar2000 installed I'd recommend you try it out first if you like it or not by extracting it somewhere else and then open the foobar2000 exe from that path you extracted the preconfigured foobar2000 config to and then drag the songs to the playlist (or importing your playlists) to be sure you hear this effect as it's supposed to sound like. If you were to double click your songs it'll most likely open your own foobar2000 and it'd need to be replaced to work, in order to do that you'll first need to uninstall your old foobar2000 from Windows control panel and then put the portable install into the same location as your previous foobar2000 install. Please note the preconfigured configs are portable installs so won't mess with your own foobar2000 settings unless you overwrite them.

*UPDATE:* As of 11.1.2012 I introduce both a "forward" and "laid-back" config as different people have different preferred sound signatures and this should at least better cover them as these two are a bit of the opposite to each other in soundstage especially. Please note these two different presets is not just an EQ difference, "Forward" config uses Channel Mixer plugin and "Laid-back" config uses Free surround plugin to tweak the soundstage so therefore they sound quite a bit different!

*The "forward" config is suitable for:* People who prefer a more forward/"in-your-face" sounding soundstage (but improved/larger stage with better imaging/positioning and separation over stock foobar2000), more engaging listening experience. Suitable for people who like the Grado sound or listen to lots of rock, EDM, dance, pop and acoustic etc music. If unsure I'd first try this one as it's more closer to stock foobar2000 sound.

*The "laid-back" config is suitable for:* People who prefer a more laid-back sounding soundstage with better transparency and more spacious/wider soundstage, more relaxed listening. Suitable for people who prefer sound signatures by for example AKG K70x or Sennheiser HD800 or listen to a lot of classical/orchestra, blues etc. music. Try this if you think the "forward" config is fatiguing or the vocals too "in-your-face".

*Portable foobar2000 v1.3 beta7 "Forward" configuration:* foobar2000.v1.3.beta7.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward)-RPGWiZaRD.zip - (Updated on 4th January, 2014)

*Portable foobar2000 v1.3 beta7 "Laid-back" configuration: *foobar2000.v1.3.beta7.Dolby.Headphone.(Laid-back)-RPGWiZaRD.zip - (Updated on 4th January, 2014)

*PLEASE NOTE! TO BE SURE IT WORKS AS INTENDED, MANUALLY SELECT AFTERWARDS THE DOLBYHPH.DLL IN DOLBY HEADPHONE WRAPPER IN FILE -> PREFERENCES -> PLAYBACK -> DSP MANAGER. SELECT DOLBY HEADPHONE PLUGIN IN THE LIST -> CONFIGURE SELECTED AND BROWSE FOR THE LOCATION OF THE DOLBYHPH.DLL FILE WHICH IS LOCATED BY DEFAULT IN THE FOOBAR2000\COMPONENTS\ FOLDER*

*Note:* For best result I recommend changing to *WASAPI (event) output* manually in the foobar2000 File -> Preferences -> Playback -> Output afterwards, it's been set to Direct Sound by default for compatibility reasons. If you use WASAPI you'll need to match your output device setting with the same bitrate as set in foobar2000 and make sure the music files are using same sample rate (for example 44100 Hz) as set in the output device properties in windows control panel or else use a resampler in foobar2000.

 
*Manual install *

*Prerequisites*

 foobar2000 player (obviously):  http://www.foobar2000.org/
 Channel Mixer DSP plugin:         http://skipyrich.com/wiki/Foobar2000:Channel_Mixer
 Dolby headphone Wrapper:       http://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_dsp_dolbyhp
 VST adapter (beta):                http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=84947
 Electri-Q Posihfopit edition:       http://www.aixcoustic.com/index.php/Electri-Q-posihfopit/30/0/
 Matrix Mixer:                          http://skipyrich.com/store/foo_dsp_mm.7z
 Freesurround (beta):               http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=6246
 DSP chain serialization helper:   http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=86873
 Graphic Equalizer (optional):     http://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_dsp_xgeq

 Dolby Headphone dll I won't directly link to as such but it's found in my preconfigured package as well as for example in the trials for the most media players such as PowerDVD and WinDVD etc. Latest version I'm aware of would be *v1.20.0.276 *(Thanks Roller), usually named *DolbyHph.dll.*


*"Forward" configuration *


*DSP plugin load order*

Should be noted that *Channel Mixer plugin should be ABOVE the dolby headphone plugin in the active DSP list to work correctly*. As far as Electri-Q VST EQ plugin goes, it's not that much of a difference if putting it first or last.




*Channel Mixer settings*

The rest of the settings that isn't seen in the pictures are remain unchanged. You can if you prefer a wider soundstage play around with Stereoimage width but I feel in my ears 0.96 brings the most natural sounding width and above that the vocals/mids are starting to sound off-centered, too far to the sides, this value is the last one in my ears which has the mids positioned where they should be in my ears. "Rear in front" and "Front in rear" settings affect laid-back or forwardness characteristics, the higher values the more forward sounding or vice versa while the rear volume setting seems to impact width/depth of the soundstage.





*Matrix Mixer settings*

Value 0.731 for the multiplier should give you roughly similar volume levels as stock foobar2000 with above Channel Mixer settings but you can adjust the volume levels according to your preferences. If you experience distortion, this would also be a good place to tweak first (additionally you can adjust gain in Electri-Q).






*Dolby Headphone settings*

The amplification slider works mostly as a volume control but may also add some audible reverb as well as increase the dolby headphone (surround) effect depending on how high it's set. I prefer the DH2 - Live room setting which doesn't add any noticable amount of reverb and therefore reveals fine details a bit easier, if you love to have a bit of reverb you can try DH1 - Reference room mode instead. The Dynamic compression ruins the sound quality more than it helps so stay away from that one too.




*Equalizer settings*

Before you ask why, I feel this is REQUIRED to neglect the frequency response change dolby headphone plugin adds, especially to the significantly boosted lows as well as recessed treblerange, without fixing this, you'll loose fine details in music and it sounds more "muffled". I've compared the EQ settings with dolby headphone enabled on foobar2000 vs stock foobar2000 but also for example Winamp and iTunes and maybe a bit Windows Media player to get a roughly similar frequency balance or just a "good result" (sounding great has slightly higher priority than sounding EXACTLY the same as other players but yea it's roughly the same anyway).

 To load the VST EQ plugin Electri-Q (poihfopit edition) I recommend using the new VST host adapter by Yegor Petrov. After having placed the foo_vst.dll file in the components folder as usual, go to File -> Preferences -> Components -> VST plug-ins and add the Electri-Q plugin. Now press "apply" and it should ask if you want to restart foobar2000 and let it do so. Now go to DSP manager and add the Electri-Q (posihfopit edition) to the active DSPs list and you should be now able to bring up the EQ window.



 To add a new dot, double click anywhere on the line. To change type of the filter, right click on dot and navigate to "basic" and then pick the appropriate type. To modify a dot's value, double click on it to bring up a small window where you can enter following values:

 1: Filter:  Peak    Freq: 22,676    Gain: -1,386    BW: 1,101
 2: Filter:  Peak    Freq: 40,425    Gain: -1,538    BW: 1,076
 3: Filter:  Peak    Freq: 69,000    Gain: -1,100    BW: 1,096
 4: Filter:  Peak    Freq: 123,49    Gain: -0,958    BW: 1,057
 5. Filter:  Peak    Freq: 198,27    Gain:  0,387    BW: 1,100
 6. Filter:  Peak    Freq: 375,89    Gain:  0,037    BW: 1,000
 7. Filter:  Peak    Freq: 718,00    Gain: -0,159    BW: 1,088
 8. Filter:  Peak (Orfanidis)    Freq: 1197,0    Gain: 0,937    BW: 1,128
 9. Filter:  Peak (Orfanidis)    Freq: 1737,3    Gain: 1,137    BW: 1,100
 10. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 2475,1    Gain: 1,172    BW: 1,100
 11. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 3359,9    Gain: 1,038    BW: 1,041
 12. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 4581,6    Gain: 0,929    BW: 1,117
 13. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 6760,1    Gain: 0,404    BW: 0,738
 14. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 9966,7    Gain: 1,176    BW: 0,990
 15. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 16444     Gain: 0,531    BW: 1,174
 16. Filter: Gain only   Freq: doesn't matter   Gain: -2,972    BW: 1,000

 A DSP chain preset with the EQ setting above (as well as rest of the plugin settings) can be downloaded from here: foobar2000.EQ.Balanced.(Forward)-RPGWiZaRD.fbcp - Use DSP chain serialization helper plugin to load the .fbcp file by holding down shift while accessing playback dropdown menu -> DSP chain serializer -> load.


*"Laid-back" Configuration*




Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!



*DSP plugin load order*




*Free Surround (beta) Settings*




*Matrix Mixer settings*






*Dolby Headphone settings*






*Equalizer settings*



 1: Filter:  Peak    Freq: 22,676    Gain: -1,447    BW: 1,100 
 2: Filter:  Peak    Freq: 39,150    Gain: -1,497    BW: 1,109
 3: Filter:  Peak    Freq: 63,300    Gain: -1,457    BW: 1,235
 4: Filter:  Peak    Freq: 115,40    Gain: -0,969    BW: 1,110
 5. Filter:  Peak    Freq: 198,27    Gain:  0,387    BW: 1,100
 6. Filter:  Peak    Freq: 725,00    Gain: -0,247    BW: 1,150
 7. Filter:  Peak (Orfanidis)    Freq: 1151,8    Gain: 0,852    BW: 1,265
 8. Filter:  Peak (Orfanidis)    Freq: 1665,8    Gain: 1,269    BW: 1,100
 9. Filter:  Peak (Orfanidis)    Freq: 2391,8    Gain: 1,377    BW: 1,200
 10. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 3218,4    Gain: 1,322    BW: 1,100
 11. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 4585,2    Gain: 1,322    BW: 1,120
 12. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 6393,0    Gain: 0,747    BW: 0,831
 13. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 9966,7    Gain: 1,548    BW: 0,857
 14. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 16987     Gain: 1,149    BW: 1,227
 15. Filter: Gain         Freq: doesn't matter   Gain: -2,416    BW: 1,000

 A DSP chain preset with the EQ setting above (as well as rest of the plugin settings) can be downloaded from here: foobar2000.EQ.Balanced.(Laid-back)-RPGWiZaRD.fbcp - Use DSP chain serialization helper plugin to load the .fbcp file by holding down shift while accessing playback dropdown menu -> DSP chain serializer -> load.


 You can add whatever plugins you want to use, for example WASAPI is heavily recommended to bypass the Windows own built-in mixer/EQ to get a cleaner output! I decided to not enable this output as default as it usually requires the correct bitrate and sampling rate applied and may be a hazzle to newbies which haven't used foobar2000 to figure out how to fix it. Comments are highly appriciated.


 

 
*FAQ*

 Q: What's the goal of this foobar2000 Dolby Headphone config?

 A: _The goal is to enhance the "out-of-box" experience, make recordings sound more "live"-like with as realistic and clear positioning as possible while maintaining sound quality as close to the original signal as possible. Also it makes the sound a bit more "forward" sounding for more engaging experience that makes you wanna tap to the rythm or dance along with the music as well as having vocalist standing almost within reach to you while background instruments may sound like they'd be coming far from the background or to the sides for a more dynamic and wider listening feeling like you would forget you're wearing any headphones!_

 Q: Why share this config here on Head-Fi?

 A: _Because I realize everyone doesn't like tweaking but I do and find that if people like grasping the settings just like that and enjoys them then I'm also happy they are enjoying it, it's a win-win situation._

 Q: How do you know how to adjust the settings?

 A: _I only go by ear really. I've been EQing my headphones for many years and tried out different VST plugins or standalone apps that try to modify the sound in different ways so I've gotten used to hear the tiny differences in sound. You can train your ears as well! EQing is one good way to start which can be suprisingly educative. _


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## sh4w

long time lurker here, just registered because this caused tremendous amazement 

I've been testing DolbyHeadphone and other custom effects to get that certain "out of the head" 3D sound for a while now, always resulting with an altered sound signature.
What you've set up here seems to have a very minimal effect on the sound signature, which is exactly what I've been looking for!

Using the K701, amped through the Behringer MS40 Monitor's internal DAC/AMP headphone jack.

I need to test this for some more hours/days but so far its awesome  Thanks for sharing this!


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## RPGWiZaRD

Yea that's why I like the sound of this cuz it has minimal impact on the sound signature or quality, mostly plays around with the presentation, makes soundstage deeper sounding and the positioning sounds more natural/accurate (studio recording start sound more "live"-like) and makes it a little bit more forward sounding (I personally tend to prefer a bit more forward sound), which is mainly due to the "rear in front" and "front in rear settings" so you can play around with those if desired, lowering those values will make it a little more laid-back and I suppose "0" is pretty much default for those but I like how it sounds this way though, especially when the singer feels like she/he is often standing almost next to me depending on the recording obviously meanwhile instruments can be heard far into the "background" or to the sides which adds to realism like it would be a binaural recording almost. 
   
  I've tried several different VST plugins and "enhancements" apps of various kinds but most of them make too drastic change to the sound and some barely any audible difference, this is just perfect for my taste.


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## pro_optimizer

A few months ago I found a recipe that you can use to make DH sound near-optimal if you know the raw frequency response of your headphones (I'm a scientist, you can trust me .
   
  Depending on the level at which you typically listen to music, you need to set your sliders to the difference between the equal loudness curve at that db level and your headphones' raw frequency response. A good choice for loud listening is the 80 db curve. Here's a picture of the curves:

   
   
  The only caveat is that you need to be very lucky to know your headphones' frequency response. There is a database of 200+ headphones at www.headphone.com -- however, these are not the true curves. They are a) smoothed, b) have an offset applied, and c) most of them are wrong due to measurement errors. To get the unprocessed curve, you need to right-click the image, get the link (e.g. for the ones that I'm currently using, the link is: =1893]http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=1893), and then subtract 2 from the graphID number. I.e. for my Sennheiser CX 300-II, the correct curve is: =1891]http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=1891. Here's a picture:
   

   
   
  Regarding the measurement errors: The more wiggle room there is in the placement of a pair of headphones, the lower the chances that you'll ever find the "correct" curve. Basically, I would trust at best the IEM measurements, but even some of those are horribly wrong. Out of the headphone models that I own (or used to own) the only ones that are pretty much correctly measured are Koss PortaPro and Sennheiser CX 300-II. The degree of improvement is frankly mindblowing. I bought a few other cheap ones for testing (e.g. Skullcandys), and found that one can pretty much forget their measurements (it would be nice if community members could report whether the models that they own are correctly measured...).
   
  I ended up having to make some additional tweaks for my Sennheisers. It is possible that these are due to the fact that the measurements were taken on a dummy head with artificial ear canals. This type of tweak is independent of the headphone model, however (see picture below for the settings that I'm using).

   
   
  Finally, you cannot create very good EQ's with foobar2000's built-in equalizer, because it does not produce a smooth response. See picture below for the response that you're getting out of a sample EQ setting.

   
  For foobar2000, there is a fairly new DSP plugin here: http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=88505 which seems like it does a good job. Alternatively, you can use a VST wrapper plus a good VST equalizer (which are costly, however), or the experimental SplineEQ that I made some time ago: http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=85278 (but it's really a hassle to install that one).
   
  Edit: I almost forgot that it's best to use an output plugin that bypasses the built-in Windows mixer, EQ, and all that junk. I am using WASAPI (with a Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi USB sound card, which btw. requires resampling to 48 KHz to work), but ASIO or Kernel Streaming should also be good choices.


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## RPGWiZaRD

Nice to see people like you chime in, need more people like you around here. 
   
  About the EQing in this config, it was only ofc to counter the change dolby headphone applies and doesn't apply any specific settings for some certain headphone, only tries to make it more sounding like other players with EQ disabled or foobar2000 itself without using dolby headphone or any EQ enabled.
   
  I've read an article regarding testing different EQs and yea I remember foobar2000's were quite ugly looking with those unsmooth changes and yes you can hear it's not a very good EQ by the ear pretty much as well but at least lowering the frequencies below the 0-level works a bit better than boosting which is something you should never attempt to do on foobar2000's EQ or most other software EQs. Also should be noted the results gets more inaccurate if you adjust one slider several steps away from the others than letting all sliders be no more than one or possibly two steps higher/lower next to the other slider like I did in that config above. I personally use my soundcard's EQ to tweak the headphones themselves but I wanted to counter the change which dolby headphone in foobar2000 does so I wouldn't end up EQing my soundcard's EQ to sound optimal with foobar as in that case when I'm gaming I would perhaps lack slight amount bass for example so it's best or most practical IMO to at least counter the frequency balance change dolby headphone plugin adds within foobar2000 and then if you need further EQ tweaking for your headphone to sound great then use a some that is applied to all your computer tasks like the soundcard or something else or in worst case use some for foobar2000 for your music listening needs at least.
   
  I'm not the person that puts a lot of focus at the theory like graphs measuring the response but rely on my own ears the most. It's kinda like it doesn't matter how it's done or if it gives a theoretically more "correct" result if I can't hear that with my ears as well, I prefer letting the ears decide all changes I do, I only like to compare for example when EQing my headphones with a frequency graph so I can compare with both my own hearing and the graph to get easier to a better result but most of the time the ears do the job and I've almost always came to similar results as if I'd follow a graph, my ears are pretty trained to hear differences in sound as I've spent lots and lots of time on EQing for many years as well as testing out several VST plugins or apps that do various things. It's gone so far I can quite accurately tell whereabouts the frequencies need to be tweaked for a headphone I listen to without having to start trying it out first.
   
  I didn't know of that free EQ dsp plugin for foobar2000 and it looks indeed doing a quite better job and 31 bands lol and more bands the more accurate results and I'll download this plugin now immediatly and see if it results in any audible better result vs using the internal one and possibly update the config if so. Since there's only a little EQ applied and the changes are made smoothly (max one step or two between 110 and 156Hz, I think it'll be very little audible difference if any but we'll see). *EDIT:* Looks like I will have to update foobar2000 in that case, won't work with v1.0.3 sadly and last time I tried latest version of foobar2000 it sounded slightly different compared to v1.0.3 which was less appealing to me. 
   
  Also nice info there about headphone.com's hidden raw graphs, I have seen some a couple of times but didn't know they existed for all their headphones that were measured and that you had to subtract 2 from the ID to see it. Good info there!
   
  I tried WASAPI and couldn't get it to work in windows 7 for my soundcard and some other people may not as well why I decided to not include it in the above config and let people manually add it if they want, I rather provide a setting that will work for every1 than certain people as it's less of a hazzle. *EDIT:* WASAPI worked now, turns out it was the v1.0.3 not working with the wasapi plugin and worked with latest version, had to use resampler to change to 48kHz though. Is there any way to limit the volume of foobar2000, I don't have any external amp/dac to play around with any volume control and the foobar2000 volume control is now very impractical with very loud volume at max and small changes do very noticable differences, normal listening volume on my XB500 is at -25 to -30dB, very much to the left lower end of volume, with max vol I'd blast my eardrums in no time.


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## RPGWiZaRD

nvm, need more testing.


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## Brooko

Wiz
  I tried your foobar settings - didn't really know what to think at first - but after an hour or so it's quite enjoyable.  An almost out of head experience - especially using AD700's.  I've been listening to Nils Lofgren's "Acoustic Live".  it's an excellent album for this sort of thing.
   
  Anyway - if you do retry this with new settings (ie the new EQ plugin), please continue to post your settings.  I'm happy being your guinea pig.
   
  Also - what sort of feedback do you need?


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## Brooko

Sorry for double post - but had to comment on this one.  Half way through Diana Krall's album "The Girl In the Other Room".  This set up is very, very enjoyable.  Sounds like she's here in the room.


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## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





brooko said:


> Sorry for double post - but had to comment on this one.  Half way through Diana Krall's album "The Girl In the Other Room".  This set up is very, very enjoyable.  Sounds like she's here in the room.


 

 Yea I tweaked it that way so it would sound more a little more forward, if you want to hear what I'm talking about listen to the parts you enjoy and go into the channel mixer settings and put "rear in front" and "front in rear" settings from 58 and 57 respectively down to 0. It's mostly this setting along with the appropriate stereoimage width which makes it sound like the singer often is very physically close to you like standing in the same room with her/him.
   
  I'm currently configuring foobar2000 v1.1.6, sounds reasonably same, must have been something fishy last time I tried but yea the "Graphic EQ" is good but it's difficult to discern any very audible improvements vs using the built in but I'll play around with the setting a bit more but I think I may have found roughly the optimal setting in my ears now. Will post soon.


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## RPGWiZaRD

OK, here I've configured foobar2000 v1.1.6 with the "Graphic EQ" plugin that pro_optimizer linked to, I will probably do slight modification especially to the lows still, it could be a tiny bit too strong (punchy, meaning around 80~125Hz might be one-two steps or so too high or the very low frequencies which are definitely a bit stronger stronger compared to iTunes/WMP but it sounds very musical and most headphones have rolled off bass response at those frequencies anyway) still with this setting but it sounds pretty good already like this. I also changed "Front in rear" setting to 0.56 and Dolby headphone amplification to 121% for minor change to soundstage. Versus iTunes it may be tiny bit less sparkly (around 8~12kHz or so may need to be boosted slightly) but I found iTunes less realistic sounding than this and almost distorting the high frequencies at times so I probably won't change that and it's quite subtle differences we're talking about anyway.
   
http://cid-87ed83e2c9fd453c.office.live.com/self.aspx/Public/foobar2000/foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone-RPGWiZaRD.zip (it's a portable install so won't overwrite your settings, just extract to a different path to try it out)
  (have reuploaded a couple of times due to minor setting changes, so if you grabbed it earlier I'd recommend redownloading)
   
  EQ setting looks like this if you're wondering, since you can't save the profiles with this EQ I recommend you grab the package as it may be a bit difficult to get it exactly right otherwise. Also I didn't have WASAPI enabled in that config but the dll is included so it only has to be enabled in case you're usually using that.
   

   
  I still have a hard time deciding whether I'm liking the foobar2000 v1.0.3 or v1.1.6 config better though, sounds very similar.
   
*EDIT:* I'm starting to doubt this EQ brings any better results than the built in one, I've kept switching back and forth and it's really difficult to say.
   
  I'm currently using 

   
  which may bring a bit better result than the previous setting but against the built-in with the exact setting as posted in my first post it's really hard to say...
   
*EDIT2:* I'm fairly positive after slight fineadjustments and came up with the updated setting I posted above that I start slightly preferring this config. Updated the hosted foobar config with this latest EQ setting as well. I'm still liking the v1.0.3 foobar2000 config a lot though.
   
  Now I won't touch the settings anymore. Both the v1.0.3 and v1.1.6 configs sounds very good and almost perfectly similar in my ears so it's up to you to pick. v1.1.6 may sound slightly better now as well but believe me it require every one slider on the 31-band EQ to be set perfectly or else it'll sound worse. 

 [size=medium] Quote: 





brooko said:


> Also - what sort of feedback do you need?



[/size]


 Any kind of feedback is welcome, as in how you'd compare it to stock foobar settings or a different player perhaps if you find it better/worse sounding or how you think it sounds different or do you have any hints to improve it or plugins that may work better etc. Whatever you want to comment, I mainly want to share the settings as in my ears it sounds so much better than any other player or settings and enhances greatly my listening experience and therefore I wanna share them but I'm also interested in hearing what other people thinks.​


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## pro_optimizer

Yes, I originally did it by ear, too (tweaking the EQ over months with DH enabled...). Sooner or later, most changes would only pick out flaws in the specific recording, so I had to confirm across a variety of other recordings (mostly high-budget soundtracks) to not make it worse (I used Voxengo CurveEQ for most of it), and eventually I couldn't improve it any more. Years later I came across those raw plots from headphone.com and made a difference plot with my EQ (which had quite a few peaks and dips in places). And lo and behold, out came a graph that I had seen before: a pretty decent approximation of the equal-loudness curve - which is how I originally learned that this is with high chance DH's assumed baseline.


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## RPGWiZaRD

Yea if you are trained to hear the differences it's not suprising, and Dolby headphone really adds a massive bass boost and smoothens out the upper-mids to lower-highs range as you can see from above and the deep bass would actually have to be 1-2 steps lower but it's ok with slightly enhanced deep bass response IMO anyway.  I also further apply my soundcard's EQ setting for XB500 on top of that which looks like:
   

   
  This is a hardware EQ though which works soooo much better, a +2.0 boost on this EQ is quite different compared to say iTunes which need like +6 on that EQ to get similar sense of change but obviously iTunes EQ distorts which this one doesn't. I would get best result only tweaking this EQ and leaving foobar alone but like I said I can't be bothered using 2 different EQ settings when listening to music and gaming and it sounds reasonably good anyway if you accurately tweak the foobar2000's EQ to neglect the DH changes and only use smooth adjustments to it.


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## zowki

Wow, I am in love with this foobar configuration. The soundstage is amazing for orchestral and jazz music.


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## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





zowki said:


> Wow, I am in love with this foobar configuration. The soundstage is amazing for orchestral and jazz music.


 

 You could make soundstage sound even larger but the point with this config it also sounds very natural at the same time and IMO things sound realisticly positioned, if I try to make it larger it starts sounding unrealistic or a mess (to me at least).


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## Brooko

Thanks Wiz!
   
  I copied your new config from the pics (they are great).  Listening to it now.  I am not much of a tweaker - so I'm quite happy just absorbing your settings.
   
  I'm listening from PC (using WASAPI) to E7 as DAC to either SRH840 or AD700's.  I use the E7 completely flat for the SRH840's and with bass boost one for  the AD700s - just to give them a little more body.
   
   
  First thing I tried was using it with my SRH840's.  The staging was definitely a bit narrower - but the sound was quite warm, rich and enjoyable.  Diana Krall sounds spectacular with this set-up.  I just can't believe how intimate the experience is with this set-up and the 840's.  It just really suits female vocals.
   
  I switched the the AD700's and definitely felt as though I was sitting a little further back.  The experience is still good - but for Krall, I think I prefer the intimacy of the Shures.
   
  Next tried (for something completely different) Alice In Chains "MTV Unplugged".  This is a great album for this set-up because it's live, there is definite instrument separation, and with the crowd noise every now and then, it heightens the experience.  The AD700's are definitely better for this album.  BTW - with level1 bass boost from the E7, the AD700's just sound wonderful - they even have nice bass punch (who said they had non-existent bass! )
   
  Onto another of my favourite albums - another live one - Nils Lofgren's Acoustic Live.  For this one I'm lured back to the Shures again.  And it's the distance I think.  The AD700's put you a bit further back.  But a lot of the album is just Nils, his amazing guitar, and his complimentary vocals.  To properly enjoy this, I want to sit as close as I can, and just let the music envelop me.
   
  Next - just for another real contrast.  Porcupine Tree's album "In Absentia" - on of my favourite tracks "The Sound of Muzak".   The 840's coupled with your setting just give this track amazing immersion.  They are very involving.  I stopped at one stage and removed the plugins - it just sounded so lifeless after you get used to the setup you've configured.  Swapped to the AD700's.  Am at a bit of a loss on this one - they both sound really great.  Would be hard pushed to say which H/P I prefer - the 840's again bring everything closer and intensify it - but the AD700's give enough space that you can clearly hear each component - which for complex music is very refreshing, yet also relaxing.
   
  OK - last from me.  This time a bit of classical.  Julia Fischer and the Russian Philharmonic playing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concertos - Op. 35 in D.  This time it's the AD700's by a comfortable margin.  The Shures just aren't as life-like with classical.  The AD700's put me at about where the conductor is.  Julia is in front of me (center-stage), and it is clear she is the focus which the rest of the orchestra complements.  With the Shures - it just doesn't separate as well, and the Concerto unfortunately loses some of the focus that your set-up gives the AD700's.  I know one thing though - I really want a better set of open cans to listen to with this set-up (thinking HD598/HD600/HD650).
   
  Anyway - sorry for the long dissertation.  I was typing while listening - and it has been a very fun couple of hours.  I'll keep subscribed to the thread in case you have any further revelations.  I just want to say thanks once again.  I'm definitely keeping this current set-up, and will definitely be keeping it - especially for Jazz/Soul (female vocal) and Classical.  It really makes these genres shine for me.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

^ If you want to experiment with a much wider soundstage you can try this config:
   


   
  Sounds especially nice with orchestra/video game music. Sounds like you're sitting in a concert hall with a large orchestra. It's just a matter of how you want it to sound like. Some values play better than others though.


----------



## Great Sound

Who thx for the tutorial!I actually quite enjoy this dolby headphone stuff though is isnt what im used to and sound a bit less "natural".But it sounds "fun"and already have a few copys of it on my mp3 player.It actually sounds like the music goes thru a room before it reaches my ears


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

mp3 player? You can run foobar2000 on it? :s Be aware that your player/source/DAC or whatever should have multichannel (5.1) support though which channel mixer relies on and you wouldn't get the same experience on a mp3 player with stereo output only because the channel mixer does a night and day difference to the output which HAS to be above dolby headphone plugin in the active DSP list to work properly too. Without channel mixer/lack of multichannel support it sounds quite a bit "muffled" similar to enabling the equalizer on a Realtek HD onboard soundcard which brings a noticable quality loss while the channel mixer completely fixes that and restore the clarity/detail as if you wouldn't be using dolby headphone but keeping the rest of the effects it adds.


----------



## xnor

Hey RPGWiZaRD,
   
  thanks for giving my Graphic EQ a try and mentioning it in your guide. 
   
  It's been a couple of months since I gave dolbyhph a quick try. Looks like I should take a closer look again.


----------



## Brooko

Quote: 





xnor said:


> Hey RPGWiZaRD,
> 
> thanks for giving my Graphic EQ a try and mentioning it in your guide.
> 
> It's been a couple of months since I gave dolbyhph a quick try. Looks like I should take a closer look again.


 

 Xnor - thanks.  It's a great plugin!  And I'm really enjoying it combined with Wiz's settings.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





xnor said:


> Hey RPGWiZaRD,
> 
> thanks for giving my Graphic EQ a try and mentioning it in your guide.
> 
> It's been a couple of months since I gave dolbyhph a quick try. Looks like I should take a closer look again.


 
   
  No thank YOU for having coded such a wonderful EQ plugin for foobar2000! I like especially the many added deep bass frequency bands, those really come handy as well as lots of small steps at the midrange. 31-band EQ is really useful.
   
  I did find after lots of quick back n forth switching that the built-in EQ sounded tiny bit more forward despite the frequency balance sounded pretty much the same, I personally prefer a more forward sound signature so that's a bit shame.
   
  Even foobar2000 v1.0.3 vs v1.1.6 does sound tiny bit different despite I put exactly same settings for both, the 1.1.6 is slightly more laid-back sounding and 1.0.3 more forward/"in-your-face". I think I may still prefer using v1.0.3.


----------



## xnor

The built-in one should definitely be more aggressive for reasons pro_optimizer pointed out (thanks pal).
  From a signal processing point of view the built-in one makes me shudder slightly but hey, if you enjoy the effect why not use it. I know this sounds weird but you could try to mimic the built-in eq curve by setting the sliders to a less smooth curve (the resulting FR will still be smoother though, which is the reason why I created xgeq in the first place 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




).
   
  I don't know about any changes from 1.0 to 1.1.6 so cannot comment on that.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Did some minor adjustments to the foobar2000 v1.1.6 config and started sounding a lot better in my ears (more realistic bass that's a bit less "soft" with better punch resembling the other players a bit more and the overall sound is tiny bit more forward as well as soundstage a bit better, slight added width & depth and the most realistic sounding stage I've heard so far). It's my favorite config now so try it out ASAP! 
   

   

   
  The preconfigured config & pics in the first post were updated to these settings too.


----------



## xnor

You should link to the foo_dsp_dolbyhp plugin somewhere. 
   
  This thing has a bit much reverb don't you think? I had to turn the amplification (also to match the volume with my other setup) and stereo image width down quite a bit.
  I remember now, the wet sound sure takes some time getting used to.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





xnor said:


> You should link to the foo_dsp_dolbyhp plugin somewhere.
> 
> This thing has a bit much reverb don't you think? I had to turn the amplification (also to match the volume with my setup) and stereo image width down quite a bit.
> The wet sound sure takes some time getting used to.


 

 Oh yea I forgot it was available on foobar site although I remember downloading it from there sometimes long ago. Changed the link in OP. Thanks.
   
  For me it's not too much at all but I personally enjoy a bit "wet" sound and I feel it's a must if wanting to resemble a larger soundstage to mimick how it sounds in real life in a larger concert hall for example, in fact I even have a very slight reverb added on top of this in my soundcard driver config but perhaps we're getting different amount of reverb in any case due to different setups. About the stereo image width I belive 1.0 would be the default really and how it'd sound with no tweaking using a soundcard's "dolby headphone" decoding so I even reduced this setting to 0.88. You used 0.88 right? Not the 1.18 or whatever I posted in the first post on this 2nd page for those wanting to try get the maximum width in soundstage.
   
  Having said that we must not forget different DACs/sources might require different settings so it may be entirely possible that I also would have adjusted those settings on YOUR setup.
   
  EDIT: At least I think it sounds quite reasonable on the Realtek HD ALC889A onboard chip I just gave it a try on, relatively speaking ofc as I can't stand onboard sound!  Yea it's perhaps a bit more reverbey compared to my Audigy 2 ZS with kX Audio drivers. It's perhaps not so much I'd lower it or possibly a couple of steps max on the DH amplification if so but everything else were completely fine though. EDIT2: 118% sounded optimal on this Realtek HD onboard chip, 120 - 121% sounded significantly more reverbey, a bit unrealisticly so. Will make a note of some sort in the first post regarding this setting as it seems very picky about the DAC used.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I did some minor adjustments to the v1.1.6 again.


----------



## Brooko

Wiz
  Just an update - I also got it running under Linux (Debian Sid using Wine) - and it sounds great - now I no longer have to boot into windows to enjoy it.  Tried your wider stage - and just seeing if I still enjoy it the same.  So far, it sounds very nice with modern jazz and classical.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Glad you're liking it, I know I am!
   
  Today I received a new budget basshead can from JVC HA-M5X and this is the first headphone I have to lower the Dolby headphone amplification in this case 116% to not get a too reverbey sound as the headphone itself is full of reverb + resonance which didn't work well with amplification set at 120%. Others have played fine with the other setting so I suppose it can also matter what headphone you got after all but the DAC you got probably is of greater importance.


----------



## faemir

I just got my m50s today, but i'm terribly tempted to get some ad700s to see if they sound better with this, the wider soundstage and all...


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Can any1 else besides me try comparing the preconfigured foobar v1.0.3 and v.1.1.6 against each other and see if it's not me thinking I every now and then here very subtle differences as far as soundstage/positioning goes, I think the v1.0.3 is slightly better at keeping a wide soundstage, sounds like many background effects/instruments sometimes come out more clearly to the sides when they should as if it had more different "layers", in some tracks I think the different background instruments may sound like coming from the same positions with v1.1.6 while they can sound a bit more separated on v1.0.3 or something. I can't seem to get them sound exactly the same, at exactly the same settings they don't at least.
   
  I think I still prefer v1.0.3 slightly despite the higher quality EQ in the v1.1.6 as it seems to bring no noteworthy upgrade in SQ in my ears at least.
   
  I prefer comparing with not the most complex but certainly not the most simple sounding songs either, something like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW9-YXpa2L8 as different instruments shows up here and there.
   
*EDIT:* I also noted now that v1.0.3 has significantly less amount reverb with dolby headphone. Noted this thanks to HA-M5X which has a lot more reverb on its own and sounds completely fine at even 122% on v1.0.3 whereas on v1.1.6 I had to use 116% and it still sounds more reverbey. Updated v1.0.3 to have amplification set default to 122% as it improves soundstage in my ears and still won't have too much reverb.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Reverted v1.0.3 config back to 120% dolby headphone amplification, this value really sounds best after all.
   
  So any1 up to try compare the foobar v1.0.3 preconfig to 1.1.6? I really permanently went back to 1.0.3 because it just sound a bit better in my ears.


----------



## warwulf7

Hey RPGWiZaRD could you send me only the preset for the xgeq plugin ?
   
  Many thanks for sharing this!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





warwulf7 said:


> Hey RPGWiZaRD could you send me only the preset for the xgeq plugin ?
> 
> Many thanks for sharing this!


 

 The xgeq EQ plugin doesn't have any "save" preset feature unfortunately, unless it saves the config somewhere I'm unaware of. You have to bug xnor to add a save/load preset function.


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> The xgeq EQ plugin doesn't have any "save" preset feature unfortunately, unless it saves the config somewhere I'm unaware of. You have to bug xnor to add a save/load preset function.


 


  Ideally, the EQ itself should have a load/save preset feature, but so far, xnor has been using the DSP preset approach to do that, which I find cumbersome and not ideal at all. Still, it works.


----------



## Vitor Machado

I used to tinker a lot with Dolby Headphones, until I finally gave up because I couldn't get totally rid of the annoying reverb. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  This is my last setup, it is definitely less bassy than yours RPGWIZaRD, you might wanna give it a try.
   

   
  Tips:
  1. If you want to adjust the bass, use the Bass redirection Frequency slider. Higher values result in less bass.
  2. The Upmix volumes may cause dynamic compression, reduce the Center and Rear volumes to around 0.30 to avoid this.
   
  Lately I've been using just the Bauer stereophonic-to-binaural DSP.
   
  EDIT: Btw _xnor_, your equalizer is awesome, thanks! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
*EDIT 2*: I think I just came up with something better. Almost no reverb, and as good a frequency response as you can possibly get with Dolby Headphones, I guess. The changes are as follows:

   
  It is possible to further improve the frequency response (just fiddle with the "Rear" sliders), but then you start losing the sound-stage in which case Dolby Headphones is pointless...


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

For me the reverb isn't an issue, I don't get too much reverb. It sounds nearly the same as not using Dolby Headphone. I tried your settings and I think they sound pretty nice if preferring a more laid-back sound, raising rear in front and front in rear a bit higher like I did results in more "forward" sound which I think sounds great but if you like a more laid-back sound then yours works nicely. I prefer getting that feeling of standing very close to the singer.  But I will have to experiment a little bit more if "front in rear" should be a few steps higher than "rear in front" as I've used to have it the other way.
   
  I've also tested the Bauer plugin but to me it doesn't sound quite as great and sometimes it's almost as if it would sound worse with it to me but maybe it's just on my DAC. 
   
  BTW I updated the graphic EQ picture so that I entered how many steps you should change each band to make it easier to copy in case you prefer not downloading that preconfigured pack.
   
  EDIT: Currently evaluating a channel mixer setting like this (with foobar2000 v1.1.6) and I'm liking what I hear, sounds like more clear "out-of-the" head experience by a large amount (possibly TOO MUCH and confusing your brain as every singer and instrument have their very distinct position xD) while keeping the forward sound I prefer. Center volume does effect quite a lot, if you find it too confusing you could always try raising it to around 0.60 or so for a more centered sound.

   
  Any testers?  I think I'm probably gonna use this for now on.
   
  EDIT: Interesting is that with this particular config it only sounds great on foobar v1.1.6 not the older 1.0.3 which works better with the config posted in the first post.


----------



## warwulf7

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> BTW I updated the graphic EQ picture so that I entered how many steps you should change each band to make it easier to copy in case you prefer not downloading that preconfigured pack.


 
   
  Hi RPGWiZaRD thanks! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> EDIT: Currently evaluating a channel mixer setting like this (with foobar2000 v1.1.6) and I'm liking what I hear, sounds like more clear "out-of-the" head experience by a large amount (possibly TOO MUCH and confusing your brain as every singer and instrument have their very distinct position xD) while keeping the forward sound I prefer. Center volume does effect quite a lot, if you find it too confusing you could always try raising it to around 0.60 or so for a more centered sound.
> 
> 
> Any testers?  I think I'm probably gonna use this for now on.
> ...


 

 My personal settings looks like yours  except  the front in rear and ... the center volume! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  I like more this than yours previous settings... at least in my headphones (sony XB-500)
   
  BTW how abot this thread http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/447089/5-1-headphone-experience-foobar-configuration-for-all-stereo-music-files
  Graphicism settings sounds good to me without too much reverb...
   
  this http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/361251/the-holy-grail-of-true-sound-stage-cross-feed-the-next-generation with V.I VST plugin instead channel mixer
   
  and this http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/475007/head-fit-software-crossfeed-and-eq sounds like the best crossfeed plugin ....


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

If you get too much reverb you should just adjust the Dolby headphone "Amplification" slider as this setting is very DAC/headphone dependant which settingg will work ok and not give too much reverb, on my settings with Audigy 2 ZS I barely notice any reverb added compared to not using Dolby headphone (I still want to have a little as I find it crucial in wanting to get a realistic bigger sounding stage) but on my onboard realtek chip it already sounds more reverbey at the same setting so I have to lower it a few steps (this latest posted seems to sound pretty fine to me on realtek onboard chip tho after a quick test). The Amplification slider both will increase reverb as well as increase the spatial awareness (everything starts sounding more out of head as well as clearer so with greater value) why I prefer it to have as high as possible without giving too much noticable reverb which is why 120% might not work OK for everyone, compared to 100% it's a huge improvement in my case in that realistic soundstage I'm looking for but yea this needs invidual equipment adjustment more than anything.
   
  I started with Graphicism's settings, thanks to him I started enjoying Dolby Headphone and wish I then had seen it sooner! 
   
  I will have to dig more into those other plugins, those I haven't played around with especially crossfeed as I didn't even understand what crossfeed meant until recently so that's why I never looked at such threads.
   
  The problem is providing a config working great for every1 why I found it important for at least newbies to Dolby headphone plugin at least reading through my guide to understand what the difference sliders affect in sound so they can change them as they wish.  This last config in my previous post for example didn't sound particularly impressive on my onboard realtek chip (especially "center" slider has to be raised a bit to sound better as well as rear volume for more width) but sounded really great on Audigy 2 ZS.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Here's what for example Realtek onboard users could try as it seems quite a few are using it 
   
  Also I think it sounds better if Speaker config is set to 5.1 in the Realtek settings.


----------



## Roller

Out of curiosity, RPGWiZaRD, but why haven't you tried a newer Dolby Headphone .dll?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





roller said:


> Out of curiosity, RPGWiZaRD, but why haven't you tried a newer Dolby Headphone .dll?


 

 That's the latest I've found.
   
  EDIT: I also updated the v1.1.6 config in the OP to use the following channel mixer settings as changed one of the bass sliders one step on the EQ as well as changing load order of the plugins so that the EQ plugin is put last instead of first as I think there's subtle changes for the better like that.


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> That's the latest I've found.
> 
> EDIT: I also updated the v1.1.6 config in the OP to use the following channel mixer settings as changed one of the bass sliders one step on the EQ as well as changing load order of the plugins so that the EQ plugin is put last instead of first as I think there's subtle changes for the better like that.


 


  You have to look around better. I have 1.20.0.276 running on my end, and that version is already dated.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

OK I've updated both preconfig packages with dolby headphone v1.20.0.276, will look around tomorrow if I'd find any more recent version. Between the version I was using and this newer one there may be tiny differences, the frequencies might be a little more clean, stay more true to the original unprocessed signal. Soundstage-wise I'm hardpressed to hear any difference, could perhaps be slightly more spacious/open sounding and an improvement no matter how small it is, is still an improvement! Thanks for the hint Roller.


----------



## Roller

Alright then. I hope my version is working out and do post feedback on further tweaking running that version.
   
  Improvements are always worth it, no matter how small they might be, specially at this price point


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I downloaded WinDVD trial but at least this one was using same version (according to the foobar2000 dolby headphone wrapper at least) but the size was 5KB bigger than the other dll file though...
   
  EDIT: PowerDVD also uses that same version v1.20.0.276 and matches the exact size (byte-wise) as the one included in the preconfigs now too. So I believe that's really the latest version, well at least I'm also up-to-date now too.
   
  I really like how the foobar2000 v1.1.6 config sounds like now, for a long time I preferred v1.0.3 for some reason but now I think v1.1.6 sounds quite a lot better with these particular settings and the newer dolby headphone dll. I might have to add separate config for Realtek onboard users as it sounds quite different (much more narrow at same setting on this DAC) compared to Audigy 2 ZS with kX Audio drivers, unfortunately I don't own more DACs than that.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Added a separate Realtek onboard config into the mix as many people have this chip on their laptop or their desktop computer motherboard which quite a few are using or could use as a reference by testing out the config on it to get a more accurate view of how I intend it to sound like (since various DACs seem to offer such a big difference in sound at the same settings).
   
  Anyone with a Realtek onboard chip (this was tweaked on ALC889A chip) able to test? Comments? Normally I completely despise using the Realtek chip but I'd say it sounds reasonably good like this. 
   
*Preconfigured link:* foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.Realtek-RPGWiZaRD
   
*Settings:*
   

   

   

   

   
  EDIT: Realtek onboard chip actually sounded so great with this config I just had to continue listening to it for a while.


----------



## xnor

I did another quick check with the updated dlbyhph.dll version. Reverb's more acceptable now but kinda not my cup of tea and it also sounds quite muffled so I'll not switch from my beloved conventional crossfeed setup.
   
  Btw, on my system an amplification of 120% leads to *severe clipping* (mentioned that before) which ruins the sound. Also, the dolby headphone effect *does not* change with amplification % like described in post #1, I just nulled a 120% and 100% processed file. The only difference is gain (and severe clipping unless you attenuate a few dB with the EQs master gain). It's like a simple volume control to counter-act the volume losses in the simulated environment.
  Maybe what you heard was not the dolbyhp effect but clipping or dynamic range compression (Windows audio engine does that if you use DirectSound).


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well I'm positive that for me it's more than a volume control, the effect is enhanced but it's more noticable on my Audigy 2 ZS than using the Realtek onboard. I also neither get any clipping on either of those DACs, I've used dolby headphone at around 120% for probably a year and would notice clipping immediatly. Anyway I mentioned in the guide this setting has to adjusted on your own. I might also drop the v1.0.3 config now that I've managed to get the v1.1.6 sounding better than 1.0.3 in my ears at least (finally).
   
  What you're hearing is most likely related to we're using different setups and on mine there's no probs with it and on yours it is with those settings.
   
  What's your setup?


----------



## xnor

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Well I'm positive that for me it's more than a volume control, the effect is enhanced but it's more noticable on my Audigy 2 ZS than using the Realtek onboard. I also neither get any clipping on either of those DACs, I've used dolby headphone at around 120% for probably a year and would notice clipping immediatly. Anyway I mentioned in the guide this setting has to adjusted on your own. I might also drop the v1.0.3 config now that I've managed to get the v1.1.6 sounding better than 1.0.3 in my ears at least (finally).
> 
> What you're hearing is most likely related to we're using different setups and on mine there's no probs with it and on yours it is with those settings.
> 
> What's your setup?


 
   
  But that's what it is, a simple volume control. The effect is not enhanced, as tested by my nulling test. Even at 1% and 200% the effect and output is exactly the same, the only difference is volume.
   
  All of this works completely regardless of your hardware setup, because we're talking about DSP (= *digital *signal processing) here. All of this happens before the samples are sent to the hardware.
   
  Have you ever looked at the peak meter in foobar2000? Here's what you get with 120% amplification and a rock track:
   

   
  Se how the peaks far exceed 0 dB? That's clipping, big time.
   
  Depending on the output plugin you use this either causes hard clipping (e.g. ASIO) or hard limiting (DirectSound), both of which mangles sound.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Which plugin is that? Tried some peak meter but don't know how to load it doesn't show up in the list.


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Which plugin is that? Tried some peak meter but don't know how to load it doesn't show up in the list.


 


  It's the integrated peak meter. Don't be fooled by the window title as it's an editable window, therefore it's current name.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

It's weird how it's showing above 0dB when there's absolutely no distortion heard as well as the peak meter in kX Audio drivers usually never go above -5dB or so. BTW I'm using DS and windows volume slider is usually set around 25~30%


----------



## Roller

Well, xnor does have a point, as when I set up the Dolby Headphone chain, peaks do go to almost 5dB, while my regular setup runs at -10dB.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I might follow your advice and set default value to 93% or so possibly (this sounded from a quick test roughly similarly loud as iTunes for example and it would probably make more sense matching other player's volume levels) and then there would be also less reverb conflicting issues. I think whatever difference I think I hear would in this case be related to DirectSound's dynamic range compression. Since there's probably a lot of people using WASAPI/ASIO (I would as well in case I would have some kind of external volume knob), using 120% then is probably not a good idea from what's been established here, for me using DS with windows volume sliders set a lot lower may work a bit better in this case though I suppose. 
   
*EDIT:* There, updated the configs to use default value 93% in amplification for Dolby Headphone as well as did quite a lot of editing to the original post and also removed the v1.0.3 config as I feel it doesn't serve any purpose any longer and only clogs up the guide!
   
*EDIT2:* Also reverted the one-step change I made to the 63Hz slider on the EQ some time ago as upon some more critical listening the bass covers up microdetails too much with it (yes really even if we're talking one step change it really made an audible difference for me). 
   
  Anything more you'd like to nitpick and you're welcome!  I just want the best possible result so will carefully evaluate your suggestions. Thanks for all the input so far.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Updated the configs slightly again as I did some small adjustment to the channel mixer settings on the default config as well as adjusted the Graphic Equalizer Master gain setting from +0.5 to -0.5 for cleaner output. 
   
  It sounds heavenly as usual for me but would be nice with feedback to know how these settings I provide works like for you others as I'd prefer to provide a config that sounds great for as many as possible. 
   
*Preconfigured link:* foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone-RPGWiZaRD
   
*Settings:*


----------



## Ra97oR

Listening to the latest version here with my STAX setup. The treble is quite hot and the vocal does sound quite metallic and echoy. My headphones are quite the opposite of what is yours, that might explain the differences.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





ra97or said:


> Listening to the latest version here with my STAX setup. The treble is quite hot and the vocal does sound quite metallic and echoy. My headphones are quite the opposite of what is yours, that might explain the differences.


 
   
  Hmm, you don't think treble on for example iTunes sounds any hot then? Because it sure does to me (I'd say a tiny bit more harsh treble on iTunes around 8~10kHz probably), more cold/analytical. I've only tried to match the frequency balance on foobar2000 when using Dolby headphone compared to other players at unEQ'd/stock settings and haven't tried to EQ for my own headphones in mind. I did made some small derivations in some aspects that I thought sounded well with all my headphones and a funny thing is that the treble did actually sound slightly warmer/darker to me even on this foobar config but I thought it sounded better like this so.
   
  Dolby headphone will always add some reverb, that's unavoidable but me again couldn't go back to listen without any reverb so that might be a matter of getting used to, if you've always in your life listened to reverb-less sound and suddenly hear a bit reverb your first reaction will probably be negative I could imagine. Give it time.


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Hmm, you don't think treble on for example iTunes sounds any hot then? Because it sure does to me (I'd say a tiny bit more harsh treble on iTunes around 8~10kHz probably), more cold/analytical. I've only tried to match the frequency balance on foobar2000 when using Dolby headphone compared to other players at unEQ'd/stock settings and haven't tried to EQ for my own headphones in mind. I did made some small derivations in some aspects that I thought sounded well with all my headphones and a funny thing is that the treble did actually sound slightly warmer/darker to me even on this foobar config but I thought it sounded better like this so.
> 
> Dolby headphone will always add some reverb, that's unavoidable but me again couldn't go back to listen without any reverb so that might be a matter of getting used to, if you've always in your life listened to reverb-less sound and suddenly hear a bit reverb your first reaction will probably be negative I could imagine. Give it time.


 


  Perhaps different EQ settings should be made, aside from Dolby Headphone and Channel Mixer settings, exactly due to headphones' different sound signatures.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well my point with the EQ setting were only to neglect the frequency response change the dolby headphone plugin adds so that it sounds roughly the same as without Dolby headphone. Yes I can hear it's not 100% the case and whatever difference there is then the setting is made very "musical" if that makes any sense, it may be a bit similar effect as tube-rolling. I use my soundcard's EQ from there to tweak my own headphone invidually. So that if a person has a problem with treble they should also have it with default config...
   
  Since it's impossible to use that EQ to make it sound optimally for every1, each person has to do their own EQing from there but the provided config was meant to correspond to a "flat" EQ setting with Dolby Headphone enabled, the sound you get should be reasonably similar as foobar2000 with stock config, the upper-mids to lower-highs sound a bit smoother but it still provides the same amount detail on my headphones and there's some mild very deep bass enhancement for example but since most headphones rolls off att those frequencies and I've also demoed it closely so that it wouldn't ruin the other frequencies either.
   
  You can always make a copy of the folder and put it somewhere else, run 2 instances of foobar2000, one with my tweaks applied and the other with all the DSPs removed for completely stock config and compare. I often find the midrange to be even more detailed with my config when doing that without making it any brighter sounding. Then while you're at it, try removing/adding the Graphic EQ from the list temporarily (It's ok as long as you stay in the DSP manager page the EQ setting won't be forgotten until you click on ok or cancel) and compare vs the stock foobar2000 config and see how much of a bass boost the Dolby headphone adds.  It really masks a lot of detail if not taking care of the change it adds in my ears, with the provided EQ setting it brings back the microdetail to front.


----------



## Roller

While full configs are worth having separate install folders, DSP chain presets are much more handy to use IMO. And I still say that the theory of partially cancelling the effect of Dolby Headphone is a good idea, but not through EQing, as it will be mostly effective with certain sounding headphones. A config should be set with flat EQ in mind, so people can take it from there a custom tweak to their gear.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I then again think it makes more sense to provide as similar sounding EQ config as if you weren't using dolby headphone because not a lot of people will appriciate the heavily added bass boost which clearly ruins the detail in my music. I've seen a lot of negative comments on Dolby Headphone especially for the change it does in frequency response balance and many people don't even EQ at all and want as similar sound to that as possible if you belong to those people, so that's why I think using this setting makes the most sense.
   
  Of course people can tweak this EQ setting to suit their headphones if they want to use that EQ.


----------



## Roller

Of course, but that only works for headphones with a similar signature to yours. The exact same process of cancelling out must be done accordingly to each set of headphones. That EQ preset will never work for, let's say, a K701, as they are on opposite ends of sound signature, and will in fact make sound feel even brighter. People need to learn that after setting Channel Mixer and Dolby Headphone, they should adjust the EQ to their own headphones with the purpose of cancelling that noticeable effect of Dolby Headphone, while keeping the spatiousness added by it.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Hmm I don't understand how different headphones matter in this case. It shouldn't sound much different than the flat default setting for foobar without dolby headphone so if they got a too bright sound with my config they get a too bright sound with stock settings too.
   
  I don't see any hint of this "different headphones benefit differently by it"-evidence switching between any of the headphones I got. Sennheiser HD 212 pro for example is a very bright headphone with very V-shaped frequency response and with this config it doesn't sound any brighter than it would with default foobar2000 config either.


----------



## Roller

Your EQ settings both lower bass and increase treble, which on an already bright set, makes them even brighter. It matters because it's applied over the sound, with the EQ being the last effect on the chain.
   
  Anyway, I'm just sharing my opinion on it.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





roller said:


> Your EQ settings both lower bass and increase treble, which on an already bright set, makes them even brighter. It matters because it's applied over the sound, with the EQ being the last effect on the chain.
> 
> Anyway, I'm just sharing my opinion on it.


 

 I'm not sure we're on the same page. My config doesn't make it less bassy nor brighter. Try doing a comparision with a completely stock foobar2000 config next to mine. Then proceed to removing/adding the graphic EQ plugin from my config and see if Dolby Headphone doesn't add any bass or muffles the sound. 
   
  I just want to get the change it adds to 3d positional sound/soundstage keeping everything else as unmodified as possible. Many people aren't very experienced fiddling around with EQ settings so I just did that job for them, it's always easier to disable the setting than the other way.


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> I'm not sure we're on the same page. My config doesn't make it less bassy nor brighter. Try doing a comparision with a completely stock foobar2000 config next to mine. Then proceed to removing/adding the graphic EQ plugin from my config and see if it doesn't add any bass or muffles the sound.
> 
> I just want to get the change it adds to 3d positional sound/soundstage.


 


  I have, and tweaking the EQ does change the sound a bit, on my end.
   
  But hey, I'm not arguing about that, I'm just saying that it should be better if people used the Channel Mixer plus Dolby Headphone config, and then EQ it themselves, better results would come from that.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

But aren't you noticing the change dolby headphone adds to the frequency response? Sounds like you aren't...


----------



## Roller

Of course I am, but apparently not in the same way as you.
   
  My point is that Dolby Headphone or not, you can't make a EQ preset for everyone to use, even when taking Dolby Headphone in account.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





roller said:


> Of course I am, but apparently not in the same way as you.
> 
> My point is that Dolby Headphone or not, you can't make a EQ preset for everyone to use, even when taking Dolby Headphone in account.


 

 I think you can because all headphones get the same amount increases and decreases in loudness of the different frequencies here and there (if that wasn't the case THEN I'd agree). I'm not saying this EQ setting will sound optimal for every headphone, I'm just saying it sounds more closer to the stock config without DH enabled and I think having that as default setting makes more sense than providing a more unbalanced sound as default.


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> I think you can because all headphones get the same amount increases and decreases in loudness of the different frequencies here and there (if that wasn't the case THEN I'd agree). I'm not saying this EQ setting will sound optimal for every headphone, I'm just saying it sounds more closer to the stock config without DH enabled and I think having that as default settings makes more sense than providing a more unbalanced sound as default.


 


  That's precisely my point. If all headphones get the same amount of increase and decrease in loudness, then that's exactly the reason why using a EQ preset made for certain headphones will never work for opposite sounding headphones.
   
  I agree that default Dolby Headphone settings sound unnatural, and setting an adequate EQ preset is great, with the focus being on adequate, as in shaped to each specific set of headphones.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Does the "DSP Chain preset" save also the configs for the plugins? If so I could always make a few different EQ settings if you'd see any point in it just for newcomers that doesn't like spending time EQing on their own, "Balanced" for this default one, then "Classical", "Basshead" etc. People could perhaps even provide their own EQ settings for their headphones and I could include them into the list.
   
  EDIT: Yea I suppose it does, never needed to use that before.


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Does the "DSP Chain preset" save also the configs for the plugins? If so I could always make a few different EQ settings if you'd see any point in it just for newcomers that doesn't like spending time EQing on their own, "Balanced" for this default one, then "Classical", "Basshead" etc. People could perhaps even provide their own EQ settings for their headphones and I could include them into the list.
> 
> EDIT: Yea I suppose it does, never needed to use that before.


 


  Indeed it does, it's very useful 
   
  And I really like that idea of having different EQ settings, would make adjusting to Dolby Headphone much easier.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





roller said:


> Indeed it does, it's very useful
> 
> And I really like that idea of having different EQ settings, would make adjusting to Dolby Headphone much easier.


 

 Yea agreed, it's a very useful feature and I personally wouldn't mind adding different EQ settings as I like to play around with EQs anyway. The idea of people providing their optimal EQ setting for their own headphone might make this list VERY extensive in the end though. xD But I don't think that many will add their settings here anyway.
   
  How should I go for if adding these typical "genre" based EQ settings like classical which might want a slight treble boost and very deep bass boost, jazz for emphasized upper-mids to lower-highs range etc. Should I go roughly after some player's EQ presets or something or just with my own suggested settings, currently got iTunes installed which has quite a few EQ presets but I'm a bit uncertain how well defined those presets really are.


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Yea agreed, it's a very useful feature and I personally wouldn't mind adding different EQ settings as I like to play around with EQs anyway. The idea of people providing their optimal EQ setting for their own headphone might make this list VERY extensive in the end though. xD But I don't think that many will add their settings here anyway.
> 
> How should I go for if adding these typical "genre" based EQ settings like classical which might want a slight treble boost and very deep bass boost, jazz for emphasized upper-mids to lower-highs range etc. Should I go roughly after some player's EQ presets or something or just with my own suggested settings, currently only got iTunes installed which has quite a few EQ presets but I'm a bit uncertain how well defined those presets really are.


 


  Ah, a somewhat debatable issue, that of EQ presets. Perhaps you should take a look at some standard of a recording studio: http://www.recordingeq.com/Subscribe/tip/tascam.htm
   
  And honestly, you should even do differently aggresive EQ curves of the same EQ settings, then just compress it them in a single file.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

What do you think about formatting these DSP chain presets? I'd think it would be best to have some kind of formatting if I were to include both "genre" based and headphone based configs as otherwise it could possibly become very clogged in the end. Maybe:
   
  Genre: Classical
  Genre: Jazz
  Headphone: AKG K 518 DJ
  Headphone: Sony MDR-XB500
  IEM: Sony MDR-EX1000
  etc.
   
  Because it seems to list them in alphabetic way and if so then this kind of formatting would be nice and people would quickly find the manufacturer and headphone of theirs. Perhaps I can use shortening "Hph" for headphone so I can fit more letters. Every1 probably gets what Hph stands for anyway 
   
  Also where do these presets get stored? Or is it in a certain config file that gets modified?


----------



## Roller

I might sort them with headphone first and genre later, as people seem to seek which gear is being used, and genre listened to right after.
   
  Managing DSP chain presets can be a tricky thing, as by default the only way to trade them between different foobar installs is to copy the Core.cfg file. And truth be told, it's not exactly the most practical way to do it. Although, there is a component that's meant to handle import/export of DSP chain presets.
   
  You can get the component here: http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=86873
   
  Do note that some users might need to press shift+right click for the context menu to display the proper options.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I made a few presets already:
   

   
  I reuploaded the foobar2000 config to include these in the preconfig foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone-RPGWiZaRD
   
  You can check them out and see what you think, I wouldn't want to overdo and make them too drastic cuz hardly those very drastic EQ settings make that much sense. Some examples:
   
*Custom: Basshead*

   
*Genre: Classical*

   
*Ge**nre: Pop*

   
   
*Hph: Sony MDR-XB500*


----------



## musicreo

I'm using Dolby Headphone for 4 years know and I love it.
  I think the equalizer settings are not very useful because it's difficult to match someone's favorite personal hearing settings. Everyone should calibrate the own equalizer settings to get their best experience. 
   
  Here is another equalizer that is a bit more configurable. (VST)  
  http://www.aixcoustic.com/index.php/Electri-Q-posihfopit/30/0/
   
   In this thread only the Channel Mixer is mentioned. Did someone try the freesurround beta  plug-in or the matrix mixer?
  http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=52235&start=0&p=734163&#entry734163  
  This plug-in comes very close to the "professional" Dolby or dts upmixes.  First I used the channel mixer plug-in but I don't like that vocal are mixed to all Channels. So I checked other dsp like the freesurround and they really can put vocals in the Center channel from most stereo music. The separation between the channels is much better.  The disadvantage is that you lost bit clarity especially in the rear channels.
   
  At the moment I use these configurations:
   
  Resampler (sox)
  Electri-Q (VST)
  dtsneuralupmix 5.1 (VST no freeware)
  matrixmixer
  dolby headphone (asus xonar u1 or foobar plugin)
  or
  Resampler (sox)
  Electri-Q (VST)
  dtsneuralupmix 7.1 (VST no freeware)
  matrixmixer
  dolby headphone (asus xonar U1)
  or
  Resampler (sox)
  Electri-Q (VST)
  dolbyprologic (asus xonar U1 not the foobar plugin cause that sounds terrible)
  dolby headphone (asus xonar U1)
  or
  Resampler (sox)
  Electri-Q (VST)
  freesurroundbeta (5.1 or 7.1)
  dolby headphone
  or
  Resampler (sox)
  Electri-Q (VST)
  V.I.stereo to 5.1 (http://stevethomson.ca/vi/)
  dolby headphone
  or
  Resampler (sox)
  Electri-Q (VST)
  Channel Mixer
  dolby headphone
   
  My favorites are the first two configurations. But the freesurroundbeta dsp is close to it.  The Channel Mixer configuration is not bad but I like when vocals came only from the center like in "real 5.1".
  I wrote this cause I want to show, that there are several options for using dolby headphone. Maybe someone will test one of the mentioned suggestions and liked it.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Oh thanks for your input, much appriciated! Yes I'm well aware that I can't EQ for all headphones in mind, I just wanted to neglect the frequency response change dolby headphone adds. However with the different EQ presets I just want non EQ enthusiasts give a few random settings, the more I provide the more chance that they find something they might like or find useful.
   
  I immediatly had to try that Freesurround beta plugin and my first impressions are wow, this one's really configurable in all aspects:

   
  I might even replace Channel Mixer with this plugin in case I find it works well enough despite it's BETA stage.
   
  EDIT: In my ears it doesn't sound quite as good as channel mixer. It sounds more 2 dimensional compared to channel mixer however I try to config it and channel mixer has this more realistic depth to it.
   
  EDIT2: Few more EQ presets added:


----------



## warwulf7

Hey RPG could you export the DSP chain presets and upload them ???
   
  Thanks for your work!


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> I made a few presets already:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 


  You should use the component I linked before, and export only .fbcp files. Would be much easier to share things, no need to have a foreign foobar2000 install parallel to the pre-existing one, and the only requirement is the plugins that are already mentioned on the first post.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Yea sorry, uploaded the .fbcp file here https://skydrive.live.com/#!/?cid=87ed83e2c9fd453c&sc=documents&uc=1&id=87ED83E2C9FD453C%21272
   
  I think I will probably need to lower especially the bass on many of the configs due to Dolby headphone adding quite a lot of its own so those like "rock" for example which is meant to be V-shaped might need to be less boosted on the left side to correspond to what that "rock" preset would sound like without dolby headphone. But I'll see what you think first. I'm a basshead so I thought they sounded "ok" even on my XB500 (as long as I disabled my soundcard's EQ config).  Will probably add some more later.
   
  So what do you guys think, should I decrease bass levels on the "genre" based EQ presets?


----------



## sushantV

Thats great ! Will try it if that works favorably.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well I made some small adjustments to the EQ settings again (I uploaded the changes just as I post this message) to some of the presets as well as balanced the volume of them a bit better (it's impossible to get a perfect balance in volume since songs use the various ranges so differently so if I'd adjust the bassheavy presets to play the deep bassnotes with same volume you'd barely hear the vocals compared to the presets with boosted vocals for example so I do some compromise here and there).
   
  At least I'm very satisfied with the EQ presets how they sound like, even if I prefer using my own XB500 EQ settings using my soundcard's EQ I'm enjoying using these EQ settings quite a lot with this XB500 too as they aren't too exaggerated and sounds reasonably good depending on which preset for what genre I listen to. I also now realize this 31-band EQ plugin works A LOT better than the default one as I don't have to decrease the bands but can also go above 0 if I decrease the master gain slider which the default foobar EQ lacks and it colors the frequencies a lot less and provides a cleaner result.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I really think I'll need to modify the default "balanced" preset quite a bit now when I quickly switch between DH on/off, it's far from the same sounding, needs a bigger boost at the upper-mids especially. I already have a much closer sounding config but I'll tweak around a little more. Comparing with iTunes is a bad reference as it sounds highly different to foobar at stock config...
   
  EDIT: Really seems like this graphic equalizer isn't cutting it, might have to concider swapping it for some VST EQ.


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> I really think I'll need to modify the default "balanced" preset quite a bit now when I quickly switch between DH on/off, it's far from the same sounding, needs a bigger boost at the upper-mids especially. I already have a much closer sounding config but I'll tweak around a little more. Comparing with iTunes is a bad reference as it sounds highly different to foobar at stock config...
> 
> EDIT: Really seems like this graphic equalizer isn't cutting it, might have to concider swapping it for some VST EQ.


 


  What flaws are you currently finding with the Graphic Equalizer? And there are a couple free VST EQs out there that could very well be used with a wrapper on foobar2000, and that would indeed validate a full install package. Though, I still think that uploading separate .fbcp files is of use, as it's currently the only practical way to export/import DSP chain presets, out of copying the full player settings from the core file.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well I just find it impossible to get the certain range as forward sounding around 2 ~ 6kHz especially. Sounds like there's barely any change if I either boost it or lower the rest even with drastic amounts, it just doesn't change by the amounts it should. If you compare directly to stock foobar2000 setting (it'll sound a little "veiled"/masked into the rest) without DH with this EQ but I wasn't very successful with the VST eqs either, I didn't think it brought any noticable improvement at least and besides using the VST host it added more noise than using this 31-band EQ only. With EasyQ which is quite nice VST EQ (I thought it worked better than Electric-Q distortion-wise) and easily adjustable I could quickly lower the gain to lower the distortion level but then again I couldn't get any better result with that compare to this Graphical EQ plugin either really. Only on my soundcard's EQ I can get that result I'd want.
   
  Why would uploading separate fbcp files be better than uploading one that contains all EQ presets? The file is like 1KB anyway.


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





> Originally Posted by *RPGWiZaRD* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> Well I just find it impossible to get the certain range as forward sounding around 2 ~ 6kHz especially (sounds like there's barely any change if I either boost it or lower the rest even with drastic amounts) if you compare directly to stock foobar2000 setting (it'll sound a little "veiled"/masked into the rest) without DH with this EQ but I wasn't very successful with the VST eqs either, I didn't think it brought any noticable improvement at least and besides using the VST host it added more noise than using this 31-band EQ only. With EasyQ which is quite nice VST EQ (I thought it worked better than Electric-Q distortion-wise) and easily adjustable I could quickly lower the gain to lower the distortion level but then again I couldn't get any better result with that compare to this Graphical EQ plugin either really. Only on my soundcard's EQ I can get that result I'd want.
> 
> Why would uploading separate fbcp files be better than uploading one that contains all EQ presets? The file is like 1KB anyway.


 

  
  Does EasyQ works properly with the VST wrapper?
   
  I, for one, won't use other foobar2000 install folders on my system, while using just the DSP chain presets, which is what's really needed, works perfectly on an existing installation, without having to use a foreign foobar2000 install.
   
  And .fbcp files contail all the presets required.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Yes I already posted that I uploaded the fbcp file. Thought you saw it and now were talking about adding invidual fbcp files for every eq preset or something. EasyQ works fine with the George's VST wrapper.


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Yes I already posted that I uploaded the fbcp file. Thought you saw it and now were talking about adding invidual fbcp files for every eq preset or something. EasyQ works fine with the George's VST wrapper.


 


  Oh no, a single .fbcp file is more than enough. I only said it so you would update .fbcp files when you changed any settings that were uploaded right after.
   
  Do try VST 2.4 adapter by Yegor Petrov. It integrates VSTs the way they should've been integrated from the start in foobar2000. I've been a user of George Yohng's VST wrapper for quite some time, but it both started acting up, as well as being flagged as an unstable component. You can check that on foobar2000 by going to Help -> Online troubleshooter.
   
  VST 2.4 adapter can be found here: http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=84947


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Yea that's a much nicer solution, I hated the other VST host. xD I also now found that Electri-Q works nicely in conjunction with advanced limiter, no audible distortion (limits it perfectly at 0-level checking with peak meter) despite boosting bass or whatever range by a huge amount which actually gets that much stronger but won't distort and won't like "mute" the rest of the range at all in doing so either, how does that even work software-wise? I wonder why I didn't use advanced limiter for starters instead of fiddling around with the gain setting for the 31-band EQ.


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Yea that's a much nicer solution, I hated the other VST host. xD I also now found that Electri-Q works nicely in conjunction with advanced limiter, no audible distortion (limits it perfectly at 0-level checking with peak meter) despite boosting bass or whatever range by a huge amount which actually gets that much stronger but won't distort and won't like "mute" the rest of the range at all in doing so either, how does that even work software-wise? I wonder why I didn't use advanced limiter for starters instead of fiddling around with the gain setting for the 31-band EQ.


 


  It's the magic of tweaking. Some might not believe it, but it does exist 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




   
  About VST hosts, the older one had the advantage of switching VSTs at will due to working out of process, but it got unstable enough and incompatible with quite some VSTs, which was the main reason I stopped using it. The new VST host is really made to be setup properly at first usage, since ever VST change requires a player restart, which isn't really a concern if you already have your usual set added.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well I've already managed to get a bit better sounding EQ result with this config. So I will probably use this config, Yegor Petrov's vst host + electri-q + advanced limiter from now on... too bad I will have to adjust the EQ presets again.  Electri-Q has it's own presets and I can ofc save my settings there too, should I perhaps just rely on that instead of using dsp chain presets?
   
  EDIT: Well it doesn't allow any special characters so would have to use another formatting then at least. But using chain presets isn't such a bad thing either if you also would want to adjust say some channel mixer settings for different EQ settings... which makes quite a lot of sense... 
   
  EDIT2: this config/EQ I can get that more "forward" upper-mid lower-highs range I was looking for, finally! Now there's far less difference in frequency response balance with vs without Dolby headphone.
   
  This setting sounds nice as a "default" setting to use with Dolby Headphone:


----------



## Roller

Also, do take into consideration that if you already have existing DSP chain presets, you should save them on a .fbcp file before importing an external .fbcp file, as it will overwrite the older presets.
   
  Using Electri-Q presets externally is a nice idea, but it would only incorporate the EQ settings, while DSP Chain presets would have all settings from all components (including VSTs) in a single file, it's more streamlined, IMO.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Damn it crashed after I loaded the dsp chain setting maybe 4th or 5th time using this later config so lost those settings but yea I only did that one setting anyway so it doesn't matter. Just have to make sure I close foobar2000 after every EQ preset I add.


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Damn it crashed after I loaded the dsp chain setting maybe 4th or 5th time using this later config so lost those settings but yea I only did that one setting anyway so it doesn't matter. Just have to make sure I close foobar2000 after every EQ preset I add.


 


  That's odd. I've never had it crash on me for many months now, my components list finally reached a perfectly stable point.
   
  Remember that it's mandatory to restart foobar2000 with each VST added/removed.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well it does crash for me if loading the config with the VST EQ too many times. After about 5 times. But it's not an issue really, just a slight annoyance.
   
  I'm shocked how much better it sounds with this config and it's sounding as great as it possibly could. It's like having got a new much higher quality DAC kind of difference and I just keep going through my favorite tracks and enjoying them more than ever. Will update the configs tomorrow, getting late here so.
   
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg26bsg4nXc&hd=1 *auto-headbang-mode engaged* when listening to this track on this new config. ^^


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

OK, please try this one out and see what you think (try out the different EQ presets if you can). It really crashes a lot for me so see if it does for you if loading DSP chain preset settings / when loading up electri-Q window & clicking once there to bring up the curve after a few times etc. But it sounds really nice though in my ears. 
   
  EDIT: Can you also try compare channel mixer setting Rear volume 1.30 vs 1.28. I've got a hard time deciding which to use.  1.30 definitely gives slightly more wide/deeper more out-of-head sound but possibly too much for a default setting but I think I personally prefer it on my setup at least so may update it to that soon (just a PITA changing it now that I get these crashes when loading DSP chain presets having to close foobar2000 every time I change it for one of the presets).
   
*Chain Preset file: *foobar2000.EQ.Presets.Electri-Q-RPGWiZaRD
   
*Foobar2000 preconfig:* foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone-RPGWiZaRD
   
   
*Active DSPs list:*

   
*Channel Mixer settings:*

  (Try especially adjusting Rear volume to your liking, on the Realtek onboard chip 1.39 sounds optimal in my ears while 1.30 gives the optimal result on my Audigy 2 ZS)
   
*Dolby Headphone settings:*

   
*Default EQ setting:*

   
*Available EQ Presets:*


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I'm in a bit of a dilemma here, Electri-Q clearly provides the best sound quality to my ears but keep crashing if loading presets (more than a couple of times without closing foobar in-between) or bringing up the EQ window more than 1 time. Since I would probably use the same EQ setting it's not such an issue for me but I'm still curious if it also crashes for any1 else besides me. So would be great if you can try this latest config.
   
*EDIT:* Updated the config to use Rear volume setting 1.29 - 1.30 depending on preset (1.35 for classic).
   
  I'd like to get some feedback of this latest config before I'll change the opening post to include this setting. I don't think however I will be able to improve it from here, at least on my setup it sounds as good as I could imagine it ever do.


----------



## tbritton

I am enjoying the newest configuration very much on a RealTek card with many kinds of music, using only your default so far. I have not been switching presets very much, so I've not experienced a crash. I'm on an HP Win7 64-bit Professional machine.
   
  Thanks - I like this more and more with every track. I've been listening since you released this version (yesterday) to many kinds of music. After a while, returning to normal stereo sounds just wrong! That is a good sign, I think!
   
  Terry


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





tbritton said:


> I am enjoying the newest configuration very much on a RealTek card with many kinds of music, using only your default so far. I have not been switching presets very much, so I've not experienced a crash. I'm on an HP Win7 64-bit Professional machine.
> 
> Thanks - I like this more and more with every track. I've been listening since you released this version (yesterday) to many kinds of music. After a while, returning to normal stereo sounds just wrong! That is a good sign, I think!
> 
> Terry


 

 That's good to hear! Did you try playing around with the settings on your own too? I really find Rear volume in channel mixer a critical setting that's very DAC dependant, 1.39 I think sounded best on the Realtek HD ALC889A chip I got for example. Still it won't get quite near to the results I'm getting with kX Audio drivers + Audigy 2 ZS which has more depth even when set to 1.30 (1.39 sounds too messy on it).
   
  Would still be nice if you could try loading different DSP chain presets (EQ settings) a couple of times just to see if it crashes or not.  (I'd really like to solve this issue in case it's fixable on my end as I know Roller for example didn't seem to have any issues).


----------



## tbritton

I was able to crash it after a number of changes between presets that contained the VST EQ. Went through the headphone (non-VST) presets, then from POP to HipHop to Jazz and it finally crashed at Jazz.
   
  Likely pushing things a bit hard to switch so quickly, but I'll see what switching slowly does and get back to you. [EDIT: It does crash after a few preset changes, even when made slowly... IF I always select one of the presets not having the VST EQ (that has Graphic Equalizer instead) in between choosing the ones with the Electri-Q VST one, it never crashes. This is probably the VST driver having trouble with switching gears, I would guess.]
   
  It sounds pretty darn nice on my RealTek card even at 130, but I hadn't ventured to try 139, so I'll give that a listen!
   
  Terry


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I've also now tried with a standard install instead of portable foobar2000 install and it seems to be more stable but it still crashes. However this time it was like after 5+ tries as compared to my portable install that seems to crash after every 2nd load try. However I didn't get it to crash when entering the EQ window settings now at least despite how many times I tried it (10+).
   
  EDIT: Well maybe spoke too soon, as I added all those presets it started behaving in a similar way as the portable install.
   
  Quote: 





tbritton said:


> IF I always select one of the presets not having the VST EQ (that has Graphic Equalizer instead) in between choosing the ones with the Electri-Q VST one, it never crashes. This is probably the VST driver having trouble with switching gears, I would guess.]





   
  Nice catch there, hadn't noticed that! This will definitely be useful to me if needing to tweak around with the EQ settings. Much thanks!
   
  Yes it's most likely related to the VST host adapter plugin which is in very early stages. I'll keep an eye for updates on this plugin and hopefully it won't crash with future updates.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Updated OP with the latest config, phew. Removed the "Realtek" config as I felt it was very overdue now as it's more of a matter of adjusting one setting which was explained in the guide.


----------



## tbritton

I know it is somewhat sacrilege at this point to alter anything, but I have Ultrasone Proline 750's which are capable of very deep bass, and so tried out the subwoofer and "allow low freqs (only for BIG systems)" features. Here is my config chain file if you want to try it. Very deep bass comes through nicely for electronica - haven't taken it through its paces on other music yet.
foobar2000.EQ.Presets-RPGWiZaRDTerryNew.fbcp
   
  (See this post to read about/get the Chain Config plugin or the main page for the *[size=14pt]DSP chain serialization helper[/size]*)
   
  (this double-posted somehow into the next post...)
   
  Terry


----------



## tbritton

(odd repeat posting of my previous post... how do you delete a post???)
   
  I know it is somewhat sacrilege at this point to alter anything, but I have Ultrasone Proline 750's which are capable of very deep bass, and so tried out the subwoofer and "allow low freqs (only for BIG systems)" features. Here is my config chain file if you want to try it. Very deep bass comes through nicely for electronica - haven't taken it through its paces on other music yet.
foobar2000.EQ.Presets-RPGWiZaRDTerryNew.fbcp
   
  (See this post to read about/get the Chain Config plugin or the main page for the *[size=14pt]DSP chain serialization helper[/size]*)
   
  Terry


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Don't feel shy about providing configs, this is not some "one-guy's" show, the more configs provided the more options and interesting the thread gets as the point of this thread is to get as great dolby headphone listening experience as possible for all people out there. I tried it out and noticed the very faint added deep bass but I also noticed how it slightly "muted" the rest of the frequency range a bit as well in bassheavy passages using the Realtek onboard chip which is a hint of the weakness of the output for it but there were no signs of that on my Audigy 2 ZS (or if using ZO Personal Subwoofer amp).
   
  Also there were slight hint of distortion of the bass here and there in my ears. To counter this you could simply lower the gain for the EQ setting (lower the whole curve without modifying the shape of it).
   
  I also want to stress the point of the default "balanced" EQ setting was to provide roughly the same bass quantity/strength as not using the Dolby headphone plugin. So if you feel that there might be slightly less bass with that EQ config vs using stock foobar settings, I may opt to adjust it a little so that there's a little more bass by default.


----------



## musicreo

Do you always close the equalizer-window or do you minimize it? For me it only crashes when I switch between different dsp presents which contain the eletric-Q VST. For me there are no crashes when I choose different equalizer settings.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





musicreo said:


> Do you always close the equalizer-window or do you minimize it? For me it only crashes when I switch between different dsp presents which contain the eletric-Q VST. For me there are no crashes when I choose different equalizer settings.


 

 Yea it's the same here. Like previously discussed it seems to cause issues when loading presets 2 times in a row or more with a preset containing Electri-Q VST while you can switch back n forth with either the "stock foobar2000" or one of the bottom 3 ones that doesn't use Electri-Q VST and a preset with Electri-Q how many times you want and it won't crash.
   
  The VST adapter is only in beta stage still, been a while since Yegor released this version so hopefully there will be an update soon.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I tweaked/fineadjusted most of the EQ presets a little as well as added a new "Electronica" preset.
   
  I've also tried bunch of different freeware VST EQs besides Electri-Q posihfopit edition but seems like Electri-Q at least in my ears bring the best sound quality but it distorts rather easily which is usually the nature with minimum phase EQs so careful tweaking is necessary.
   
  I'm probably at the point I've got a hard time improving the config now at least.


----------



## tbritton

Cool! I can't wait to give the new settings a try (especially electronica!) 
   
  Terry


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well it's that much different from previously really.  I noticed I forgot to change electronica preset rear volume tho, would probably use 1.31 - 1.32 or so default for this genre instead of 1.29 it's set to currently.
   
  EDIT: There I updated the config to use Electronica channel mixer rear volume set to 1.32 compared to 1.30 for the "default" preset as well as adjusted the EQ curve very minorly. As a realtek user you'll probably get best result around 1.39 as usual anyway.
   
  EDIT2: Made some further adjustments to the EQ setting for electronica, very satisfied now. OK Should be fine now after lots of small adjusting here and there to get bass vs midrange levels appropriate. Since dolby headphone adds quite a lot of bass I have to take that into account as well.
   
  EDIT3: Actually rear volume 1.32 works very great with this EQ setting for the electronica preset for songs in that genre after having spent listening from the realtek onboard sound for a half hr or so, no need to further increase it IMO for that chip either.
   
  EDIT4: Tweaked presets a little more, mostly trying to remove a little distortion from some of them.
   
_Electronica preset:_


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I've updated the channel mixer plugin to a newer version as I found out the thread I was following in foobar2000 forum was outdated. I think it may possibly sound a little cleaner but not sure. If you've used my preconfig you can download the newer plugin from the homepage http://skipyrich.com/wiki/Foobar2000:Channel_Mixer or you can download the updated preconfig from the usual folder https://skydrive.live.com/#!/?cid=87ed83e2c9fd453c&sc=documents&uc=1&id=87ED83E2C9FD453C%21272
   
  Also did some minor tweaking to presets as well as changed load order of the EQ plugin to be on top as it seems it might lower the distortion level of maybe ~0.5dB or so but any improvement is always an improvement!


----------



## zowki

Thanks for your work RPGWiZaRD. I am really enjoying your presets! Its a shame that it crashes whenever changing presets though.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





zowki said:


> Thanks for your work RPGWiZaRD. I am really enjoying your presets! Its a shame that it crashes whenever changing presets though.


 

 You can avoid the crashing by doing the workaround one of the guys here found out, when you want to load another preset ALWAYS load the "Custom: Stock foobar2000" config or one of the bottom 3 presets "Hph: " first and then load whatever preset you want to load. This way you can load presets how many times you want without crashing, it's just a shame you don't get the instant-change comparision between two different presets.
   
  I can also add that I contacted the author for the VST host adapter plugin and he said it's an issue with the very buggy coded Electri-Q VST EQ plugin and not cuz of his VST host as he was actually also using Electri-Q at first and that he hasn't figured out any working solutions and didn't sound too enthusiastic about it that he ever will either as he ended up changing to another VST EQ plugin in the end. 
   
  It's a shame really cuz in my ears this EQ provides the best sound quality among the freeware versions I've tried as well as IMO several non-freeware EQ plugins as well. It's certainly not the most distortion-free EQ due to the nature of a minimum phase EQ but the sound quality as long as you won't run into any distortion is great though. Even if compability is lacking I still feel the sound quality is worth keeping this EQ. Any1 know of another perhaps "minimum phase" freeware EQ that might be able to stand up to Electri-Q?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

OK, requesting your assistance yet again. Tweaked around with the Default preset setting mostly due to very slight hint of distortion in some badly recorded tracks with both heavy bass and lots of stuff going on at the midrange at the same time. At the same time I tried improving that preset as when comparing with balance of stock foobar2000 settings I did think there were still some room for improvements to be made balance-wise. I've tried doing it several times before though by lowering gain by 1.0 ~ 1.5dB or so but I thought it resulted in worse sound quality but this time I'm hearing a rather convincing (still relatively small) improvement though by the small tweaks when distortion is put aside as well.
   
*EDIT:* Made some minor adjustments to the EQ setting
   
*Link: foobar2000.EQ.Balanced.(Default)-RPGWiZaRD *(.fbcp DSP chain preset file, check my first post in the EQ settings section in "Manual Install" part to see how to load it in case you're a newcomer reading this post)
   
*Before*
   

   
*After*
   

   
*Changes*
   
  - Adjusted gain so it would remove the very slight distortion present in a few tracks
  - Bumped ~10kHz area slightly to make cymbals less muted as when comparing to stock foobar2000 and overall less "grainy" sounding
  - Adjusted ~2kHz area to make it very slightly less nasal sounding, more in-line with stock2000 foobar settings
  - Gave 70 ~ 150Hz range a very tiny bit boost to make drums sounding slightly less "soft", now more in-line with stock foobar2000 settings
  - Overall should sound more closer to stock foobar2000 setting but with the greatly enhanced soundstage of Dolby headphone
   
  Sounded great with all headphones and both Audigy 2 ZS and especially Realtek onboard chip. Would be nice with some comments comparing to especially to the old "default" setting and stock foobar and overall if you find it better or worse. You'd be suprised how tiny changes can make differences, you really have to have patience finding the right settings though as all variables (filter type, frequency, gain and BW for the bands) all affect the result. I might update the config to use this EQ setting by default soon (to my opening post).


----------



## Connormgs

Is this supposed to make the music sound a lot different or is the difference supposed to be subtle?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





connormgs said:


> Is this supposed to make the music sound a lot different or is the difference supposed to be subtle?


 

 You're talking about the whole Dolby headphone config or was that a reply to my last post?
   
  Dolby headphone-wise I think I provided a quite good answer in the FAQ section, it's supposed to change soundstage quite heavily and very minor changes to everything else.
   
  Quote: 





> Q: What's the goal of this foobar2000 Dolby Headphone config?
> 
> 
> 
> A: _The goal is to enhance the "out-of-box" experience, make recordings sound more "live"-like with as realistic and clear positioning as possible while maintaining sound quality as close to the original signal as possible. Also it makes the sound a bit more "forward" sounding for more engaging experience that makes you wanna tap to the rythm or dance along with the music as well as having vocalist standing almost within reach to you while background instruments may sound like they'd be coming far from the background or to the sides for a more dynamic and wider listening feeling like you would forget you're wearing any headphones!_


 
   
  If talking about the EQ setting change, it should be rather subtle difference to what it has been before.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Updated the first post to include the new EQ default setting, tweaked the EQ presets slightly more (especially changed a few normal "peak" filters to "peak (orfanidis)" filters that provide better/cleaner SQ in the treblerange. Also added a "Custom: No EQ" preset so you can quickly compare between a EQ preset and how it would sound with dolby headphone without any EQ tweaks, since this preset won't have Electri-Q plugin in the list it won't crash if you load this preset in-between the others.
   
  Comments welcome regarding the presets.


----------



## Joe Bloggs

RPGWizard,
   
  You can easily avoid all distortion by keeping the whole curve below the 0dB point.  You can do this by adding a control point, right clicking it and selecting Basic->Gain only.  This effectively turns it into a preamp setting, lower it below the 0 point until the top of your graph just touches 0dB.  This way your output should never distort unless later parts of the DSP chain causes signal boost or your source files are not properly ReplayGained in the first place.  (or well, it's a badly recorded sound with distortion baked in)
   
  Plus you could go to foobar2000's preferences->playback and dial in a negative setting for the Preamp "with RG info" and "without RG info".  I usually dial in -3dB for "without RG info" as mp3s not properly ReplayGained may go well past 0dB, resulting in clipping when decoded even without any DSPs.
   
  Finally, I add the Peak Meter visualization to the foobar toolbar.  A black square appears to the right whenever the output clips, so you know to dial in more negative preamp (or to apply ReplayGain on the files).
   
  Anyway, I tried your settings but found Dolby Headphone too heavy-handed with the sound modification no matter what I tried (and I consider myself very pro-DSP).  Plus foobar crashed whenever I tried to import any .e-q preset files using your choice of VST loader.  This doesn't happen when I use George Yohng's VST wrapper, but then you can't load DSP chain presets in foobar and have the EQ change automatically like you have it now.
   
  I would like to have a setting where the channel mixer only outputs to front left and right speakers, but have them be spaced further apart so that Dolby Headphone would simulate a wider soundfield.  Would "stereoimage width" be what I want?
   
  Anyway, right now I'm using this simple crossfeed plugin
  http://www.naivesoftware.com/software.html
   
  with ok results on default settings (there's not many settings to tweak either 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





).  It offers a moderate improvement in soundstage (instruments moving forward from the middle of my head) for me without modifying the sound character noticeably or narrowing the soundstage left-to-right too much.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Yea I know about the gain, I've already adjusted all the presets to the point I won't hear any distortion when listening to the songs with the "closest" to clipping point I got, I don't want to lower the whole graph so that the highest peak touches 0-level as it results in an audible sound quality loss in my ears, may be due to the fact I'm not using WASAPI and using the Windows mixer, don't know but I'm sure there's a difference in the result even if I adjust the volume levels to make up for it and since there are more non-bit perfect listeners out there than me that argument becomes a moot point anyway, I always decide all the changes by my ear as I don't put too much faith in theories. With Electri-Q the distortion seems to be appriopriate to the "area" of the whole curve, if there's a range going below 0-level another can be a bit above and still won't result in clipping so therefore different presets of mine can have some of the peaks sticking above the 0-level by different amounts and still sound as "clean". I think the best compromise in this case is to do what I did, just adjust it to the point the most distortion-prominent tracks remain distortion-free by a subjective analysis.
   
  I don't like ReplayGain since it modifies the files themselves, I just don't want any modifications to be done to the files at all, they should have the same checksum-match as before even.
   
  Yea I explained the loading preset bug a few times already and to avoid crashing you have to load the "Custom: Stock foobar" or "Custom: No EQ" or one of the bottom 3 presets everytime in-between you switch to another as the crashing occurs when there's Electri-Q plugin in the active DSPs list in both the current used preset as well as the loaded preset setting.
   
  If you just want a wider soundstage, remove Dolby headphone plugin and play around with the Stereo image width in channel mixer and use the default settings for everything else (disable surround etc).


----------



## Joe Bloggs

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Yea I know about the gain, I've already adjusted all the presets to the point I won't hear any distortion when listening to the songs with the "closest" to clipping point I got, I don't want to lower the whole graph so that the highest peak touches 0-level as it results in an audible sound quality loss in my ears, may be due to the fact I'm not using WASAPI and using the Windows mixer, don't know but I'm sure there's a difference in the result even if I adjust the volume levels to make up for it and since there are more non-bit perfect listeners out there than me that argument becomes a moot point anyway, I always decide all the changes by my ear as I don't put too much faith in theories. With Electri-Q the distortion seems to be appriopriate to the "area" of the whole curve, if there's a range going below 0-level another can be a bit above and still won't result in clipping so therefore different presets of mine can have some of the peaks sticking above the 0-level by different amounts and still sound as "clean". I think the best compromise in this case is to do what I did, just adjust it to the point the most distortion-prominent tracks remain distortion-free by a subjective analysis.
> 
> I don't like ReplayGain since it modifies the files themselves, I just don't want any modifications to be done to the files at all, they should have the same checksum-match as before even.


 
   
  Go download this frequency sweep wav file
  http://www.mediafire.com/file/dxy7xevh8muwrhb/full%20range%20full%20volume%20sweep.wav
   
  and try to play it back with preamp at 0dB and just the equalizer in the DSP chain.  If you manage to put any point above 0dB without the corresponding part of the wav setting off the clipping alarm on the peak meter, I'm all ears.
   
  Now granted, you may manage to scrape by your music collection with your current settings without setting off the clipping alarm, but that would be just luck, that your music collection doesn't go near 0dB for the parts of the frequency range that you are boosting, even for the loud parts.  Then again, I have had mp3s set off the clipping alarm even when everything on the equalizer was <0 and I'd already dialled in a -2dB preamp, to boot.  Like I said, mp3s encoded without Replaygain can go way past clipping point on decoding, but these can be rescued by ReplayGaining or setting the preamp setting.
   
  Replaygain does not modify the content of the music file, it only adds a tag that tells the player to interpret all the output with a digital multiplier.  The only possible audible effects of changing replaygain are
   
  1) Correct replaygain restores peaks that were clipped off before (unless the clipping is in the recording itself)
  2) Negative replaygain raises the noise floor by the corresponding number of decibels (the same thing happens with lowering the curve on Electri-Q
   
  Now, right now I'm just listening straight out of the notebook headphone jack, and could actually use a lower noise floor.  But the only audible effect of the noise floor for me even now is a bit more noise at the beginning and end of music tracks.  Can you hear the noise floor on your current setup now?  Do you hear the noise floor going up if you crank up the main output volume on the windows mixer, or any other analog volume controls you have? (within your *normal* listening volume range, not "I can hear this amp noise if I crank all the knobs to 11.  Oh, and now if I hit a wrong button I'd blow my eardrums out of my head")  If you do, you could theoretically benefit from making the digital signal as hot as possible and setting the main output volume and other analog volume controls as low as possible.  But then if I were doing that I would be so worried about clipping, I would be watching the peak meter on foobar like a hawk instead of of finding time to actually listen to my music 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




   
  BTW, AFAIK WASAPI doesn't avoid the problem of raising the noise floor.  You still need to modify the digital signal for your EQing and Dolby Headphoning, modifying the digital signal is the whole *point*.  WASAPI just means the modified signal is then sent straight to the DAC rather than going through the windows mixer.
   
  BTW2 here's the EQ curve I'm using to equalize my headphones, as detailed in my review of my current headphones:

   
  Anyway, someone else reading this thread could easily modify your presets with a few clicks depending on who he believes in.  I don't think it's a big deal, it's not like clipping is what's putting me off Dolby Headphone.
   
  Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Yea I explained the loading preset bug a few times already and to avoid crashing you have to load the "Custom: Stock foobar" or "Custom: No EQ" or one of the bottom 3 presets everytime in-between you switch to another as the crashing occurs when there's Electri-Q plugin in the active DSPs list in both the current used preset as well as the loaded preset setting.
> 
> If you just want a wider soundstage, remove Dolby headphone plugin and play around with the Stereo image width in channel mixer and use the default settings for everything else (disable surround etc).


 

  

 Well, I'm not talking about changing between DSP chain presets.  I'm talking about going into Electri-Q, hitting the "M" button, and selecting Presets->Import Preset... but thanks anyway.
   
  Does the stereo image width setting have an effect even without Dolby Headphone?  Then that sounds like it would mix the left and right channels for settings <1 and cancel out the parts common to the two channels for settings >1.  Not really what I want if that's what it is.  Is there a readme for this thing?  Thanks.  (don't look too hard for it though--I don't promise to try this again.  I'd probably try Isone first...  Not your fault, you've really overdone yourself preparing all this for Dolby Headphone and I commend your efforts)


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

It's clear that we're person of different view on this matter. You're thinking like the typical audiophile and I'm not thinking in those lines, I don't even check with peak meter, I just adjusted the gain by ear. Ofc I also use Advanced limiter which helps a bit but it still ofc won't completely fix the clipping when going past say 2~3dB or so. I completely see your points and I'm not trying to say it Electri-Q won't clip if going past 0 without lowering preamp, with the config I use though you'll won't hear it while listening to music. I also tried that frequency sweep and it sounded ok, couldn't hear any distortion. I used only this dolby headphone config though as that's what I care about in this case, if the plugins/settings like Advanced limiter or whatever does some voodoo magic and avoids it, cool, at least I don't hear it which is what counts to me! It doesn't matter how it's done, it's the result (what is heard) that counts and what I go by.
   
  Even if it ReplayGain only adds a tag that would still lead to a checksum modification right? Won't size be modified? At least it does if changing the usual title, album etc.
   
  I don't have any problems with noise floor with both Audigy 2 ZS and Realtek onboard sound, I can get more than enough volume without any audible noise, even with the ZO Portable Subwoofer amp. If you got a problem with too loud output then I suppose you'd also have a problem with stock foobar2000 config as that was one of my criterias I tried to follow to try and stay as close to the stock volume levels of foobar2000 as well as other players without any EQing or whatever, the stock setting is usually a bit louder than my configured presets (depending on what frequencies are played in the songs), as otherwise I do get audible clipping.


----------



## xnor

Even small amounts of clipping cause very noticable distortion and static-like noise in my setup. While this is mostly mitigated with compression (and limiters are compressors), which I don't use, you reduce the dynamic range, that already was reduced to embarassing levels in most of todays music.
  Sure, someone that is not into sound and sound quality doesn't care about this but if you listen closely it certainly is audible and easy to ABX.


----------



## warwulf7

Hey RPG, I've been testing several upmix plugins: Neural Upmix, Starplugs plugins, V.I Suite, and FreeSurround. Neural Upmix and Freesurround provide a wider soundstage but I feel this kind of sound is better suited to watching movies (I tried the default setting for both plugins). Starplugs plugins have more echoey/reverb than channel mixer and a more wider soundstage than Neural Upmix and FreeSurround plugins. Years ago I had tried the V.I Suite but the width slider always returned to it's default setting and the Foobar seek function not working properly... but now works fine... and for my ears is the best sounding upmix plugin. Almost no echoy/reverb and with a more balanced soundstage... if you have not tried it yet maybe you should do... kudos for FreeSurround's depelover because his plugin sounds almost identical 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 to Neural Upmix but this is a commercial plugin!
   
  I had been testing the Isone Pro plugin with V.I and several VST plugins: Oxford EQ, Trident A-Range, SPL TwinTube, Sonalksis Ultimate-D and Sonalksis FreeG, mostly after reading too much in this forum 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




. Isone Pro gives me a better instruments separation in each song but  V.I with Dolby sounds great too and this setup is completely free! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  Finally I wanted to ask you if you were so kind to upload the Electric-Q presets only (not the DSP chain presets). As I understood the EQ is to balance the use of the dolby plugin right? And as I have a Sony XB-500 like yours I think the Electric-Q presets might suit my setup very well.
   
  Thanks.


----------



## edvardd

I'm using your settings with my LCD2's and I really enjoy it. The resolution seems to suffer a little, as if there was a thin veil over the music. But it's so thin that I think it's worth. One of my problems with LCD2 was it's cramped soundstage. Now things are different. I wish I could afford an amp for 1500 $ that  had a wide soundstage, but this is more economic compromise..
   
  I'm looking forward to further development of these kinds of projects, both software and hardware. I mean new clear sourrund EQ's and products like the Smyth Realiser(but cheaper!)


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





warwulf7 said:


> Hey RPG, I've been testing several upmix plugins: Neural Upmix, Starplugs plugins, V.I Suite, and FreeSurround. Neural Upmix and Freesurround provide a wider soundstage but I feel this kind of sound is better suited to watching movies (I tried the default setting for both plugins). Starplugs plugins have more echoey/reverb than channel mixer and a more wider soundstage than Neural Upmix and FreeSurround plugins. Years ago I had tried the V.I Suite but the width slider always returned to it's default setting and the Foobar seek function not working properly... but now works fine... and for my ears is the best sounding upmix plugin. Almost no echoy/reverb and with a more balanced soundstage... if you have not tried it yet maybe you should do... kudos for FreeSurround's depelover because his plugin sounds almost identical
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

 Yea I can also get it sounding wider than this with channel mixer but too wide soundstage won't sound very natural to me either, especially the vocals starts being off-centered which in my ears will sound weird. I will try V.I Suite as I've never tried that plugin yet. 
   
  I saved the EQ presets as DSP chain presets since it seems to not work very well using Electri-Q to load presets (crashes). The default preset IMO should still be the most usable, well possibly "treblehead" would work somewhat with an unEQ'd XB500 too.
   
  Quote: 





xnor said:


> Even small amounts of clipping cause very noticable distortion and static-like noise in my setup. While this is mostly mitigated with compression (and limiters are compressors), which I don't use, you reduce the dynamic range, that already was reduced to embarassing levels in most of todays music.
> Sure, someone that is not into sound and sound quality doesn't care about this but if you listen closely it certainly is audible and easy to ABX.


 

 While dynamic range may be compressed/reduced a little whit this config I can still clearly hear the improvement this config provides in that aspect is greater than what's being limited/compressed.
   
  Quote: 





edvardd said:


> I'm using your settings with my LCD2's and I really enjoy it. The resolution seems to suffer a little, as if there was a thin veil over the music. But it's so thin that I think it's worth. One of my problems with LCD2 was it's cramped soundstage. Now things are different. I wish I could afford an amp for 1500 $ that  had a wide soundstage, but this is more economic compromise..
> 
> I'm looking forward to further development of these kinds of projects, both software and hardware. I mean new clear sourrund EQ's and products like the Smyth Realiser(but cheaper!)


 

 Yea this veil depends how the EQ is adjusted to make up for the Dolby Headphone "frequency response"-veil from the veiled treble-range (and boosted low-range), I tried fixing this with Electri-Q as good as possible I think I'm pretty close. I used to use another default EQ preset that might have sounded tiny bit less "veiled" but it also provided some distortion due to not having lowered the gain at all and had the treble range going to about ~+1.5dB above zero. As I lower the gain I also hear that I'd need to boost treblerange further to make up for it but still have to try avoid distorting. With my own hardware DSP EQ in my soundcard this would be such an easy fix as it won't distort at all even going a huge amount above 0-level without lowering preamp but unfortunately software EQs like Electri-Q doesn't quite work like that and it's a constant battle for "distortion vs veil". I'd need to be able to boost the frequencies like on my hardware EQ without getting distortion to completely take care of it.
   
  I would be very interested if people besides me tried configuring Electri-Q in that way it sounds as close to stock foobar config as possible in terms of frequency balance. Very small changes can lead to audible differences. Already taking away/adding 0.100 increments here and there can lead to a difference why it's so time consuming to get it just "right".
   
*EDIT:* Try this EQ setting, should hear slightly less of a "veil" with this one foobar2000.EQ.Balanced-New


----------



## Joe Bloggs

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Yea this veil depends how the EQ is adjusted to make up for the Dolby Headphone "frequency response"-veil from the veiled treble-range (and boosted low-range), I tried fixing this with Electri-Q as good as possible I think I'm pretty close. I used to use another default EQ preset that might have sounded tiny bit less "veiled" but it also provided some distortion due to not having lowered the gain at all and had the treble range going to about ~+1.5dB above zero. As I lower the gain I also hear that I'd need to boost treblerange further to make up for it but still have to try avoid distorting. With my own hardware DSP EQ in my soundcard this would be such an easy fix as it won't distort at all even going a huge amount above 0-level without lowering preamp but unfortunately software EQs like Electri-Q doesn't quite work like that and it's a constant battle for "distortion vs veil". I'd need to be able to boost the frequencies like on my hardware EQ without getting distortion to completely take care of it.


 
   
  Man, I really think this has to be all in your head, just wish there'd be some way for you to A/B test it yourself.  Maybe find the two volume knob settings that would match output volume for two different preamp settings and have someone A/B the two preamp / volume settings for you while you turn your back?
   
  Or, it could be a problem with how the EQ is interacting with the Dolby Headphone plugin.  See, the plugin takes its input to be the source material and applies its HRTF accordingly.  So if there's something in the algorithms that takes an input at x Hz and outputs a signal at y Hz, and your EQ tones down x Hz by 3dB, you'd also toning down the output at y Hz by 3dB (at least the part added by Dolby Headphone) unitentionally.  I don't know how the HRTF model would actually do something like that, it may be some other kind of interaction I'm missing, but I know I did hear quite a different sound when I placed my radical headphone EQ at the front vs at the back of your DSP chain.
   
  So you could try moving your EQ to the back of the chain and see if the preamp still makes a difference to the sound signature?
   
  I don't really see how there could be a hardware EQ (as in a physical RLC network) that knobs on the computer screen could be changing.  It's probably just another software EQ, but seamlessly integrated with the analog volume control on your sound card so that when you push a slider up 5dB, the sound card dials up the volume output by 5dB then applies -5dB to every other frequency band.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well here let me demonstrate 4 pics of the DSP EQ / sound card driver how it works. Using windows mixer volume setting results in a hotter output as seen in the first two pics (notice 46% vs 20% windows mixer vol setting and watch the peak meter) but adjusting my soundcard driver's volume setting (there's also further volume control for the invidual channels which can be also adjusted to a higher or lower output level) won't result in more distortion (which the last 2 pics shows) and the distortion is heard at the same point when the volume would exceed the natural threshold of what the soundcard is capable to handle. Since with this EQ I could easily boost +12 to the whole range and won't get any distortion I've ofc compared how it sounds like at -12dB and how it sounds like at +12dB and it sounds better in my ears at +12dB when the output volume is put at the same level, it's a more forward sound which is to my liking. It's the same thing with Electri-Q but since the range I can play with here becomes far more limited due to the nature of distortion in a typical software EQ there audible difference here is far less distinct but still somewhat percievable. The ZO Personal Subwoofer amp I also bought uses a new kind of implementation and boosts like the whole range by 7~10dB or so and provides a more forward and dynamic sound. My ears are trained to hear differences like this as I've been EQing and tweaking settings for many years.
   
  The percieved output volume levels are roughly the same in all 4 pics, around ~75dB or so perhaps. The song played is a hardstyle track at the 3:30 point it's the most busy with heavy bassbeats going on as well as synth sounds etc.
   
  http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/9420/eqminimalbass.jpg
  http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/5872/eqmaxbass.jpg
  http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/589/eqmaxbasskx.jpg
  http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/8702/eqmaxbasskx2.jpg
   
  BTW you guys relating to the distortion-discussion should take a visit and help me and the OP in this thread as it seems like many people there doesn't even distinguish the distortion in recordings which I think is absurd in this case as it's so easy to hear for me throughout the whole track (the 3rd/last track in the first post) http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/562225/what-do-you-think-about-sound-quality-of-these-tracks


----------



## Sanctuary

Whoops, nevermind.  Going to take a lot of tweaking to get exactly the sound I want, but so far I am very much liking the default "out of the box" sound with the Graphic EQ over what I had been listening to.  Having it out of my head is a pretty huge plus.  Now I need to get it to sound almost as accurate...

 Right now, listening to Opeth FLACs just don't sound that good.  They sound fine until the growls happen, and then it's all jumbled into one huge muddy mess--for the rest of the acoustic and clean vocal parts though it sounds fine.  No idea why it does that to the growls.  Switching to something like "Dante's Inferno" from Iced Earth however is a "Whaoh!" moment. It almost sounds like a completely different song, and not in a bad way.


----------



## artazzzzzz

Hey RPG,

 I have Realtek HD Audio AC622. I am using your config for Realtek Onboards, that you have posted on the fourth page of this thread and I have to say it sounds really great and much more natural than SRS Audio Sandbox (had to uninstall this). The only thing I corrected was the master gain. Had to put this to auto because of distortion and too high peak levels.
   
  However, with SRS the sound used to be like thrice louder, so, I have to put all the bars up to get ~medium loudness. Any suggestions how to improve loudness? Also, there wasn't any distortion no matter how loud my headphones played. I have no idea what to do as there is an awful distortion after I increase master gain just by 0.5 dB?

 Thanks


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Don't think you're able to make it louder without introducing distortion, I had configured it to be as close to as loud as the stock foobar2000 settings as possible and it's pretty much impossible to get a clean sound with higher volume. You could try the more up-to-date config that's on the first page using Electri-Q instead of graphic equalizer but yea it probably won't be a big difference in volume but I think using Electri-Q it results in better SQ than using Graphic-EQ but Graphic EQ isn't bad by any means but it's just Electri-Q happens to have amazing SQ for being a freeware VST EQ (shame about stability though).


----------



## artazzzzzz

Nevermind about the loudness, I am so dumb, the "Wave" bar was like at 30% 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 After I replace your Core.cfg with the default one, where can I find the presets? In the preferences > DSP manager > DSP chain presets they are not displayed. Also, the peak level is above 0 dB with Electri-Q preset, should I just apply Advanced Limiter for that?

 Sorry for being a newbie and thanks!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

You should just check the instructions in the first post in the thread. Either download it preconfigured or go the long route and apply the settings like described. If you replace my core.cfg with another file you'll lose those dsp chain presets as it's in that file they are stored.


----------



## kostalex

subscribed


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Updated the default EQ preset very slightly to make it a bit less veiled sounding.


----------



## artazzzzzz

Well, in overall I am so much satisfied with this tweak, just can't stop playing music. Great job, very well done!


----------



## tbritton

RPGWiZaRD,
   
  I am so totally impressed with this implementation of the Dolby Headphone plugin. It has really taken the "2D" edge off of my music completely. I use a few headphones, and I really like what it does with every one of them (Ultrasone Proline 750s, Skull Candy Titan, Sennheiser PXC 250).
   
  All I can say is, WOW! It really makes electronica amazing (especially psytrance), and gives a ton of space and depth/spaciousness to all kinds of program material. Quite versatile! Thank you for taking the pains to adjust-out the deficiencies of the Dolby Headphone plugin to EQ it into behaving! This is really a remarkable accomplishment. I enjoy everything much more this way. It is just such a more interesting experience!
   
  Thanks again!
   
  Terry


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

It's nice to hear you're enjoying it! Thanks for the kind words.
   
  I added a new just slightly tweaked preset of the default: Genre: Balanced (More Bass) which has about 1dB stronger bass response compared to the default preset as well as some minor adjustments in the treblerange and it sounds nice with my hardstyle music and may be a better "balanced" setting to use for some headphones and electronica especially. The new dsp chain preset as well as the usual full package and all presets etc can be downloaded from 
   
https://skydrive.live.com/#!/?cid=87ed83e2c9fd453c&sc=documents&uc=1&id=87ED83E2C9FD453C%21272
   
  I also added two examples of dolby headphone recorded tracks to OP.


----------



## tbritton

Love the new preset: Genre:Balanced (More Bass) - it doesn't overkill at all, definitely well balanced with good "air" on the top end. This is going to receive recommendations from me all over the place!
   
  Terry
  
  Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> It's nice to hear you're enjoying it! Thanks for the kind words.
> 
> I added a new just slightly tweaked preset of the default: Genre: Balanced (More Bass) which has about 1dB stronger bass response compared to the default preset as well as some minor adjustments in the treblerange and it sounds nice with my hardstyle music and may be a better "balanced" setting to use for some headphones and electronica especially. The new dsp chain preset as well as the usual full package and all presets etc can be downloaded from
> 
> ...


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

That's good to hear! Unfortunately I noticed some very gentle distortion in some of my hot recorded hardstyle tracks that will distort as soon as you use EQ to make it even tiiiiiny bit hotter (louder) than default (during the heavy bass part) so adjusted the gain a little to take care of that and reuploaded the files like a few mins ago. Shouldn't lead to any noticable change in sound though as I didn't have to adjust it a lot at all.
   
  I wonder if there's any audible difference having the Electri-Q 3rd as opposed to first in the active dsp list, I configured it like this for this preset but switching back n forth I don't seem to hear any kind of difference really but you could try it on your end as well and see what you think in case the equipment here plays a role.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well I've heavily concidered making this the new default balanced EQ preset and make the previous default preset into Balanced (Less Bass) and also keep the Balanced (More Bass) preset. This new setting has bass that's in-between the two, a -1.5dB or so bass reduction compared to -2dB and -1dB in these others and also has less of a bass colorisation, the bass is more evenly reduced so there's not any overemphasized ~30Hz or so bass compared to 50~100Hz or so range which results in a slightly more punchy bass. I know there's not a huge difference but the difference is audible enough for me to care about it and when I compare to the stock foobar2000 setting this new with -1.5dB sounds pretty much identical when it comes to bass output.
   
  Tell me what you think: foobar2000.EQ.Balanced.(Default)-RPGWiZaRD
   

   
  EDIT: Well I updated the rest of the files as well as I like this so much as the new default preset and by far the best default preset provided so far so don't see any reason to wait.


----------



## WoahReQQuiem

Is it normal if songs sound louder in the right can?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Some songs may be recorded that way but shouldn't be that many. For example some of the tracks by Mike Oldfield are like that.


----------



## WoahReQQuiem

All of my songs sound that way. Anyways, I switched to two channels and it sounds much better now.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I adjusted some of the presets a little and lowered the bass in some of them (electronica preset the most). I would be still curious to hear about what you think about the newest EQ default preset as I think it sounds very close to the stock foobar2000 now in terms of frequency response balance.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I uploaded 2 new DH demo vids today
   








   
  Suggestions of songs that might work really well, maybe some live performances?


----------



## Gossling

RPGWizard, thanks for the guide and settings.  There's not enough center channel information for most of my classical music recordings, as I really want the orchestra out in front of me, rather than playing at my sides, but it is overall a great improvement. I've noticed that Dolby adds some kind of wavering reverberation which kind of breaks the deal for me.  It's very noticeable on a long sine wave sweep or even many pop songs, especially those with male vocals (I first noticed it on _She's Leaving Home_ from Sgt. Pepper's).  Without Dolby, this artifact is gone and the sound is much more accurate to my ears.  So I was wondering if anyone else has tried using the Channel Mixer (upmixed in "Surround") without Dolby.  It eliminates the wavering effect and drastically decreases the amount of rear channel information, too much of which I think compromises musical realism.  When you remove Dolby from the chain, you'll have to make major adjustments to your current Channel Mixer settings to get a full, realistic sound.  I had to increase stereo width, rear volume and some other settings.  Most recordings sound much more realistic to my ears without Dolby: less coloration, greater forward projection, no wavering reverberations.  Not perfect yet, but I'm still experimenting.  Any thoughts?


----------



## tbritton

This sounds quite impressive (Only could listen to the Cash piece in USA).
  I'm having lots of fun with all your latest presets - thanks for all your work and your commitment to this very worthwhile project.
  Terry


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

What do you think about them though, is there too heavy bass/too little treble present in most of them? They were tweaked for a flat headphone in mind which I don't have so it's a bit difficult to say. 
   
  I also made a video for the disaster in Japan because I thought this vocaloid song was very fitting for such purpose (Dolby Headphone isn't doing that much for this song in particular).




  (finally a video with no copyright claims xD)


----------



## tom2011

did you buy titanium hd
   
  and what you think about it


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





tom2011 said:


> did you buy titanium hd
> 
> and what you think about it


 

 I bought it yes but it will be shipped on Monday, I bought them on last Monday and paid on Tuesday but since I had to do an EU bank transfer they didn't get the money until friday and they will ship it first on monday... I'd guess I'll have it next friday. Waiting sux but that's the case when ordering abroad because no finnish retailer currently have them in stock. :s


----------



## MusicHolic

Strange, there's a missing UI elements in your foobar 1.1.6... I can't add Media Library Viewers - Album List... There's only Media Library Viewers - Media Search... Usual foobar have both of them...
   
  Btw foobar 1.1.7 and 1.1.8beta3 is also out... But I can't use Electri-Q... It just says <ERROR> 
   
  EDIT:
  nvm, I figured it out... foo_albumlist.dll is missing in your foobar component folder


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I made some small adjustments regarding rear volume on some of the presets.
   
  Quote: 





gossling said:


> RPGWizard, thanks for the guide and settings.  There's not enough center channel information for most of my classical music recordings, as I really want the orchestra out in front of me, rather than playing at my sides, but it is overall a great improvement. I've noticed that Dolby adds some kind of wavering reverberation which kind of breaks the deal for me.  It's very noticeable on a long sine wave sweep or even many pop songs, especially those with male vocals (I first noticed it on _She's Leaving Home_ from Sgt. Pepper's).  Without Dolby, this artifact is gone and the sound is much more accurate to my ears.  So I was wondering if anyone else has tried using the Channel Mixer (upmixed in "Surround") without Dolby.  It eliminates the wavering effect and drastically decreases the amount of rear channel information, too much of which I think compromises musical realism.  When you remove Dolby from the chain, you'll have to make major adjustments to your current Channel Mixer settings to get a full, realistic sound.  I had to increase stereo width, rear volume and some other settings.  Most recordings sound much more realistic to my ears without Dolby: less coloration, greater forward projection, no wavering reverberations.  Not perfect yet, but I'm still experimenting.  Any thoughts?


 

 There's a chance that with your setup/source it may sound different than it does for me depending on what settings etc. is used. For me this config even results in a bit more forward/up-front sound which is to my liking. Did you try listen to the Johnny Cash dolby headphone recorded video example on first page for example, it's a good example of how forward it should sound like (just to compare if it really sounds like that for you or not). I get the best result when my soundcard is set to 5.1 speakermode.
   
  Quote: 





musicholic said:


> Strange, there's a missing UI elements in your foobar 1.1.6... I can't add Media Library Viewers - Album List... There's only Media Library Viewers - Media Search... Usual foobar have both of them...
> 
> Btw foobar 1.1.7 and 1.1.8beta3 is also out... But I can't use Electri-Q... It just says <ERROR>
> 
> ...


 

 Yea I know 1.1.7's been out for a while but it has some streaming issues so haven't bothered using it for now. I don't think I will try beta versions either so I might update to 1.1.8 final when it comes if the old issues have been fixed. Is the foo_albumlist.dll a default component for v1.1.6? I'm pretty sure I selected all the default components when installing foobar2000 1.1.6. If it's not then you'll have to add it on your own.


----------



## MusicHolic

I usually tick all components when installing foobar in portable mode 
   
  Btw, a review about your Dolby config... I don't know how I say it... The soundstage is bigger and less congested, giving me less claustrophobic experience... The only downside is, if the recording is not in high quality (for example, my 192kbps mp3 collection), it sounds more unforgiving and harsh... Also when there's a clipping (in recording itself), I heard some obvious distortion... When using normal stereo mode, my sound card limiter kicks in and only muffled the sounds a bit without make it sounds distorted...
   
  But overall, its a nice improvement and I prefer listening using your dolby config rather than usual stereo mode.. Nice job 
   
  So then today I decided to do something different... I unloaded dolby headphone from DSP chain list and trying to enable directly from my sound card... There's a difference in sound, but they have the same overall signature so I don't know yet which one I prefer (foobar's dolby vs my sound card's dolby)...
   
  Then I disable dolby headphone and enable headphone X-Fi CMSS-3D in my sound card... I noticed even bigger soundstage, clearer instrument separation and each instrument sounds more focused and placed more clearly in my soundstage plane...
   
  The only negative is, it sounds unnatural (I don't know how to build/measure eq to counter effect the frequency response changes which has been altered by CMSS-3D) and it introduced more grains to the sound... Especially the cymbals, it sounds so unnatural...
   
  While I still prefer X-Fi CMSS-3D for movies and games, I would prefer to use dolby headphone any day for any kind of music listening because of its naturality...


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Did you ever try put your X-Fi card in 5.1 speakermode? Try it with this dolby headphone config. Yes I liked the positioning and instrument separation with CMSS-3D when I tested it with modded Realtek X-Fi drivers BUT only when using 2.1 and especially 5.1 speaker mode, Creative's headphone mode has always sounded like crap to me and CMSS-3D sounds EVEN MORE crap with headphone speaker mode (grainy and also minimizes the bass output) but try it with 5.1 speakermode, almost no hit in sound quality yet the improved positioning and separation.  Also I much preferred using the Stereo Surround upmix mode for CMSS-3D.
   
  This is how I had it set up when I tried these modded drivers on the onboard realtek chip which provided me the best results. Even makes the small AKG K518 DJ on ears which is a headphone with really poor soundstage out of box have very impressive soundstage.
   
  EDIT: Also when using CMSS-3D I suggest "center" volume set to around 1.00 in channel mixer plugin for foobar2000 and lower Dolby headphone amplification slider to perhaps around 85% to avoid distortion/clipping. CMSS-3D brings a wider soundstage and center channels gets a bit less focus so it's good to counter with a bit stronger center volume.

   
  I have a Creative X-Fi Titanium HD soundcard incoming I can't wait to try how it sounds like with this config.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Did some tweaking to some presets.


----------



## tbritton

Thanks for the tweaks - this thing just keeps getting better and better! Which did you tweak?
   
  Terry


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





tbritton said:


> Thanks for the tweaks - this thing just keeps getting better and better! Which did you tweak?
> 
> Terry


 
   
  I don't quite remember but I do some small adjustments every now and then to the other presets. I only use the "Balanced (Default)" preset myself as it sounds best to my ears but then again I EQ my headphones with my soundcard's EQ too so.


----------



## Zaek

Hi RPGWiZaRD, 
   
  very impressed with your tweaking, music do sound better than stereo for certain  track. But I have a few questions (sorry, still a newbie in foobar): 
  1) how do i use foobar2000.EQ.Balanced.(Default)-RPGWiZaRD.fbcp? where do i load this?
  2) everytime i go VIEW -> DSP -> Channel Mixer, Foobar crashes
   
  I am using Window 7 32 bit.
   
   
  Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> It's nice to hear you're enjoying it! Thanks for the kind words.
> 
> I added a new just slightly tweaked preset of the default: Genre: Balanced (More Bass) which has about 1dB stronger bass response compared to the default preset as well as some minor adjustments in the treblerange and it sounds nice with my hardstyle music and may be a better "balanced" setting to use for some headphones and electronica especially. The new dsp chain preset as well as the usual full package and all presets etc can be downloaded from
> 
> ...


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well it's the already loaded if you download the preconfigured foobar2000 pack, no need to change anything with that.
   
  To configure Channel Mixer you'll have to go file -> preferences -> playback -> DSP manager -> click on channel mixer and configure selected


----------



## Zaek

Big thanks! got it..   the preconfigured foobar2000 is really nice for newbie like me.
   
  By the way, I am using an external DAC, Lavry DA11. Didnt know this surround thing works with it! Really amazing. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  
  Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Well it's the already loaded if you download the preconfigured foobar2000 pack, no need to change anything with that.
> 
> To configure Channel Mixer you'll have to go file -> preferences -> playback -> DSP manager -> click on channel mixer and configure selected


----------



## shoenberg3

I am really liking with my headphones.
  What do you think it will be like with speakers?
  I can't quite decide what to think of it.


----------



## shoenberg3

Also, in general, I am finding I am not liking it as much for classical music. Whearas the forward projection and wider soundstage generally help recordings sound more exciting, I feel that I am too sensitive to the tonal/resolution changes that it brings in classical recordings. Of course, YMMV
   
   
  I just read that you recommend a 5.1 setting on the sound card. I own Keces Dac and use asio4all. Perhaps that would not be recommended with these settings?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I don't know, just try it and see how it works. I evaluate all changes I try with my ears only but with the sources I've tried so far it usually works either best or there's no noticable difference, tested with Audigy 2 ZS, Titanium HD, ASUS D2 and Realtek HD onboard. On Realtek HD onboard chips it actually makes the biggest difference with 5.1 speakers, it's like a huge improvement, on ASUS D2 not that big difference at all.
   
  Also regarding classical, what kind of tonal change are you hearing, is it perhaps slightly less bright sound/ less upper end treble presence? If so the default balanced EQ setting may have slightly warmer sound still and I've tried tweaking around in the upper end of treble range a few times but haven't come to any more satisfying results because other genres like acoustic, pop and such sounds usually great like this and there's barely any audible change in tonal balance when switching on/off my dolby headphone settings for this genre. Also out of interest, did you try the "classical" preset? I've listened to classical or orchestra music while tweaking that preset and IMO it gives a better sense of like sitting in a classical concert hall, it's less forward (in-your-face sounding) with even greater soundstage and more upper-end treble presence as well as very deep bass. But should always be noticed the EQ settings are tweaked for a balanced headphone with as flat response as possible so if they already have a very V-shaped frequency response then for example using the "classical" preset the upper highs might get too hot for example but the EQ settings I made are not very exaggerated and usually doesn't have that much of a derivation from that "balanced" EQ setting for dolby headphone so should still work reasonably well with most headphones. But yea try out that Classical preset if you haven't, I'm really satisfied how classical music sounds with it on my end at least.


----------



## shoenberg3

I just tried it with the classical preset and didn't notice much difference, at least in the area that I was concerned about.
  Mainly, the mid-high treble range sounds "thinner" and less rich (although I am talking pretty subtle differences). There is probably improvement in soundstage but for classical, at least, I am more sensitive to tonal qualities.
   
  But I quite like it for most non-classical things, especially live acoustic recordings. I've noticed it, however, but for certain songs, the vocal line sounds a little too "dry" and separated (I realize this is the effect that you might be going for); might have to do with treatment of certain treble ranges. For instance, Morning Bell from Kid A (Radiohead).
   
  Might just be my setup though. (Keces DAC -> LIttle Dot MK III -> HD650)


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

It would be nice to get some info exactly on how Dolby Headphone modifies the frequency response so you could counter adjust it just like that but this is the best we can do, use our own ears to EQ out the change as great as possible (a bit like reverse engineering ). I like what Dolby Headphone does to soundstage but I don't want much change in tonal balance either why I started adjusting the Electri-Q EQ to get as close to as I can get to the original tonal balance as if I wasn't using Dolby Headphone. I'm close with the "Genre: Balanced (Default)" but yes I can hear it's not perfectly the same tonal balance still either but it heavily depends on the song tested with too, there's songs where when you switch between stock and the dolby headphone setting you can barely hear the difference in the tonal balance and there's some that you can hear quite a change in, the biggest difference is in the treblerange, if you'd try EQ electri-Q and think you've come up with a better or more closer to the stock foobar2000 tonal balance by all means share the EQ setting! I may have come closer than this already but I always validate with lots of different genres and type of music to see if I'd really evaluate it as "better sounding" / closer to the stock foobar2000 tonal balance but so far I haven't been able to come up with any setting that I'd concider to be obviously better so always reverted back. At least I'm happy with how the bass presence is pretty much equal now with stock or dolby headphone config with that about -1.5 reduction in Electri-Q. It may also be that Electri-Q is simply not good enough of an EQ for this purpose, would need a high quality hardware EQ to get a better result but Electri-Q was obviously chosen since it's something every1 could use as it's free and IMO the best free software EQ out there. Software EQs are usually less accurate when it comes to boosting than cutting.


----------



## faemir

I have some surround sound albums, and the rear channels aren't playing with this setup - any idea why?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well I remember checking with some 5.1 speaker test file and worked with that at least. Don't know what would be the reason if it didn't work for you.


----------



## musicreo

Did you use the equalizer? The electri Q only supports stereo. For 5.1 files you should only use the Dolby Headphone plugin and a resampler for files with a higher samplerate than 48 kHz.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I made a new dolby headphone video for my favorite DJs the Wasted Penguinz 
   





   
   
  Compare to the non-dolby headphone version:


----------



## ChipnDalebowl

I've tried this plugin in the past and have not been impressed with how it works. I've read the guides on how to set it up, so I was confident everything was set just fine. 

The biggest issue I've had with the plugin where its actually better to turn it off, is any CD album recorded in Dolby Surround. This locks out some of my favorite recordings from such orchestras as the Cincinnati Pops and Prague Philharmonic for film scores. Big bummer! For other stuff--vocals and pop, it did appear the sound was more in front of you than to the left and right and in your head, so credit where its due--it does work given the right recording. I just like certain albums too much that don't benefit from this.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well I started tweaking it a little again, I even successfully (in my ears anyway) got a bit better result on the default balanced preset, I've tried many times improving it in a way it would sound less colored yet as fun as possible (treblerange was still slightly more muffled) but I didn't get to results I could honestly say sounded better but now I think I successfully got an improvement (although small as usual as it's getting to the point it's hard to improve any further). Treblerange is a bit more detailed but still doesn't sound any hotter than compared to completely stock foobar2000 settings (midrange possibly slightly more forward).
   
  EDIT: Well I was perhaps a bit hasty, didn't test enough diversity of songs to get a good sense, it worked quite ok with some but others not so great so reverted the default EQ preset config for now.
   
  Also tweaked the 'genre' presets around some more. The fully preconfigured foobar2000 package (as well as the Core.cfg and default preset) can be grabbed as usual from
   
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=87ed83e2c9fd453c&sc=documents&uc=1&id=87ED83E2C9FD453C%21272#


----------



## shoenberg3

Thanks for your efforts.
   
  I am keenly using your preset for almost all non-classical thing I listen to.


----------



## PurpleAngel

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> *RPGWiZaRD's Dolby Headphone foobar2000 info & tweaks*​  ​
> I'm looking for volunteers to try out this dolby headphone config which is a bit further tweaked than what you'll find in the big thread about dolby headphone, basicly I'm the kind of guy that can't keep my fingers off when it comes to settings and tweaking for the best possible result using my own ears (or eyes when it comes to calibrating TVs etc) and can spend literally months tweaking all sliders one by one, making one or a few step change and listen if I find it better/worse until I'm certain about it etc until I eventually get a really nice (in my opinion obviously) result. I'm pretty much there where I simply can't get it to sound any better on my equipment at least after maybe a half year or so since I started using dolby headphone plugin, I realize different headphones or especially DACs/sources may skew the results or the same setting may not be ideal for every DAC/source but trying it with my different headphones it all sounded pretty much optimal or near it so headphones themselves shouldn't have a large impact, DACs might have though. Also please note it should be a *DAC/source that handles multichannel (5.1) output* or else channel mixer dsp plugin won't work and it'll sound just plain bad as this plugin and the settings are required for Dolby Headphone to sound great.
> 
> Soundcards should be put in 5.1 speakermode for best possible result.
> ...


 


   

 Who is the female singer in the upper left video?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





purpleangel said:


> Who is the female singer in the upper left video?


 

 Leona Lewis ofc.  One of the few singers who sound much better live than in studio!
   
  EDIT: Made some small adjustments to some of the presets.
   
  Here's also another example of my Dolby Headphone config recorded video I recommend checking out!


----------



## MusicHolic

@RPGWiZaRD,
   
  I'm sorry if I'm wrong here, but I want to convey some of my opinions regarding distortion. I realized this long since time ago, but I'm sorry I just have a time to write now 
   
  Earlier I have a post like this
   
   
   
  Quote: 





> Also when there's a clipping (in recording itself, usually some bad recording), I heard some obvious distortion...


 
   
   
  Then I have an opinion like this:
  1. The cause of the distortion is not a dolby headphone. 100% amplification with only this plugin enabled, no distortion. Same thing if Dolby Headphone in my sound card is enabled.
   
  2. The real culprit is a channel mixer itself which introduces distortion after upmixing process. I experienced the same distortion when using ffdshow mixer without normalized matrix. Notice the difference in matrix value output below.
   

   
  I'm sorry if I'm wrong here, but after placing "Advanced Limiter" between "Channel Mixer" and "Dolby Headphone" (instead of below "Dolby Headphone") in foobar DSP chain, the distortion is much more supressed. I can set "Dolby Headphone" to 100% instead of 93%... (101% and more is obviously altered)...
   
  Well, YMMV. That's what I heard in my computer. But after changing the foobar DSP chain, I think it has different tonality, and it needs a new equalizer value to make it more natural.
   
  Thanks for your attention. I just want to share my opinion


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Yea it depends on our setup, I also notice a difference depending how Advanced limiter is set. Actually you can remove it and it sounds even cleaner with the latest settings at least but what I noticed Advanced limiter really does is not only to "limit" the signal to avoid clipping but to actually boost it if there's room to be boosted too lol. As the midrange often appears to come more forward. 
   
  On my setup (could be a volume setting dependant thing for example, I got my windows volume set low at like 31%) there's no distortion with the provided setting with advanced limiter at the very bottom and I usually get the most satisfying sound like this as the midrange is most forward sounding then.
   
  EDIT: Updated one setting and reuploaded config.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Alright, here's new settings, both finetuned EQ setting (thx M-Audio Q40 headphones, you've been a great aid!) as well as revamped channel mixer config. I've introduced 2 different configs now as people have quite different taste, some people prefer a more laid-back, relaxed, very transparent, airy, wide soundstage etc while others prefer a bit more forward, engaging "in-your-face" sound. Therefore I made 2 default configs, one "forward" and one named "laid-back".
   
  Active DSP order, same for both:
   

   
   
*The "Forward" sounding config*
   


   
*Suitable for:* People who prefer a more forward/"in-your-face" sounding soundstage (but improved/larger stage with better imaging/positioning over stock foobar2000), more engaging listening experience. Suitable for people who like the Grado sound or listen to lots of rock, EDM, dance, pop etc music.
   
  Preconfigured foobar2000 package: http://www61.zippyshare.com/v/94637119/file.html
   
  fbcp settings file (in case you don't trust downloading the whole package of some1 else): http://www61.zippyshare.com/v/34984981/file.html
   
   
*The "Laid-back" sounding config*
* *


   
*Suitable for:* People who prefer a more laid-back sounding soundstage with better transparency and more spacious/wider soundstage, more relaxed listening. Suitable for people who prefer sound signatures by for example AKG K70x or Sennheiser HD800 or listen to a lot of classical/orchestra music.
   
  Preconfigured foobar2000 package: http://www24.zippyshare.com/v/37990323/file.html
   
  fbcp settings file: http://www24.zippyshare.com/v/68210744/file.html
   
   
  You can obviously switch between the configs by downloading either of the package and go to DSP manager page and load "Genre: Balanced (Default)" for the "forward" sounding config and "Genre: Balanced (More Laid-back & Airy)" preset for the "laid-back" sounding config but you have to always load "Custom: Stock foobar2000" in-between to avoid crashing as it crashes with this VST host in case switching between presets with Electri-Q enabled on both. I just decided to add two separate preconfigured packages for convenience.  The other presets haven't been updated and would need major overhaul, EQing wise would generally have to be less bass and more mids and the channel mixer settings hasn't either been touched.
   
  Would be nice with some feedback before updating the OP to reflect these latest configs.


----------



## MusicHolic

I only listened it for 5-10 minutes, so I can't comment on any technical difference... But one thing that struck in my mind is these new configs has more natural tonality than previous config... Well, all configs sounds better than stock foobar though 
   
  In old configs, the sound is more smeared (imagine taking a chalk, draw a line and smear it with your fingers) which is a bad thing... New configs has blacker background, although on the down side, it sounds less authoritative compared with old...
   
  Seeing from your Electri-Q config, you prefer Analog mode? I prefer Digital mode as it gives me less grain (although some people prefer analog natural grain  ) Regarding Airy vs Forward configs, I prefer Airy due to my genre of music... But I'm not saying that Forward is bad, its just that both of the configs has a specialized genre 
   
  And for people who thinks this config increasing soundstage, I didn't find it to be the case with my headphones... Compared with stock foobar, I found the soundstage width and depth is still roughly the same (5 cm out of my head with my fullsize Senn, and in my head with my IEM)... But with this config, you will notice vast improvement in imaging pinpoint and instrument separation and the sound also portrayed more distant, which gives impression of bigger soundstages, especially when you close your eyes...
   
  I only notice the real difference in soundstages when I switching between different amp (for example without an amp, the soundstage of my Senn headphones suddenly collapsed because it's underpowered...) Every headphones also has a different soundstages...
   
  For a conclusion... All I can say is: Thanks for your effort, really appreciate it. With your config, all my music sounds more musical and enjoyable now


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





musicholic said:


> I only listened it for 5-10 minutes, so I can't comment on any technical difference... But one thing that struck in my mind is these new configs has more natural tonality than previous config... Well, all configs sounds better than stock foobar though
> 
> In old configs, the sound is more smeared (imagine taking a chalk, draw a line and smear it with your fingers) which is a bad thing... New configs has blacker background, although on the down side, it sounds less authoritative compared with old...


 
   
  Yea exactly how I'm seeing it too, well removing advanced limiter helped quite a lot for this too, the transparency is improved doing so while the Advanced limiter often brought different instruments or vocals closer it also smeared up the sound too much in other cases so it was either a win or lose case. But yea finetuning the treble range also helped a little, it was still a bit too smoothed/pushed back with old config, now it's about right but it depends so much what music you put on, with some music you can't now hear any frequency balance change switching on/off at all.
   


> Seeing from your Electri-Q config, you prefer Analog mode? I prefer Digital mode as it gives me less grain (although some people prefer analog natural grain  ) Regarding Airy vs Forward configs, I prefer Airy due to my genre of music... But I'm not saying that Forward is bad, its just that both of the configs has a specialized genre


 
   
  Yea I do prefer analog even if digital is probably more accurate/neutral, I've always liked how "analog filters" and stuff sounds like, my ZO2 amp is also pretty much an analog amp too, I often think analog gets a more "musical" sound why with digital it gets more "technical". I personally prefer the "forward" config most of the time as I'm the person that wants to feel "engaged" by the music, want to get the feeling of starting to dance along with music but sometimes I also switch to the other config, depends on my mood & what I'm listening to. But yea I'm more of a Grado person (think Grado with HUGE bass boost (well subbass anyway), that's the sound signature that I like, one that it gets hard to sit still in the chair while listening to music which is often hardstyle, trance, pop, dance and more soft, melodical rock.
   
  And for people who thinks this config increasing soundstage, I didn't find it to be the case with my headphones... Compared with stock foobar, I found the soundstage width and depth is still roughly the same (5 cm out of my head with my fullsize Senn, and in my head with my IEM)... But with this config, you will notice vast improvement in imaging pinpoint and instrument separation and the sound also portrayed more distant, which gives impression of bigger soundstages, especially when you close your eyes...
   
  I only notice the real difference in soundstages when I switching between different amp (for example without an amp, the soundstage of my Senn headphones suddenly collapsed because it's underpowered...) Every headphones also has a different soundstages...
   
  For a conclusion... All I can say is: Thanks for your effort, really appreciate it. With your config, all my music sounds more musical and enjoyable now 
   
  I think it improves depth but width isn't much improved, perhaps a tiny bit, if we talk in centimetres lol at least I'd say 1-2 cm for me but not more than that but depth feels a whole lot difference. It's like listening to a room placed with the instruments all in their own place.
   
  But yea I think this config is improved in the sense it has a more "truer" to stock balance and improved transparency, the other config is still fun and engaging to listen to but it's not as accurate/neutral sounding.


----------



## MusicHolic

Advanced limiter seems compressing the dynamic range... The original idea was to eliminate distortion that sometimes can be heared... Certain Channel Mixer config can produce matrix output that's not normalized... That's why I usually placed Foobar Matrix Mixer (Normalize matrix ticked) below Channel Mixer to normalize the volume output first... It's better than advanced limiter 
   
  This way, even if I use your old channel mixer config with Dolby Headphone set to 100%, it doesn't distort anymore


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





musicholic said:


> Advanced limiter seems compressing the dynamic range... The original idea was to eliminate distortion that sometimes can be heared... Certain Channel Mixer config can produce matrix output that's not normalized... That's why I usually placed Foobar Matrix Mixer (Normalize matrix ticked) below Channel Mixer to normalize the volume output first... It's better than advanced limiter
> 
> This way, even if I use your old channel mixer config with Dolby Headphone set to 100%, it doesn't distort anymore


 

 I've never tested Matrix Mixer, might have to give it a try but with these settings (adjusting Electri-Q & Dolby Headphone amplification) you can also avoid the distortion from too loud output. Channel Mixer's "Front in rear" setting is what REALLY affects the volume the most, it works almost as a 2nd volume slider hehe why I had to drop the gain with Electri-Q in the "forward" config to like -3.2dB. I'm interested in testing how it might perform with Matrix mixer + slightly less decreased gain in ElectriQ + maybe around 100% dolby headphone amplification though in the forward config, as it is currently it's very close to the *audible* clipping point in the "forward" config. I always demo with the most distortion prone tracks I got to check if it's free of distortion and the "forward" config is very close while the laid-back config has a small headroom to the clipping point since "Front in rear" is set so low. "Front in rear" setting is more effective to lower the distortion than the gain in ElectriQ or amplification in Dolby Headphone, it starts losing the dolby headphone effect if lowering the dolby amplification slider and the volume gets lower compared to the "gained less distortion levels" when lowering gain in ElectriQ, hope that made at least some sense to you haha so maybe Matrix Mixer would be the best to take care of the volume levels after the Channel Mixer processing.
   
  Advanced Limiter I'd say also works a bit like "loudness equalization" you find in Realtek onboard chips for example so yea it could potentially decrease dynamic range a little as it seems to make many instruments, vocals etc louder so everything is output with less volume variety besides limiting the signal which doesn't really work so great when the signal is too loud, you'll hear the compression artifacts so I actually find it more useful when the signal is not as loud which is almost the opposite of its intended use scenario. xD


----------



## OPrwtos

Hey rpg u know how we were discussing the settings, well i went back for some more testing and i found this to be a even more natural, its has a bit less instrument focus and separation (easy to tell the focus in certain songs) and a bit less soundstage but nevertheless sounds really good, one of the best settings yet. Oh and i also added LFE this time, try it.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





oprwtos said:


> Hey rpg u know how we were discussing the settings, well i went back for some more testing and i found this to be a even more natural, its has a bit less instrument separation and a bit less soundstage but nevertheless sounds really good, one of the best settings yet. Oh and i also added LFE this time, try it.


 
   
  OK I will give it a short.
   
  EDIT: I agree this sounds much better than your previous config (highs sounds better now). I will have to compare it to the "laid-back" config with channel mixer and see which of them I prefer, the "forward" one I still feel Channel Mixer does a greater job at.
  
  Weird how the bass response sounds a little different redirecting to LFE channel. I'm also using Matrix Mixer after Freesurround and before dolby headphone & Electri-Q and applying like x1.35 multiplier to it to get it to similar volume level as stock foobar2000/the other config, works superb, better than adjusting gain in electri-Q and then I'm free to use whatever dolby headphone amplification setting I find best sounding too (currently testing 110% which sounds good to me with above config).
   
  EDIT: I'm really enjoying above config for classical and such. It will probably replace the "laid-back" config for me, I think it does a better job at the intended sound, ie more relaxed, less in-your-face sound, bigger soundstage and airier sound which was the goal of the "laid-back" config for me. It sounds very neutral despite doing such great adjustments to soundstage. Must sound superb with your K701 I bet. 
   
  Is it OK in case I update this thread's config so that I will provide both my "forward" config and a "laid-back" config based on your config using freesurround with possibly some minor adjustments to the config (and use my Electri-Q EQ config that simply restores stock foobar2000 frequency balance). I will give credits for you for the above freesurround config in that case. I just want as many people as possible to discover the awesomeness of a tweaked dolby headphone config why I made this thread.  Can't imagine going back to Dolby Headphone-less listening ever again.
   
  EDIT2: I'm actually baffled how great this config sounds like, the soundstage is so awesome, it makes it almost sound limitless but still not artificial at all. Currently testing with some various movie OST tracks which is classical with quite dramatic sound to it, I've never heard such a big airy soundstage, it sounds like I'm in a big concert hall and able to locate all instruments in their own positions even with these M-Audio Q40 headphones which are closed, well semi closed actually as there's small vents at back. At the moment I'm using 117% dolby headphone amplification, at least it sounds much better compared to 100% but above 120% or so it starts being a bit too much.
   
  I'm not completely sure about it yet but I seem to prefer 5.1 (legacy upmix) instead of the newer as it has slightly positive change on frequency response balance in my case.


----------



## OPrwtos

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> OK I will give it a short.
> 
> EDIT: I agree this sounds much better than your previous config (highs sounds better now). I will have to compare it to the "laid-back" config with channel mixer and see which of them I prefer, the "forward" one I still feel Channel Mixer does a greater job at.
> 
> ...


 

 Im glad your enjoying it  , i funny i also use 110% in dolby ( i see you adjusted it a bit after, but still). 
   
  You know whats really funny about that soundstage point you made. Is that relative to where i am standing in my room or if i poke my head ouside my window; the more physical space gives the illusion that the instruments can fit in that space, it actually feels like the soundstage is much bigger than just sitting in front of my pc, I think this is because it conforms to how the brain works. Like when im sitting infront of my pc, my brain knows there cant be instruments playing inside the wall, but when i poke my head out my window it actually sounds like the music is coming from around where the trees are (which is around 4~ meters away). Funny how that works.
   
  Also you said your testing it with movie scores and classical and finding that it works really well with them. Well i nearly only listen to film and game scores (including some classical) and that covers around 98% of the the time. Thats why i prefer the more open soundstage and probably why your finding these configured settings good for this type of music . Also when i poked my head out the window it felt like the music was playing in the atmosphere (and not in the headphones) like im actually in a film, it was pretty amazing. Only if it was summer and i could sit on my balcony with my headphones....


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I find it working awesome with classical music (game, movie music OSTs) but when it comes to pop and such I greatly prefer the "forward" config with channel mixer so it really depends on the type of music for me. It really sounds so off with hardstyle music too haha.


----------



## OPrwtos

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> I find it working awesome with classical music (game, movie music OSTs) but when it comes to pop and such I greatly prefer the "forward" config with channel mixer so it really depends on the type of music for me. *It really sounds so off with hardstyle music too haha.*


 

 haha.
   
  Also yh, i dont actually listen to pop so


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well I've updated the configs now in OP and provided the two different configs (that I've finetuned since my last settings) and I'm very happy with them now.
   
 *The "forward" config is suitable for:* People who prefer a more forward/"in-your-face" sounding soundstage (but improved/slightly larger stage with better imaging/positioning over stock foobar2000), more engaging listening experience. Suitable for people who like the Grado sound or listen to lots of rock, EDM, dance, pop etc music. If unsure I'd first try this one as it's more closer to stock foobar2000 sound.
  
 *The "laid-back" config is suitable for:* People who prefer a more laid-back sounding soundstage with better transparency and more spacious/wider soundstage, more relaxed listening. Suitable for people who prefer sound signatures by for example AKG K70x or Sennheiser HD800 or listen to a lot of classical/orchestra music.
  
 *Portable foobar2000 v1.1.6 "Forward" configuration:* foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward)-RPGWiZaRD.zip
  
*Portable foobar2000 v1.1.6 "Laid-back" configuration: *foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Laid-back)-RPGWiZaRD.zip - thx OPrwtos 
   
  Or if you just prefer grabbing the fbcp config files for DSP chain serializer:
   
  foobar2000.EQ.Balanced.(Forward)-RPGWiZaRD.fbcp
  http://www24.zippyshare.com/v/95228607/file.html
   
   foobar2000.EQ.Balanced.(Laid-back)-RPGWiZaRD.fbcp
  http://www24.zippyshare.com/v/48376311/file.html


----------



## JackeShan

I'm still enjoying the "forward" config that you posted in the other thread. It's awesome. Has this one been tuned since the last time you posted it in the other thread? Also, I prefer this over the laidback config. I listen to mostly metal/rock and a little bit EDM.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





jackeshan said:


> I'm still enjoying the "forward" config that you posted in the other thread. It's awesome. Has this one been tuned since the last time you posted it in the other thread? Also, I prefer this over the laidback config. I listen to mostly metal/rock and a little bit EDM.


 

 The "forward" config has been finetuned a little, changed the channel mixer settings very minorly, stereoimage width from 0.89 to 0.92 and Rear "volume" from 1.32 to 1.31 and did some very minor EQ adjustment (at the bass mostly). Also added Matrix Mixer to the plugin list and lowered the volume level with this (as it just seems like the best way to control the raised output volume level by channel mixer) which in return made it possible for me to higher the the gain in electri-Q from like -3.2 dB to -1.04dB and also raised Dolby Headphone amplification slider to 102% from 95% before.
   
  What it results audible wise is mostly some slight changes to soundstage, especially bringing up the dolby amplification slider seems to add more depth and paired with better stereo image separation from the channel mixer stereoimage width change, certain values work better than others, 100% and 102% works better than 101 or 103% for example. I'm unsure if it's even too much depth in the soundstage now though for that config.


----------



## JackeShan

Downloading it now. Thanks a lot for your effort!
  
  Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> The "forward" config has been finetuned a little, changed the channel mixer settings very minorly, stereoimage width from 0.89 to 0.92 and Rear "volume" from 1.32 to 1.31 and did some very minor EQ adjustment (at the bass mostly). Also added Matrix Mixer to the plugin list and lowered the volume level with this (as it just seems like the best way to control the raised output volume level by channel mixer) which in return made it possible for me to higher the the gain in electri-Q from like -3.2 dB to -1.04dB and also raised Dolby Headphone amplification slider to 102% from 95% before.
> 
> What it results audible wise is mostly some slight changes to soundstage, especially bringing up the dolby amplification slider seems to add more depth and paired with better stereo image separation from the channel mixer stereoimage width change, certain values work better than others, 100% and 102% works better than 101 or 103% for example. I'm unsure if it's even too much depth in the soundstage now though for that config.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Any comments on these latest changes, kinda curious.


----------



## danny93

I cant get this to install into my programes only as a folder so i cant set it as the default music player  
   
  I.e after its downloaded and i extract it its as its already installed and i can open the aplication immediatly...any way around this?
   
  Also i cant manage to get crossfede to work, any thoughts on thay?
   
  Thanks for all your work mate


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





danny93 said:


> I cant get this to install into my programes only as a folder so i cant set it as the default music player
> 
> I.e after its downloaded and i extract it its as its already installed and i can open the aplication immediatly...any way around this?
> 
> ...


 
   
  Yea you have to navigate to the folder you extracted it to and open the exe file from there (as your other foobar2000 install will open if you click on a mp3 file). If you want it replacing the other foobar2000 you simply put the folder into the exact same place as the other foobar2000 which you can move/rename temporarily or whatever and then it will become your default foobar2000.


----------



## danny93

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Yea you have to navigate to the folder you extracted it to and open the exe file from there (as your other foobar2000 install will open if you click on a mp3 file). If you want it replacing the other foobar2000 you simply put the folder into the exact same place as the other foobar2000 which you can move/rename temporarily or whatever and then it will become your default foobar2000.


 


  I deleted the other foobar already, I´ll just install it again (stock) and then replace folder. Thanks man, and any idea how to get crossfade working, cant get it to work in prefrences.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





danny93 said:


> I deleted the other foobar already, I´ll just install it again (stock) and then replace folder. Thanks man, and any idea how to get crossfade working, cant get it to work in prefrences.


 

 Worked here when I gave it a quick try...


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Just noticed I've had the wrong Dolby Headphone "forward" settings picture up for a while. Should be 102% amplification in Dolby Headphone with that mode. The preconfigured package obviously has 102% set but in case you were following the pictures to set it up yourself...


----------



## shoenberg3

The "forward setting" is literally a godsend for most non-classical things, including rock, hiphop, electronica, and acoustic.
  I still cannot come to terms with any of these settings (including the laid back setting, which is interesting but alters the sonority/tonality of instruments too much) with classical music.


----------



## danny93

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Worked here when I gave it a quick try...


 


  Ahh  how do you get it to work cant find a totorial any where i know where to find it in preferences and move it to the left of list and configure lenght of crossfade but when i click OK its like it hasnt saved 
   
  Thanks allot...loving the sound!


----------



## Telltale

I'm loving the sound of this setup, cheers RPGWizard.
   
  The only thing that's annoying me now is that the Dolby Headphone on my Xonar DG doesn't create nearly as large a soundstage or separate out the sounds as well The DH Wrapper. Any idea how I could configure it to work better with DH direct from my Xonar?
   
  Currently I'm just using the Laid-Back configuration and just removing the Dolby Headphone wrapper and turning on Dolby Headphone with 6 channels in the Asus Audio Center.
   
  It'd be great if you could help but naturally it's probably impossible that you could help without having access to the equipment yourself.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

That's simply due to the Dolby Headphone "Amplification" slider in the wrapper which you can't configure in ASUS Xonar. It's set at 110% in the laid-back config and when you use the Dolby Headphone from ASUS software it corresponds to amplification slider set to 100%. This slider affects the soundstage and reverb. So unfortunately it's not possible to get quite as good result as using the DH wrapper with foobar2000.
   
  Man I had almost killed myself for a "system-wide" foobar2000 dsp sound processing possibility with channel mixer & freesurround etc + Dolby Headphone support being added to the output device you use in Windows. I bet the soundstage/positioning would be godly for gaming with these configs as I don't like how Dolby Headphone sounds with music at all if not coupling it together with channel mixer or freesurround etc plugins that tweaks the channel settings. I keep imaginating how gaming would be like with the tweaked channel settings as if with the right channel settings dolby headphone sounds excellent with music then I can't help but keep wondering how it would be like for gaming/movie watching which was perhaps its main intended purpose.
   
  Actually I could test it out by recording sound while playing some game and then start up that recorded sound in foobar2000 with the config and see how I interpret the positioning without staring on any graphics in motion. Would be quite interesting, need to test that sometimes.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

OK, I've tweaked the settings very slightly again. I wanted to post it earlier but I was so captured by how great my music sounded like with it so errm couldn't stop testing it out. Both presets have been tested with at least something like 50 - 100 different songs and sounded great with them all. ^^ I doubt I'll be able to get any better working settings than this.
   
  The "Forward" config has now very slightly bigger soundstage and slightly better transparency and imaging and sounds less compressed so to speak, more natural.
   
  The "Laid-back" config has been improved in imaging, slightly more spacious sound and better bass response, now it truly sounds like being in a concert hall! 
   
  The links for the preconfigured foobar2000 as well as pictures with settings have been updated in the first post.


----------



## JackeShan

Awesome! Will try it out right now.
  Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> OK, I've tweaked the settings very slightly again. I wanted to post it earlier but I was so captured by how great my music sounded like with it so errm couldn't stop testing it out. Both presets have been tested with at least something like 50 - 100 different songs and sounded great with them all. ^^ I doubt I'll be able to get any better working settings than this.
> 
> The "Forward" config has now very slightly bigger soundstage and slightly better transparency and imaging and sounds less compressed so to speak, more natural.
> 
> ...


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





jackeshan said:


> Awesome! Will try it out right now.


 
   
  Feedback is welcome as usual. I started to like the laid-back config a lot more now too from previously mostly using the "forward" config for 90% of the time but I think the laid-back config fits now for more varied songs and can sound nice with pop songs and some EDM as well. There's been several cases when I thought some1 was shouting at me so had to pause music to check but then it was just the music as it sounded so real now.
   
  EDIT: I'm thinking of possibly updating the "laid-back" config  to use the DH2 mode instead of DH1 still though, from a quick listen it seems like it might work a little better with freesurround plugin. I still prefer DH1 mode clearly with the "forward" config but in the "laid-back" config with Dolby Amplification set to 110% and freesurround dsp plugin it seems that DH2 mode might be a better fit.
   
*EDIT2:* Updated the "Laid-back" config to use DH2 - Live Room mode, sounded quite a lot better to my ears. I'd give this config a retry if you didn't like it when testing earlier, sounds pretty darn good for most music now even if I say it myself.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Now added the exact EQ settings (freq, gain, bw) for all the filters to the first post as well in case you just for some reason just want to do exactly everything manually.


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





telltale said:


> I'm loving the sound of this setup, cheers RPGWizard.
> 
> The only thing that's annoying me now is that the Dolby Headphone on my Xonar DG doesn't create nearly as large a soundstage or separate out the sounds as well The DH Wrapper. Any idea how I could configure it to work better with DH direct from my Xonar?
> 
> ...


 

 I think the problem is the 6 channels (L,C,R,Rb,Lb) in the Xonar audio card. The foobar configuration uses  (L,C,R,RS,LS). So you have to redirect the Rb,Lb channels to RS,LS with matrix mixer and put on 8 ch in your xonar card.


----------



## OPrwtos

YOYOYOOYOYO Guys, i decided i had messed up presets all over the place so what i did was take the best ones and unique ones and numbers them all 1 through 7. RPGwizard do you want me to send you my whole foobar and config so you can try them out?
   
  Also when you listen and compare each preset dont inspect the settings, thats why i numbered them 1, 2, 3, etc. This is so there is no bias and find out which settings i really like without thinking to hard about the actual settings.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





oprwtos said:


> YOYOYOOYOYO Guys, i decided i had messed up presets all over the place so what i did was take the best ones and unique ones and numbers them all 1 through 7. RPGwizard do you want me to send you my whole foobar and config so you can try them out?
> 
> Also when you listen and compare each preset dont inspect the settings, thats why i numbered them 1, 2, 3, etc. This is so there is no bias and find out which settings i really like without thinking to hard about the actual settings.


 

 I don't mind really. You could upload the whole package of preconfigured foobar2000 folders somewhere or .fbcp config files would be easiest in case you use the "DSP chain serializer" plugin, it stores dsp load order + dsp settings.


----------



## metramp

I love this set but sometimes I feel like the room was too small however that's not an issue. The pain is, at some songs, the voice of singer is overwhelmed in terms of loudness by the rest of instruments. Any ideas how to tweak it?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





metramp said:


> I love this set but sometimes I feel like the room was too small however that's not an issue. The pain is, at some songs, the voice of singer is overwhelmed in terms of loudness by the rest of instruments. Any ideas how to tweak it?


 

 First, which of the configs do you use? I'm guessing the "forward", am I right?
   
  In that case you have two options; lower the sliders "Rear in front" and "Front in rear" in Channel Mixer. They both should be kept at a similar value. The other thing you can do is to adjust Electri-Q EQ, lower the area around 1kHz or so.


----------



## OPrwtos

i send u link in private message


----------



## metramp

Thanks for your reply.
   
  Yes, I have downloaded the whole "forward" package. I have noticed that there's a Advanced Limiter not previously mentioned (probably that's not  an issue here). I played a little bit with Channel mixer, effects are slightly better. Voices still seem supressed but It may be  the matter of music (specific style of band e.g. Crystal Castles or mastering etc.), my soundcard and hours of tweaking the settings.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I've concidered lowering the Rear in front and Front in rear setting to around 0.86 - 0.90 or so myself. The point of this "forward" config is to sound like it implifies though but regarding pop songs it could possibly be unnecessary forward sounding in the sense that vocals and some instruments are possibly pushed too much forward or "in-your-face" which these sliders have this kind of effect on. The other laid-back config could be worth a try as well, might be more according to your taste.
   
  Rear in front: 0.90 and Front in rear: 0.86 sounds pretty good so might be updating the config to that after I'm sure it sounds good after having tried with many different songs. Of course there's a trade-off with everything, the lower I go on these setting the less "engaging, fun" it might sound like and some people might even want even more such characteristic for example but at the same time by lowering this setting it seems to also result in better transparency/instrument separation which is also a benefit but what I'm trying to find here is a common middleground that works as good as possible for as many users as possible so it might not be perfect for every1 especially since different headphones, equipment and tastes we have require slightly different settings but yea I'm trying to find settings that fits somewhere in the middle.
   
  So therefore it's always good with feedback.


----------



## metramp

Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate that person of that experience is helping me.
   
  Couple of hours ago I'd been convinced that Rear in Front: 0,76 and Front in Rear: 0.8 are fine for me, then after reading your post switched to: rear in front: 0.88 and Front in rear: 0.84, at that point I was quite sure that this is my sweet point for all my music but later, listening to _Grace Slick – Manhole Theme_ I realised that this needs just a little tweak. Probably now I am abusing your kindness but could you try to show me the directions to adjust this software for this particular song?
  Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> I've concidered lowering the Rear in front and Front in rear setting to around 0.86 - 0.90 or so myself. The point of this "forward" config is to sound like it implifies though but regarding pop songs it could possibly be unnecessary forward sounding in the sense that vocals and some instruments are possibly pushed too much forward or "in-your-face" which these sliders have this kind of effect on. The other laid-back config could be worth a try as well, might be more according to your taste.
> 
> Rear in front: 0.90 and Front in rear: 0.86 sounds pretty good so might be updating the config to that after I'm sure it sounds good after having tried with many different songs. Of course there's a trade-off with everything, the lower I go on these setting the less "engaging, fun" it might sound like and some people might even want even more such characteristic for example but at the same time by lowering this setting it seems to also result in better transparency/instrument separation which is also a benefit but what I'm trying to find here is a common middleground that works as good as possible for as many users as possible so it might not be perfect for every1 especially since different headphones, equipment and tastes we have require slightly different settings but yea I'm trying to find settings that fits somewhere in the middle.
> 
> So therefore it's always good with feedback.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





metramp said:


> Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate that person of that experience is helping me.
> 
> Couple of hours ago I'd been convinced that Rear in Front: 0,76 and Front in Rear: 0.8 are fine for me, then after reading your post switched to: rear in front: 0.88 and Front in rear: 0.84, at that point I was quite sure that this is my sweet point for all my music but later, listening to _Grace Slick – Manhole Theme_ I realised that this needs just a little tweak. Probably now I am abusing your kindness but could you try to show me the directions to adjust this software for this particular song?


 

 Would help to know what your issue is soundwise, what kind of change you're looking for. Otherwise the first post explains all settings in channel mixer.
   
  Otherwise I find the recording quality lacking in this song but it sounds pretty good with the laid-back config in this song especially as that config suits these kind of music better as you can get a more laid-back and airy sound using freesurround plugin instead of channel mixer and I'd imagine that's what you're looking for here.
   
  You don't need to download the other package, you can simply switch to that other config going to file -> preferences -> DSP manager and then in the "DSP chain presets" dropdown list first select "Custom: Stock foobar2000" and then "load" and then select "Genre: Balanced (More laid-back & airy) and load that one. Then to switch back to the other dolby headphone config simply load "Custom: Stock foobar2000" preset first again and then load "Genre: Balanced (Default)" which is the "forward" config. You need to always load the "stock foobar2000" config in-between as if you load two presets containing Electri-Q in the active DSP list in a row it'll crash.
   
  But yea give this other config a try here, I thought it sounded a whole lot better with this song, went from quite bad soundstage to impressive with this song, in fact it's the song that has showed the biggest advantage by a huge amount with the "laid-back" config compared to "forward", usually I find it easier to find songs that performs better with the forward config but I listen a lot more to electronica myself.


----------



## metramp

Description of laid back mode was quite misleading (classical and orchestra music) and thus i'd never checked it out but after your recommendation I've tried it and… never had i such problem with collecting my dropped jaw from the floor.
   
  Thank you, *RPGWiZaRD,* I just can't express sufficiently my apreciation, just can't…
   
  Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Would help to know what your issue is soundwise, what kind of change you're looking for. Otherwise the first post explains all settings in channel mixer.
> 
> Otherwise I find the recording quality lacking in this song but it sounds pretty good with the laid-back config in this song especially as that config suits these kind of music better as you can get a more laid-back and airy sound using freesurround plugin instead of channel mixer and I'd imagine that's what you're looking for here.
> 
> ...


----------



## OPrwtos

metramp you HAVE to try a config i have with dts neural upmix, its mind BLOW lol i compared it with channel mixer and freesurround and it destroys them in clarity


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





oprwtos said:


> metramp you HAVE to try a config i have with dts neural upmix, its mind BLOW lol i compared it with channel mixer and freesurround and it destroys them in clarity


 

 I dunno, I find the neural upmix possibly less accurate sounding, clear yes but not necessary accurate. I'm comparing to stock foobar config myself not what appears to sound clearest or so though. With the settings I provide in the forward & laid-back config together with the EQ setting which I've kept tweaking for like maybe a year possibly you can't really hear any noticable change in frequency response balance change disabling or enabling the DH config.
   
  But I will compare more tomorrow, hopefully getting the exact same EQ setting to that config so I can better tell, I need to volume match with matrix mixer & have exact same EQ settings before I can tell for sure which has always been the goal and where I've been heading all the time. I wanted the improved soundstage/positioning of Dolby Headphone with no change to frequency response balance.


----------



## OPrwtos

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> I dunno, I find the neural upmix possibly less accurate sounding, clear yes but not necessary accurate.


 
  really!? i find it the most accurate ive tried so far! lol more accurate than channel mix, freeSd, all the isone stuff and so on.


----------



## OPrwtos

However setting 5 (freesurround settings that i gave u before for the laidback stuff with dolby on 150%) and setting 4 (neural upmix with -34depth, 70width, dolby 110% ) are quite similar, however neural beats it in clarity.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I've updated the "Forward" config very slightly, I've put "Rear in front" now at 0.96 and "Front in rear" at 0.89 (from previously 0.98 and 0.94 respectively) in channel mixer as well as did some very minor EQ adjustment around the upper-mids - lower-highs range but only by less than 0.3dB or something so probably nothing you will notice whatsoever. 
   
  What this small change seems to do is the soundstage now better surrounds you (more sense of depth and immersion) and the separation is slightly better of background instruments and such and the bass position seems often tiny better defined now, stands out from the rest slightly more but as usual YMMV.


----------



## OPrwtos

I spent a while trying to get rid of the distortion of the back channels that occured with the neural upmix settings. I configured them to perfection.
   
  try this - http://www.mediafire.com/?dbvqsqsn9a6gnsu <- update
   
  configured with k701


----------



## hesher

This is amazing. Completely Changed the sound on my AKG K701. 
  I'm enjoying music more!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





oprwtos said:


> I spent a while trying to get rid of the distortion of the back channels that occured with the neural upmix settings. I configured them to perfection.
> 
> try this - http://www.mediafire.com/?gj6tyg1y11s5o1o


 

 I will give it a try today with my Electri-Q setting and volume match when I have time.
   


hesher said:


> This is amazing. Completely Changed the sound on my AKG K701.
> I'm enjoying music more!


 
   
  Nice to hear.  Same here, I can't stop listening as I get so immersed with the music when listening with the Dolby Headphone configs.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





oprwtos said:


> I spent a while trying to get rid of the distortion of the back channels that occured with the neural upmix settings. I configured them to perfection.
> 
> try this - http://www.mediafire.com/?dbvqsqsn9a6gnsu <- update
> 
> configured with k701


 

 OK I've given it a try and it sounds reasonably good now when I volume matched and applied my EQ settings for better comparision. I'd fit it somewhere in-between channel mixer and freesurrounder sound signature wise. The freesurround is able to produce a more airy, wide soundstage but it's not as "forward", in-your-face as with the channel mixer config. I may even put it up as a "optional" download if I find it different & good enough compared to the other settings I already have there. But yea from some quick listening here and there it doesn't sound too bad but I did some minor adjustments and using these settings:
   

   
  However one thing that is a bit annoying is when you click on a song in the tracklist it seems to have a noise before the track starts for me.


----------



## OPrwtos

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> OK I've given it a try and it sounds reasonably good now when I volume matched and applied my EQ settings for better comparision. I'd fit it somewhere in-between channel mixer and freesurrounder sound signature wise. The freesurround is able to produce a more airy, wide soundstage but it's not as "forward", in-your-face as with the channel mixer config. I may even put it up as a "optional" download if I find it different & good enough compared to the other settings I already have there. But yea from some quick listening here and there it doesn't sound too bad but I did some minor adjustments and using these settings:
> 
> 
> 
> However one thing that is a bit annoying is when you click on a song in the tracklist it seems to have a noise before the track starts for me.


 
  hm noise before the track really?
   
  btw i tuned it a bit to width 20%, l, r : 3.0;  C:0.5 and ceiling -3.0. I left the other stuff the same.


----------



## musicreo

I just want to post my actual settings:
  equalizer
  dts neural upmix:  Depth: auto      Width: 36%
  Matrix Mixer:
   
   
                        
   
  I think with this settings you get a good surround image without to much distortions.


----------



## OPrwtos

Quote: 





musicreo said:


> I just want to post my actual settings:
> equalizer
> dts neural upmix:  Depth: auto      Width: 36%
> Matrix Mixer:
> ...


 
  depth auto gives distortion to the back channels though


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





oprwtos said:


> depth auto gives distortion to the back channels though


 


  But with Dolby Headphone you can't hear it, because the distortions are low (and setting the depth to other values don't really effect the distortions ) and the front channels are 10 db over the back channels.


----------



## bluzeboy

do need  a plugin for this  what kind of file is this?
  
  Quote: 





oprwtos said:


> I spent a while trying to get rid of the distortion of the back channels that occured with the neural upmix settings. I configured them to perfection.
> 
> try this - http://www.mediafire.com/?dbvqsqsn9a6gnsu <- update
> 
> configured with k701


----------



## OPrwtos

Quote: 





bluzeboy said:


> do need  a plugin for this  what kind of file is this?


 
  yep you need this - http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=86873 which allow you to save and load presets


----------



## bluzeboy

thanksOPrwtos


----------



## OPrwtos

Quote: 





bluzeboy said:


> thanksOPrwtos


 

  thx to RPGWiZaRD  for showing me the serializer


----------



## romein138

I have three questions,
   
  First, using either of the preset configurations in the original post, if I enable WASAPI with 24-bit Output under Foobar's "Output" section, will that break any of the plugins?
   
  Second, if I wanted to insert a resampler like PPHS or Sox into the chain, where would it go and should any DSPs be disabled in it's place? Would I be able to leave WASAPI 24-bit enabled using one? Which resampler works best with this setup?
   
  Third, any suggestions on tweaking these presets for an HD650 off a 24-bit DAC?
   
  Thanks, enjoying playing with this!


----------



## maverickronin

wrong thread...


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





romein138 said:


> I have three questions,
> 
> First, using either of the preset configurations in the original post, if I enable WASAPI with 24-bit Output under Foobar's "Output" section, will that break any of the plugins?
> 
> ...


 
   
  1. Yes ofc you can. I've just set the output device as "DS: Primary Sound driver" for convenience so that every1 should get some sound without having to change anything.
   
  2. Doesn't matter that much where you insert it, but I used to put it at top when I used it with another source.
   
  3. Well I haven't heard HD650 so it's a bit difficult to tell, personally I'd probably just end up EQing treblerange a tiny bit up on HD650.


----------



## ivantoar

The pre-configured laid-back sounds weird on my Ottmar Liebert's "Up Close". Songs in this album sounds as they're played very far away from me (muffled). Otherwise, it sounds very great with Pink Floyd's "Mother". The blow that in the first few seconds sounds very real! It flows from my right to left ear very nicely.


----------



## OPrwtos

Quote: 





romein138 said:


> I have three questions,
> 
> First, using either of the preset configurations in the original post, if I enable WASAPI with 24-bit Output under Foobar's "Output" section, will that break any of the plugins?
> 
> ...


 
  i would use the resampler at the end of the chain, ive seen some problems encountered otherwise on certain occasions.
  Also i use wasapi and output 24-bit and it works fine.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





ivantoar said:


> The pre-configured laid-back sounds weird on my Ottmar Liebert's "Up Close". Songs in this album sounds as they're played very far away from me (muffled). Otherwise, it sounds very great with Pink Floyd's "Mother". The blow that in the first few seconds sounds very real! It flows from my right to left ear very nicely.


 
   
  Try the "forward" config in that case. You can easily switch between the configs in preferences -> DSP manager and in the DSP chain preset dropdown first choose "Custom: Stock foobar2000" and then click on load and then choose "Genre: Balanced (Default)" and load that one. To load the "laid-back" config first choose the stock foobar2000 and then "Genre: Balanced (More laid-back & airy)".
   
  Laid-back config is meant to have sounds coming from further apart for bigger soundstage, the forward config is more "up-front" sounding closer to stock foobar2000. Therefore I personally find the laid-back to mostly work great for classical while I usually prefer the other config for all other genres but yea it can vary a bit from recording to another but personally I prefer the "forward" config in most cases.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Played around with the EQ gain vs Maxtrix mixer volume setting for the "forward" config so that Electri-Q gain was lowered a bit and Matrix mixer raised as this seemed to lead to slightly better result, bass has slightly better definition/impact and mids/highs sounds cleaner (very small difference). Download link/pics/settings updated.


----------



## JackeShan

Thanks!
   
  Som vanligt, grymt jobbat! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  
  Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Played around with the EQ gain vs Maxtrix mixer volume setting for the "forward" config so that Electri-Q gain was lowered a bit and Matrix mixer raised as this seemed to lead to slightly better result, bass has slightly better definition/impact and mids/highs sounds cleaner (very small difference). Download link/pics/settings updated.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





jackeshan said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Som vanligt, grymt jobbat!


 

 Haha tackar, du var lite snabb där, hade tänkt uppdatera EQ inställningen litegrann idag och det är gjort nu men det är en ytterst liten justering (kring 63Hz för det saknades kanske pyttelite bas vid där kring). Alla länkar och sånt är iaf uppdaterade nu.
   
  To every1 else I also made a nice new recorded Dolby Headphone video with the latest settings except I used DH2 - Live room mode as this track fit better with no extra added reverb of a nice hardstyle track I personally love:


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

OK need your input, I'm looking at improving the laid-back config atm and managed to get it sounding better with a wide variety of music instead of previously thinking it suited mostly quite specific recordings. However I can't make up my mind which of these 2 settings sounds better so if you can comment that would be nice.
   
*Config 1*
   
  Preconfigured package http://www1.zippyshare.com/v/22295769/file.html
  or
  Fbcp dsp serializer helper config file http://www1.zippyshare.com/v/54138327/file.html
   
*Config 2*
   
  Preconfigured package http://www1.zippyshare.com/v/40924687/file.html
  or
  Fbcp dsp serializer helper config file http://www1.zippyshare.com/v/96632380/file.html
   
   
  Here's also an example comparision video I uploaded for convenience (Config1 is 0:00 - 3:40 and Config2 3:40 -> 7:21)


----------



## maverickronin

I think I like the second one better.  Its farther away and more natural sounding.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





maverickronin said:


> I think I like the second one better.  Its farther away and more natural sounding.


 

 Yea I share a bit the same feeling, the config 1 seems wider in soundstage and often has more distinct positioning of instruments but it may also become slightly unnatural sounding sometimes and sometimes there's a hint of "metallic" treble in certain high frequencies (not audible in most songs including this one, well possibly if you listen closely to the drum echo at some point you might hear some tiny hints of it) and config 2 never has that but the soundstage is mostly slightly less wide but still has great sense of depth. I might upload another song for comparision as well.
   
  It's the "Focus (ambience <-> localization) setting which especially affects this, going to the "localization" side the positioning often gets more distincly moved towards the sides or the positioning of "swirling around"/panning sound effects are more clear and it sounds like soundstage is wider but it also affects the sound quality a bit appearently (although just seems to be audible with certain high frequencies).
   
  Which one sounds farther away probably has to do with the difference EQ settings, I could probably easily make the 1st config sound like coming from further away if moving frequencies a bit backwards in the whole midrange, the 1st config has higher boosted upper-mid and lower-highs range especially (2kHz ~ 8kHz), with exact same EQ settings it would sound slightly more muffled than config 2 though why it was necessary to make those adjustments, at least they currently have VERY similar sounding frequency balance, it's just the positioning is slightly different. EDIT: Seems like I mixed it up, config 1 has actually lower boosted treblerange settings of the two on the EQ as it was even more forward in the treblerange without the adjustments.
   
  I wouldn't be suprised if some people would prefer config 1 for the wider stage & slightly more distinct positioning though, I know I sometimes do that myself too why I keep going back n forth.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Uploaded another comparision video (config1 0:00->4:12, config2 4:13 ->)
   




   
  This is an example where I think config 1 fares pretty well with the increased soundstage/more distinct positioning.
   
  EDIT: I increased the stereo image width slightly on config 2 now and seems to bring a bit better result.
   
  EDIT2: Yea now I've found a good config for the "laid-back" one based on config 2. I will probably replace the one in OP soon after I've "confirmed" it working good listening through my collection.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

OK I've finally updated the OP to include the latest config for the "Laid-back" one. I've made quite a lot changes compared to the one it's replacing;
   
 *Changes:*
   
  - Quite a bit changes in Freesurround, especially regarding "Focus (Ambient <-> Localization)" setting where I went from like +0.50 to -0.26 which resulted in less sound quality impact, highs no longer metallic and the treble range is overall clearer but the soundstage is usually less wide but more natural sounding.
   
  - Matrix mixer got all channels' volume adjusted separately for best result
   
  - Dolby Headphone amplification went from 110% to 113%
   
  - Minor EQ adjustments in the treblerange => more natural, closer to stock foobar sound
   
  ==> More versatail, no longer only works superb for specific recordings or genres but I'd avoid if mainly listening to rock still though  Compared to the "forward" config this is still as the name hints, more relaxed, laid-back, not as "in-your-face" sounding, now they complement each other better in my opinion so that they are similar but still different regarding the positioning/soundstage.
   
   
  Preconfigured package: http://www45.zippyshare.com/v/61272257/file.html
   
  Fbcp config file: http://www45.zippyshare.com/v/12487279/file.html
   
   
  And finally, here's a demo with the new config


----------



## bellsprout

so what happens if you have your sound card on Dolby Headphone also?


----------



## Hailin

Thanks for this RPG listening to the LOTR soundtrack in Flac is just plain fun. Seems to boost the mids a bit for my DT990pros.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





bellsprout said:


> so what happens if you have your sound card on Dolby Headphone also?


 

 Doesn't sound good, way too metallic and reverby sound. You shouldn't either have it enabled on your soundcard if listening to the "demo" vids. For best results the soundcard's Dolby Headphone should be disabled, you can disable the one in foobar2000 but it sounds even better using the DH plugin in foobar2000 though. 
   


hailin said:


> Thanks for this RPG listening to the LOTR soundtrack in Flac is just plain fun. Seems to boost the mids a bit for my DT990pros.


 

  Using the "forward" or "laid-back" config? The forward may give you the "illusion" of boosting the mids as it's as if the mids are pushed more forward but doesn't get louder. The Laid-back is the opposite, mids gets pushed a little further away from you for increased perception of soundstage.


----------



## bellsprout

Quote: 





> Doesn't sound good, way too metallic and reverby sound. You shouldn't either have it enabled on your soundcard if listening to the "demo" vids. For best results the soundcard's Dolby Headphone should be disabled, you can disable the one in foobar2000 but it sounds even better using the DH plugin in foobar2000 though.


 

 I can't seem to get it to sound like your demo recordings. I downloaded the preset and configured my sound card drivers (Xonar D2) to 6 channel and 5.1 speakers. Would you consider uploading before and after samples of your recordings so I can see if I can set it up correctly?
   
  Also, why does the output have to be set to speakers? Isn't the signal stereo after the DSP effects in foobar? Wouldn't my drivers up and down mix it again after?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

In Xonar cards I'm not sure how you should set the speaker config in the driver software... but the Windows speaker config should be set to 5.1 for best possible result. 8 channel might be correct to use with Xonar cards in the driver software for example or it might have to be set to stereo/headphones while windows speaker config is set to 5.1 IN CASE they aren't linked to each other like with this Realtek onboard. So I suggest try both headphones/stereo in Xonar cards as well as 8 channels while Windows speaker config is set to 5.1. At least on X-Fi cards  I know the windows speaker config and X-Fi driver software have their own independent speaker configs and with those cards you seem to get the best result with 5.1 speaker config set in windows and "headphones" in the X-Fi software.
   
  I personally tick both the "Full range speakers" options "front and right" and "surround speakers" in the speaker config.
   
  I'm showing you this realtek speaker config gui because it's linked with the windows speaker config so it's like changed on both ends and the windows speaker config has like multiple menus that shows up with selections so it's easier to show this Realtek gui:


----------



## Hailin

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Doesn't sound good, way too metallic and reverby sound. You shouldn't either have it enabled on your soundcard if listening to the "demo" vids. For best results the soundcard's Dolby Headphone should be disabled, you can disable the one in foobar2000 but it sounds even better using the DH plugin in foobar2000 though.
> 
> 
> Using the "forward" or "laid-back" config? The forward may give you the "illusion" of boosting the mids as it's as if the mids are pushed more forward but doesn't get louder. The Laid-back is the opposite, mids gets pushed a little further away from you for increased perception of soundstage.


 
  Your latest compile above the FF7 song.


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





bellsprout said:


> I can't seem to get it to sound like your demo recordings. I downloaded the preset and configured my sound card drivers (Xonar D2) to 6 channel and 5.1 speakers. Would you consider uploading before and after samples of your recordings so I can see if I can set it up correctly?
> 
> Also, why does the output have to be set to speakers? Isn't the signal stereo after the DSP effects in foobar? Wouldn't my drivers up and down mix it again after?


 


  If you are using the dolby headphone dsp in foobar you should use stereo output in your xonar card and the hifi modus. If you use the xonar Dolby Headphone effect you should use 6 or 8 ch output.  If you use Win Vista or Win 7 you can use WASAPI in foobar so you don't need to bother abaut channel configuration in the windows mixer.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I love listening to both the current presets now. Sounds very good to me to a wide variety of music on both forward and laid-back config and both have no audible sound quality impact to my ears, doubt there's much that can be tweaked to make it sound better now based on these plugins at least, perhaps there will be some newer channel mixing plugins or ones that I've not tested yet that may work even better but with these plugins I don't think I'll be able to tweak better results with.
   
  Only on the "forward" config with some music may work better if using the "DH2 - live room" dolby headphone mode and raising Dolby headphone amplification slider from 104 to 106% for example for bassy hardstyle tracks that may lose some bass impact as it can't keep up with the bassheavy passages in DH1 - Reference room mode and if switching to DH2 mode it can keep up with the bass but other music such as ballads, acoustic, pop etc sounds better with DH1 mode for a wider sounding stage thanks to the very slight reverb.


----------



## danny93

Cant seem to change the windows to 5.1, i go to the speaker setup and the only option is sterio...any ideas (i have the Titanium HD soundcard BTW)
   
  Thanks allot


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





danny93 said:


> Cant seem to change the windows to 5.1, i go to the speaker setup and the only option is sterio...any ideas (i have the Titanium HD soundcard BTW)
> 
> Thanks allot


 

 If you're choosing the right output device it should be possible, I've had Titanium HD card myself. You have the drivers properly installed? Not Windows suggested but downloaded from Creative right?


----------



## danny93

Quote:


rpgwizard said:


> If you're choosing the right output device it should be possible, I've had Titanium HD card myself. You have the drivers properly installed? Not Windows suggested but downloaded from Creative right?


 


  I have [size=14pt]Robert McClelland[/size] PAX custom drivers, shall i enable 5.1 on the creative drivers not on windows...i thoughs this 5.1 was nothing to do with my creative drivers?
   
  Edit i have windows 7


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





danny93 said:


> Quote:
> 
> 
> I have [size=14pt]Robert McClelland[/size] PAX custom drivers, shall i enable 5.1 on the creative drivers not on windows...i thoughs this 5.1 was nothing to do with my creative drivers?


 

 5.1 speakers should be enabled through Windows control panel by right clicking on that default output device and then configure speakers and set headphones/stereo in the X-Fi driver software.
   
  Ofc you can use this config with stereo speakers too but it sounds best like this from my testing AND with Titanium HD above mentioned config is also the recommended configuration for best possible gaming positional sound too.


----------



## danny93

Quote:


rpgwizard said:


> 5.1 speakers should be enabled through Windows control panel by right clicking on that default output device and then configure speakers and set headphones/stereo in the X-Fi driver software.
> 
> Ofc you can use this config with stereo speakers too but it sounds best like this from my testing AND with Titanium HD above mentioned config is also the recommended configuration for best possible gaming positional sound too.


 

 Thats the thing theres no 5.1 option there...only 2.1 and thats it!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





danny93 said:


> Quote:
> 
> Thats the thing theres no 5.1 option there...only 2.1 and thats it!


 

 Did you check all the output devices, in case you're using a different one than I did, I think there were 2 different ones and only one pf them had multichannel output.
   
  I'm also heavily concidering updating the Forward config to use DH-2 live room mode and amplification set to 106% as it works better for so many tracks, the reverb masks some fine details here and there in DH1.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well I updated the download link and the settings on the first page for the "Forward" config to use "DH2 - Live room" mode and Amplification slider to 106% and Electri-Q gain to -2,140. Sounds fantastic! I wish I had realized it earlier exactly how great of an advantage there is in hearing microdetails using DH2 mode instead of DH1 mode sooner. I'm pretty shocked at the difference switching on/off this config now as it sounds to my ears on my setup like I'd get better fine detail retrieval too which should be pretty impossible by theory, the positioning sounds so realistic like I'd be in the same room with the band. 
   
  I will really need to make some new demo samples now.


----------



## JackeShan

It's always nice with updates! I'll compare it to the DH1 mode and see what I like better on my setup.
  I have also tried the laid-back config and it's better than what it was earlier. However, I get this weird "fade in" sound, especially when a snare drum hits. It's hard to explain, but something is really off. Is it just me?
   
  Edit:
  The DH2 mode is the winner for me. The differences aren't big to DH1 in my opinion, but positioning is a bit better, and slightly more detailed, and overall a better sound. I like it! And wow, I'm actually scared of how much better everything sounds compared to stock foobar


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





jackeshan said:


> It's always nice with updates! I'll compare it to the DH1 mode and see what I like better on my setup.
> I have also tried the laid-back config and it's better than what it was earlier. However, I get this weird "fade in" sound, especially when a snare drum hits. It's hard to explain, but something is really off. Is it just me?
> 
> Edit:
> The DH2 mode is the winner for me. The differences aren't big to DH1 in my opinion, but positioning is a bit better, and slightly more detailed, and overall a better sound. I like it! And wow, I'm actually scared of how much better everything sounds compared to stock foobar


 

 Yea well it's always a combination of both the DH mode + the amplification value, certain values just give a lot better positioning, even one value lower or higher might ruin it! DH2 and amplification 106% works like magic together, if it had stayed at 104% it hadn't sounded so awesome.


----------



## Hailin

I am now using the forward one on the front page and for acoustic material it makes my DT990 soar.Bass guitar on Jake Johnson it over bearing at times but that is the nature of the headphones more then the nature of your eqing.
  For my nature recordings when something loud hits it seems like the panning is off or very direct. Doesn't sound full or surrounding. Those are the only clips really where it seems odd.  I am using WASAPI output in foobar.


----------



## wayward91

hi, iv had dolby headphone in foobar for a while now but have not been able to get it to work. I have got the plug ins and the multi channel mixer but can’t get anything to seem like its in surround sound. In dolby headphone the status for the dolbyhpl.dll is “invalid” could this be why? Im a little stuck. I have a 5.1copy (from sacd) of the dark side of the moon that id like to give a go. i have listened to this with speakers but haven’t got Dolby headphone to work.
  Any suggestions ??
   
  Cheers all


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





wayward91 said:


> hi, iv had dolby headphone in foobar for a while now but have not been able to get it to work. I have got the plug ins and the multi channel mixer but can’t get anything to seem like its in surround sound. In dolby headphone the status for the dolbyhpl.dll is “invalid” could this be why? Im a little stuck. I have a 5.1copy (from sacd) of the dark side of the moon that id like to give a go. i have listened to this with speakers but haven’t got Dolby headphone to work.
> Any suggestions ??
> 
> Cheers all


 
   
  Don't know what to suggest but sounds like it's not using the dolby headphone plugin for you if it says "invalid", don't ask me why though, probably something computer related, depending how you got yours set up etc.


----------



## bluzeboy

Quote: 





wayward91 said:


> hi, iv had dolby headphone in foobar for a while now but have not been able to get it to work. I have got the plug ins and the multi channel mixer but can’t get anything to seem like its in surround sound. In dolby headphone the status for the dolbyhpl.dll is “invalid” could this be why? Im a little stuck. I have a 5.1copy (from sacd) of the dark side of the moon that id like to give a go. i have listened to this with speakers but haven’t got Dolby headphone to work.
> Any suggestions ??


 
   
  Search for the file dollbyhpl.dll &link it to the plugin


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

It's included in the preconfigured package but it's found also bundled with several programs but I guess you just have to point to it manually despite the box "remember the path relatively to foobar2000 installation" is ticked.


----------



## danny93

I just tried to change the sound from stereo to 5.1 again, and the option was there...changed it and OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! So immersive listening to trance, completly 3D with all the little details whizzing round my head LOL, very well done mate! Im not even using your updated one ATM, currently downloading 
   
  Also I cant manage to overwrite the stock foobar application folder with your modded foobar...would really appreciate it if you could let me know how you managed it...I just dragged foobar folder to system´s foobar folder and merged and overwrite as prompted but cannot open the foobar.exe after 
   
  Thanks again!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





danny93 said:


> I just tried to change the sound from stereo to 5.1 again, and the option was there...changed it and OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! So immersive listening to trance, completly 3D with all the little details whizzing round my head LOL, very well done mate! Im not even using your updated one ATM, currently downloading
> 
> Also I cant manage to overwrite the stock foobar application folder with your modded foobar...would really appreciate it if you could let me know how you managed it...I just dragged foobar folder to system´s foobar folder and merged and overwrite as prompted but cannot open the foobar.exe after
> 
> Thanks again!


 

 I would move out your old foobar folder somewhere else BUT if you have a standard install (non-portable) of foobar2000 you could also just uninstall that one and then place into the same location this preconfigured package and it should work as normal (might have to choose foobar2000 as standard program to open the mp3/flac files). Since standard install adds the configuration folder to a different place users\username\... etc, that might be conflicting with this portable install so yea if you're using a standard install of foobar I'd first uinstall that one (make sure any themes or whatever configs you might have that you may want saved are saved first).
   
  And yea welcome to 3D whizzling surround sound club.


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





wayward91 said:


> hi, iv had dolby headphone in foobar for a while now but have not been able to get it to work. I have got the plug ins and the multi channel mixer but can’t get anything to seem like its in surround sound. In dolby headphone the status for the dolbyhpl.dll is “invalid” could this be why? Im a little stuck. I have a 5.1copy (from sacd) of the dark side of the moon that id like to give a go. i have listened to this with speakers but haven’t got Dolby headphone to work.
> Any suggestions ??
> 
> Cheers all


 
  When you use a 5.1 track you don't need the channel mixer. In the DH-Wrapper you must insert the location of the dll. The status in  the wrapper should be : "valid Dolby Headphone DLL linked, version 1.2....".
   
  If your SACD copy have a samplerate of 96 KHz you must use a resampler because the Dolby Headphone DLL  only works with up to 48 KHz.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





musicreo said:


> When you use a 5.1 track you don't need the channel mixer. In the DH-Wrapper you must insert the location of the dll. The status in  the wrapper should be : "valid Dolby Headphone DLL linked, version 1.2....".
> 
> If your SACD copy have a samplerate of 96 KHz you must use a resampler because the Dolby Headphone DLL  only works with up to 48 KHz.


 

 True about 5.1 tracks. Well it won't sound exactly the same if not using channel mixer as I've made the tweaks to the channel settings in the plugin though. Didn't know about the 48kHz max samplerate support though. 
   
  Here's a video I uploaded cuz I thought the voice is just so sweet haha. I'll try to upload a more known song that also sounds like a good demo for it or if you got any ideas for some good songs to demo it with then by all means, please share, makes it easier for me.  I was maybe thinking "Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold" as the config sounds perhaps most impressive with acoustic music.
   





  (Using the new "forward" config)


----------



## danny93

Still cant get it to install correctly, I deleted the program completly and did a fresh install of foobar, then unistaled like you said and moved your preconfigured foobar to the folder in system directory   but get the error could not access profile folder...strange


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





danny93 said:


> Still cant get it to install correctly, I deleted the program completly and did a fresh install of foobar, then unistaled like you said and moved your preconfigured foobar to the folder in system directory   but get the error could not access profile folder...strange


 

 Well that's the prob when you deleted instead of uinstalled the first time and there's probably some old registry edits which are messing with the foobar2000 thinking it's the other foobar2000 still running. With a standard install it uses a config folder elsewhere, don't know exactly, just google it and delete it perhaps.
   
  Well you can always start it up from a different location but it won't start up when clicking on a mp3 though (trying to access the deleted foobar2000 install), you have to manually start up foobar2000 from that other location then. I had this issue once too and I ended up reinstalling windows for that issue as it was driving me mad, couldn't either browse to this new location for foobar2000 when you choose to open a filetype with a certain program as it seems windows can't separate on the locations from where you start up the software so it was trying to start up with the "old foobar2000" I deleted despite linking to that new one. 
   
  EDIT: This location is where it's storing the config files with a standard install:
   
Windows Xp path: 
C:\Documents and Settings\<PC USER NAME>\Application Data\foobar2000\configuration
Windows 7 path:
C:\Users\<PC USER NAME>\AppData\Roaming\foobar2000\configuration
   
  But I'm not sure if deleting the foobar2000 folder there will be enough though. At least if using my package that folder won't be needed as all files are in that same foobar2000 folder. I'm fairly certain there will still be some registry entries messing with that portable install if you didn't uninstall your old foobar2000 properly. But yea you can try deleting that folder and see if it helps though.


----------



## wayward91

i still cant get it to work. iv deleted the Dolby headphone from my components folder. then installed it from foobar and restarted foobar. the Dolby headphone component disappeared as it should have done. i then re installed it and it still wont work. even if i tell it where the Dolby headphone.dll file is and tick the remember pathway box. i don't want to but i might re install foobar AL though i cant see it solving the issue. i guess i can copy the components folder first.


----------



## wayward91

this "DOLBYHPH.DLL" that i cant get to work. i presume this just worked for everybody else when linked to the "foo_dsp_dolbyhp.dll" ?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





wayward91 said:


> this "DOLBYHPH.DLL" that i cant get to work. i presume this just worked for everybody else when linked to the "foo_dsp_dolbyhp.dll" ?


 

 Maybe you've got playback samplerate at 96kHz? As some1 else commented Dolby Headphone seems to support max 48kHz (I use 44.1kHz playback samplerate cuz all my music is that).


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





wayward91 said:


> this "DOLBYHPH.DLL" that i cant get to work. i presume this just worked for everybody else when linked to the "foo_dsp_dolbyhp.dll" ?


 

  
  What did you do? You linked to "foo_dsp_dolbyhp.dll"? That is the wrapper and not the DolbyHeadphone.dll. You must link to "dolbyhph.dll" .


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





musicreo said:


> What did you do? You linked to "foo_dsp_dolbyhp.dll"? That is the wrapper and not the DolbyHeadphone.dll. You must link to "dolbyhph.dll" .


 


  Ahh yea, maybe he's trying to link to the wrapper instead of the Dolby Headphone dll file.
   
  dolbyhph.dll is the right file to link to yea, the other foo_dsp_dolbyhp.dll is the foobar2000 dolby headphone wrapper.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I uploaded a new video using an old classic by Mike Oldfield as it's a quite suitable song for a demo IMO with suitable amount of complexity. Sounds pretty good to me and quality is great (I'm using a complicated way of uploading stuff to youtube to preserve audio quality as much as possible, there's not much audible difference at all listening from my computer to the file).


----------



## Zink

I've been using both zip folder preconfigured setups and I think I like the bright one best with my HD 598. I've been listening to the radio paradise stream through foobar and I think listening is more relaxing with the DSPs on. It's nice to turn it off again and get a bit more clarity from the sound but that is only if I am consciously listening to each instrument. One place I notice the DSPs making it sound quite a bit worse is with the voice of a radio announcer that is coming though both channels, it sound like the voice is muffled instead of sounding like it is playing through speakers in a room.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I've now updated and cleaned out old obsolete DSP chain presets in the DSP manager page in foobar2000 preferences and named the presets more appropriately. The list now looks like:
   

   
  The different Presets are based on either the forward or laid-back config with slightly different soundstage settings and EQ settings, the differences are very reasonably small so that they all should be very usable and won't make it suddenly sound exaggerated or weird. 
   
*NOTE: Due to the Electri-Q plugin being very buggy coded some crashing may occur while loading different DSP chain presets in a row that have Electri-Q in the active DSP list. As a compromise for now to the problem whenever you want to load another DSP preset, always first load the "Default: Stock foobar2000" config and then load the desired EQ preset as this avoids the crashing.*
   
   
  The EQ presets can be grabbed from http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63937904/foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone-RPGWiZaRD/foobar2000.EQ.Presets-RPGWiZaRD.zip - Replace your current Core.cfg file in the configuration folder, if using a foobar2000 portable install can be found under foobar2000\configuration\ and if using a standard install then it's found under C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\foobar2000\configuration\ (Warning! backup your existing Core.cfg file in the foobar2000 configuration folder) 
   
  Or you can as usual grab one of the preconfigured packages which also have been updated:
   
  Forward config:  http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63937904/foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone-RPGWiZaRD/foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.%28Forward%29-RPGWiZaRD.zip
   
  Laid-back config: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63937904/foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone-RPGWiZaRD/foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.%28Laid-back%29-RPGWiZaRD.zip


----------



## OPrwtos

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> I've now updated and cleaned out old obsolete DSP chain presets in the DSP manager page in foobar2000 preferences and named the presets more appropriately. The list now looks like:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  lol all i have right now as dsp presets are : k701 and k701 5.1


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





oprwtos said:


> lol all i have right now as dsp presets are : k701 and k701 5.1


 
   
  Well the important ones are still "Default: Balanced (Forward)" and "Default: Balanced (Laid-back)" as these offer roughly same balance as not using ANY EQing / stock foobar settings with all dsps disabled. (With Dolby Headphone I have to EQ out the change it brings to frequency response which those two's settings are for to bring back the frequency balance the headphones have without Dolby Headphone used which is what majority would be "used to" hearing already.
   
  Yea well I personally only use the "Default: Balanced (Forward)" and "Default: Balanced (Laid-back)" as if I need EQing for my headphones I use my soundcard's EQ but I'm simply offering more presets for people that may lack EQ adjustability or don't like to play around with EQing.
   
  I've tweaked the EQ presets for the genres in mind, Classical having the biggest soundstange, more laid-back sound, slightly boosted upper-highs and subbass while pop has more "in-your-face" engaging soundstage with more forward midrange and slightly lowered bass and highs (upside down V-shape EQ) as usual is the case with the pop EQ preset and Hip-hop has especially slightly boosted bass and midrange with a quite upfront soundstage and electronica has a wider/bigger soundstage with better separation with very minor boost in bass and slight boost around mids/upper mids and very tiny bit in the upper-highs etc.
   
  I've adjusted the presets slightly since so will upload those fixes soon.


----------



## Gorefiend

Loving the "Forward" EQ setup you have going Wizard.  Think it sounds perfect for every type of music genre I listen too, and everyone of my headphones and IEM's.  Doubt I will need to change it anytime soon.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

gorefiend said:


> Loving the "Forward" EQ setup you have going Wizard.  Think it sounds perfect for every type of music genre I listen too, and everyone of my headphones and IEM's.  Doubt I will need to change it anytime soon.


 

  Glad you're enjoying it!
   
   
  I've updated the Genre specific EQ presets a little, default presets obviously stays the same. Also made two new recordings using the Electronica EQ preset:


----------



## Daeder

Wow what an amazing artist and great sound that your brought to it. I loved the original from Regina and this one is just out of this world. Great vocals from this girl
   
  And thanks for the new artist you brought me to, tAKiDA.
   
  I sub'd your channel.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

So I've done some minor tweaks to the presets as well as added a new preset, "Genre: Hardstyle". The links updated in first page as usual and here's also have an example recording of the Hardstyle preset (which works nice with many different songs/genres too):
   





  
  Quote: 





daeder said:


> Wow what an amazing artist and great sound that your brought to it. I loved the original from Regina and this one is just out of this world. Great vocals from this girl
> 
> And thanks for the new artist you brought me to, tAKiDA.
> 
> I sub'd your channel.


 

 Yea I love her voice, she became famous in Swedish Idol with that song but sadly she left the competition by her own will.


----------



## Lynkk

Quote: 





danny93 said:


> I just tried to change the sound from stereo to 5.1 again, and the option was there...changed it and OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! So immersive listening to trance, completly 3D with all the little details whizzing round my head LOL, very well done mate! Im not even using your updated one ATM, currently downloading
> 
> Also I cant manage to overwrite the stock foobar application folder with your modded foobar...would really appreciate it if you could let me know how you managed it...I just dragged foobar folder to system´s foobar folder and merged and overwrite as prompted but cannot open the foobar.exe after
> 
> Thanks again!


 


  Hi.
   
  I have the same problem on my laptop.
   
  I can't change the speaker configuration. It's grey out and stuck to Stereo.
   
  How did you fix it?

   
  Thank you!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





lynkk said:


> Hi.
> 
> I have the same problem on my laptop.
> 
> ...


 
   
  Because that's the way laptop audio chips are designed to only handle stereo output unfortunately so doubt there's any way to fix it. But this config does works with stereo too, it's just marginally better with 5.1 speakers from my testing.


----------



## GL1TCH3D

Looks very nice. Might try going through the entire thing after xD


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I will probably update the "forward" config to use these settings I tweaked for Q40 headphones in mind that I then noticed it sounds better than the current stock "forward" config. You can download that one here if you want to test it right now: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63937904/foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone-RPGWiZaRD/New%20folder/foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.%28M-Audio%20Q40%29-RPGWiZaRD.zip


----------



## JackeShan

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> I will probably update the "forward" config to use these settings I tweaked for Q40 headphones in mind that I then noticed it sounds better than the current stock "forward" config. You can download that one here if you want to test it right now: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63937904/foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone-RPGWiZaRD/New%20folder/foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.%28M-Audio%20Q40%29-RPGWiZaRD.zip


 

 It sounds good. I think I'm going to use the new one you tweaked. I really like it on Pro 900. Did you change anything to the EQ?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





jackeshan said:


> It sounds good. I think I'm going to use the new one you tweaked. I really like it on Pro 900. Did you change anything to the EQ?


 

 Veeeeerrryyy tiny bit in the bass and the upper-highs range. we're talking about less than 0.5dB changes though but yea I think it sounds tiny bit more neutral in the treble. ^^ Soundstage wise it should have a wider stage while still keeping vocals/midrange up-front/centered as intended with the forward config.


----------



## shoenberg3

Is there a way to update to the newest version without replacing the CFG files. I find that everytime I do that, all my settings (including playlists, music library) need to be remade.


----------



## lexlex

I'd love to try this, but *Electri-Q Posihfopit edition* isn't free and isn't cheap either. Is it really needed?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





lexlex said:


> I'd love to try this, but *Electri-Q Posihfopit edition* isn't free and isn't cheap either. Is it really needed?


 

 There's a free version of it too which is also included in the package already.
   


shoenberg3 said:


> Is there a way to update to the newest version without replacing the CFG files. I find that everytime I do that, all my settings (including playlists, music library) need to be remade.


 
   
  Dunno of any unfortunately unless manually updating them.


----------



## OPrwtos

Quote: 





lexlex said:


> I'd love to try this, but *Electri-Q Posihfopit edition* isn't free and isn't cheap either. Is it really needed?


 
  lol that is the free edition


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





lexlex said:


> I'd love to try this, but *Electri-Q Posihfopit edition* isn't free and isn't cheap either. Is it really needed?


 


  The Posihfopit edition is the free version of Electri-Q, the reason why it's used with RPGWiZaRD's DH presets.


----------



## OPrwtos

Quote: 





roller said:


> The Posihfopit edition is the free version of Electri-Q, the reason why it's used with RPGWiZaRD's DH presets.


 
  i thought i just said?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

OK, I've made some minor adjustments, extremely happy with the "forward" config now, how neutral the positioning sounds like but still so engaging & fun and added a new preset/made some slight tweaks here and there.
   
  Here's also some new Youtube recordings (with Dolby Headphone used):


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I think I forgot that I had put dropbox on pause so it wasn't syncing the uploads so I suppose the links haven't worked... oh well should work now. Please let me know if links are broken in the future thanks.


----------



## crossjeremiah

all i can say is wow. i'm using the forward config. the signature of my grados sr225i feel enhanced.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





crossjeremiah said:


> all i can say is wow. i'm using the forward config. the signature of my grados sr225i feel enhanced.


 

 Yea that's the desired sound signature of the "forward" config for maximum engaging & fun sound, my personally preferred sound signature. An intimate listening experience. It's the burning question if I'll enjoy a headphone or not.


----------



## spoonstar

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Yea that's the desired sound signature of the "forward" config for maximum engaging & fun sound, my personally preferred sound signature. An intimate listening experience. It's the burning question if I'll enjoy a headphone or not.


 
  It definitely works, and I am thankful that you contributed this to the community. This really brings out some additional character!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I'm a perfectionist though and right now I can't decide whether 1.12 or 1.13 for center channel is better in the channel mixer plugin with this config though, all other values are pretty optimal but yea for my taste/ears/setup at least, at this point I can't decide on a 0.01 difference on one slider haha. xD
   
  1.12: Slightly bigger sounding stage
  1.13: Slightly more "in-your-face" / engaging sound but somewhat less of a soundstage


----------



## OPrwtos

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> I'm a perfectionist though and right now I can't decide whether 1.12 or 1.13 for center channel is better in the channel mixer plugin with this config though, all other values are pretty optimal but yea for my taste/ears/setup at least, at this point I can't decide on a 0.01 difference on one slider haha. xD
> 
> 1.12: Slightly bigger sounding stage
> 1.13: Slightly more "in-your-face" / engaging sound but somewhat less of a soundstage


 
  lol sounds more like severe paranoia or ocd


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





oprwtos said:


> lol sounds more like severe paranoia or ocd


 


  A functional paranoid is still functional, so big props to productivity through whatever perspectives exist.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Since "Forward" config was updated I decided to tweak the "Laid-back" one as well and see if I could still find some better results and I think I managed to get it significantly improved, at least it sounds more natural and very usable with many different genres or songs, I have a hard time saying many times which of the configs I prefer, it depends on the song.


----------



## Stanzmastertron

Why is it when I use the resampler set to 96hz, the VU meter splits the channels into 5 + 1, but without it it shows only stereo L & R.
   
  I prefer what it does to the channel mixer when resampled but it seems to render Dolby Headphone useless. 
   
  /Confused


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





stanzmastertron said:


> Why is it when I use the resampler set to 96hz, the VU meter splits the channels into 5 + 1, but without it it shows only stereo L & R.
> 
> I prefer what it does to the channel mixer when resampled but it seems to render Dolby Headphone useless.
> 
> /Confused


 

 Yea I think Dolby Headphone supports max 48kHz. I personally use 44.1kHz sample rate as all my music is in that format (you should use what your music is rather than highest possible). Maybe this would be a good thing to point out regarding DH in the starting post haha. xD


----------



## danny93

Hey, i use foobar when listening to headphones (dt770), earphones (ATH-CKM50) and speakers (MicroLab Solo6C and Wharfedale SW150 sub)  and wondering are there any tweaks you suggest making when listening to each? Should i dissable dolby headphone etc when using speakers??
   
  Thanks for your work mate!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I don't know what's the case with speakers really as I'm only using headphones. Maybe tomorrow I should give it at least a try how it sounds like on my cheap ancient Logitech X-530 speakers I usually got hooked up to my TV.


----------



## danny93

Quote:


rpgwizard said:


> I don't know what's the case with speakers really as I'm only using headphones. Maybe tomorrow I should give it at least a try how it sounds like on my cheap ancient Logitech X-530 speakers I usually got hooked up to my TV.


 


  No rush mate, was just wondering if anything obvious came to mind like dolby headphone should be dissabled or something...no worries, thanks though!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Tweaked the "forward" config some more also testing  with speakers and also using WASAPI now to get a broader insight of the sound, I'm very pleased with it as of now, I strongly recommend using WASAPI output for those able to use it.


----------



## bluzeboy

i get this with the new config forward\
  Unrecoverable playback error: Unsupported stream format: 44100 Hz / 24-bit / 2 channels
  can  you tell me why,i'm trying to use wasapi


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





bluzeboy said:


> i get this with the new config forward\
> Unrecoverable playback error: Unsupported stream format: 44100 Hz / 24-bit / 2 channels
> can  you tell me why,i'm trying to use wasapi


 

 You must match the samplerate & bitrate set on your playback device.
   
  Currently I'm looking into removing advanced limiter as it doesn't really do any good and hurts bass impact slightly in busy tracks. Have to adjust EQ & channel mixer & vol settings slightly doing so though to get a nice result.


----------



## bluzeboy

how do i do this?

You must match the samplerate & bitrate set on your playback device.
   
i have my Headroom Amp/Dac hooked up Via  USB .


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

(click to zoom in)

   
  Your audio files also have to be the same sample rate as set in the output device properties, if they don't match you'll need to use a resampler plugin in foobar2000 to set it to resample into the set sample rate in output device properties.


----------



## bluzeboy

thanks alot RPGWiZaRD


----------



## bluzeboy

is there a way  i get the option 24 bit option  i just have the 16 bit option?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

OK I've updated the "Forward" config once more and this time with a bit more major differences in settings as I removed the advanced limiter plugin from the config now and adjusted all the other settings a bit after doing so. Bass shouldn't loose its impact in busy/complex tracks now at least and the config should have a really nice forward engaging sound which I find even gets easier to hear all the microdetails when the positioning surrounds you better and with better separation of the sounds (less crammed together). Going back to the default config just sounds wrong for me now.
   
  Quote: 





bluzeboy said:


> is there a way  i get the option 24 bit option  i just have the 16 bit option?


 
   
  Maybe your source just supports 16bit? Either way it's not a big deal.


----------



## bluzeboy

ok thanks wizard


----------



## JackeShan

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> OK I've updated the "Forward" config once more and this time with a bit more major differences in settings as I removed the advanced limiter plugin from the config now and adjusted all the other settings a bit after doing so. Bass shouldn't loose its impact in busy/complex tracks now at least and the config should have a really nice forward engaging sound which I find even gets easier to hear all the microdetails when the positioning surrounds you better and with better separation of the sounds (less crammed together). Going back to the default config just sounds wrong for me now.


 


  Although I can't hear a big difference, _something_ is definitely better now! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  Listening to Rush - Xanadu is utterly incredible with this config.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





jackeshan said:


> Although I can't hear a big difference, _something_ is definitely better now!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

 You should never hear MAJOR differences either then it'd probably start manipulate sound too much so it'd start sounding unnatural, I still want it to sound as natural as possible despite modifying the soundstage presentation/frequency response etc.  To me though when I'm talking about major differences it means that also normal users should be able to at least tell a difference as opposed to me that's been tweaking this DH config for like a year and spent lots of time EQing in general so to me a very small difference probably equals to no difference for some other person haha. You'd probably think I'm a lunatic if knowing what kind of small changes I'm often comparing on the EQ. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  But yea getting rid of Advanced Limiter and then upping some of the sliders in Channel mixer to get that same more "forward" sound seems to have been a very nice change. What I'm personally percieving against the previous config is better enveloping/surrounding soundstage, feels like it really surrounds you better putting you into the center of it instead of being a bit like a "oval" soundstage that's positioning right in front of you personally roughly. It's maybe tiny bit wider soundstage too and the major difference is that getting rid of Advanced Limiter doesn't clip the heavy basslines now so the heavy basstones in the tracks should remain its intended impact (previously mids were pushed forward thanks to Advanced Limiter which means heavy basstones suffered as they had to give some room for the mids to not clip/distort horribly). Of course might not be optimally EQ'ed yet (as removing Advanced Limiter also needs slight EQ adjustments to sound similarly balanced as before) but should be roughly there at least so it's about the same as not using this DH config in terms of quantity/impact.


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> and spent lots of time EQing in general so to me a very small difference probably equals to no difference for some other person haha. You'd probably think I'm a lunatic if knowing what kind of small changes I'm often comparing on the EQ.


 

  
  I think it is useless to tweak the equalizer so much. For better solutions you have to use parametric equalizers. But I think there is no freeware for this.  I compared the sonaris Mastering equalizer to the the electri-Q equalizer and  the parametric equalizer is noticeable better.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





musicreo said:


> I think it is useless to tweak the equalizer so much. For better solutions you have to use parametric equalizers. But I think there is no freeware for this.  I compared the sonaris Mastering equalizer to the the electri-Q equalizer and  the parametric equalizer is noticeable better.


 

 Yea but I need a freeware solution for this config to be able to distribute as is and from my testing Electri-Q Posiphorit version was the best sounding freeware EQ I could find. 
   
  Also check this awesome video a mate of me made whit audio file processed with my latest custom foobar2000 DH config:


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Did some minor tweaking to this new config, thought it was slightly too aggressive sounding which became a prob with some tracks, this is a better overall setting and should be slightly closer to stock foobar2000 frequency response balance (but still keep the more forward presentation).


----------



## mrAdrian

How do you config the EQ again? I've gotten no problems until that step.
   
   
 *Equalizer settings*
  
  
 
  
 1: Filter:  Peak    Freq: 22,676    Gain: -1,386    BW: 1,100 
 2: Filter:  Peak    Freq: 40,425    Gain: -1,453    BW: 1,100 
 3: Filter:  Peak    Freq: 69,000    Gain: -1,204    BW: 1,123
 4: Filter:  Peak    Freq: 118,12    Gain: -0,879    BW: 1,210
 5. Filter:  Peak    Freq: 198,27    Gain:  0,387    BW: 1,100
 6. Filter:  Peak    Freq: 718,00    Gain: -0,157    BW: 1,120
 7. Filter:  Peak (Orfanidis)    Freq: 1197,0    Gain: 0,930    BW: 1,289
 8. Filter:  Peak (Orfanidis)    Freq: 1737,3    Gain: 1,199    BW: 1,100
 9. Filter:  Peak (Orfanidis)    Freq: 2475,1    Gain: 1,255    BW: 1,100
 10. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 3359,9    Gain: 0,878    BW: 1,040
 11. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 4581,6    Gain: 0,846    BW: 1,100
 12. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 6731,6    Gain: 0,315    BW: 0,740
 13. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 9966,7    Gain: 1,165    BW: 0,960
 14. Filter: Peak (Orfanidis)   Freq: 17842     Gain: 0,537    BW: 1,170
 15. Filter: Gain         Freq: doesn't matter   Gain: -3,039    BW: 1,000
  
   
  I can find the Frequency readings on the top left of ElectriQ, but nothing about gain or BW... Sorry for the noobness xD


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





mradrian said:


> How do you config the EQ again? I've gotten no problems until that step.
> 
> I can find the Frequency readings on the top left of ElectriQ, but nothing about gain or BW... Sorry for the noobness xD


 

 You have to double click on the dots  Add a new dot by double clicking anywhere on the line too. Will add that info to the guide.


----------



## mrAdrian

Thanks! Hmm the EQ is really unstable...
   
  Also how do you save your own EQ settings to the preset?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





mradrian said:


> Thanks! Hmm the EQ is really unstable...
> 
> Also how do you save your own EQ settings to the preset?


 


  Yes it's unstable, you can't save presets within the EQ itself, that'll just crash. I'm also offering a preconfigured install if that's easier. To save different EQ presets I just save all other foobar2000 plugin settings at the same time as well using DSP chain serializer plugin that's also linked in the guide.


----------



## mrAdrian

No worries. And you really did a great job tuning the dolby to match the FR of the normal sound


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

EDIT: Turns out it was just a specific album that was poorly ripped. Will provide a minor update to vol levels/bass adjustment though.
   
  EDIT2: "Forward" Config now minorly updated, I'm extremely pleased now, doubt I'll find better settings from here.


----------



## musicinmymind

RPGWiZard

I am using "Forward" configuration you shared and liking it, thanks for sharing.

however when I click on DSP->Channel Mixer, Foobar will crash, I wanted to try with reduced soundstage, did you had this problem anytime.


----------



## JackeShan

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> EDIT: Turns out it was just a specific album that was poorly ripped. Will provide a minor update to vol levels/bass adjustment though.
> 
> EDIT2: "Forward" Config now minorly updated, I'm extremely pleased now, doubt I'll find better settings from here.


 


  Excellent!
   
  By the way, I just opened up Electri-Q and noticed that I can't see the frequency curve that is in the first post. So that kind of got me worried that it isn't even enabled.. but I guess it's supposed to be like this since it's straight from the preconfigured download.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





musicinmymind said:


> RPGWiZard
> I am using "Forward" configuration you shared and liking it, thanks for sharing.
> however when I click on DSP->Channel Mixer, Foobar will crash, I wanted to try with reduced soundstage, did you had this problem anytime.


 

 Yea it does for me too, you need to go through File -> Preferences -> DSP Manager -> select Channel Mixer -> Configure selected
   
  Quote: 





jackeshan said:


> Excellent!
> 
> By the way, I just opened up Electri-Q and noticed that I can't see the frequency curve that is in the first post. So that kind of got me worried that it isn't even enabled.. but I guess it's supposed to be like this since it's straight from the preconfigured download.


 

 Yea it's supposed to be like that, you need to click on the Electri-Q window once and then you'll see the EQ settings.


----------



## JackeShan

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Yea it's supposed to be like that, you need to click on the Electri-Q window once and then you'll see the EQ settings.


 


  I see. I'm such a noob.


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





mradrian said:


> Thanks! Hmm the EQ is really unstable...
> 
> Also how do you save your own EQ settings to the preset?


 

 You can use the Presets Pane in the vst effect for saving your settings. For me it works and don't crash.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Been testing the config with speakers... funny thing is that using speakers with this config is way more sensitive to setting changes, you can change one slider by like 0.02 and I start noticing a change already. I changed the current config just a little bit where it after extensive testing with different songs etc until it sounded the best (the most natural sounding soundstage, it also changes the soundstage using speakers slightly) and currently auditioning it with my headphones again and may update the config to this if it passes my "betatesting" as usual. Would be nice to have a config that works great for both speakers and headphones as I upload many demos to youtube of which many viewers may be using speakers so it would nice if it at least didn't sound worse if he/she is a speaker user.


----------



## shoenberg3

I would love to have separate configs specialized for speakers and headphones. I wouldn't feel too compelled to combine the two and possibly compromise the settings. Switching between configs is as trivial as switching between headphone and speaker outputs for most people.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





shoenberg3 said:


> I would love to have separate configs specialized for speakers and headphones. I wouldn't feel too compelled to combine the two and possibly compromise the settings. Switching between configs is as trivial as switching between headphone and speaker outputs for most people.


 

 True but the adjustment required was so small I didn't see the need of this preset but I changed stereo image width now to 0.96 from 0.95 and just adjusted gain a tiiiiny bit though. 0.96 setting allows a bit better depth to the soundstage without becoming too off-centered.
   
  For hardstyle lovers also check out this one, also a good showcase that bass impact is nice after I've removed advanced limiter. 
   




   
  ZO2 + Q40 + this =


----------



## daveisthemusic

I'm using the forward setting with foobar + hd25's and it's an awesome improvement, thanks! Seems to give even the 25's a soundstage!
   
  I'm really new to all this so excuse the noob question - in your preset download the buffer size is set at it's default 1000ms, I take it I still want to put that back down to 0 as I had it set to previously - smallest is best, right?
   
  Cheers.
   
  EDIT: 50ms is minimum not 0... d'oh!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Buffer size should set to whatever works, for most people the default setting 1000ms works fine. 
   
  EDIT: Will update "forward" config slightly soon to some more neutral sounding soundstage (currently the center of the soundstage is taken slightly too far apart, especially noticable with headphones with wide soundstage to begin with, for soundstage congested headphones it's not so much of an issue).


----------



## musicreo

I found some interesting free VST equalizers.

 Both equalizers have less bands compared to electri Q (there is a VST with more bands but this is no freeware) but they have multi-channel operation support. This equalizers can be used after your upmix. You can use different equalizer settings for the front, side, center and LFE Channel.  

 I think this dsps could be supplement  the eletric Q  equalizer. I have just tested that the VSTs work with foobar but haven't done any settings so far. So I can't tell if this equalizers are usefull but it sounds promising:
   
   
  Quote: 





> Marvel GEQ is a linear-phase 16-band graphic equalizer AU and VST plugin with multi-channel operation support (supporting up to 8 input/output channels, audio host application-dependent).  Marvel GEQ offers extensive internal channel routing capabilities, and supports mid/side channel processing.


 
http://www.voxengo.com/product/marvelgeq/
  Quote: 





> Overtone GEQ is 7-band harmonic (overtone) graphic equalizer AU and VST plugin with multi-channel operation support (supporting up to 8 input/output channels, host setup-dependent).  Overtone GEQ offers extensive internal channel routing capabilities, and supports mid/side channel processing.


 
http://www.voxengo.com/product/overtonegeq/


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

May have to look into those but I'm perfectly happy right now how Electri-Q lets me restore the stock balance very nicely. 
   
  Updated the soundstage settings for forward config slightly as I checked with all my headphones and tweaked it slightly so it would be a good middleground for all of them.


----------



## erratik

man I gotta say, i've been debating trying this out but im kinda torn.  I have a xonar essence ST and some DT880s (600ohm) and I love them with mostly stock settings.  I've tried the dolby headphone setting in the drivers a couple times though and iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii just dunno if i enjoy the way it sounds or not.  idk like its weird to me, but then when i disable it all my stuff sounds...flat i guess lol.
   
   
  is this gonna be kinda similar to that?


----------



## mrAdrian

It would feel like a soundstage enhancer... The frequency responses etc are now very close to exactly the same... It's amazing how wizard kinda reversed dolby's EQ
   
  On a second note, it feels a bit strange, like the opposite of crossfeeding... I find myself always trying to 'look for' where my music comes from and gets tired xp Or maybe I need to get used to it


----------



## JackeShan

Quote: 





erratik said:


> man I gotta say, i've been debating trying this out but im kinda torn.  I have a xonar essence ST and some DT880s (600ohm) and I love them with mostly stock settings.  I've tried the dolby headphone setting in the drivers a couple times though and iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii just dunno if i enjoy the way it sounds or not.  idk like its weird to me, but then when i disable it all my stuff sounds...flat i guess lol.
> 
> 
> is this gonna be kinda similar to that?


 

 This enhances the sound in every way without making it sound weird or unnatural. Much better than any other DH config I've tried. Try it out!


----------



## Bleether

RPGWizard, Thank you for this.
   
  I am new to the audio world, so it took me a little while to notice the difference between itunes, foobar forward, and foobar laidback settings. I did start to hear the difference after comparing the same track to the different settings. I am the type that prefers the Laidback setting mostly.
   
  Question: Do i have to manually check each option under the DSP to get those setting to work or are they passively active ?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





bleether said:


> Question: Do i have to manually check each option under the DSP to get those setting to work or are they passively active ?


 

 Well if you grab the preconfigured packages you don't have to touch anything at all but I recommend changing output device into WASAPI if you're using Win 7 if you're able to use that for better quality, for compability reasons, I put it default to "DS: Primary Sound Driver" to avoid some people reporting it won't play any files and just give an error message (due to the person not using correct bitrate settings for WASAPI or the samplerate of the audio file isn't matched with the output device in control panel).


----------



## JackeShan

In channel mixer, there's a setting called "add low freqs" for the rear settings. Have you tried this? What exactly does it do? I've been playing with it a bit and for me I like it more when it is enabled; (split freq 125, vol 1.01).


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





jackeshan said:


> In channel mixer, there's a setting called "add low freqs" for the rear settings. Have you tried this? What exactly does it do? I've been playing with it a bit and for me I like it more when it is enabled; (split freq 125, vol 1.01).


 
   
  It controls bass/processes it a bit differently the bass, it can basicly work like a bass volume control but I find it overshadowing the rest of the range more than if not enabling it. Also having it set at 1.01 will get you stronger bass than stock foobar2000, it needs to be more maybe at 0.50 or so if enabling it if we want to stick to stock balance.


----------



## musicinmymind

[size=medium]Hi RPGWiZaRD, I am using your laid back config and very happy with that, thanks for this setup[/size]
  [size=medium]however both of my ear are week for Hz higher than 12 K (side effects caused from my earlier days passion on high speed bike riding, I did not protect my ear properly and high winds resulted hearing loss)[/size]
   
  [size=medium]Give my hearing problems, can you please suggest EQ changes for better[/size]
   
  [size=medium]Setup – E17 -> HD 598[/size]
  [size=medium]Vol level on E17 (0-60) I normally use it on 23-25 depending on the song can feel 12K on this vol but nothing on 15k [/size]


----------



## musicreo

Frequencies above 10 khz have only a very small influence on the music. I would say that even if you cut off frequencies above 10 Khz you would just hear a very small difference. And I think that nobody can better adjust the EQ for your personal hearing as yourself.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





musicreo said:


> Frequencies above 10 khz have only a very small influence on the music. I would say that even if you cut off frequencies above 10 Khz you would just hear a very small difference. And I think that nobody can better adjust the EQ for your personal hearing as yourself.


 
   
  So agreeing with above... just tweak it as you see fit, what I provide is simply a suggested config whose purpose is to sound reasonably close to stock foobar2000 in terms of frequency balance but take advantage of Dolby Headphone's improved soundstage/positioning. The default EQ setting I provide should be treated more like a "flat" EQ setting and you should tweak FROM THERE according to your own headphone's or personal taste or according to your damaged hearing or whatever but noone can do it better for you than yourself.


----------



## musicinmymind

Thanks musicreo, RPGWiZaRD
   
  Good to know Frequencies above 10 khz has small impact, will tweak/play with EQ and try out myself as suggested


----------



## JackeShan

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> It controls bass/processes it a bit differently the bass, it can basicly work like a bass volume control but I find it overshadowing the rest of the range more than if not enabling it. Also having it set at 1.01 will get you stronger bass than stock foobar2000, it needs to be more maybe at 0.50 or so if enabling it if we want to stick to stock balance.


 
   
  I see. Yes, the bass is definitely stronger than stock when it's on 1.01, but it doesn't mess up the sound for me, so it's not really a problem. Although I'll need to lower it a bit so it doesn't get too bassy. I know this sort of goes against the idea to get the sound as close to stock as possible with DH, but I kind of like it so far. I'll keep testing and see what I end up with.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





jackeshan said:


> I see. Yes, the bass is definitely stronger than stock when it's on 1.01, but it doesn't mess up the sound for me, so it's not really a problem. Although I'll need to lower it a bit so it doesn't get too bassy. I know this sort of goes against the idea to get the sound as close to stock as possible with DH, but I kind of like it so far. I'll keep testing and see what I end up with.


 
   
  Well I'm evaluation vol setting 0.65 atm, sounds awesome for hardstyle, there's ever so slight more muffled sound in the mids when bass is heavy but it's kind of a double-edged sword, the bass response has a more exciting touch to it while it's ever so slightly more muffled, have to try evaluate which of the characteristics I find more nice at that point though, more engaging bass response vs ever so slightly more muffled midrange/worsened transparency OR slightly less pronounced bass vs very slightly clearer midrange.


----------



## erratik

i dunno why but my install of foobar sounds different than the ready to go download...
   
  all the settings are the same, i made sure and checked between the two side by side..
   
  but it's definitely not 'stock' sounding either...  i can just remove everything from the DSP stuff and that'll make it back to stock right?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I also discovered the same when I tried replacing a newer foobar2000 install once and therefore stopped upgrading to avoid unwanted sound changes.  I think it has to do with replacing a non-portable install with a portable install confusing the config files which are placed in a different location in a non-portable install which it tries to use.
   
  New slight tweaks being evaluted atm, sounds very nice in my ears despite small adjustments, sometimes small changes do big difference it seems.


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> I also discovered the same when I tried replacing a newer foobar2000 install once and therefore stopped upgrading to avoid unwanted sound changes.  I think it has to do with replacing a non-portable install with a portable install confusing the config files which are placed in a different location in a non-portable install which it tries to use.
> 
> New slight tweaks being evaluted atm, sounds very nice in my ears despite small adjustments, sometimes small changes do big difference it seems.


 
   
   
  It should be noted that from foobar2000's 1.1.7 version onwards, there is a new caching system that can (random AFAIK) mess up with some DSP processing. The last version that's fully safe from that is 1.1.6. I recommend people to have a portable 1.1.6 installation backed up somewhere for safekeeping.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

OK the "forward" config has been updated slightly again but with the minor changes it has very positive change for me in soundstage and bass response. I've been extremely pleased when evaluating this config. =) Sounds a bit more natural.
   
  Quote: 





roller said:


> It should be noted that from foobar2000's 1.1.7 version onwards, there is a new caching system that can (random AFAIK) mess up with some DSP processing. The last version that's fully safe from that is 1.1.6. I recommend people to have a portable 1.1.6 installation backed up somewhere for safekeeping.


 
   
  Good to know, I guess there's a good reason to stick to 1.1.6 then haha. It happened for me too when switching to 1.1.7 and then I said... **** it and formatted windows and stayed with 1.1.6 to avoid it happening again.


----------



## musicinmymind

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> OK the "forward" config has been updated slightly again but with the minor changes it has very positive change for me in soundstage and bass response. I've been extremely pleased when evaluating this config. =) Sounds a bit more natural.


 
   
  Where can I download the latest config from?
  Please let me know


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





musicinmymind said:


> Where can I download the latest config from?
> Please let me know


 
   
  As usual from the first page.  I've only updated the "forward" config as I feel the laid-back is fairly nicely configured, not much more room to improve the freesurround plugin settings there and I'm personally more of a fan of the forward config and use it personally so want to find at least on my setup the in-my ear very perfect config by just doing very minor adjustments every now and then and ABX with lots of different music against stock foobar2000 as well as previous config to evaluate which sounds best/better so that I progress slowly towards that "perfect" (in-my-ears/setup) config.
   
  Quote 





> *UPDATE:* As of 11.1.2012 I introduce both a "forward" and "laid-back" config as different people have different preferred sound signatures and this should at least better cover them as these two are a bit of the opposite to each other in soundstage especially.
> 
> *The "forward" config is suitable for:* People who prefer a more forward/"in-your-face" sounding soundstage (but improved/larger stage with better imaging/positioning and separation over stock foobar2000), more engaging listening experience. Suitable for people who like the Grado sound or listen to lots of rock, EDM, dance, pop and acoustic etc music. If unsure I'd first try this one as it's more closer to stock foobar2000 sound.
> 
> ...


----------



## Darkblade48

Regarding this note
   
  Quote: 





> *NOTE: Due to the Electri-Q plugin being very buggy coded some crashing may occur while loading different DSP chain presets in a row that have Electri-Q in the active DSP list. As a compromise for now to the problem whenever you want to load another DSP preset, always first load the "Default: Stock foobar2000" config and then load the desired EQ preset as this avoids the crashing.*


 
   
  How do I go about loading the Default: Stock foobar2000 configuration?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

File -> Preferences -> Playback -> DSP Manager and check the "DSP chain presets" dropdown list.
   
  Please note the custom EQ presets haven't been updated for quite a while to use the latest channel mixer settings etc, it's mostly just useful to quickly switch between the stock foobar2000 config and the default configs "forward" and "laid-back" at this point. That's how I usually keep comparing my settings to switch quickly between them from this list when playing some tracks which usually involves in quite a few "temp" presets when I keep evaluating new configs which I delete before I update the configs here. =)
   
  I encourage you to try the same when listening to some tracks for that "instant" sound change to get a better idea of how it changes the sound.


----------



## danny93

Are these changes tweaked for the CKS77? Downoading now...cant wait to hear it


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





danny93 said:


> Are these changes tweaked for the CKS77? Downoading now...cant wait to hear it


 
   
  All headphones are taken into conciderations, I usually give it a quick try with multiple headphones ensuring it sounds OK and luckily it so has turned out that changing headphone has shown that headphones doesn't really require different settings to sound optimal, usually the same settings works good on all my headphones but what testing with different headphones gives a better insight of what settings works better as some headphones may reveal it better than others. 
   
  BUT... this hobby is a very complex case, besides headphone equipment we also have to take into concideration things such as preference and even the shape of our ears etc, so it may very well be that a different person may need slightly different settings to percieve  it the same way as I do, why there exist a few solutions with tweakable HRTF-algorithms around as we may need slightly invidually tuned settings. However my theory is that by perfecting how it sounds for me with my ears/brain/gear/taste etc I at least want to believe it maximizes the chances of appealing to as many other people as possible, this is also why I EQ out the Dolby Headphone frequency response modification as I use the rule "stock foobar2000" is always "right" so I'm not tuning it for a certain headphone in mind. People are very welcome to EQ on top of this for their own headphone in mind, I do that myself too, using my soundcard's EQ in case some of my headphones needs to be balanced out but I still also use this provided "default" EQ setting in this config as a starter point from where I simply try to restore the stock foobar2000 balance / remove the frequency response change caused by Dolby Headphone as the idea with this config is to benefit from the improved soundstage by this HRTF-algorithm and not modify the frequency response (well not by any significant amount)
   
  To further expand on this subject, I provide both a "forward" and "laid-back" config as these two modify mostly the percieved soundstage which is very subjective, they both have very similar "tonality" in them but the difference is mostly how the soundstage is percieved, in the "laid-back" config it sounds like the mids and highs are a little bit more distant that usually allows for larger soundstage but the tonality of the vocals etc stays the same as there's no peaks added here and there and the difference isn't made by EQ settings but the plugins that modify the HRTF-algorithm which in return change percieved soundstage differences. Since soundstage signature taste is a bit subjective it made sense for me to provide 2 configs for that (why some prefers Grados and others prefer K701 for example)


----------



## danny93

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> All headphones are taken into conciderations, I usually give it a quick try with multiple headphones ensuring it sounds OK and luckily it so has turned out that changing headphone has shown that headphones doesn't really require different settings to sound optimal, usually the same settings works good on all my headphones but what testing with different headphones gives a better insight of what settings works better as some headphones may reveal it better than others.
> 
> BUT... this hobby is a very complex case, besides headphone equipment we also have to take into concideration things such as preference and even the shape of our ears etc, so it may very well be that a different person may need slightly different settings to percieve  it the same way as I do, why there exist a few solutions with tweakable HRTF-algorithms around as we may need slightly invidually tuned settings. However my theory is that by perfecting how it sounds for me with my ears/brain/gear/taste etc I at least want to believe it maximizes the chances of appealing to as many other people as possible, this is also why I EQ out the Dolby Headphone frequency response modification as I use the rule "stock foobar2000" is always "right" so I'm not tuning it for a certain headphone in mind. People are very welcome to EQ on top of this for their own headphone in mind, I do that myself too, using my soundcard's EQ in case some of my headphones needs to be balanced out but I still also use this provided "default" EQ setting in this config as a starter point from where I simply try to restore the stock foobar2000 balance / remove the frequency response change caused by Dolby Headphone as the idea with this config is to benefit from the improved soundstage by this HRTF-algorithm and not modify the frequency response (well not by any significant amount)


 
   
  Yeh just asking as were the CKS77´s your first IEM´s you used with this foobar config?...so may have been completely different for IEM´s and hence BIG changes...just set up my theme and ready for a listen  
   
  Yeh I do EQ over the top too using my soundcards software and ZO2


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Yea well I was curious about that IEM vs Headphone difference too but it turns out it really didn't made me adjust it because of the IEM at all, these settings were just verified to sound good on that IEM which it suprisingly did, now talking on a slider 0.01 step basis haha.  Believe it or not but I actually often keep A/B 0.01 slider changes too and I do hear the difference, whether it's illusion or my many years of EQ experience and "tweaking" around with different programs or whatever that modify the sound in the past I leave up to you to decide though.
   
  I know what kind of change in sound all the settings brings in this config so I just try to clinically verify if I concider more or less of that certain sound characteristic is wanted or not. At the moment I feel a very good balance is found of what I want it to sound like. Things it involves may be for example how much center channel is present which usually affects how present or forward / in-your-face the main vocalist is for example and if I make the center channel stronger it may lead to more intimate and engaging sound from the vocalist getting closer to me but at the same time it usually also results in the soundstage transparency taking a hit as the center channel gets too much focus and starts to mask the background details etc. Another example is stereo image width, while a wide width may sound "spectacular" from a quick listen a too wide stereo image will just sound unnatural as there's like as if it would be 2 different soundstages or fields in the sound where the sounds comes from and "empty" space in-between them and I don't want that, I want it to be suitably "packaged" together but still apart so it sounds natural. Things like this is what I'm listening for when tweaking the config. It's all about balancing the different sound characteristics.


----------



## bluzeboy

You advise using *[size=10pt]WASAPI output,[/size]* I connect via USB there is only the Option to use is SPEAKERS (USB CODEC) no *[size=10pt]WASAPI option ,what can I do?[/size]*


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





bluzeboy said:


> You advise using *[size=10pt]WASAPI output,[/size]* I connect via USB there is only the Option to use is SPEAKERS (USB CODEC) no *[size=10pt]WASAPI option ,what can I do?[/size]*


 
   
  First, which operating system are you using? WASAPI is for Vista/Win 7.
   
  You choose WASAPI output in foobar2000, File -> Preferences -> Playback -> Output. Should probably say WASAPI: Speakers something. If you didn't grab the preconfigured package you probably don't have the WASAPI dll file, grab it from here in that case and extract to your foobar2000 components folder.


----------



## bluzeboy

i'm running win 7 home,i running pre configered forward
   
  i reinstalled it was automnaticly selectiing 24 bit my amp doesn't support 24 changed to 16 @ all good now


----------



## Danfl

hello,
  i´m just starting in the headphone/ hifi world, so sorry about my ignorance.
  do you think this configuration would work in a audiogd nfb12?
  i use it connected to my laptop via usb.
   
  tks.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Should work with any source really, how great the result is I can't speak for though.


----------



## Danfl

i asked because in the beginning og the thread there is something about the need of a 5.1 soundcard or one that can handle 5.1, and i don´t think my laptop soundcard can.
  now the audio gd is stereo but anyway the result is quite impressive specialy with eletronic music.
  with rock and jazz i found the sond to get a bit metalic.


----------



## Danfl

i was thinking if the change in quality is related with that. i mean my souncard and dac not beeing 5.1


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I can't say for sure but since at least I think it simply upscales stereo signal to virtual 5.1 I guess it should work with any source but since I haven't got any true "stereo-only" internally handling DAC I can't say for sure how well it works etc.
   
  I guess I could update that part to a less "alarming" text regarding 5.1 support. I personally work like that I will try anything whatever it says just to verify with my ears haha.


----------



## Roller

I've ran some tests in the past of RPGWiZaRD's configs on stereo only DACs, and I do notice the audio to sound different than when running from a 5.1 DAC. The metallic hint on the sound is mainly due to the nature of how DH works, which is a bit more noticeable on stereo outputs, but nothing to worry about.


----------



## Danfl

thanks for the anwers.
  the only downgrade i could notice is that hint of metalic, but on the other hand it gives quite a 3D feling tho the sound.
  with eletronic music it´s fantastic, i know the HD600 is not suposed to be good with eletronic music but i found it exelent for it since the beginning, becouse of the precision it has on the bass area. With this config it is incredible how i can position the sppeakers in my hear. cant spot listening since yesterday, just so much Fun it´s like beeng in the real party you can almost visualise the thing .


----------



## Danfl

sorry about any language mistakes, not my native, it´s quite a time whithout writening in inglish


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> I can't say for sure but since at least I think it simply upscales stereo signal to virtual 5.1


 
  You have a stereo signal that is upmixed to 5.1 and downmixed to stereo again.  Foobars output is normal stereo that sounds like "virtual 5.1" with headphones.
  There is no need for 5.1 support by the audio device at all.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





danfl said:


> i asked because in the beginning og the thread there is something about the need of a 5.1 soundcard or one that can handle 5.1, and i don´t think my laptop soundcard can.
> now the audio gd is stereo but anyway the result is quite impressive specialy with eletronic music.
> with rock and jazz i found the sond to get a bit metalic.


 
   
  Yea metallic highs usually comes especially from too much highs presence around 8kHz~15kHz. I'm currently looking into it as my HP700 have better resolution in the highs and slightly more treble presence it becomes more noticable with these headphones, doesn't require any big adjustments though, just evaluating the new settings atm.
   
  Also if you're using the "laid-back" config I'd try the "forward" one as the freesurround plugin unfortunately causes a bit weird sounding highs sometimes which channel mixer doesn't.
   
  EDIT: Actually I found this "weird" sounding highs with freesurround seems to be caused by the newer 5.1 upmix algortihm... the legacy 5.1 upmix doesn't have that issue... will probably update that one at the same time too.


----------



## djsavage

Hi guys, total noob over here. I have a few questions for this program. I'll be getting the Superlux hd668b headphones along with an Asus Xonar DG because they have been recommended to me by many people based on my needs (FPS gaming, heavy metal, melodic deathcore metal etc. and rock). I was reading a few articles and one of them mentioned Foobar2000 and Dolby headphone wrapper. This intrigued me a lot because the idea of having surround sound in an FPS game on a stereo headset would help me out greatly. Now my question is: Does Dolby headphone wrapper even work with pc games? Does it matter on the headphones? Does the Superlux hd668b support it?


----------



## musicreo

The dolby Headphone wrapper is for foobar2000. For PC games you have to buy a soundcard with Dolby Headphone support.  It works with every Headphone.


----------



## djsavage

LOL! I didn't even notice that... well the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=29-132-020&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfo has it and thats what I'm getting so I'm basically all set . Just plug and play!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I've updated the configs again slightly (available on the first page), I think I've really hit the sweetspot now to make them sound as natural and well balanced as possible. Especially the Laid-back config sounds a lot better and more natural than previously, still with the laid-back config using freesurround plugin causes slight metallic highs sound to it with some sounds in some tracks (if with forward config you may notice something similar in like 1/20 tracks tested, with laid-back config it maybe happens with 1/10) which usually isn't present with the "forward" config using channel mixer but most of the time it's not an audible issue.


----------



## Tilpo

I just tried this out, and I'm really liking it so far. 

Before I only used a crossfeed plugin, which already improved it quite a bit, but this is even better. 
I'll be trying it out for some time to get used to it, and see if I still like it after a while. 

Thanks for writing this awesome tutorial, RPGWizard!


----------



## Tilpo

-- 6 days later --

I AB'ed a setup without any DSP's and this setup (forward sounding one) several times. 
Bass seems a little recessed with Dolby relative to without. Sound stage is larger with Dolby, but there is a slight reverb. 
Without Dolby it sounds a bit more muffled and the instrument separation seems less clear 

Overall I prefer this Dolby over no DSP's.


However, before I got this plugin I used crossfeed. A comparison to this:
Crossfeed first of all is about 6dB less loud. In AB'ing I have therefore pre-amped the crossfeed setup with 6dB.

Treble is recessed with crossfeed, but bass has a nicer thump to it. Sound stage is bigger with Dolby. Stereo image is more realistic with Dolby. Vocals especially are _a lot_ closer with crossfeed than with Dolby. Cymbals are better with Dolby as the top end is recessed with crossfeed. 

Overall I prefer Crossfeed over no DSP's, but I prefer Dolby over Crossfeed. Although there are some songs where the opposite is true. The echo can be annoying at times, especially on songs where there is already a slight reverb applied in the mastering. Also the muffled sound of crossfeed can be nice on more harsh songs.
In the future I'll try doing more detailed comparisons between the forward and laid-back setups, and I'll also try to EQ the crossfeed DSP chain to make it sound less muffled. 
If it's possible to remove the reverb from the Dolby setup without affecting soundstage then that would be awesome as well.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Dolby Headphone's "amplification" slider affects amount of reverb as well as volume but it's also tied to soundstage quite a bit. Although in the current tweaked  version I've been auditioning for a while now I reduced amplification from 106% to 105% (laid-back config from 113 to 110%) and it keeps a very similar soundstage but a slightly less noticable reverb. At 104% the soundstage starts suffering too much for my liking, especially the depth, 105% is like the last stopgap where soundstage still sounds awesomely spacious and deep. But I also wanted to reduce the reverb just tiny bit in order to help keep complex bassy passages especially more transparent. I also did some VERY minor EQing to "forward" config and got it slightly more towards neutral balance (should be in between the current config and your crossfeed setting in terms of warmth, the highs are ever so slightly less sparkly and uberclose to stock foobar2000 balance)
   
  I think you will like it, I'll try to update it by today still. I've kept auditioning it for many days already but I can't get my hands off the EQ doing the smallest possible adjustments (you'd be suprised of how small adjustment is enough to get a slightly audible difference with Electri-Q tweaking the gain and bandwidth settings for the peak filters) and keep doing some critical listening over and over to various instruments or small details in the song to get the best possible result while comparing on/off against stock foobar2000 sound.
   
  Especially the laid-back config has now been improved quite a bit and is made much more usable and offers a less drastic modification of the soundstage and placements of mids/vocals especially. The forward config is meant to have a slightly more in-your-face mids & highs without breaking the balance compared to stock foobar2000 and laid-back config's purpose is to have ever so slightly less drawed-back / distant sounding mids & highs to allow for somewhat larger soundstage space (orchestra-suited sound). Forward config mimmicks Grado style sound signature and Laid-back config is more like AKG 70x, HD800 etc towards kind of presentation, it's not meant to be a DRASTIC modification but TOWARDS that kind of sound signature, I could exaggerate both presets much more towards their targeted sound signature but then it wouldn't be as nice sounding for a wide range of users (and their tastes), I try to stick as close as possible to stock foobar2000 kind of sound, yet offer a slightly different kind of sound to it, if that makes sense so users can either pick their preferred sound signature, Grado and AKG 70x are polar opposites in terms of soundstage and neither is better than the other, it comes down to taste. I'm personally the "forward" / Grado guy and would dislike the soundstage of AKG 70x and find it disengaging to listen to music with. ^^


----------



## bluzeboy

i"m using the laid back config i downloaded  a high def album ,i get
   
  Unrecoverable playback error: Unsupported stream format: 192000 Hz / 24-bit / 2 channels ,what do I do to play these?


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





bluzeboy said:


> i"m using the laid back config i downloaded  a high def album ,i get
> 
> Unrecoverable playback error: Unsupported stream format: 192000 Hz / 24-bit / 2 channels ,what do I do to play these?


 
   
  This Dolby Headphone dsp only supports samplerates up to 48 Khz.  So you have to use a resampler  in the first position of your dsp order. There are some resamplers for foobar. I like the Sox-resampler: http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=67373


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

The forward and laid-back configs have been updated now again, extremely pleased with these settings. 
   
   
 *The "forward" config is suitable for:* People who prefer a more forward/"in-your-face" sounding soundstage (but improved/larger stage with better imaging/positioning and separation over stock foobar2000), more engaging listening experience. Suitable for people who like the Grado sound or listen to lots of rock, EDM, dance, pop and acoustic etc music. If unsure I'd first try this one as it's more closer to stock foobar2000 sound.
  
 *The "laid-back" config is suitable for:* People who prefer a more laid-back sounding soundstage with better transparency and more spacious/wider soundstage, more relaxed listening. Suitable for people who prefer sound signatures by for example AKG K70x or Sennheiser HD800 or listen to a lot of classical/orchestra, blues etc. music. Try this if you think the "forward" config is fatiguing or the vocals too "in-your-face".
  
 *Portable foobar2000 v1.1.6 "Forward" configuration:* foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward)-RPGWiZaRD.zip (Updated on 26.5.2012)
  
 *Portable foobar2000 v1.1.6 "Laid-back" configuration: *foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Laid-back)-RPGWiZaRD.zip (Updated on 26.5.2012)
  
 *Note:* For best result I also strongly recommend changing to *WASAPI output* manually in the foobar2000 File -> Preferences -> Playback -> Output afterwards, it's been set to Direct Sound by default for compatibility reasons. If you use WASAPI you'll need to match your output device setting with the same bitrate as set in foobar2000 and make sure the music files are using same sample rate (for example 44100 Hz) as set in the output device properties in windows control panel or else use a resampler in foobar2000.


----------



## bluzeboy

got it thanks 
   
musicreo


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Ninja-updated the "forward" config, I think I uploaded wrong preset and tweaked it a little bit at the same time, should be fine now. =)
   
   
   
 *The "forward" config is suitable for:* People who prefer a more forward/"in-your-face" sounding soundstage (but improved/larger stage with better imaging/positioning and separation over stock foobar2000), more engaging listening experience. Suitable for people who like the Grado sound or listen to lots of rock, EDM, dance, pop and acoustic etc music. If unsure I'd first try this one as it's more closer to stock foobar2000 sound.
  
 *The "laid-back" config is suitable for:* People who prefer a more laid-back sounding soundstage with better transparency and more spacious/wider soundstage, more relaxed listening. Suitable for people who prefer sound signatures by for example AKG K70x or Sennheiser HD800 or listen to a lot of classical/orchestra, blues etc. music. Try this if you think the "forward" config is fatiguing or the vocals too "in-your-face". *NOTE:* The laid-back config may cause slight metallic highs here and there, try the "forward" config if it bothers you.
  
 *Portable foobar2000 v1.1.6 "Forward" configuration:* foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward)-RPGWiZaRD.zip (Updated on 27.5.2012)
  
 *Portable foobar2000 v1.1.6 "Laid-back" configuration: *foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Laid-back)-RPGWiZaRD.zip (Updated on 27.5.2012)
  
 *Note:* For best result I also strongly recommend changing to *WASAPI output* manually in the foobar2000 File -> Preferences -> Playback -> Output afterwards, it's been set to Direct Sound by default for compatibility reasons. If you use WASAPI you'll need to match your output device setting with the same bitrate as set in foobar2000 and make sure the music files are using same sample rate (for example 44100 Hz) as set in the output device properties in windows control panel or else use a resampler in foobar2000.


----------



## musicinmymind

Hi RPGWiZaRD
   
  Thanks for new config, I am enjoying it much much more than stock foobar
   
  but I was wondering why I am not able to hear first 13 sec of Steven wilson index with either of Dolby setup, I have flac and with stock foobar is quite clear on same vol and setup
   
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHn2KVBpDAg&feature=fvst


----------



## TrollDragon

This looks excellent RPGWiZaRD thanks for all the work you've put into this for us!
   
  I was playing around with the Forward setup last night and I seem to be missing something...
   
*Setup:*
  Via 1708S sound chip on MB, I know it's no where near a dedicated DAC but it's all I have at the moment.
  Audio controller is set for 2 speaker configuration, plugged into my Corsair SP2500 2.1 speakers. (Front Speaker Out to RCA In on the SP2500 no digital)
  I use the headphone jack on the Control Pod of the SP2500. (Which should be no different than plugging the headphones into the Front speaker out on the MB)
   
  When I load up the Forward version, I set the output to WASAPI (Speakers).
  Play a 6 Channel ID wave file and all is good, I can hear all the tests LF, RF, Center, LR, RR and Sub Noise.
  When I go into the Channel Mixer plugin configuration, none of the volume sliders do anything. I can set them all to 0 and I still get the same sound out.
  The Dolby volume works, the EQ works, I just can't change the volume of Front / Back / Center...
   
  I have also tried this with Jethro Tull's Aqualung (Quad & DTS 5.1) as well as [size=small]Toccata and Fugue by [/size][size=small]Ales Barta (Multichannel)[/size]
   
  [size=small]What am I missing, or is this configuration a waste of time and not going to work?[/size]
  [size=small]Thanks![/size]


----------



## musicreo

If you want to adjust the volume of different channels you should use the Matrix Mixer dsp. The channel Mixer dsp can't do it. It is just for up/downmixing to 6 ch.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Yea well I found it not working particularly good with matrix mixer either with the "forward" config. The channel mixer settings should do an audible difference (not night and day) moving the sliders but it doesn't behave like you'd expect it to do, I use those sliders to adjust the soundstage of this config, not to balance the different channel volumes.


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> The channel mixer settings should do an audible difference (not night and day) moving the sliders


 
  But only for stereo files. TrollDragon played a 6ch file which isn't changed by the ChannellMixer dsp.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





musicreo said:


> But only for stereo files. TrollDragon played a 6ch file which isn't changed by the ChannellMixer dsp.


 
   
  Ahh ok yea I figured he was only verified it quickly with the 6ch and then went on to his music library.


----------



## TrollDragon

Thanks Guys!
   
  My misunderstanding of what Channel Mixer does, I'll check out a stereo file tonight when I get home home and see what gives.
   
  Still an excellent piece of work!
   
   


> What am I missing, or is this configuration a waste of time and not going to work?


 
  I was referring to my hardware setup by that comment *NOT* RPGWiZaRD's config. After rereading the post it sounded nasty and misdirected...


----------



## reminence

Thank you RPGWiZaRD,
   
  I have been long looking for an audiophile class stereo enhancer/virtual room effect for foobar and your config is stunning.
   
  Thanks,


----------



## reminence

I have changed the Dolby to reference room and yet there is still too much reverb for my liking and it seams that lowering the amplitude makes negligible difference on the reverb and seams to be more of a volume slider. Is there any way to reduce the reverb effect without removing to much of the stereo field?
   
  If only there were a dry/wet knob on the dolby dsp...
   
  Edit: tweaking stereo seperation and dimension in free surround seams to do the trick


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

The "live room" setting got the least reverb, hence I'm using it by default. "reference room" has a bit more reverb. And the amplification slider do affect reverb amount and the reverb shouldn't sound excessive at all if going under 100% with "live room" setting but it'll get more silent but you can up the volume in the "matrix mixer" plugin instead (that value to the right) 
   
  Try for example 97% on the dolby headphone amplification slider using "live room" setting and up the volume in matrix mixer a little bit to counter the loss in output volume (watch out for distortion though if upping vol too much, I pretty much adjusted vol as close as possible to stock foobar2000 vol settings, ie it's quite on the border of starting to clip so have to adjust those vol settings very carefully).


----------



## reminence

Thanks, I adjusted the dolby to 12% and compensated for volume loss and it sounds much better. Still sounds like a room but with tight crisp high detail 
   
  I know 12% is probably way too low but it works best for me.


----------



## Tilpo

With my HD650's this makes DSP config makes quite a bit of difference, but with my SR-202, it's just crazy for some odd reason.
Soundstage becomes absolutely _huge_. :blink: I'm sometimes even convinced I'm listening to speakers, and I'm not even kidding here.


----------



## Matt head 777

Quote: 





tilpo said:


> With my HD650's this makes DSP config makes quite a bit of difference, but with my SR-202, it's just crazy for some odd reason.
> Soundstage becomes absolutely _huge_.
> 
> 
> ...


 
   
  frequency response can have effect on that perception I believe. I reduced some bass from my eq and now if I'm not correct the sound is coming more from in front of me. I'm liking using Dolby headphone with Sheppi. But I'll give this thread setup another go based on people liking it.


----------



## Tilpo

matt head 777 said:


> frequency response can have effect on that perception I believe. I reduced some bass from my eq and now if I'm not correct the sound is coming more from in front of me. I'm liking using Dolby headphone with Sheppi. But I'll give this thread setup another go based on people liking it.



Maybe. 

The SR-202's have a lot more treble than the HD650's, which may make the soundstage seem bigger. But what is very interesting that the difference between this DSP config and no DSP's is significantly larger with the SR-202 than it is with the HD650.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Updated the "laid-back" config slightly, especially EQ'd the highs a little bit, sounds very neutral there. I'm very pleased with the laid-back config now as well. I've personally been a great fan of the forward config but now the laid-back config is also very usable to me. Might add some new recording with it, especially liking it with soundtrack/score music.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Uploaded a new video using the latest "Laid-back" config. I thought this particular song/performance just sounded epic with it so couldn't resist. I wanted to do the part from Titanic movie from the "Irish Party" part where they dance and stuff as it has so many different instruments and things going on but then I found out the soundtrack released version is slightly different (one part is longer than in the movie) so it doesn't fit perfectly with the movie scene which annoyed me! :s


----------



## musicinmymind

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Uploaded a new video using the latest "Laid-back" config. I thought this particular song/performance just sounded epic with it so couldn't resist. I wanted to do the part from Titanic movie from the "Irish Party" part where they dance and stuff as it has so many different instruments and things going on but then I found out the soundtrack released version is slightly different (one part is longer than in the movie) so it doesn't fit perfectly with the movie scene which annoyed me! :s


 
  Not able to play the video, It says 'this is private video'


----------



## Tilpo

musicinmymind said:


> Not able to play the video, It says 'this is private video'



Same here.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





musicinmymind said:


> Not able to play the video, It says 'this is private video'


 
   
  Yea I wanted to make it "unlisted" and not private (I thought private was what "unlisted" video was so any1 could view it if you only know the link or embed it on a site etc) but I don't know why but it doesn't let me change it to "unlisted", the option is either greyed out or not there depending if using old or new youtube interface...
   
  I normally upload hardstyle videos so I don't want anything like this to appear to any subscriber of viewer of my chan really.


----------



## Tilpo

rpgwizard said:


> Yea I wanted to make it "unlisted" and not private (I thought private was what "unlisted" video was so any1 could view it if you only know the link or embed it on a site etc) but I don't know why but it doesn't let me change it to "unlisted", the option is either greyed out or not there depending if using old or new youtube interface...



Just reupload it.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





tilpo said:


> Just reupload it.


 
   
  Tried reuploading and when uploading it there's still only 2 options... public or private.
   
  Well screw it, I'll just put it as public. I think due to "strikes" to copyright infrigment I'm not allowed to use unlisted.


----------



## zachchen1996

If you have windows 8 release preview should you use wasapi or asio?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





zachchen1996 said:


> If you have windows 8 release preview should you use wasapi or asio?


 
   
  No idea. ^^ But I'd assume WASAPI should work fine.


----------



## boomslang06

just tried the forward configuration, and i'm blown away, amazing work, thanx.


----------



## Kishi

I want to ask, when you updated the whole foobar2k portable link, did you update the link on "manual install" section as well?

 I downloaded the DSP chain preset with your EQ setting "foobar2000.EQ.Balanced.(Forward)-RPGWiZaRD.fbcp" but I am wondering if that is an old version or the one updated on 27.5.2012... 
   
  if it's an old version, please update it


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

All links are always updated at the same time so don't worry. Here's also an experimental but I'm starting to love it a lot - less reverb config for the "forward" setting. Been giving it enough evaluation by now to be able to add it here, feedback is always welcome as usual!
   
  I'm unsure what to do, if I should just add as an option or replace the other config, probably safest to add it as an alternative but I'll wait for hopefully some feedback first about this config but my own opinion is that this less reverby config's advantages surpasses its disadvantages versus the one with a bit more reverb so this one I concider a bit "better". It's probably versus the other forward config slightly smaller in terms of soundstage as the reverb & soundstage size is kinda tied to each other so you have to give up one or the other. But what I lost in soundstage size with less reverb I gain in terms of transparency and slightly better definition of bass response.
   
*Pre-configured package*: foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward.Less.Reverb)-RPGWiZaRD
   
*Manuall install fbcp file*: foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward.Less.Reverb)-RPGWiZaRD.fbcp 
Use DSP chain serialization helper plugin to load the .fbcp file by holding down shift key while clicking the playback dropdown menu -> DSP chain serializer -> load.
   
   
  PS, countless hours have been spent dancing to the engaging sound during the evaluations, if music involves you it's through this config. ^^


----------



## Hutnicks

Shiny Toy Guns Major Tom cover, scary !
   
  Anyone tried capturing the output here and shooting it over to a smart device.........?


----------



## Tilpo

Why do you use the Electri-Q VST?
I would assume that using a graphic equalizer will sound inaudibly similar. This is also much more user-friendly when manually setting it up.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





tilpo said:


> Why do you use the Electri-Q VST?
> I would assume that using a graphic equalizer will sound inaudibly similar. This is also much more user-friendly when manually setting it up.


 
   
  Because Electri-Q allows me for a much more precise tweaking, I've fineadjusted the EQ setting for like 1 year by now haha, you'd be suprised how small adjustment can make a difference on it. For me the end result is many times more important than user-friendliness. The more advanced the better for me (anti-apple psychology).
   
  Any takers on:
   
 foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward)-RPGWiZaRD.zip (Updated on 27.5.2012) - slightly bigger soundstage but a bit more reverb (too much?) which may cause a bit less than ideal transparency in some complex tracks
   
  Versus the new config:
   
foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward.Less.Reverb)-RPGWiZaRD (Added 25.6.2012) - slightly smaller soundstage due to decreased reverb => slightly better transparency and bass definition (doesn't sound as smeared in busy tracks).
   
  I'd be curious to know which one you prefer between these two.


----------



## Tilpo

I'll stick with graphic equalizer, since the ERB of the auditory filters, as well as the loudness selectivity fall within its precision, and should therefore be more than precise enough.

But maybe I'm just being stubborn


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





tilpo said:


> I'll stick with graphic equalizer, since the ERB of the auditory filters, as well as the loudness selectivity fall within its precision, and should therefore be more than precise enough.
> But maybe I'm just being stubborn


 
   
  Every EQ doesn't have equally good sound quality either, I found graphic equalizer to not match Electri-Q's sound quality which is the freeware EQ with the best sound quality to my ears so far. I was able to achieve much better results with Electri-Q so it was an easy pick.


----------



## Tilpo

rpgwizard said:


> Every EQ doesn't have equally good sound quality either, I found graphic equalizer to not match Electri-Q's sound quality which is the freeware EQ with the best sound quality to my ears so far. I was able to achieve much better results with Electri-Q so it was an easy pick.



The only problems associated with equalizers are phases distortion, and perhaps too shallow slopes. However, this shouldn't really be a problem with digital EQ. Nor have I really been able to detect any difference between different EQ DSP's, so I don't believe that there really is a difference in sound quality.
If you do hear a difference, I respect that, but I will just stick to my good old graphic equalizer.


----------



## musicreo

There is a huge difference between equalizers. With a simple graphic equalizers you can't manipulate frequencies as precisely.
  Also the filter quality is usually not as good.  With a good equalizer you can work on  very small  bandwiths.


----------



## Tilpo

musicreo said:


> There is a huge difference between equalizers. With a simple graphic equalizers you can't manipulate frequencies as precisely.
> Also the filter quality is usually not as good.  With a good equalizer you can work on  very small  bandwiths.



Like I said, the ERB is too large for that too matter. Around 20 bands is enough. Adding more will not have any audible effect, simply because the bandwidth of each individual filter becomes smaller than the ERB of the auditory system. 
Most digital EQ's have 20 bands, and do not introduce any audible phase distortion unlike analog ones. Hence there is no reason to assume that more bands or more processing power will make it sound better.


----------



## maverickronin

Quote: 





tilpo said:


> Like I said, the ERB is too large for that too matter. Around 20 bands is enough. Adding more will not have any audible effect, simply because the bandwidth of each individual filter becomes smaller than the ERB of the auditory system.
> Most digital EQ's have 20 bands, and do not introduce any audible phase distortion unlike analog ones. Hence there is no reason to assume that more bands or more processing power will make it sound better.


 
   
  It depends what you're doing.  A graphic is plenty good to change the general tone of something but if you're dealing with narrow peaks or resonances you'll need more precision.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Also the basic function of an EQ varies, how well it either boosts or cuts the amplitude of given frequency range, some EQs just sound more artificial than others when modifying the frequency response, this is where Electri-Q does particularly well for a freeware EQ, versus for example Realtek onboard chips 10-band EQ the Electri-Q fares much better, boost/cut more than 3dB on Realtek onboard EQ starts to produce a very colored sound usually. You just want it to either boost or decrease the frequencies (modify the loudness curve), the kX Audio's 10-band EQ I miss a lot, it was even able to boost by up to 12dB without leading to horrible clipping or audible distortion, it just sounded like a natural extension of the headphone's sound like doing a hardware mod, not all EQs do the basic function of an EQ as well, at least to my ears and I've compared a lot of EQs, I also remember seeing an article around in this forums where the person compared different EQ's quality and it varied quite a lot in the measurement too.


----------



## Tilpo

maverickronin said:


> It depends what you're doing.  A graphic is plenty good to change the general tone of something but if you're dealing with narrow peaks or resonances you'll need more precision.



Sure. But that's not really the case here, so a graphic equalizer good enough. 
In case you do have something with narrow peaks/dips you can also just increase the number of bands.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





tilpo said:


> Sure. But that's not really the case here, so a graphic equalizer good enough.
> In case you do have something with narrow peaks/dips you can also just increase the number of bands.


 
   
  It's not just about amount bands or how configurable it is, it's equally much about how well it boosts/cuts frequencies. Some graphic equalizers can do it better than parametric or vice versa, it doesn't really depend on the type there, it's more about how it's coded. So far I thought Electri-Q did this the best of all the freeware EQs I've tested. I'm used to critical listening on a daily basis for over several years almost so my ears is used to auditioning small differences in sound.  I used to use graphic equalizer but then I switched to Electri-Q on the basis it produced a more natural sound when both EQs were using similar settings. Even Electri-Q doesn't compare to the 10-band EQ in he kX Audio drivers for Audigy cards though that I used before.
   
  But yea just use whatever works best for you, if you like graphic equalizer then use it! I'd recommend to use my config as a starter tho to where it just restores balance from the Dolby Headphone plugin and then start EQing from there if you need to EQ your headphone with for example graphic equalizer or whatever.


----------



## Tilpo

rpgwizard said:


> It's not just about amount bands or how configurable it is, it's equally much about how well it boosts/cuts frequencies. Some graphic equalizers can do it better than parametric or vice versa, it doesn't really depend on the type there, it's more about how it's coded. So far I thought Electri-Q did this the best of all the freeware EQs I've tested. I'm used to critical listening on a daily basis for over several years almost so my ears is used to auditioning small differences in sound.  I used to use graphic equalizer but then I switched to Electri-Q on the basis it produced a more natural sound when both EQs were using similar settings. Even Electri-Q doesn't compare to the 10-band EQ in he kX Audio drivers for Audigy cards though that I used before.
> 
> But yea just use whatever works best for you, if you like graphic equalizer then use it! I'd recommend to use my config as a starter tho to where it just restores balance from the Dolby Headphone plugin and then start EQing from there if you need to EQ your headphone with for example graphic equalizer or whatever.



I'm still skeptical of there being differences, but let's leave it at that.


----------



## maverickronin

Quote: 





tilpo said:


> Sure. But that's not really the case here, so a graphic equalizer good enough.


 
   
  Yep that's true.  I just wanted to clarify about the situational dependency though.  Saying all you need is the same resolution as your ear's ERBs makes a lot of assumptions about not just your goals but also the frequency response of the system and the spectral content of the listening material.  For the most part it will really only hold true with pretty smooth frequency responses that don't have much in the way of discontinuity and listening material with a very even spectral distribution.  Even then a GEQ will work just fine in _this _application but there are other good reasons to use a PEQ or a paragraphic.
   
  Quote: 





tilpo said:


> In case you do have something with narrow peaks/dips you can also just increase the number of bands.


 
   
  You could in theory, but in practice I find it's way easier just to to sweep a peak or dip through a range of frequencies and then play with the bandwidth/Q on a PEQ rather than end up with some 256 band monstrosity or something.  PEQs take some time to get the hang of but after you do I find they're easier to use.
   
  I've been using Voxengo GlissEQ recently.  It's got a lot of extra features that I don't really need or use but it's a well integrated package with a great and easy to use UI with is where most VSTs fail quite hard.


----------



## JackeShan

I've been comparing the new forward config with less reverb and I think I like it more. The reverb is less, but the soundstage doesn't suffer much at all, which is of course a good thing. I'm sticking with this one!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





jackeshan said:


> I've been comparing the new forward config with less reverb and I think I like it more. The reverb is less, but the soundstage doesn't suffer much at all, which is of course a good thing. I'm sticking with this one!


 
   
  Thanks for feedback!  I will bring a slight update to it shortly where I EQ'd it slightly better. I'm not sure whether or not to make this the default "forward" config but I'd think it might be better as a default setting.


----------



## Tilpo

Interestingly I find this config also makes my nearfields sound significantly better in some regards.
It widens up the soundstage, though it does make it sound a bit blurry. I don't know which I prefer.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





tilpo said:


> Interestingly I find this config also makes my nearfields sound significantly better in some regards.
> It widens up the soundstage, though it does make it sound a bit blurry. I don't know which I prefer.


 
   
  Yea the new EQ settings for the "less reverb" forward config which I posted some posts back should be better, I don't know which one you're using but the one in the first post is a bit different to what was posted here recently. The new EQ setting which I haven't yet added here to the experimental less reverby config has a bit better transparency as I noticed one of the bands both in the bass and midrange had a bit too high set bandwidth which lead to more smoothed out sound.
   
  Here's a track I uploaded using the very latest config that isn't yet uploaded here:
   




  320kbps MP3: http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/86507630/file.html (Note it's a FREE RELEASE so it's ok )
   
  Here's a link to non-processed version for comparision http://soundcloud.com/djwildstylez/david-guetta-nicky-romero-feat
   
   
  EDIT: Another upload that also uses the latest config:


----------



## Tilpo

rpgwizard said:


> Yea the new EQ settings for the "less reverb" forward config which I posted some posts back should be better, I don't know which one you're using but the one in the first post is a bit different to what was posted here recently. The new EQ setting which I haven't yet added here to the experimental less reverby config has a bit better transparency as I noticed one of the bands both in the bass and midrange had a bit too high set bandwidth which lead to more smoothed out sound.



I modified the config in the OP to better suite my tastes, but I'll check out your newest one in a sec.

I think the main reason it sounds blurred is because the speakers I use are bookshelves from a $400 stereo set, meaning they aren't exactly hi-fi, nor meant for near-field configuration. They still do a pretty good job.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





tilpo said:


> I modified the config in the OP to better suite my tastes, but I'll check out your newest one in a sec.
> I think the main reason it sounds blurred is because the speakers I use are bookshelves from a $400 stereo set, meaning they aren't exactly hi-fi, nor meant for near-field configuration. They still do a pretty good job.


 
   
  Well this config was meant for headphone use not for speakers, but it's good that it works for speakers a bit too I guess. xD
   
  For speakers the reverb was more of an issue with Dolby Headphone amplification set to 105%, the newer config uses 97% and other values slightly tweaked to match the change better. At 105% it definitely sounded too reverby for speaker use to what would be optimal but sounded quite good with headphones, barely any noteworthy added reverb while with 97% it starts working fairly good with speakers too I think so I guess that's one of the reasons I should also start using the 97% DH amplification config as default here.


----------



## Tilpo

rpgwizard said:


> Well this config was meant for headphone use not for speakers, but it's good that it works for speakers a bit too I guess. xD
> 
> For speakers the reverb was more of an issue with Dolby Headphone amplification set to 105%, the newer config uses 97% and other values slightly tweaked to match the change better. At 105% it definitely sounded too reverby for speaker use but sounded quite good with headphones, barely any noteworthy added reverb while with 97% it starts working fairly good with speakers too I think.



I guess it works because both have minimal spatial cues on their own, since the primary sound is much louder than the reverb. Wouldn't work for speakers in a regular listening setup (more than ~1m separation between listener and speakers). 


I reduced the amplification and it did indeed help significantly. 

I'm liking what I'm hearing


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

So here's the slightly updated "less reverb" forward config:
   
 *Pre-configured package*: foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward.Less.Reverb)-RPGWiZaRD
  
 *Manuall install fbcp file*: foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward.Less.Reverb)-RPGWiZaRD.fbcp 
 Use DSP chain serialization helper plugin to load the .fbcp file by holding down shift key while clicking the playback dropdown menu -> DSP chain serializer -> load.
   
  PS, it's set to "DS: Primary Sound Driver" output device for compatibility reasons like usual, I usually use WASAPI myself.
   
  Tell me what you think.  I also tested it with the only speakers I have, crappy Logitech X-530 set hehe but at least on those speakers it worked very well too.  But yea this config has mostly just been configured with my headphones, I've just out of curiosity tested it with the speakers every now and then but amplification 97% works very well for the speakers too while the old setting 105% sounded a bit odd with these speakers. This should have pretty good transparency and midrange clarity, more closer to stock foobar2000, there was almost no audible difference in terms of frequency response balance, only midrange sticks out ever so tiny bit more which is done on purpose for the "forward" config.


----------



## Tilpo

Can't really hear the difference with the one in the OP with amplification set to 97% and the one you just uploaded. 
Did you do anything other than adjusting that?

Disclaimer: this is with speakers, so subtle differences may be lost due to a lack of fidelity.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





tilpo said:


> Can't really hear the difference with the one in the OP with amplification set to 97% and the one you just uploaded.
> Did you do anything other than adjusting that?
> Disclaimer: this is with speakers, so subtle differences may be lost due to a lack of fidelity.


 
   
  Chances are it's more difficult to hear with speakers or that you're not listening close enough.  I hear them that been tweaking this config for like over a year and used to "A/B" small differences in the sound. The changes are very minor though but it should have slightly better transparency and better bass definition (better impact/sharper/separated versus just floating softly towards the mids) especially due to reduction in some of the peak filter's bandwidth setting which tends to warmen/smoothen/impact negatively on transparency (especially when going past 1.100).
   
  Also with this config if you're not using WASAPI make sure you have windows vol slider at 100% (doesn't matter what it is set to if used WASAPI from my testing, it still won't impact on sound quality) or you'll get some loss in dynamic range, I'd still recommend using WASAPI just in case if you're able to use it. With say 50% windows vol and using DirectSound output it'll lead to a noticably more laid-back treble in complex/busy tracks, you hear a very noticable difference swapping between DS and WASAPI output in foobar2000 while playing some very complex tracks where both bass and mids/highs are being utilized heavily at the same time. Comparing to stock foobar2000, the mids/highs actually get a bit more subdued with DS output under those more complex passages in songs with this config but with WASAPI it gets a little more forward, it's such a big difference. It's been tweaked to sound optimal when using WASAPI. Since I never use 100% windows vol I can't speak for how 100% windows vol + DS output compares to using WASAPI though, if it even at 100% vol leads to more laid-back mids/highs that I haven't compared. Optimal tracks to compare this with is some hardstyle tracks as those are mastered very loudly with very heavy bass + mids used at the same time especially in the climax parts, that's where I'm usually checking that.
   
  BUT, to avoid this you can also convert the music files using foobar2000's handy "convert" function when right clicking on tracks in the playlist and go to convert and using the Dolby Headphone config ("Balanced (Less Reverb)" and then you don't have to have the DH config loaded when listening to the songs as it already has it applied on the file itself (will obviously sound weird if you have it on when listening to an already converted file). This way you won't get any slightly more laid-back mids/highs in busy tracks even when using DS (DirectSound) output. This is also a convenient way of being able to listen to "dolby headphone" with any portable device as well.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

OK, did another small update to my new "forward" config, I'm really starting to think this config starts sounding rather perfect now.  Will have to update the config in the first page at some point.
   
   
 *Pre-configured package*: foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward.Less.Reverb)-RPGWiZaRD
  
 *Manuall install fbcp file*: foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward.Less.Reverb)-RPGWiZaRD.fbcp 
 Use DSP chain serialization helper plugin to load the .fbcp file by holding down shift key while clicking the playback dropdown menu -> DSP chain serializer -> load.
  
 PS, it's set to "DS: Primary Sound Driver" output device for compatibility reasons like usual, I usually use WASAPI myself.
   
   
  Here's a fresh upload using the latest config \o/


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I may start a new youtube channel (maybe something like DolbyHeadphoneUploads) dedicated to Dolby Headphone uploads of various songs from very various genres, could be anything from music like above to latest B.o.B feat Taylor Swift.  Problem is that I'm involved in too many things atm, I'm a mod tester for a rather big Skyrim mod, I keep a Hardstyle music upload dedicated youtube channel, I'm a bit involved with a DJ friend of mine to give him feedback on his productions as well as mastering his tracks etc.  Why can't days be 36 hrs? Luckily I got holidays atm, feels like I got enough work at home already. ^^


----------



## reload

I was playing with my Electri Q and it messed up and now I can never play it normal just in safe mode. In safe mode I can't set my eq, so I got the laidback version and it works now.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I've now updated the the "forward" config in the first page to the latest less reverb config (the latest I provided on the previous page + some small tweak). I'm always so positively suprised how much better this latest config is in transparency and detail compared to the old a bit more reverby config.
   
   
 *Pre-configured package*: foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward.Less.Reverb)-RPGWiZaRD
  
 *Manuall install fbcp file*: foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward.Less.Reverb)-RPGWiZaRD.fbcp 
 Use DSP chain serialization helper plugin to load the .fbcp file by holding down shift key while clicking the playback dropdown menu -> DSP chain serializer -> load.
  
 PS, it's set to "DS: Primary Sound Driver" output device for compatibility reasons like usual, I strongly recommend you use WASAPI if possible as it's been tweaked to sound optimal with that.
   
   
  And finally here's a short demo track I've uploaded with the new config


----------



## FrequencyBlue

new update? Niiiice I have been using your forward config for a few months and now there is no turning back for me (lol)
   
   
  Though, I have to say that in some rare cases, there seem to be loss of details, like, some instruments was intentionally "placed" close to my ears, and your config put them "far away", makes me barely hear them at all. 
  currently using my HD202.
   
  sorry for the crappy english, its not my first language .


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





frequencyblue said:


> new update? Niiiice I have been using your forward config for a few months and now there is no turning back for me (lol)
> 
> 
> Though, I have to say that in some rare cases, there seem to be loss of details, like, some instruments was intentionally "placed" close to my ears, and your config put them "far away", makes me barely hear them at all.
> ...


 
   
  You need to use WASAPI / ASIO as it should place them more closer than far away, with DirectSound output it may happen though.


----------



## tbritton

Another excellent edition, my friend! Thank you so much!
   
  Terry


----------



## shoenberg3

Is the balanced (forward) the new less-reverb version?
  I also see balanced (less-reverb) as a dropdown option? Is that something else.?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





shoenberg3 said:


> Is the balanced (forward) the new less-reverb version?
> I also see balanced (less-reverb) as a dropdown option? Is that something else.?


 
   
  If you have that option in the list it's probably not the latest, the latest should be found in the first page. Anyway I might upload a slightly tweaked version soon, just need to spend some time with it comparing so I know I concider it an improvement first.
   
  I don't know what to do with the laid-back config either as I think it sounds quite **** compared to the forward setting haha. ^^ Would make the thread cleaner and easier to maintain with one config.


----------



## erratik

How do I remove this?  I really want just stock foobar back so i just did a portable install and re-installed the skin i like but now none of the album names show up in the playlist and i just want it back to like it was before ((


----------



## Tilpo

erratik said:


> How do I remove this?  I really want just stock foobar back so i just did a portable install and re-installed the skin i like but now none of the album names show up in the playlist and i just want it back to like it was before ((




Go to:
File -> Preferences -> Playback -> DSP Manager. 
And then remove all the DSP's by clicking on them in the left half, and clicking the arrow pointing to the right.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

He's probably just talking about the appearence in the playlist. Well I specificly write on the first page to extract the package to another location at from where you should just first verify if you like what you're hearing and not and save your old foobar2000 folder in case you don't like it to avoid losing some specific combo you've made regarding the appearence or what not.


----------



## erratik

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> He's probably just talking about the appearence in the playlist. Well I specificly write on the first page to extract the package to another location at from where you should just first verify if you like what you're hearing and not and save your old foobar2000 folder in case you don't like it to avoid losing some specific combo you've made regarding the appearence or what not.


 
  Well, I don't think the dolby config has any affect on the way the playlist is displaying, but i have no idea how I was able to get the albums to show up originally.  I tried to do a new portable install and then set up my theme but it didn't display right and i just have no clue where that setting might be O_O lol
   
  thanks guys


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

You set it up there in File -> Preferences -> Display area. Then there's subcategories for example for the playlist and there you can enter what it should display.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

OK I've updated the "forward" config slightly now, should be slightly better EQ'd in the bass + highs and the soundstage should have ever so slightly more depth. What's also nice is that DirectSound output seems to work very good with this config too and not just WASAPI.
   
  ---------------------------------
   
 *Portable foobar2000 v1.1.6 "Forward" configuration:* foobar2000.v1.1.6.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward)-RPGWiZaRD.zip - *RECOMMENDED!* (Updated on 13.8.2012)
  
 *Note:* For best result I also recommend changing to *WASAPI output* manually in the foobar2000 File -> Preferences -> Playback -> Output afterwards, it's been set to Direct Sound by default for compatibility reasons. If you use WASAPI you'll need to match your output device setting with the same bitrate as set in foobar2000 and make sure the music files are using same sample rate (for example 44100 Hz) as set in the output device properties in windows control panel or alternatively use a resampler plugin in foobar2000. If using DirectSound Output I recommend testing using Windows speaker config in control panel set to 5.1 speakers.


----------



## musicinmymind

Thanks for this new config, will try them.
   
  WASAPI still sounds better with this Config or DirectSound is also good enough? I prefer DirectSound because I use many of your config and WASAPI does allow only one active foobar.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





musicinmymind said:


> Thanks for this new config, will try them.
> 
> WASAPI still sounds better with this Config or DirectSound is also good enough? I prefer DirectSound because I use many of your config and WASAPI does allow only one active foobar.


 
   
  I still prefer WASAPI slightly but DirectSound + 5.1 speakers set in windows is near too, it's almost as the soundstage is a bit different with DirectSound + 5.1 (better(?)), WASAPI doesn't seem to be affected as much by the 5.1 speakers for some reason so it doesn't matter if it's set to stereo or 5.1 when using WASAPI. However the mids/vocals may appear ever so slightly more forward using WASAPI but using DirectSound it's at least as forward / slightly more forward sounding than stock foobar2000 already. I do think using WASAPI has the greatest benefit when using this config in terms of transparency and clarity in the mids though but it's not a night and day difference, I can still usually enjoy the tracks with both output modes, the difference is now very small compared to previously.
   
  EDIT: Forgot another benefit with WASAPI is that in very loudly mastered tracks (which basicly already has measurable clipping), say typical hardstyle tracks which has loud complex bass + complex midrange playing at the sametime the DirectSound may struggle to sound "non-clipped" (clipped isn't really the right word to use here though, it acts more like as if a limiter would be in use) / "muted" in the mids at which transparency is greatly impacted compared to using WASAPI but this is where I particularly noticed a big difference with DirectSound compared to previously, it didn't get "muted/muffled" in these parts that it was very apparent previously that WASAPI managed to output a louder volume level without starting to get "muffled". Now DS also plays like aprox 80% of the loudly mastered HS quite nicely I'd say without any loss in clarity. For other genres this is usually not a concern. *But this only applies when using this config during actual playback with the config activated*, if I use the "convert" function (right click in the playlist of the selected tracks and choose Convert -> Forward (balanced)) and convert the files itself to be processed with this DSP config it will sound pretty much the same as WASAPI under all circumstances when playing the converted files.


----------



## musicinmymind

Thank you.
   
  Will try with DirectSound + 5.1 speakers and WASAPI and post my findings.


----------



## JackeShan

Thanks for the update. I can personally not hear a difference at all between Direct Sound or WASAPI.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well here's a quick recording I did which turned out a bit distorted sounding and doesn't sound like during playback but at least you can hear a difference when I switch been WASAPI & DS https://dl.dropbox.com/u/63937904/WASAPIvsDS.mp3
   
  This is just a showcase of worst case scenario though and what can happen in case of loudly mastered music, WASAPI outputs it at the level it should be at while with DS it kinda sounds like a limiter would be enabled and it's hard to make out all the details in the midrange sounds as they kinda float into each other. There is also cases in slight midrange detail retrieval & transparency differences in not overly loud music but the difference is small there though, this is a more noticable difference I'm showcasing here.
   
  EDIT: rerecorded with slightly lower recording vol for a bit better result
   
  Just to show you what this track's waveform looks like though (for audiophiles this should be a facepalm) https://dl.dropbox.com/u/63937904/clipping.png - In hardstyle the rule about mastering volume goes roughly like if you can't hear the clipping, volume is fine.  It's against tracks like these I check for clipping issues with this config but I tweak it to sound optimal for WASAPI though.


----------



## JackeShan

Woa, the difference there is quite noticable. Although with the music I have the difference between DS and WASAPI is pretty much non-extistent, but I have WASAPI on anyway, for optimal sound.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





jackeshan said:


> Woa, the difference there is quite noticable. Although with the music I have the difference between DS and WASAPI is pretty much non-extistent, but I have WASAPI on anyway, for optimal sound.


 
   
  Are you maybe using Windows volume @ 100% and controlling the volume on your amp? In my case the windows volume is set low @ 14% and maxed out on ZO2.1 as it works best that way with this "amp". I'm guessing it might also be that it becomes compressed with DS due to this but doesn't when using WASAPI. Just saying there might be a possibility that this doesn't happen with DS if windows volume is kept at 100%.


----------



## musicinmymind

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> > Are you maybe using Windows volume @ 100% and controlling the volume on your amp? In my case the windows volume is set low @ 14% and maxed out on ZO2.1 *as it works best that way with this "amp". *I'm guessing it might also be that it becomes compressed with DS due to this but doesn't when using WASAPI. Just saying there might be a possibility that this doesn't happen with DS if windows volume is kept at 100%.


 
   
  I am using E17, set vol on E17 to 100% and control vol with window also help or this is specific to Z02 only?


----------



## JackeShan

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Are you maybe using Windows volume @ 100% and controlling the volume on your amp? In my case the windows volume is set low @ 14% and maxed out on ZO2.1 as it works best that way with this "amp". I'm guessing it might also be that it becomes compressed with DS due to this but doesn't when using WASAPI. Just saying there might be a possibility that this doesn't happen with DS if windows volume is kept at 100%.


 
  That's right, windows volume @ 100% and I control the volume with the amp.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





musicinmymind said:


> I am using E17, set vol on E17 to 100% and control vol with window also help or this is specific to Z02 only?


 
   
  Most likely, digiZoid ZO is an analog amp only and the bass boost stays cleaner (doesn't clip as easily) the lower the windows volume is set. Digizoid themselves recommend to start out with 25% in the manual. With other amps the recommended is 100% (as long as it doesn't become too unpractical on the volume slider on the amp). 
   
  So in my case WASAPI is a lot more important to use as at least with WASAPI it avoids the compression no matter what the windows volume is set to when using this Dolby Headphone config at the very least.


----------



## zombi3butt

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> OK I've updated the "forward" config slightly now, should be slightly better EQ'd in the bass + highs and the soundstage should have ever so slightly more depth. What's also nice is that DirectSound output seems to work very good with this config too and not just WASAPI.
> 
> ---------------------------------
> 
> ...


 
  I cant download from this link, could you reup please )


----------



## JackeShan

Quote: 





zombi3butt said:


> I cant download from this link, could you reup please )


 
  It works fine for me.


----------



## zombi3butt

Quote: 





jackeshan said:


> It works fine for me.


 
  I can't, maybe China blocks it, could you upload it on mediafire or sendspace?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Don't have an account there but I hope zippyshare works for you http://www1.zippyshare.com/v/96233542/file.html


----------



## WittyName

Thank you for this RPGWiZaRD, it is just the tweak I was looking for.  I was running no processing out of Foobar 2000 (other than a crossover) to my gear and it sounded nice, but could use a bit of a wider soundstage.  I listen mostly to Punk and Hardcore and so I'm looking to back the middle ranges out a bit but I think that's all the tweaking I have left.
   
  If you're curious about my setup, see below:

 Soundcard is some Gigabtye/Realtek HD Audio.  It's not bad actually and can push 24-bit/192Hz
 Toslink out to a FIIO E3 DAC.
 RCAs to my EQ a Behringer Mini 9-band EQ
 RCAs to Creek OBH-11 headphone amp
 Grado SR-80 headset
   
  I'm going to do some AB testing but so far your setup is giving some wild separation, all of the channels are discrete and I have been hearing new parts to music I know well.  Thanks again!


----------



## JackeShan

Quote: 





wittyname said:


> I'm going to do some AB testing but so far your setup is giving some wild separation, all of the channels are discrete and I have been hearing new parts to music I know well.  Thanks again!


 
  Yes, I agree! I think this is very underrated. I wish more people could try it out.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Thanks for the kind words!  I'm very satisfied with the latest config to the point I don't think I'll be able to improve it much further really, I might just give an ever so slight gain adjustment on the EQ setting and clean up the post in the first page and put the "laid-back" config last under a spoiler tag as honestly I don't think I'll be able to get it equally nice but different sounding than the forward one even if I try to update the EQ settings to match more closely to the forward config.


----------



## planx

MY god RPG, my props to you! Truely astonishing on my Samsung Ultrabook-> Calyx Coffee DAC-> Hifiman EF5-> Hifiman HE400. I always thought my CD player hooked to my amp was the best, but with your help, my PC sounds miraculously improved!


----------



## OmarSy

Thanks a million for this share! I downloaded the preconfigured version because I'm lazy but regardless thank you!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





omarsy said:


> Thanks a million for this share! I downloaded the preconfigured version because I'm lazy but regardless thank you!


 
   
  The manual install is only included for the paranoid users who think there might be a virus in there and feels more comfortable setting it up themselves.


----------



## WittyName

Also the manual setup would allow me to update my installed foobar rather than being stuck at 1.1.6 forever.  I *did* try the manual install but Electri-Q was constantly dying.  I'll have to look into how to keep the portable version up to date.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Yea I've tried the latest but I thought it sounded slightly different (worse) so always went back. This is the reason I haven't updated, the same thing can be said about WASAPI 3.0, it sounds better with this old WASAPI version. Newer isn't always better.


----------



## WittyName

BTW, WASAPI 3.0 is now released.  http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=96805&hl=


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





wittyname said:


> BTW, WASAPI 3.0 is now released.  http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=96805&hl=


 
   
  Yea I gave it a try a couple of days ago but didn't like the sound of it.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well I gave it another try, the latest foobar2000 with the newest wasapi plugin and used it for a while now with good results so must have been something I forgot to change the previous time (I think possibly I was using stereo speaker config in windows when usually using 5.1). I'm probably gonna update the config in the next few days hopefully, quite busy these days. I'm also thinking of dumping the laid-back config (altough I won't completely remove it but put it under a "spoiler" tag to clean up the first page a little and make it more reader friendly and as the "forward" config is moving more and more towards a "univerally usable" setting I will probably just rename it to just a "dolby headphone" config or something instead of referring it as "DH: Forward". I also found out by deleting themes.fth files in foobar2000 folder will reset the foobar2000 appearence to the same as launching foobar2000 for the first time when a window will popup when you get to make some quick layout settings according to your preferences which I will probably do with this for the next update too.
   
  I'm wondering if one simply cannot just copy over the theme.fth file from his other foobar2000 install and it might work.


----------



## freakfingers12

Thanks RPGWizard. It gave sort of a bigger soundstage feel. Love it on my DT1350's. Awesome videos btw.
   
  Btw, there seems to be a problem. After I play songs using foobar2k, then play youtube on google chrome, no sound came out from youtube. Weird, seems to mess up the default output of other applications maybe.


----------



## JackeShan

Quote: 





freakfingers12 said:


> Thanks RPGWizard. It gave sort of a bigger soundstage feel. Love it on my DT1350's. Awesome videos btw.
> 
> Btw, there seems to be a problem. After I play songs using foobar2k, then play youtube on google chrome, no sound came out from youtube. Weird, seems to mess up the default output of other applications maybe.


 
  Do you use WASAPI? If you do then that's the case. WASAPI bypasses everything related to Windows when it is enabled, allowing bit-perfect playback.


----------



## freakfingers12

Quote: 





jackeshan said:


> Do you use WASAPI? If you do then that's the case. WASAPI bypasses everything related to Windows when it is enabled, allowing bit-perfect playback.


 
  Yup, using WASAPI. Any easy method to solve this? I need to close foobar2k and wait for awhile for it to have sound on google.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





freakfingers12 said:


> Yup, using WASAPI. Any easy method to solve this? I need to close foobar2k and wait for awhile for it to have sound on google.


 
   
  There's no way to "solve" this, it's intended to work like that like JackeShan explained above. Basicly happens if you start playing foobar2000 while Youtube or whatever is playing sounds (which is using DirectSound output). It won't happen if foobar2000 is running but is on pause/idle and if you happen to hit play on foobar2000 you might be lucky and can just close/stop foobar2000 and reload page and it might still play the sounds in the browser but if it doesn't you'll have to restart the webbrowser (altough no need to wait though, just closing and reopening and it will instantly play sounds again).


----------



## freakfingers12

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> There's no way to "solve" this, it's intended to work like that like JackeShan explained above. Basicly happens if you start playing foobar2000 while Youtube or whatever is playing sounds (which is using DirectSound output). It won't happen if foobar2000 is running but is on pause/idle and if you happen to hit play on foobar2000 you might be lucky and can just close/stop foobar2000 and reload page and it might still play the sounds in the browser but if it doesn't you'll have to restart the webbrowser (altough no need to wait though, just closing and reopening and it will instantly play sounds again).


 
  Alright cool. That's a give and take I'd to make for sound quality.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

The preconfigured installs have now been updated to the latest newly released final version of foobar2000 v1.1.15 and includes WASAPI 3.0 plugins. I also deleted the theme.fth so that users can quickly setup their preferred layout on first startup (alternatively you might be able to just copy over your old theme.fth in case you want to preserve your current look). 
   
  Wasapi 3.0 brings improvements such as drasticly reduced latency and it's been introduced two different modes now, an "Event" and a "Push" mode for an improved compatibility with for example USB DACs, I personally recommend the "Event" mode, to my ears it sounds better but the "Push" mode then again offers slightly wider soundstage at the expense of depth and positional cues accuracy (the positioning seems a little more defuse).
   
  Links are available on the first page as usual or check below
   
   
 *Portable foobar2000 v1.1.15 "Forward" configuration:* foobar2000.v1.1.15.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward)-RPGWiZaRD.zip - *RECOMMENDED!* (Updated on 23.9.2012)
  
 *Portable foobar2000 v1.1.15 "Laid-back" configuration: *foobar2000.v1.1.15.Dolby.Headphone.(Laid-back)-RPGWiZaRD.zip *OUTDATED!* (Updated on 23.9.2012)
  
 *Note:* For best result I also strongly recommend changing to *WASAPI output* manually in the foobar2000 File -> Preferences -> Playback -> Output afterwards, it's been set to Direct Sound by default for compatibility reasons. If you use WASAPI you'll need to match your output device setting with the same bitrate as set in foobar2000 and make sure the music files are using same sample rate (for example 44100 Hz) as set in the output device properties in windows control panel or else use a resampler in foobar2000.


----------



## Kishi

Wizard, please update *Manual install fbcp file *






 Thank you for your work!!!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





kishi said:


> Wizard, please update *Manual install fbcp file *
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
   
  Doesn't need updating as it's still using the same settings as last time. All files which needs updating are always updated, no need to remind me. ;P The links I post on the last page I always copy from the first page.
   
  Ahh ok, I see the filename is still 1.1.6 on the fbcp files but it doesn't really matter as it's using the same settings as previous config anyway that was using foobar2000 1.1.6, so ignore the filename, no update needed  on the fbcp files, I should just remove the foobar2000 version from those files as it doesn't really matter what version it's based on, it's just saved plugin configs for foobar2000.


----------



## JackeShan

Does drag & drop work for you in this foobar version? I can't drop files into the playlist, which worked fine with the other one. I have no idea what's wrong


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Yea works fine.


----------



## flyingsaucer

First all thank you a lots RPGWiZaRD!!!!
  Your foobar settings are wonderful for everything about music. I've an AKG K272 HD as headphones and finally I can succeed in fully appreciate them. But I would something that I could use for Gaming I've a notebook Alienware M17Xr2 with integrated IDT Sigmatel sound card 7.1 (the worst soundcard on planet), I've also an adapter expresscard to pcmcia to use an audigy 2 zs notebook but KXDriver are not bug free on Windows 7 64bit and as soon as I install it my os cannot shutdown anymore so I must revert to internal soundcard.
   
  But googling on internet I came on this wonderful forum reading your thread and as soon as I was finishing trying your foobar settings I was taken from possibility to extend this settings to whole system.
   
  1) I've installed Virtual Audio Cable (And Set as Default output)
  2) Set up my internal IDT Sound Card ouput as 5.1 and Disabled all EFFECTS
  3) Installed AudioMulch
  4) Inside AudioMulch Configured as Input Line1
  5) Inside AudioMulch Configured as ouput My IDT Sound card with 1 Sound Output a Two AUX (5.1 settings for Windows output)
  6) VST DTS Neural Upmix 2 to 6 (5.1)
  7) VST DH Wrapper (Library installed in SYSWOW64 (I'm on windows 7 64bit)
  8) VST Electri Q (with your settings)
   
  Audio Buffer Size 512 for 4 Buffers and everything to 48khz
   
  Well to verify that everything sounded like your setup I've created a Mp3 192kb/s of Johnny Cash Hurt from original CD and tried playing with Mediaplayer classic without enhancement, I think that everything is similar to your foobar settings.
   
  I've not used a Matrix Channel or something similar because I can separately modify them DTS Neural VST (or do you think that I need it?)
   
  I've no lag and no latency or drop out I've tried playing Counter Strike GO and everything is ok.
   
  Here it is a screenshot:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/853/impostazioniaudiomulchd.jpg/
   
  Thanks again.
   
  P.S.
  Suggestion are appreciated
  Best Regards
  Tony


----------



## mrAdrian

Wow Tony I could only IMAGINE how awesome it would make gaming experience become with RPGWizard's setup! *Only I don't game *


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

WHAAAAAT, YOU MEAN YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET THIS SAME SOUND AS MY FOOBAR2000 CONFIG FOR GAMES????? HOW MANY TIMES I'VE DREAMT ABOUT THAT
   
  This gotta be looked into O_o Well obviously you won't get the same result if exchanging Channel Mixer plugin for DTS Neural Upmix plugin as I've configured the channel mixer not only to upmix but also adjusted the "rear" and "front", "center" and stereo width etc settings but yea I'd be happy with even somewhat close results.


----------



## flyingsaucer

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> WHAAAAAT, YOU MEAN YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET THIS SAME SOUND AS MY FOOBAR2000 CONFIG FOR GAMES????? HOW MANY TIMES I'VE DREAMT ABOUT THAT
> 
> This gotta be looked into O_o Well obviously you won't get the same result if exchanging Channel Mixer plugin for DTS Neural Upmix plugin as I've configured the channel mixer not only to upmix but also adjusted the "rear" and "front", "center" and stereo width etc settings but yea I'd be happy with even somewhat close results.


 
   
  Hi RPGWIZARD I can do same like your Channel Mixer plugin in foobar if you look at my screenshot you can see that I've two cursors Depth (it control Front to Back or Back to Front it starts in auto as default but I can change in % as you can see about your stereo width here it's the same I can control with width slider as the first it starts in auto mode but you can change in % I've set it to 95% I can also control LFE cut to 80hz but as you can see I've disabled because checking your config in channel mixer I've seen LFE toogled off.
   
  I've updated my configuration tramforming AudioMulch as a System Service infact I've installed Alwaysup a software that can start everything from bat to exe or script in windows service setting also priority I'm starting it as above normal and everything is ok.
   
  You have a PM if you want I can go in contact with you and get my config "OUR" config better.
   
  P.S.
  Best regards to everyone
   
  Tony
   
  P.P.S
  I'm also wondering if exist a plugin or talking to foobar developers possibility to add e function like MPC HC _Media Player Classic_ Home Cinema open device in this way we could open for example directly our sound card device output and execute directly DSP on streaming live as alot of application under linux can do with loopback device. But I'm not a programmer I was only asking.
  But MPC HC can do something similar so I think we are not obliged to use a virtual audio cable to do it. With AudioMulch I'm ok anyway low latency high enjoyment.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I haven't managed to get it playing any sounds yet.
   
  EDIT: Now I got it but it sounds wrong, like as if DH plugin isn't used... maybe need to try system32 folder instead as the DH VST wrapper suggests...
   
  EDIT2: Seems to work now but I'm not getting as good sound but maybe I need to tweak Neural channel settings a little, it seems like changing rear output channel vol doesn't seem to make any difference which is a sign it's not working properly.
   
  EDIT3: OK seems to work somewhat... still need to fiddle around with neural upmix settings tho it feels like
   
  EDIT4: Haven't managed to get any sound in Skyrim or Youtube yet. Btw the "driver type", do you use "windows multimedia"? If I try to use DirectSound I don't get any sound at all.


----------



## flyingsaucer

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> I haven't managed to get it playing any sounds yet.
> 
> EDIT: Now I got it but it sounds wrong, like as if DH plugin isn't used... maybe need to try system32 folder instead as the DH VST wrapper suggests...
> 
> ...


 
  I've tried a lots with direct sound (a layer upon ASIO) but no sounds very strange I've also tried a lots of combination between VAC line 1 frequency and bits from 16 to 24, 44100 and 48000 and internal sound card output frequency and bits sample (changing also inside AudioMulch following Windows Mixer and Line 1 config) but nothing. So we must revert to Windows Multimedia. I've set in AudioMulch Audio General 48khz audio input line 1 and remember as you suggested output is configured to 5.1 so inside AudioMulch 3 outputs, 1 soundout and 2 AuxOut 1 and 2 with according channels  1-2, 3-4, 5-6 configure also input and output meters so you can see audio flows and finally in Audio Driver buffer size 512 and buffer number 4 INPUT and OUTPUT same config to low latency. Remember for VST DH Wrapper Library need to be installed in SYSWOW64 if you are on Windows 7 32bit it need to be installed in SYSTEM32 (someone managed it working putting dll in c:\windows) but if not correctly configured you have not output from DH Wrapper VST so it's simple to troubleshoot.
   
  I can confirm that with ALWAYSUP (software that execute everything as a service in SESSION 0) you can have audiomulch acting like a service in background with your priority setting.
  Remember when you are good inside Audiomulch you can create a Default.amh inside it's directory and it will start always when you open Audiomulch.
   
  P.S.
  When you add me in MSN?
   
  Best Reagrds
  Tony


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Since DirectSound driver type isn't working I can't get it to work for every game, I've tried getting it to work for Skyrim which is the only game I've played for a while due to being part of a mod that I'm testing out. A shame, it did work with Unreal Tournament 3 for example and the sound was like very dynamic and nice.... even the distance seems to be rendered better than ever.
   
  However it definitely doesn't sound the same if using DTS Neural upmix instead of channelmixer. The center channel is very silent that I've verified by clicking on the "solo" button below so it only outputs from the center. the Depth in Neural upmix doesn't either sound very good if set on the arrow-up side (metallic reverby sounding), sounds better if it's closer to 100% with arrow down, at 100% arrow-down it doesn't impact on the sound quality.
   
  I'm going to test different upmix vst plugins to see which is working best, next would be ToneBooster's IsoneSurround which is free.
   
  I've added you on MSN.


----------



## flyingsaucer

I think I've found the right vst to upmix from 2.0 source UM225 this one create 5 channel without LFE that I think we not need because DH create it in surround way (if I'm not right we can use UM226 it creates 5.1 channel with LFE output).
   
  Look at center now.... I'm trying live with RightMark 3d Sound now we have a right 5.0 recreation with good signal from center and a lots of knobs to play (I know you like them like me eheheh)
  So a lots of trial by error to do....
   
  Here it is a screenshot:
   
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/o64nz
   
  Tony


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I tried using VSTHost instead of Audiomulch this time and with this it works also in skyrim! But there's one prob, dolby headphone wrapper doesn't appear to work nice with this vst host, introduces lots of static  It's a shame cuz the positional audio was really great, actually mindblowingly great. xD
   
  On the Dolby headphone Wrapper's homepage there's 4 listed vst host softwares that are known to work, might have to test some other one as DirectSound ouput type works with VSTHost!! Hopefully some of the other ones beside Audiomulch also does.


----------



## antberg

Hi Guys,i have been following lurkerly the thread constantly since it's beginning but with new new Foobar version i have been encountering some issues,any help is appreciated.
  I've posted the same question in Graphicism thread too,so i will just past the question to see if i can solve it.
   
   
  I have recently downloaded the new Foobar version with both wasapi modality (the push and event ones) but in this same bit perfect mode  am unable to play hi res files (96Khz/24Bits) with 5.1 channels.In normal mode (using windows audio streaming without wasapi) i can play those files ,considering that with both i use Channel Mixer and Dolby Headphone settingstoo.Any Clue?
  btw the problem shown is "Unrecoverable playback error: Unsupported stream format: 48000 Hz / 24-bit / 6 channels".
  just to make an example ,when listening to Bohemian Rhapsody Flac 5.1 the back vocals are miles away,whatever change i am able to do in mixer channel i cannot solve the problem.I am starting to get rally Pi$$ed off,i am trying to get my best Foobar preferences since few weeks but every time i get some sort of problem.
  Very thanks guys.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

The Dolby Headphone plugin supports maximum 48kHz so use a resampler if trying to play such files. About the other problem, make sure sample rate and bitrate match what you've set in control panel as well as foobar2000.


----------



## antberg

Yes RPGWizard,thank you for the support.I assume so that with with windows sound standard processing it resample it automatically whether with wasapi it does not ,at the moment.
   
  Right now i am testing 96/24 and 48/24 both 5.1 and your version plays both correctly ,where on the other foobar it still unable.Ok because i still using your foobar version (even i use mostly flat equalization) since you posted on head-fi,as it sound fine with everything.I just was wondering in having a single Foobar where i could chose quickly between various playback methods without having three types of portable Foobar on my desktop.Guess i have to still researching ,or at least gain a little more knowledge about it.Salute


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





antberg said:


> Yes RPGWizard,thank you for the support.I assume so that with with windows sound standard processing it resample it automatically whether with wasapi it does not ,at the moment.
> 
> Right now i am testing 96/24 and 48/24 both 5.1 and your version plays both correctly ,where on the other foobar it still unable.Ok because i still using your foobar version (even i use mostly flat equalization) since you posted on head-fi,as it sound fine with everything.I just was wondering in having a single Foobar where i could chose quickly between various playback methods without having three types of portable Foobar on my desktop.Guess i have to still researching ,or at least gain a little more knowledge about it.Salute


 
   
  Just go to file -> preferences -> playback -> dsp manager and select "Default: Stock foobar" for default foobar2000 settings in the dropdown box "DSP Chain presets" and click load and then "Default: Balanced (forward)" for the Dolby headphone config. I keep checking between stock and modded settings quite regularly and this way you can quickly switch on/off to instantly hear the difference, this is the easiest/fastest way.
   
  But yea use the "DSP Chain presets" to store your configs, this saves the settings also for every plugin.


----------



## mrAdrian

Is it then possible if you save the whole forward, laidback and default in one portable file and upload?

I'm just that lazy you know


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





mradrian said:


> Is it then possible if you save the whole forward, laidback and default in one portable file and upload?
> I'm just that lazy you know


 
   
  It's already there and always has been. "Default: Balanced (Forward)" is the forward config and "Default: Balanced (Laid-back)" and "Default: Stock foobar2000". Don't mind the rest of the presets there, they are very old and outdated.


----------



## mrAdrian

Just realized! You are awesome RPG!!


----------



## BleaK

Just tried this, fun setting for soundstage lovers like myself


----------



## mrAdrian

I still cannot believe how you re-tuned the FR to sound near identical to without DSPs... amazing ears


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





mradrian said:


> I still cannot believe how you re-tuned the FR to sound near identical to without DSPs... amazing ears


 
   
  I could probably tune it slightly more closer (currently it's like very sliiiightly more forward as a whole in the mids than stock foobar2000) but I choose not to as I think very slight forward mids is a welcomed change to this world of recessed midrange headphones, more than not the midrange is recessed in the headphones so that tiny bit of a forwardness makes up for it as well as I still concider midrange to be the most important aspect to music anyway, "it's where the music is". I prefer it to be a bit more intimate and engaging than the stock foobar2000 setting which the forward midrange provides.
   
  I've kept EQing headphones for many years and it was almost on a daily basis for quite a long time, these days I also master lots of hardstyle tracks for upcoming producers. Let's just say, I fire up a song or when I test a new headphone I can usually can tell roughly whereabouts it needs tweaking as I know how it will sound like for the music if doing tweaks at the difference frequencies before needing to verify as I'm so used to how different frequencies sound like and more important how it affects a track filled with realworld instruments and synthetic instruments.
   
  Sometimes I must say I start questioning myself too as believe it or not but I often do 0.01 - 0.1dB changes on the EQ these days in order to perfect it as much as possible, seems it affects quite quickly phase changes and such by even small tweaks while I find if I change it in one place it might need correction in another area to sound right haha. When mastering the tracks I also operate on 0.1-step accuracy, I actually compare back n forth 0.1-intensity changes for reverb, EQ, gain etc. What's strange is that ZO2.1 amp seems to maximize the percievable change, if I'd use the Q40 ampless no way I'd be able to perfectly differ such small adjustments.


----------



## antberg

(above)
  Wow...


----------



## Makiah S

Quote: 





antberg said:


> (above)
> Wow...


 
  ... wow WOW wow...
   
  crazy stuff, I never got the Dolby do dad to work for me but I'm sure the  lack of pre req installs might be why
   
  Still though Happy to say me Dt 880's don't need to much  EQing <3, if anything a touch of bass boost and perfecto! Sadly I needed this weeks ago when the XB 700s where all I had and my gawd they needed some SERIOUS eq >.>


----------



## ozz007

Love this foobar player and I love your settings, It gives my HD800 and my Grados V4 more way to play with sound.


----------



## haquocdung

Thanks for the guide. 
  It's amazing. My headphone just as excited as the first time I hear a good can now.
  Thank you.
   
  PS: I cant download: Electri-Q Posihfopit edition and google doesn't lead me to anywhere. Can you please direct me?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





haquocdung said:


> Thanks for the guide.
> It's amazing. My headphone just as excited as the first time I hear a good can now.
> Thank you.
> 
> PS: I cant download: Electri-Q Posihfopit edition and google doesn't lead me to anywhere. Can you please direct me?


 
   
  Glad you like it! 
   
  The website should be working again now.


----------



## Makiah S

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Glad you like it!


 
  Yar it's good stuff that is <3 great eq!


----------



## WittyName

I'm curious RPGWizard, have you seen the foobar Crossfeed DSP?  It aims to subtly soften channel separation in headphones and give a more natural room sound.  I have been playing with the settings and I feel that it improves fidelity when placed between the Dolby Headphone and Electri-Q DSPs.
   
http://www.naivesoftware.com/software.html


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





wittyname said:


> I'm curious RPGWizard, have you seen the foobar Crossfeed DSP?  It aims to subtly soften channel separation in headphones and give a more natural room sound.  I have been playing with the settings and I feel that it improves fidelity when placed between the Dolby Headphone and Electri-Q DSPs.
> 
> http://www.naivesoftware.com/software.html


 
   
  I've tested different crossfeed plugins in the config without good luck. I did test this one too but concluded that it didn't offer any improvement but it also affected the frequency balance too much, making it brighter sounding.


----------



## pepemosca

@*RPGWiZaRD*, could you update to *1.1.16*?
http://www.foobar2000.org/changelog


----------



## customNuts

I LOVE your settings. Transformed my system.  I just added FIDELIZER to it today and it has bumped it up another clear notch. Highly recommended guys, it's free and runs in the background.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





pepemosca said:


> @*RPGWiZaRD*, could you update to *1.1.16*?
> http://www.foobar2000.org/changelog


 
   
  Guess I can although I don't see any very important updates. Will do it asap as well as adding an alternative one very slightly less reverb-config to test that is quite equal to standard foobar2000 config reverb that I've used with great results.


----------



## mrAdrian

Quote: 





customnuts said:


> I LOVE your settings. Transformed my system.  I just added FIDELIZER to it today and it has bumped it up another clear notch. Highly recommended guys, it's free and runs in the background.


 
   
  Which setting do you leave it on? Also do you have to run it every time after you have turned on your PC?


----------



## customNuts

I use the middle setting "audiophile'. The highest setting "extreme" (i think) sounds amazing, but I can't use the net and the computer is really slow. You can switch between them fairly easily though so if you want to just put some music on, whack it into the extreme setting. 
   
  Yes, if you reboot, then you need to run fidelizer again. Its super easy though and pretty quick- extreme takes a bit longer as it is shutting down basically anything that affects sound quality.
  After I reboot, I run the audiophile mode then forget it. Very quick and easy.
   
  I wanted to use JPLAY with foobar but you can't use rpgwizard dolby settings at the same time. So if JPLAY is in use when playing lossless, the dolby settings are not functional.
  The great thing about fidelizer is you can use it with everything. It runs in windows, not in the specific players like foobar.


----------



## customNuts

Here's the link:
   
   
http://www.windowsxlive.net/fidelizer/


----------



## xnor

If other processes or Windows services negatively impact your sound quality you should scan your computer for viruses, upgrade drivers or broken hardware.
   
  As the author has recognized, messing with services and system process priorities can make the whole system unstable, cause unexpected problems ...
   
  I think you're better off checking the DPC latency of your system and fixing it to avoid glitches or drop-outs. Other than that there shouldn't be any problems. If there were, then pro audio interface manufacturers would recommend this or a similar tool, which they don't.
  Also, I have not seen any measurements indicating an improvement of sound quality.


----------



## Roller

Quote: 





xnor said:


> If other processes or Windows services negatively impact your sound quality you should scan your computer for viruses, upgrade drivers or broken hardware.
> 
> As the author has recognized, messing with services and system process priorities can make the whole system unstable, cause unexpected problems ...
> 
> ...


 
   
  Precisely.
   
  There won't be any improvements to audio by using a service tweaking software. As long as a system doesn't have too high latency (some latency is manageable and doesn't introduce any audio issues for playback purposes), audio playback will work just as fine.


----------



## customNuts

I certainly trust my ears over someones opinion who hasn't even tried it or bases SQ on measurements. The differences are quite obvious.
  All Fidelizer does is shut down processes that affect sound quality, a similar concept to hibernate mode in JPLAY.  Not sure why that's so hard to understand or believe.
   
  Windows' (or Mac OS for that matter) sole purpose is not based around optimal audiophile sound quality, hence the plethora of OS tweaks available. Companies like Mach2 base there business around this and have improved the sound of Mac OS significantly.
  If you don't like, trust or believe it, then don't use it. Just sharing something that has worked for me and the many who have suggested it. I've only just started using it so I'll report if there are any glitches as I too  am still evaluating it.


----------



## Hutnicks

Well yes actually there will be an improvement depending on what audio hardware you are using. That said you can more than likely achieve the same results by disabling your network connection and any AV software or other superfluous services while playing back audio.
   
    Anyone who has used M-Audio's products on a pc can probably give you boatloads of info on what to turn off to improve the output quality. Their drivers are the queen of all beaches to workaround.
   
   That said, it would be nice to have an auto optimizer, but I fear the myriad different possible pc configs are too much for any auto config type program to deal with.
   
  On the main topic. I seem to be getting a better quality out of the ISoneSurround module than the Dolby Headphone config itself. Has one annoying issue in that it attenuates the right channel a little too much.


----------



## Roller

First of all, there are no measurable improvements based on using that software. Second, I have tested such app out of scientific curiosity (the last less stability damaging version, that is) and unlike what wishful thinking of users above indicate, audio doesn't improve one iota, at best what can happen is exactly the same that happens with aftermarket cables, namely less signal degradation, and for that to occur, both hardware and software must be utter chaos to begin with.
   
  Bottomline is, before thinking of using one click optimizers, solve hardware issues and software instabilities, which will provide an optimal base for audio playback and/or recording.
   
  Back on topic, RPGWiZaRD, I'm looking for improved libraries that might be of use for your configs and will let you know if I find something.


----------



## ozz007

Quote: 





roller said:


> First of all, there are no measurable improvements based on using that software. Second, I have tested such app out of scientific curiosity (the last less stability damaging version, that is) and unlike what wishful thinking of users above indicate, audio doesn't improve one iota, at best what can happen is exactly the same that happens with aftermarket cables, namely less signal degradation, and for that to occur, both hardware and software must be utter chaos to begin with.
> 
> Bottomline is, before thinking of using one click optimizers, solve hardware issues and software instabilities, which will provide an optimal base for audio playback and/or recording.
> 
> Back on topic, RPGWiZaRD, I'm looking for improved libraries that might be of use for your configs and will let you know if I find something.


 
  I also try this app just to find out my computer was very unstable, remove it right up and all is back to normal.


----------



## pepemosca

pepemosca said:


> @*RPGWiZaRD*, could you update to *1.1.16*?
> http://www.foobar2000.org/changelog




Now version *1.1.18* is out!
http://www.foobar2000.org/changelog

We need an update of your settings!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

OK sorry guys, been quite busy and I also hate updating the config, it's such a boring task you wouldn't believe me. Anyway I updated foobar2000 to v1.1.18 as well as updated the forward config to use the latest config with sliiightly less reverb and finetuned EQ settings and tweaked channel mixer, now it should be quite same as stock foobar2000 in terms of reverb but still with the enhanced soundstage of this config, I'm often quite blown-away with this config I have to say, especially for jazz music.
   
  The opening post has been updated or you can grab it below:
   
   
 *Portable foobar2000 v1.1.18 "Forward" configuration:* foobar2000.v1.1.18.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward)-RPGWiZaRD.zip *RECOMMENDED* (Updated on 25.11.2012)
  
 *Portable foobar2000 v1.1.18 "Laid-back" configuration: *foobar2000.v1.1.18.Dolby.Headphone.(Laid-back)-RPGWiZaRD.zip *OUTDATED!* (Updated on 25.11.2012)
  
 *Note:* For best result I recommend changing to *WASAPI (event) output* manually in the foobar2000 File -> Preferences -> Playback -> Output afterwards, it's been set to Direct Sound by default for compatibility reasons. If you use WASAPI you'll need to match your output device setting with the same bitrate as set in foobar2000 and make sure the music files are using same sample rate (for example 44100 Hz) as set in the output device properties in windows control panel or else use a resampler in foobar2000.


----------



## ozz007

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> OK sorry guys, been quite busy and I also hate updating the config, it's such a boring task you wouldn't believe me. Anyway I updated foobar2000 to v1.1.18 as well as updated the forward config to use the latest config with sliiightly less reverb and finetuned EQ settings and tweaked channel mixer, now it should be quite same as stock foobar2000 in terms of reverb but still with the enhanced soundstage of this config, I'm often quite blown-away with this config I have to say, especially for jazz music.
> 
> The opening post has been updated or you can grab it below:
> 
> ...


 
   
   
  My friend all I can say is that you are amazing on the this type of work, It brings life to my HD800, i notice you remove a lot of the DSP manager setting you had before in .16 version I love the new ones but i do got to say i miss the Base head lol it help my senns to bring abit more of the ump lol
   
  any way thank you for your work and have nice holidays.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





ozz007 said:


> My friend all I can say is that you are amazing on the this type of work, It brings life to my HD800, i notice you remove a lot of the DSP manager setting you had before in .16 version I love the new ones but i do got to say i miss the Base head lol it help my senns to bring abit more of the ump lol
> 
> any way thank you for your work and have nice holidays.


 
   
  Remove what settings? I shouldn't remove any settings, I just did tiny bit EQ tweaks and changed Dolby Headphone amplification slider one step etc, may be hint of it not working correctly for you.
   
  If you're talking about the different EQ presets then I removed them cuz I hadn't updated those for as long as I can remember and they didn't sound as good as the default, balanced EQ setting as they weren't using the same other plugin settings (channel mixer etc). Primarily my goal with this config is to provide an enhanced soundstage without affecting sound quality and keep the stock FR balance. But I'll look into if I'd maybe  make new EQ presets with updated config possibly.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Tweaking some presets right now, only added pop, hip hop and classical so far but I'm very satisfied with the hip-hop and classical preset.


----------



## JackeShan

I got the updated version and noticed Replaygain is on. Is there any reason for this? I'm not entirely sure what it does, or how it affects the sound, but on certain albums where the album gain is -8 db or so I have to crank the volume on my amp all the way up.


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





jackeshan said:


> I got the updated version and noticed Replaygain is on. Is there any reason for this? I'm not entirely sure what it does, or how it affects the sound, but on certain albums where the album gain is -8 db or so I have to crank the volume on my amp all the way up.


 

 Replay gain equalizes the loudness of every track to the same level (standard is 89db but you can choose higher or lower values in the menu). If you use the album gain instead of track gain  the difference in loudness between tracks in a selected album isn`t changed.
   
  If you have a track with 97db and use dsps, it is possible that for example a equalizer adds 3db and you would get clipping without using Replaygain.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Oh I didn't even know it was on xD I blame foobar2000 for enabling it on default! Not sure if it's a good idea or not with this config, I haven't really tested that much.
   
  EDIT: I think it set to disabled or "track" and "prevent clipping according to peak" works best with this config but it's barely any difference whatsoever.


----------



## korzena

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Oh I didn't even know it was on xD I blame foobar2000 for enabling it on default! Not sure if it's a good idea or not with this config, I haven't really tested that much.
> 
> EDIT: I think it set to disabled or "track" and "prevent clipping according to peak" works best with this config but it's barely any difference whatsoever.


 
  Thank you for the great work and interesting thread of yours!
  I am using your "Forward" configuration with my LCD-2s and like it very much.
  I would like however to modify one thing in this configuration - electric-q setting (to make LCD-2 sound a little brigher). 
  I have already created the desired curve in electric-q and save it as "my" preset. However I am experiencing the following problem - each time I start foobar the electric-q setting reverts to the original (yours) setting.
  Is there a way to make electric-q load "my" preset by default? (so I don't have to change it manually each time)
  Thank you!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





korzena said:


> Thank you for the great work and interesting thread of yours!
> I am using your "Forward" configuration with my LCD-2s and like it very much.
> I would like however to modify one thing in this configuration - electric-q setting (to make LCD-2 sound a little brigher).
> I have already created the desired curve in electric-q and save it as "my" preset. However I am experiencing the following problem - each time I start foobar the electric-q setting reverts to the original (yours) setting.
> ...


 
   
  I will get back to you later today, I'm at work atm but I'd also need to update the config slightly so. But what you need to do is to save the DSP chain config in preferences and DSP manager at the dropdown box which saves all the plugin settings. Saving the EQ preset inside Electri-q doesn't work properly when using in conjunction with the VST plugin host app within foobar2000 so you have to save the whole foobar2000 config instead.


----------



## korzena

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> I will get back to you later today, I'm at work atm but I'd also need to update the config slightly so. But what you need to do is to save the DSP chain config in preferences and DSP manager at the dropdown box which saves all the plugin settings. Saving the EQ preset inside Electri-q doesn't work properly when using in conjunction with the VST plugin host app within foobar2000 so you have to save the whole foobar2000 config instead.


 
  Thanks, that was also my conclusion - another instance of Foobar.
  Actually I've noticed that when I switch to my saved DSP settings, it sometimes loads my EQ preset automatically and sometimes it loads yours preset. I don't know yet what's the cause of it.
  All the best.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





korzena said:


> Thanks, that was also my conclusion - another instance of Foobar.
> Actually I've noticed that when I switch to my saved DSP settings, it sometimes loads my EQ preset automatically and sometimes it loads yours preset. I don't know yet what's the cause of it.
> All the best.


 
   
  I don't know either. I just use File -> Preferences -> Playback -> DSP Manager and the "DSP chain presets" dropdown box to store my settings, at least for me it's worked perfectly and to me the last time used config is always used while starting up foobar2000 too.


----------



## korzena

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> I don't know either. I just use File -> Preferences -> Playback -> DSP Manager and the "DSP chain presets" dropdown box to store my settings, at least for me it's worked perfectly and to me the last time used config is always used while starting up foobar2000 too.


 
  Me too, however I have an impression that if I have more than one individual preset in electric-q EQ, it doesn't always change with changing "DSP chain presets".
  I'll look into it more. If I find out anything interesting I will let you know. Thanks!


----------



## zombi3butt

Thanks for portable foobar, RPGWiZaRD. Ive been struggling with the manual install. Btw, is there any way that u could set the sampe rate higher than 48khz without using Resampler in foobar?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





zombi3butt said:


> Thanks for portable foobar, RPGWiZaRD. Ive been struggling with the manual install. Btw, is there any way that u could set the sampe rate higher than 48khz without using Resampler in foobar?


 
   
  No, but why do you need that? I'm using 44100 myself since 95% of my music is.


----------



## zombi3butt

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> No, but why do you need that? I'm using 44100 myself since 95% of my music is.


 
  Well, my brother works for a recording company and most of cd that i've borrowed from him were record with 192Khz, thus i just wanna see what the difference between 41K and 192K.


----------



## DJHeadshot

Been using your config for a while now to listen to music on my pc and really like how it enhances the sound of headphones. I personally prefer the way the laidback config sounds over the forward one its more open and provides a bigger soundstage.  Wondering if you ever figured out a way to get this working perfectly system wide for all the audio playing on my pc including games and videos not just music from foobar?


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





zombi3butt said:


> Well, my brother works for a recording company and most of cd that i've borrowed from him were record with 192Khz, thus i just wanna see what the difference between 41K and 192K.


 
   

 You can't hear a difference between  44100 Hz and 192000 Hz, because you can't hear frequencies
 higher than 20 kHz.


----------



## pepemosca

Are the fans of your setup getting an *update*?
  Some new versions has arrived: http://www.foobar2000.org/changelog


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





pepemosca said:


> Are the fans of your setup getting an *update*?
> Some new versions has arrived: http://www.foobar2000.org/changelog


 
   
  OK I'll provide an update but you can also do it yourself, just install new foobar2000 with all bells and whistles (you can add all missing components from the components folder from the previous version) and then replace the core.cfg file in the configuration folder with that previous foobar2000 and load the VST EQ plugin and then go to dsp manager and load the preferred config in the "dsp chain preset" list.
   
  EDIT: Still testing/adjusting some stuff with the config etc but will try to update ASAP


----------



## zombi3butt

Hi RPGWiZard, could you add more skins and lyrics please? I'm kinda noob with foobar.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





zombi3butt said:


> Hi RPGWiZard, could you add more skins and lyrics please? I'm kinda noob with foobar.


 
   
  I want this config to only include the minimal stuff needed to get the dolby headphone config working and let people then add whatever skins they prefer themselves.
   
  Besides I have no experience with skins, lyrics or whatever with foobar. I've always used default skin and I'm the boring guy who uses classic windows theme with the default boring blue background because the visual part is of no importance to me, I rather take the performance win instead.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

OK now I've updated the links/configs on the first page to use foobar2000 v1.2.1 beta (the beta is just a quick hotfix of a functionality of v1.2)
   
  For convenience I paste the links to preconfigured packages here. 
   
*IT APPEARS THAT LATEST GOOGLE CHROME DETECTS THE FILES AS PLAUSIBLE MALWARE/PHISHING STUFF BUT THAT'S OBVIOUSLY INCORRECT*
   
 *The "forward" config is suitable for:* People who prefer a more forward/"in-your-face" sounding soundstage (but improved/larger stage with better imaging/positioning and separation over stock foobar2000), more engaging listening experience. Suitable for people who like the Grado sound or listen to lots of rock, EDM, dance, pop and acoustic etc music. If unsure I'd first try this one as it's more closer to stock foobar2000 sound.
  
 *The "laid-back" config is suitable for:* People who prefer a more laid-back sounding soundstage with better transparency and more spacious/wider soundstage, more relaxed listening. Suitable for people who prefer sound signatures by for example AKG K70x or Sennheiser HD800 or listen to a lot of classical/orchestra, blues etc. music. Try this if you think the "forward" config is fatiguing or the vocals too "in-your-face".
  
 *Portable foobar2000 v1.2.1 "Forward" configuration:* foobar2000.v1.2.1.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward)-RPGWiZaRD.zip - (Updated on 7th January, 2013)
  
 *Portable foobar2000 v1.2.1 "Laid-back" configuration: *foobar2000.v1.2.1.Dolby.Headphone.(Laid-back)-RPGWiZaRD.zip - (Updated on 7th January, 2013)
  
 *PLEASE NOTE! MANUALLY SELECT AFTERWARDS THE DOLBYHPH.DLL IN DOLBY HEADPHONE WRAPPER IN FILE -> PREFERENCES -> PLAYBACK -> DSP MANAGER. SELECT DOLBY HEADPHONE PLUGIN IN THE LIST -> CONFIGURE SELECTED AND BROWSE FOR THE LOCATION OF THE DOLBYHPH.DLL FILE WHICH IS LOCATED BY DEFAULT IN THE FOOBAR2000\COMPONENTS\ FOLDER*
  
 *Note:* For best result I recommend changing to *WASAPI (event) output* manually in the foobar2000 File -> Preferences -> Playback -> Output afterwards, it's been set to Direct Sound by default for compatibility reasons. If you use WASAPI you'll need to match your output device setting with the same bitrate as set in foobar2000 and make sure the music files are using same sample rate (for example 44100 Hz) as set in the output device properties in windows control panel or else use a resampler in foobar2000.


----------



## danny93

What's the difference between WASAPI event and push...event doesn't work on the Creative Titanium HD


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





danny93 said:


> What's the difference between WASAPI event and push...event doesn't work on the Creative Titanium HD


 
   
  Really... that sounds weird. It's not a huge difference but I think the soundstage sounds more natural with event.
   
  BTW can you confirm that when going to "Dolby Headphone" plugin wrapper settings, that it's really using that dolbyhph.dll file, ie you can try just browsing for the plugin manually and see if it still sounds the same when doing that (if it wasn't using it, would be significantly less loud and the positioning wouldn't obviously work as it should)... it's in the foobar2000\components folder. It's something I've been wondering many times that if it truly finds the dll file for people also on a whole different computer that may place foobar2000 in a different place etc. I know it should technically work since it's a portable install and I ticked the option "remember path relatively to foobar2000 installation folder" and the foobar2000 settings are stored inside the foobar2000 folder and not in the windows registry but yea would be nice to get it confirmed so I don't have to worry, don't have any other computers here to test with atm.


----------



## Natrak

Hi, I am a long time lurker and I've been using this config for quite some time. It's truly amazing, very lively. 

 I decided to check up on your suggestion and the sound does indeed change after manually selecting the dolbyhph.dll. I tested both on laid-back config and forward. I suppose you need to add this info on front page, it's a gamebreaking change 
   
  Cheers, keep this up to date!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





natrak said:


> Hi, I am a long time lurker and I've been using this config for quite some time. It's truly amazing, very lively.
> 
> I decided to check up on your suggestion and the sound does indeed change after manually selecting the dolbyhph.dll. I tested both on laid-back config and forward. I suppose you need to add this info on front page, it's a gamebreaking change
> 
> Cheers, keep this up to date!


 
   
  Crap lol. Sucks if people haven't heard it like it's supposed to sound haha. It sux if it isn't working, a day and night difference. I wonder why it doesn't work though as I'm using a portable install so it really should remember these settings. Maybe it's conflicting in case you already got foobar2000 installed (non-portable install) from before as I remember in Vista/7 it keeps the foobar2000 settings in the "C:User\" folder somewhere.
   
*EDIT1:* OK, now added a red bold capitalized text just below the links so that people will see it. ;P
   
*EDIT2:* I've noticed that Direct Sound output works very good with the latest config/version. What's the reason behind that I don't know but 5.1 speakermode + DirectSound sounds very good (except for as usual VERY loudly / brickwalled recorded hardstyle songs where it pumps out loud bass with loud midfrequencies at the same time a few 0.1dB away from producing audible clip distortion (already when a clipmeter is giving red signs) may sound slightly "muted"/muffled with DirectSound (and will sound fine with WASAPI) but I haven't noticed that effect on any other genre and I've been testing this a lot, even for mainstream new pop music. DirectSound benefits more from the 5.1 speakermode from my testing than WASAPI. So yea unless you're a hardstyle lover like me then WASAPI isn't necessarily THAT important to use if you don't want to. Like I said, 5.1 speakermode + DirectSound is perhaps even the ideal setting for any other genre besides hardstyle.
   
  If you're using a soundcard and can use 5.1 speakermode you should select the speaker settings in this fashion (using Realtek interface just to get it all on one same page, the same options are available in control panel when right clicking on the output device and "configure speakers"):


----------



## YoloMcSwag

Hey OP, can you make a custom setting for the hd 280?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





yolomcswag said:


> Hey OP, can you make a custom setting for the hd 280?


 
   
  Don't have those headphones so it's a bit hard but generally the soundstage settings I find to work equally good on all headphones, then it's just a matter of taste of how exactly you want it. Same goes for the EQ, I provide simply an EQ setting which will make the balance roughly similar as it would sound with your headphone stock when using this config as the Dolby Headphone plugin adds a bit bass and cuts a bit of the treble range and I simply EQ'd back that. It's a bit hard to EQ for specific headphones, I don't use any additional EQing with my M-Audio Q40 headphones for example as they sound best EQ-less to me and this EQ setting brings it back to roughly stock balance. 
   
  Then it's a different story if you don't like how your headphones sound stock, but it's yourself that has to be EQing how you want it to sound like really.


----------



## whiskaz

Does anyone know if it's possible to convert tracks (with a preset, using the DH DSP presets) from a command line? I'm trying to automate adding additional DH tracks to some of my digital movies. I can automate extracting the track from the mkv (the movie container) and adding the new track back in, but I need to be able to run the conversion in foobar from a command line to automate the entire workflow. 
   
  I'm pretty sure foobar just uses external commands to do the conversion (e.g. plugins for AAC, AC3, LAME, FLAC, etc) but I'm not sure how it applies the foobar DSPs...


----------



## bluzeboy

58 Posts. Joined 12/2011
 Location: Switzerland
 





bluzeboy said:


> using  the batch converter of  dbPoweramp you can covert all your files at one time.


 
   
  OR use FFMPEG with Batch
   
  ffmpeg.exe -i "INPUTFILE" -acodec "OUTPUTCODEC" "CONVERTEDFILE"
   
   
  "INPUTFile" ==> Which file do you wanna convert
  "OUTPUTCODEC" ==> Which codec do you wanna use? (alac, flac, mp3, wav, etc.)
  "ConvertedFILE" ==> where to save the file after its converted?
   
  If you convert to MP3 or some lossy format, you can set a bitrate by using -ab 320000 (320kbits/s).
   
  I wrote a little C# Script some time ago, which scans all my directories and converts using ffmpeg, if somebody wants it:
   
  (Flac to Alac):
http://pastebin.com/LyHDuGzr


----------



## whiskaz

Quote: 





bluzeboy said:


> 58 Posts. Joined 12/2011
> Location: Switzerland
> 
> 
> ...


 
   
  Was that in reply to my request? If so, thanks, but the missing ingredients are the DSPs that are the subject of this thread: Channel Mixer, Matrix Mixer, Dolby Headphone, and Electri-Q. foobar lets you apply those to the track during the conversion process which is what I would like to do.


----------



## dsdsds

Anyone knows if it is posible to emulate a 7.1 enviroment with dolby headphone and freesurround or other multichannel upmixer? i use stereo headphones but i wanna make it 7.1


----------



## invalid404

With the new update I am unable to load my tweaked version of Foobar because "this beta version is over 4 weeks old." I did have a saved DSP preset with my settings. How can I access this and apply it to the new version of Foobar?
   
  EDIT: Nevermind, I just copied the folder in which I had my preset saved and overwrote that file rather than an older version I had!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





invalid404 said:


> With the new update I am unable to load my tweaked version of Foobar because "this beta version is over 4 weeks old." I did have a saved DSP preset with my settings. How can I access this and apply it to the new version of Foobar?
> 
> EDIT: Nevermind, I just copied the folder in which I had my preset saved and overwrote that file rather than an older version I had!


 
   
  Yea I know, I will update the foobar2000 version soon. Just a lot of boring work and was busy uploading some hardstyle & mastering tracks for my hardstyle promote channel as usual.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

*Update; Foobar2000 updated to v1.2.2 as well as minor tweaks to "Forward" and "Laid-back" configs*
   
  OK, finally got around to update the foobar2000 to the latest v1.2.2. Also updated the configs for both Forward & Laid-back versions very slightly. First page updated or check below for preconfigured install links.
   
   
 *The "forward" config is suitable for:* People who prefer a more forward/"in-your-face" sounding soundstage (but improved/larger stage with better imaging/positioning and separation over stock foobar2000), more engaging listening experience. Suitable for people who like the Grado sound or listen to lots of rock, EDM, dance, pop and acoustic etc music. If unsure I'd first try this one as it's more closer to stock foobar2000 sound.
  
 *The "laid-back" config is suitable for:* People who prefer a more laid-back sounding soundstage with better transparency and more spacious/wider soundstage, more relaxed listening. Suitable for people who prefer sound signatures by for example AKG K70x or Sennheiser HD800 or listen to a lot of classical/orchestra, blues etc. music. Try this if you think the "forward" config is fatiguing or the vocals too "in-your-face".
  
 *Portable foobar2000 v1.2.2 "Forward" configuration:* foobar2000.v1.2.2.Dolby.Headphone.(Forward)-RPGWiZaRD.zip - (Updated on 27th January, 2013)
  
 *Portable foobar2000 v1.2.2 "Laid-back" configuration: *foobar2000.v1.2.2.Dolby.Headphone.(Laid-back)-RPGWiZaRD.zip - (Updated on 27th January, 2013)
  
 *PLEASE NOTE! TO BE SURE IT WORKS AS INTENDED, MANUALLY SELECT AFTERWARDS THE DOLBYHPH.DLL IN DOLBY HEADPHONE WRAPPER IN FILE -> PREFERENCES -> PLAYBACK -> DSP MANAGER. SELECT DOLBY HEADPHONE PLUGIN IN THE LIST -> CONFIGURE SELECTED AND BROWSE FOR THE LOCATION OF THE DOLBYHPH.DLL FILE WHICH IS LOCATED BY DEFAULT IN THE FOOBAR2000\COMPONENTS\ FOLDER*
  
 *Note:* For best result I recommend changing to *WASAPI (event) output* manually in the foobar2000 File -> Preferences -> Playback -> Output afterwards, it's been set to Direct Sound by default for compatibility reasons. If you use WASAPI you'll need to match your output device setting with the same bitrate as set in foobar2000 and make sure the music files are using same sample rate (for example 44100 Hz) as set in the output device properties in windows control panel or else use a resampler in foobar2000.


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





dsdsds said:


> Anyone knows if it is posible to emulate a 7.1 enviroment with dolby headphone and freesurround or other multichannel upmixer? i use stereo headphones but i wanna make it 7.1


 
   
  Dolby Headphone  used in soundcards emulates up to 7.1.
  The dsp which is used in foobar only supports 5.1.


----------



## dsdsds

Quote: 





musicreo said:


> Dolby Headphone  used in soundcards emulates up to 7.1.
> The dsp which is used in foobar only supports 5.1.


 
   


 so there is no way to do it? somehow? on another player or?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





dsdsds said:


> so there is no way to do it? somehow? on another player or?


 
   
  Not that I know of. Dolby Headphone itself supports 5.1, not sure how the ASUS soundcards get around that.


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





dsdsds said:


> so there is no way to do it? somehow? on another player or?


 
     You can buy a  soundcard which support this function.  The 7.1 upmix can be done in foobar.
   
  Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Not that I know of. Dolby Headphone itself supports 5.1, not sure how the ASUS soundcards get around that.


 
      I'm not sure but  Dolby Headphone should support up to 7.1 and 192 kHz. Only the DH.dll used in software DVD-Players don't support more than 5.1 and 48 KHz. 
   
     The   driver software  of my asus xonar u1 uses "Dolby Headphone Version 1.1.3" and support 7.1.


----------



## AK7579

I just found this thread and used the settings provided to dramatically improve the sound output from f2k. The difference was night and day from what I had to your "forward" settings. Thank you very much!!!!


----------



## korzena

I like many of the results the presets make, but the Dolby makes the sound too muffled for me and unfortunately I had to give up on it.


----------



## Mheat122134

EDIT: DELETE


----------



## Hutnicks

You should have a try with the ToneBoosters  surround sound VST. It is freely available at their site and I find it does not interfere with the volume or resolution of the music played back.
   
  http://www.toneboosters.com/tb-isonesurround/
   
  For a real kick run the Isonesurround plugin and then the omnisone plugin and set the sound stage to wide sources and spread them to far left and right.  It will breathe new life into your headphones.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I've tried with that plugin already, didn't sound as natural/accurate as I'd like. What I'm looking for is enhancing the soundstage without making it sound artificial or unnatural. Most HRTF tweaking plugins don't quite pass that. I rather have a subtle soundstage improvement with very natural sound than very boosted soundstage that sounds artificial (metallic treble, graininess etc)
   
  Basically I'm looking for stock foobar2000 sound without any audible impact on sound quality and just expanded/tweaked positioning & soundstage so that every instruments sounds the same, just positioned differently.  True to original sound is more important than impressive soundstage.


----------



## Hutnicks

That is quite curious as my experience is the opposite. I found the Toneboosters plug ins to be more natural (closer to having no plug ins at all) with my system. I wonder if the DAC involved has something to do with it. The only distortion I have is a slight imbalance biased toward the right channel. As far as tone and timbre goes the sound quality seems unaffected.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





hutnicks said:


> That is quite curious as my experience is the opposite. I found the Toneboosters plug ins to be more natural (closer to having no plug ins at all) with my system. I wonder if the DAC involved has something to do with it. The only distortion I have is a slight imbalance biased toward the right channel. As far as tone and timbre goes the sound quality seems unaffected.


 
   
  Should sound the same on every setup, if it doesn't sound very close to stock foobar2000 with my config it's probably not working as it should, did you for example load the dolbyhph.dll afterwards in the dolby wrapper?


----------



## Hutnicks

I'm sure I have the software issue in hand here Trouble arises when we go from a Behringer usb board to the M Audio Transit (unsung little 24 bit wonder to be had for bargain basement prices on the used market.) Devilish little item to get working (no news there, as M Audios driver software is legendary for instabilities on the PC platform).  There seems to be a rather huge disagreement between the wireless LAN card and the Transit causing no end of grief. As well, there seems to be an undocumented phantom mic voltage output that randomly draws on the USB bus which causes some interesting variances in performance. Disabling the wireless card has, so far resulted in a dramatic change in sound quality so we are on the right track. I suspect cutting the power trace somewhere inside the unit will stabilize it even further.
   
  Going to unzip the config in a new location and start over with a "sterile" installation now.


----------



## Hutnicks

OK so far so good. I am quite curious if anyone has listened to any binaural recordings with this config and what your opinions are if you have.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





hutnicks said:


> OK so far so good. I am quite curious if anyone has listened to any binaural recordings with this config and what your opinions are if you have.


 
   
  I've tested and no this config doesn't have anything to offer for binaural recordings, they are working best without any additional processings.


----------



## Hutnicks

Good. Thats pretty much what I found as well. Almost sounds like they are mixed into pure stereo.


----------



## InCreD1Ble

Hello to the OP,

 I have a question. I really love this thread and have been using this config with my ATH-M50 and Asus Xonar Essence STX for more than a year now. However, I am getting an upgrade soon and would like to know whether you would recommend using it along with Hifiman HE-400 headphones (as far as I understand you have tried them out 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





) and quality DAC/amp combo, such as O2/ODAC? Would it hinder the SQ of the phones or make it sound weird in any possible way?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





incred1ble said:


> Hello to the OP,
> 
> I have a question. I really love this thread and have been using this config with my ATH-M50 and Asus Xonar Essence STX for more than a year now. However, I am getting an upgrade soon and would like to know whether you would recommend using it along with Hifiman HE-400 headphones (as far as I understand you have tried them out
> 
> ...


 
   
  It's all subjective matter. But I am quite confident recommending even LCD-2/3 or HD800 users at least give it a try. I remember at least one LCD-2 user commenting he liked the sound with this config. But in the end it's more about personal tastes.
   
  I've been tweaking the config slightly but since I'm so busy with the hardstyle scene I don't seem to have time checking it with "normal" music genres. Determining if the very tiny changes are better or not by now is really requiring a lot of testing to get any kind of confidence whether the changes are welcome or not. I mean I even hear slightly differently during some days or depending how tired I am etc why it's not very easy. ^^ But in the hardstyle scene I often master the tracks and I sometimes apply the config to the tracks if it fits the recording before going to my youtube channel and well when mastering at which I have to do very critical listen I'm often very satisfied how extremely close stock foobar2000 and this config is in balance/tonality except the change in soundstage. 

 What I'd personally be interested in exploring yet with it, is whether how great a limiter or possibly a compressor with the most transparent kind I could possibly find in the sense, avoid LOUDLY mastered recordings from causing clipping issues (while I don't hear any whatsoever in like 98%+ of common genres, it becomes slightly more so present in hardstyle where recordings can be literally brickwalled and matter of 0.1dB away from producing audible clipping (well measurable clipping is already off the scale in these kinds of tracks). Would be nice for myself at the very least to be able to find a config I won't have to worry how loudly it's mastered that it wouldn't introduce any at all further clipping issues than what's already there. Take note I could of course simply lower the volume levels but I've found that I have to do a drastic volume change in the affected tracks and make them much more silent than stock foobar2000 to eliminate 100% the clipping while there's no problems with typically mastered recordings. If any1 got any suggestions on that topic I'm all ears.


----------



## InCreD1Ble

Thanks for the response!

 And for the clipping issue, I have thought about it and the only way I imagine fixing it would be an intelligent limiter which would ignore any extra gain from the EQ in those bands where clipping already occurs? That's just an assumption though, I'm no expert .


----------



## Hutnicks

Don't know if they are still available but I was recomended this as a limiter way back when. My need disappeared so I never tried it out.
   
http://www.x-buz.com/BuzMaxi3.html


----------



## InCreD1Ble

Looks very promising, let's wait for the op to take a look at it


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Actually I remember testing that one but wasn't quite pleased with the results, I also tried TLS Maximizer which is another very recommended/highly regarded limiter but not quite satisfied with that either so don't think there's any limiters which will do the job good enough without hurting the sonical performance in one way or another. Typically the limiters tend to hurt soundstage slightly and make everything more crammed and possibly less dynamic which isn't a welcomed aspect for this config but hey that's pretty much the nature of limiters in the first place I suppose. 
   
  TLS Maximizer does a fairly good job without hurting soundstage though as it won't make it overly "in-your-face" sounding and you can tweak mids and highs and lows volume separately if desired etc and it benefits by a very slight reduction in mids/highs (talking like 0.4 - 0.7dB or so only to avoid that "In-your-face" sound) but yea I missed solid taut punchiness or definition to bassnotes especially with it versus without it.


----------



## Hutnicks

Yes I do not think you can find any kind of limiter which does not affect the overall soundstage. The only thing that might work would be to read ahead the entire file then adjust the volume below max peak. It would be an interesting software project to tackle from a technical standpoint.


----------



## InCreD1Ble

I'm still a tad confused how this config (especially its surround emulation) would effect the sound stage of the headphones.

 If a pair of headphones has a good sound stage, should you leave it unaltered? Could software surround emulators like Dolby possibly have any effects on the natural sound stage of the headphones, making it sound unnatural, or they are completely two different things and I'm mistaking something?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

With this config the soundstaging moves around your head more like so you're more placed in the center while I found without it I tend to have a soundstage that is like slightly in front of me or in your head sounding depending on headphone etc. Well actually I'd put it more like a half-circle, it doesn't do much "behind-your-head" kind of positioning but if it did, music would probably sound weird anyway. xD
   
  Here's a quick illustration of a typical percieved soundstage scenario without the dolby config (red color) and then the green shape represents roughly the percieved soundstage with the DH config. Due to the soundstage moving a bit more around your head it becomes easier to also position sounds as the offset of the soundstage is more realisticly positioned versus your head. The instruments/different sounds also creates more space between them as they move further from each other.


----------



## Kamakahah

Gonna have to give this a try, looks really interesting.


----------



## InCreD1Ble

Very nice explanation, thank you


----------



## Hutnicks

Here's a bit of a curiosity. Just playing a FLAC and got the infamous compression burbling effect so common in MP3 files. Popped it over to my non dolby hp config and it sounds fine. Anyone else encounter this. This is the only FLAC I've had this experience with.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

For me it happens also with mp3s in loudly recorded tracks depending on the encoder used (the ones exported directly with cubase tends to have that issue) but you can also simply use WASAPI, then you avoid it as well, no matter mp3 or flac. That's one of the reasons I recommend to use WASAPI output as it handles loud recordings fine.
   
  There's been those cases (doesn't have to have the DH config enabled) where DirectSound would be aprox 25%-35% more silent than when using WASAPI, it's like very big difference. xD


----------



## Hutnicks

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> For me it happens also with mp3s in loudly recorded tracks depending on the encoder used (the ones exported directly with cubase tends to have that issue) but you can also simply use WASAPI, then you avoid it as well, no matter mp3 or flac. That's one of the reasons I recommend to use WASAPI output as it handles loud recordings fine.
> 
> There's been those cases (doesn't have to have the DH config enabled) where DirectSound would be aprox 25%-35% more silent than when using WASAPI, it's like very big difference. xD


 

 Interesting this particular rig is an XP box running ASIO. I'll have to pop out the Win7 machine and see if it still exhibits the same issue.


----------



## FrequencyBlue

Could it be sampling rates problem? Because dolby only support 48kHz,
  Try resampling that FLAC file and see if something changes


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





frequencyblue said:


> Could it be sampling rates problem? Because dolby only support 48kHz,
> Try resampling that FLAC file and see if something changes


 
   
  If that was the problem it wouldn't even play any sound.  
   
  Seriously though the "MP3 compression" problem isn't limited to this particular config and can also be heard with it off in some cases but this is very rare and usually only happens with "non-professionally" mastered recordings. Say hardstyle scene a lot of producers master their stuff themselves and some may go overly aggressive on the volume levels (maybe some limiter plugins & compression plugins exaggerates the effect too?) and then mixed with Cubase odd MP3 encoder, the end result is a file that sounds like some compression would be going on when playing in foobar2000. It's not only Cubase that causes it, it's more down to specific versions of MP3 encoders, with some it's worse than others.
   
  ODDLY ENOUGH, this seems to also be a problem limited to specific player(s), happens with foobar2000 at the very least. Uploading and playing the same file on YouTube usually sounds "fine" though and plays at the meant-to-be volume levels without any varieties in volume / overly aggressive compression going on.
   
  Using WASAPI in foobar2000 the issue is never present though, it always plays loud & clear no matter how loudly it's been mastered.


----------



## zilch0md

Hi RPGWiZaRD,
   
  Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> It's all subjective matter. But I am quite confident recommending even LCD-2/3 or HD800 users at least give it a try. I remember at least one LCD-2 user commenting he liked the sound with this config. But in the end it's more about personal tastes.


 
   
  I've only just this evening downloaded and installed your "forward" package and I'm really surprised by how "clean" it sounds.  I've got my original, unprocessed Foobar2000 installed to one "portable installation" folder and yours installed to a different one - with two shortcuts on my desktop, so that I can exit out of one and launch the other at will, swapping back and forth to hear the same WAV files - using WASAPI event mode.
   
  I am of that camp that says, "Don't use any processing at all" - but I have to say, a very compelling conversion experience is underway here!  
   
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  Thanks for the obvious hard work and for sharing it with us!  I wouldn't have the patience to work through all of those settings, nor the ear that you must have.  It really sounds great with my LCD-2.  
   
  Mike
   
   
  WAV on SD Cards > Win 7 > RPGWiZaRD Foobar w/WASAPI > Moon Audio Blue Dragon USB Cable > CEntrance DACMini CX > Burson Soloist > Toxic Cables Silver Poison > Audeze LCD-2 Rev. 1


----------



## brunk

zilch0md said:


> Hi RPGWiZaRD,
> 
> 
> I've only just this evening downloaded and installed your "forward" package and I'm really surprised by how "clean" it sounds.  I've got my original, unprocessed Foobar2000 installed to one "portable installation" folder and yours installed to a different one - with two shortcuts on my desktop, so that I can exit out of one and launch the other at will, swapping back and forth to hear the same WAV files - using WASAPI event mode.
> ...


I underwent the same experience myself with the T1's and its very fun to listen to this setup. Very musical and makes "direct pure" sound boring lol. The T1's just sing with this foobar config.


----------



## zilch0md

Quote: 





brunk said:


> I underwent the same experience myself with the T1's and its very fun to listen to this setup. Very musical and makes "direct pure" sound boring lol. The T1's just sing with this foobar config.


 
   
  OK, I've donned the T1, and you're right - the intrinsically superior soundstage of the T1 makes the RPGWiZaRD package all the more impressive!
   
WAV on SD Cards > Win 7 > RPGWiZaRD Foobar w/WASAPI > Moon Audio Blue Dragon USB Cable > CEntrance DACMini CX > Burson Soloist > Toxic Cables Silver Poison > *Beyerdyamic T1*
   




   
  Mike


----------



## zilch0md

By the way, Brunk - it was your recent post on the T1 thread that led me here.   I had somehow never heard of RPGWiZaRD's work.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

A much better way to make direct comparisons which I do on a daily basis so that I hear the instant change (much better!) is simply going to *FILE -> PREFERENCES -> PLAYBACK -> DSP MANAGER *and in the DSP chain preset dropdown list, switch between the configs there, the default unmodified foobar is "custom: stock foobar2000" and the "forward" config should be named "Default: Balanced (Forward)" and the laid-back config "Default: Balanced (Laid-back)". So that's the quickest and best way to do "instant-change" comparisons.  Do note the VST plugin loader have some bugs so that it will crash if you keep loading configs with a VST plugin used (in this case electri-q) multiple times in a row. So to avoid that happening, always switch between the stock foobar2000 config before switching to one of the other ones. 
   
  Do check out the laid-back config too, while I'm personally a fan of a slightly more "in-your-face" soundstage, try for example classical with the laid-back one, it gives some quite nice soundstaging right there.  The laid-back config is based on Free Surround plugin and forward config on Channel Mixer, I felt they do best at these kinds of sound so therefore I thought I needed two configs because they offer a different signature, not better or worse, just different and then it's down to personal taste and what kind of music you listen to that determines what's best.
   
  Oh and thanks guys for providing feedback, always interesting to read feedback from people with such expensive setups haha. xD And yes "forward" one is meant to be engaging and involving to listen to while the goal of the laid-back is to provide an even more impressive soundstage and positioning and more relaxed listening due to not having such "in-your-face" sound, a sound signature best fitting with classical music while the forward fits best with say pop, rock but I'd also say acoustic music with guitars especially sounds great with it as the guitar pops out a little and I've tuned it so that all those microdetails is preserved, at least that's what I've tried to.


----------



## Hutnicks

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> A much better way to make direct comparisons which I do on a daily basis so that I hear the instant change (much better!) is simply going to *FILE -> PREFERENCES -> PLAYBACK -> DSP MANAGER *and in the DSP chain preset dropdown list, switch between the configs there, the default unmodified foobar is "custom: stock foobar2000" and the "forward" config should be named "Default: Balanced (Forward)" and the laid-back config "Default: Balanced (Laid-back)". So that's the quickest and best way to do "instant-change" comparisons.  _*Do note the VST plugin loader have some bugs so that it will crash if you keep loading configs with a VST plugin used (in this case electri-q) multiple times in a row. So to avoid that happening, always switch between the stock foobar2000 config before switching to one of the other ones. *_
> 
> Do check out the laid-back config too, while I'm personally a fan of a slightly more "in-your-face" soundstage, try for example classical with the laid-back one, it gives some quite nice soundstaging right there.  The laid-back config is based on Free Surround plugin and forward config on Channel Mixer, I felt they do best at these kinds of sound so therefore I thought I needed two configs because they offer a different signature, not better or worse, just different and then it's down to personal taste and what kind of music you listen to that determines what's best.
> 
> Oh and thanks guys for providing feedback, always interesting to read feedback from people with such expensive setups haha. xD And yes "forward" one is meant to be engaging and involving to listen to while the goal of the laid-back is to provide an even more impressive soundstage and positioning and more relaxed listening due to not having such "in-your-face" sound, a sound signature best fitting with classical music while the forward fits best with say pop, rock but I'd also say acoustic music with guitars especially sounds great with it as the guitar pops out a little and I've tuned it so that all those microdetails is preserved, at least that's what I've tried to.


 
  Hmm. This is news to me. In config (B) I have a heap of vst's which I continuously switch between. Just about every possible sound stage plugin in existence I have never had the crash even when stacking multiple effects. Now I do not use electri q in this config and it is on XP SP3 under ASIO so perhaps that has something to do with it.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





hutnicks said:


> Hmm. This is news to me. In config (B) I have a heap of vst's which I continuously switch between. Just about every possible sound stage plugin in existence I have never had the crash even when stacking multiple effects. Now I do not use electri q in this config and it is on XP SP3 under ASIO so perhaps that has something to do with it.


 
   
  Well maybe you're using the other VST loader which has an icon in the taskbar. I'm using the foobar2000 VST plugin loader which is more built-in foobar2000 interface, at least this one has problems with electri-q, well it could only be an issue with Electri-Q plugin probably as this VST EQ is quite buggy according to the author of the VST plugin loader I've read in the forums. It will also crash when trying to save EQ settings inside Electri-Q when loaded in the foobar2000 config, why you have to use the DSP chain preset dropdownbox instead if wanting to save your configs.
   
  IMO you NEED to use the EQ settings in order to get a good sound with dolby headphone, without the EQ settings the Dolby Plugin will have added a bass boost + treble range decrease so it sounds overly muffled, these settings are just meant to restore the stock foobar2000 balance roughly, so while it uses EQing, I concider it more like "flat" EQless sound with the EQ activated. But then if you like to use another EQ or use your personalized EQ settings for your headphones that's a different story.  But even then you should have in mind the about 1.5dB bass boost and 1dB or so treblerange decrease that DH plugin adds.


----------



## brunk

zilch0md said:


> OK, I've donned the T1, and you're right - the intrinsically superior soundstage of the T1 makes the RPGWiZaRD package all the more impressive!
> 
> WAV on SD Cards > Win 7 > RPGWiZaRD Foobar w/WASAPI > Moon Audio Blue Dragon USB Cable > CEntrance DACMini CX > Burson Soloist > Toxic Cables Silver Poison > *Beyerdyamic T1*
> 
> ...


Haha glad you like it, i know i certainly do!


----------



## Hutnicks

I should have clarified that. Yes it is the taskbar VST manager (Still you can load the vst's into the Foobar dsp window and run from there). On the DH config, I never load or unload anything, your config works quite well without my interference so it stays untouched.


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> A much better way to make direct comparisons which I do on a daily basis so that I hear the instant change (much better!) is simply going to *FILE -> PREFERENCES -> PLAYBACK -> DSP MANAGER *and in the DSP chain preset dropdown list, switch between the configs there,


 
   
   I would suggest to add the DSPs to the main foobar window (right click on the position and choose the wanted shortcut), so you don't have to go to *FILE -> PREFERENCES ->   PLAYBACK -> DSP MANAGER   all the time  .*   I can open with "dsp1" to "dsp7"  all dsp that are used separately and with the other shortcuts I can't change between different DSP configurations.


----------



## musicinmymind

Quote: 





musicreo said:


> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
   
  Wow..you foobar skin is too good...where did you download from?


----------



## musicreo

I use  Columns UI and   the settings shown in the image.
  You need to download the missing  components. Than you go to Preferences- Display- Columns UI- Layout- and use the settings in the image. After you have done this you can change the colors and settings  of  the components like you want.


----------



## zilch0md

Hey RPGWiZaRD,
   
  Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> A much better way to make direct comparisons which I do on a daily basis so that I hear the instant change (much better!) is simply going to *FILE -> PREFERENCES -> PLAYBACK -> DSP MANAGER *and in the DSP chain preset dropdown list, switch between the configs there, the default unmodified foobar is "custom: stock foobar2000" and the "forward" config should be named "Default: Balanced (Forward)" and the laid-back config "Default: Balanced (Laid-back)". So that's the quickest and best way to do "instant-change" comparisons.  Do note the VST plugin loader have some bugs so that it will crash if you keep loading configs with a VST plugin used (in this case electri-q) multiple times in a row. So to avoid that happening, always switch between the stock foobar2000 config before switching to one of the other ones.
> 
> [snip]


 
   
  That's a lot easier than switching between two installations of Foobar!   Thanks again!  I'm a believer, having listened to lot of music now.  It amazes me how I can find _nothing_ I could describe as destructive - no loss of detail.  Thanks again, so much!
   
  Mike


----------



## FrequencyBlue

Hey musicreo, thanks for the suggestion! It's much faster to switch between configs now 
   
   

   
  would be even better if the button is highlighted whenever a config is on though


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

How do you add those really? I don't see any such options when right clicking in the foobar2000 interface and yes I'm using the very default layout without any fancy skins or whatever.


----------



## FrequencyBlue

It's the buttons layout. just right click the button panel -> Buttons Options and add them


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Looks a little different for me... I have "Customize Buttons..." but I didn't find any options to display text instead of an icon there.


----------



## musicreo

It looks different because Frequency Blue certainly uses Columns UI which is much more configurable than the default layout.


----------



## Hutnicks

Just for variety's sake there are some interesting(of course) configs over on deviantart.
   
  http://br3tt.deviantart.com/art/TECH-v1-5-1-162724968
  
  OOPS bonehead move didn't link to the whole gallery. Here it is now.
   
  http://www.deviantart.com/morelikethis/154667359?offset=120


----------



## invalid404

Quote: 





musicreo said:


> I use  Columns UI and   the settings shown in the image.
> You need to download the missing  components. Than you go to Preferences- Display- Columns UI- Layout- and use the settings in the image. After you have done this you can change the colors and settings  of  the components like you want.


 
  I tried this and it did not yield the desired result...  Would you be able to export the settings?


----------



## waynes world

RPG, I just want to say thank you - what an awesome contribution!
   
  I was able to get your "forward" and "laid back" configurations installed. I am really enjoying the "laid back" configuration. Strangely for me, it the "laid back" config sounds more forward than the "forward" config! Maybe I did something wrong, or maybe I just don't know what I'm talking about. Regardless, the "laid back" configuration for me is sounding quite stunning! Edit: I should point out also that to get volume equalization, I have to increase the volume of the "forward" config quite a bit to get to the same level as the "laid back" config (and default config).
   
  Final edit: for whatever reasons, the "forward" and "laid back" configs are now making sense and sounding as I would have expected (and also as expected, I am enjoying the "forward" config now). Not sure what was happening there, but all is good now! And finding out about being able to change the DSP chain preset is awesome. Now to figure out how to those buttons working lol!
   
  Fwiw, I am listening via laptop/Windows7/foobar + ELE DAC + Fiio E12 + AD900X.
   
  Thanks again!


----------



## waynes world

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> A much better way to make direct comparisons which I do on a daily basis so that I hear the instant change (much better!) is simply going to *FILE -> PREFERENCES -> PLAYBACK -> DSP MANAGER *and in the DSP chain preset dropdown list, switch between the configs there, the default unmodified foobar is "custom: stock foobar2000" and the "forward" config should be named "Default: Balanced (Forward)" and the laid-back config "Default: Balanced (Laid-back)". So that's the quickest and best way to do "instant-change" comparisons.  Do note the VST plugin loader have some bugs so that it will crash if you keep loading configs with a VST plugin used (in this case electri-q) multiple times in a row. So to avoid that happening, always switch between the stock foobar2000 config before switching to one of the other ones.
> 
> [snip]


 
   
  This is awesome! Thanks! And thanks for the tip about avoiding the crashing as well!
   
  Quote: 





zilch0md said:


> Hey RPGWiZaRD,
> 
> That's a lot easier than switching between two installations of Foobar!   Thanks again!  I'm a believer, having listened to lot of music now.  It amazes me how I can find _nothing_ I could describe as destructive - no loss of detail.  Thanks again, so much!
> 
> Mike


 
   
  Yup, this is pretty cool


----------



## jackwess

Quote: 





hutnicks said:


> Just for variety's sake there are some interesting(of course) configs over on deviantart.
> 
> http://br3tt.deviantart.com/art/TECH-v1-5-1-162724968
> 
> ...


 
   
  Good call mate, deviantart is a good source.


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





invalid404 said:


> I tried this and it did not yield the desired result...  Would you be able to export the settings?


 
   
   
  I don't know if this works but here are my  settings.
     Did you have all components installed you need for this layout? (waveformseekbar,peakmeter spectrum etc?)


----------



## Hifi01170

Thanks for your package RPGWIZARD!
   
  This sounds great, have been using it only since yesterday and will need more time and quality listening to fully appreciate the added value of this immersive experience that you are providing head-fi users!
   
  Was looking for a while for something that could reproduce binaural recordings listening experience and your work took me closer to the destination in that path!
   
  Thanks man for this excellent work!


----------



## BronyMusician

Hello. Thank you so much for doing this. I have been using your configuration since 2 months already. Its so GOOD. THANK YOU!

 Question: I thought about using the config for classical for improving my piano improvisations (i use samples with a keyboard, not recording of a real piano) but it seems its too "excesive". Is there a config that would work with anything tought it doest improve that much the audio? It literaly blows me my headphones. I changed some things on the EQ and got better results but since you are a pro i ask for your advice.
   
   
  Here is a sample: http://www.goear.com/listen/6aef2dc/h-gg


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

bronymusician said:


> Hello. Thank you so much for doing this. I have been using your configuration since 2 months already. Its so GOOD. THANK YOU!
> 
> Question: I thought about using the config for classical for improving my piano improvisations (i use samples with a keyboard, not recording of a real piano) but it seems its too "excesive". Is there a config that would work with anything tought it doest improve that much the audio? It literaly blows me my headphones. I changed some things on the EQ and got better results but since you are a pro i ask for your advice.
> 
> ...


 

   
  I don't even recommend using the other presets, those are just a "bonus" and not necessarily up-to-date. The only two configs I can recommend is the "Default" ones, forward and laid-back. The other just has "genre" specific FR adjustments like with classical I assiociate V-shape (important for highs to have presence for the airiness) and slight bass boost to give more "drama" for the drums and having slight pushed back midrange creates an illusion of larger soundstage as it's not so in-your-face. Additionally reverb was set one step higher for it (reverb adds to creating large soundstage). That preset should be only tested with fullblown orchestra music, for invidual instruments it doesn't fit. I personally only use the forward and laid-back configs no matter what music I listen to as those are made to be balanced and therefore to me it sounds best but I added specific genre presets for fun exaggerating slightly the parts of the music that is important.
   
  For you it's not really what you want for piano. The  "Default: Balanced (forward) config is what you want to use.


----------



## BronyMusician

That WAS FAST!
   
  Thank You!
   
  I shall use forward config and do some corrections by ear later on my Daw. Will do an small post with the final result when finish.


----------



## Kishi

Hi,
  If I use a resampler, should I put it first or last in DSP order???


----------



## BronyMusician

I decided to use the foobar2000 to make the reverb instead of altering the original sound. Feedback is apreciated. Sorry if this doesnt belong in this thread.
   





   
  Dedicated to RPGWiZaRD.


----------



## TwoEars

I just wanted to bump this up top again and say THANK YOU for this absolutely amazing mod!
   
  My Anedio D1 and HD800 combination with this mod is the single best headphone setup I've ever heard at home or anywhere else.
   
  For the past 6 months I've completely lost all interest in any kind of upgrades and I'm just enjoying the music!
   
  A thousand thumps up and thank you!


----------



## BigCabDaddy

Is there a preconfigured version available for download? I've tried to get going with foobar a couple times and just can't seem to get the hang of it. I'd love to try it at optimum before settling on Jriver Media center.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





bigcabdaddy said:


> Is there a preconfigured version available for download? I've tried to get going with foobar a couple times and just can't seem to get the hang of it. I'd love to try it at optimum before settling on Jriver Media center.


 
   
  Just check the first page closer, first is offered preconfigured packages...


----------



## InCreD1Ble

Any suggestions on how I could blend your "Forward" EQ preset with another, headphone equalizing preset?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





incred1ble said:


> Any suggestions on how I could blend your "Forward" EQ preset with another, headphone equalizing preset?


 
   
  Use 2 EQs?  That's what I do, I never touch the one in foobar2000 and use soundcard's EQ if I need to EQ the headphones themselves. If I didn't have a soundcard I'd just add another Electri-Q in the list of active DSPs.


----------



## Hutnicks

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Use 2 EQs?  That's what I do, I never touch the one in foobar2000 and use soundcard's EQ if I need to EQ the headphones themselves. If I didn't have a soundcard I'd just add another Electri-Q in the list of active DSPs.


 

 You should be able to sum the two electri Q settings and use only 1 instance. Or perhaps run convolution software instead of the phone eq


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





hutnicks said:


> You should be able to sum the two electri Q settings and use only 1 instance. Or perhaps run convolution software instead of the phone eq


 
   
  Of course you can but I personally don't want to, think it's better with 2 separate and besides if I EQ headphones I want a system-wide solution so that everything sounds the same or else I get bothered by it not sounding the same when gaming etc.


----------



## InCreD1Ble

Actually, this is what I did, it just didn't seem right to me, lol. Do you think the priorities matter, as in which preset should be higher in the DSP list?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





incred1ble said:


> Actually, this is what I did, it just didn't seem right to me, lol. Do you think the priorities matter, as in which preset should be higher in the DSP list?


 
   
  Nah should be the same end result.


----------



## InCreD1Ble

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Nah should be the same end result.


 
  Ok, thank you for your input. I'm really happy with the results I'm getting with this config, my HE-400's couldn't sound more live now


----------



## bluzeboy

Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> Use 2 EQs?  That's what I do, I never touch the one in foobar2000 and use soundcard's EQ if I need to EQ the headphones themselves. If I didn't have a soundcard I'd just add another Electri-Q in the list of active DSPs.


 
  in what order?


----------



## hapasam

Thank you so much for this, it works great in foobar! However. is there any way to apply the settings to the whole system? I listen to a lot of music on spotify, youtube etc.. and I hope there is a way to integrate this into the shell so that it works with all apps. Should I uninstall realtek for it to install systemwide?


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





hapasam said:


> Thank you so much for this, it works great in foobar! However. is there any way to apply the settings to the whole system? I listen to a lot of music on spotify, youtube etc.. and I hope there is a way to integrate this into the shell so that it works with all apps. Should I uninstall realtek for it to install systemwide?


 

 The only way is to stream all audio to foobar.  Therefore you need  virtual audio cable which installs as a virtual audio card and can stream all audio to other programms.  It would look like this: source audio- virtuall audio cable- foobar- realtek.  But this can cause a short audio delay.
   
  If you only want Dolby Headphone you should look for a soundcard that support it.


----------



## ozz007

I want to say thank you, for your hard work, and time spend on this project for all of us. It makes my HD800 and my Grados V4 sound amazing. 
   
  Since i got this all i use is foobar with your settings. I wish i had portable player with the same configuration, for my travels. 
   
  Ozz


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





ozz007 said:


> I want to say thank you, for your hard work, and time spend on this project for all of us. It makes my HD800 and my Grados V4 sound amazing.
> 
> Since i got this all i use is foobar with your settings. I wish i had portable player with the same configuration, for my travels.
> 
> Ozz


 
   
  As an alternative you could convert the music files themselves to sound like that.  Use the built in "Converter" in foobar2000.


----------



## BronyMusician

Quote: 





musicreo said:


> The only way is to stream all audio to foobar.  Therefore you need  virtual audio cable which installs as a virtual audio card and can stream all audio to other programms.  It would look like this: source audio- virtuall audio cable- foobar- realtek.  But this can cause a short audio delay.
> 
> If you only want Dolby Headphone you should look for a soundcard that support it.


 
  How you make foobar work without reproducing any file?


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





bronymusician said:


> How you make foobar work without reproducing any file?


 

 What do you mean?  Can you explain your question.


----------



## BronyMusician

Quote: 





musicreo said:


> What do you mean?  Can you explain your question.


 
   
  hapasam wants to listen to youtube with foobar. You can make a connection system-foobar but foobar wont do anything unless you are actually using it.


----------



## pepemosca

Will we have an update to 1.2.5?
Thanks!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I've finetuned the foobar2000 config some more yesterday (I tweak on 0.1 increment basis and sometimes it happens that I find hey this works better like this n that even with very very small adjustments), sounded very pleasing from a quick listen (even better soundstage with a better FR balance; slightly stronger bass, the current has ever so tiny bit too little of it comparing versus stock foobar2000). Too bad I'm always so busy with my other hobbies that there is like no time left over for comparison/testing (need to be sure it's actually better so have to listen and compare against the older setting a while to become certain) and updating the settings but I'll try to update it sometimes soon, could update the foobar2000 version too while I'm at it. I hate updating, so boooooring. ^^
   
For those wondering I can say I probably spend like 4-5 hrs daily on my youtube hardstyle promotion channel, need to master tracks, upload vids, provide feedback, check out for new tracks etc etc. Then I also would have to finish my school thesis and there's snooker championship and now icehokey championship in europe starting. So there leaves very little sparetime for the foobar2000 config.
   
If you must have a newer version of foobar2000 now you can always update it yourself too.  Just need to copy over core.cfg to the newer foobar2000 and make sure all the plugins needed are activated and exist in the folder.


----------



## Magiv9

Just wanted to say thanks,
  I use to prefer musicbee over foobar but these settings help alot


----------



## mario296

thank you very much for this


----------



## DJHeadshot

Quote: 





musicreo said:


> The only way is to stream all audio to foobar.  Therefore you need  virtual audio cable which installs as a virtual audio card and can stream all audio to other programms.  It would look like this: source audio- virtuall audio cable- foobar- realtek.  But this can cause a short audio delay.
> 
> If you only want Dolby Headphone you should look for a soundcard that support it.


 

 Can you explain more thoroughly on how to set this up I don't get how your suppose to get the sounds from virtual audio cable to playback through foobar2000 so there processed through the DSP settings?


----------



## musicreo

Quote: 





djheadshot said:


> Can you explain more thoroughly on how to set this up I don't get how your suppose to get the sounds from virtual audio cable to playback through foobar2000 so there processed through the DSP settings?


 
  That is a good question. 
  I think you need this plug in.
http://www.saunalahti.fi/cse/foobar2000/foo_record.fb2k-component (Only usable with record:// playlist entry syntax.)
  The plug in allows you to stream every output from the sound card (in this case virtual audio cable) to foobar.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





musicreo said:


> That is a good question.
> I think you need this plug in.
> http://www.saunalahti.fi/cse/foobar2000/foo_record.fb2k-component (Only usable with record:// playlist entry syntax.)
> The plug in allows you to stream every output from the sound card (in this case virtual audio cable) to foobar.


 
   
  O_o Nice find, I've always wanted to try this _EXACT_ config for gaming. I mean I've tried nearly the same setup by corresponding plugins via Virtual Audio Cable and various VST setups but it wasn't exactly the same but still pretty nicely working as obviously channel mixer is only a plugin that is included with foobar2000, I couldn't find any corresponding plugin that would do the channel mixing, stereo->virtual 5.0 equally well.


----------



## techboy

I can't make the sound card plugin to work. Can you please detail the step?


----------



## FrequencyBlue

This config happens to sound distant on my new IEM, how should I adjust to make the soundstage become smaller?


----------



## TwoEars

Quote: 





frequencyblue said:


> This config happens to sound distant on my new IEM, how should I adjust to make the soundstage become smaller?


 

 Try the "reference room" setting in view-->DSP-->Dolby Headphone.
   
  It makes the soundstage smaller


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





twoears said:


> Try the "reference room" setting in view-->DSP-->Dolby Headphone.
> 
> It makes the soundstage smaller


 
   
  False, the middle setting "Live room" which I use has the least amount reverb => smallest stage.


----------



## BobJS

.


----------



## FrequencyBlue

Doesn't sound that much different to me. I was expecting some adjustment in the Channel mixer, but oh well thanks for the help anyway


----------



## verde57

Which DSP DH  is better, foobar or Xonar STX??


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

verde57 said:


> Which DSP DH  is better, foobar or Xonar STX??




It's actually better to use the foobar2000 in this case because I tweaked the dolby headphone "strength" to be 96 % in the DH wrapper in foobar2000. With ASUS Xonar you'd be equal to 100% DH wrapper setting meaning you have a bit more echo'y sound. (higher dolby headphone signal strength = more reverb). After very extensive testing I found 96 % to be the perfect balance between large soundstage versus suitable reverb ratio (not too high or too little/dry). The more reverb the larger soundstage can be simulated so it's a bit double-edged sword, but I think 96 % is the ideal here, 95% already it starts being too similar to stock config soundstage wise and 97 % the sound starts getting a bit "wet" as in reverby and thus a little "smoother" and this may mask fine details. That's what I balanced it against when tweaking, soundstage capabilities versus detail perception and I believe 96 % is the ideal value for that.


----------



## verde57

Aha, so these means technically are the same thing with the exception of tweaking?
  Have you used Xonar?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

verde57 said:


> Aha, so these means technically are the same thing with the exception of tweaking?
> Have you used Xonar?




I have briefly tested an ASUS Xonar D2 card yea and concluded the same thing as I posted, that it's best to use the dolpyh Hph with this foobar config due to Dolby Headphone amplification is set to 96% which works better than Xonar's which will correspond to 100% (where sound will be slightly too reverby (hurts microdetail retrieval even if I enjoy a relatively high reverb presence, I don't want it to mask fine details).


----------



## musicreo

@ RPGWIZARD  The amplfication setting only changes the ouput gain and not the soundstage.
   
  I have a Xonar U1 with  the DH "Version 1.1.3".
  Differences compared to the Wrapper:
   
  1 support up to 7.1
  2 dynamic compression is alway on
  3 RS/LS channels are RB/LB with 5.1


----------



## MusicHolic

rpgwizard said:


> It's actually better to use the foobar2000 in this case because I tweaked the dolby headphone "strength" to be 96 % in the DH wrapper in foobar2000. With ASUS Xonar you'd be equal to 100% DH wrapper setting meaning you have a bit more echo'y sound. (higher dolby headphone signal strength = more reverb). After very extensive testing I found 96 % to be the perfect balance between large soundstage versus suitable reverb ratio (not too high or too little/dry). The more reverb the larger soundstage can be simulated so it's a bit double-edged sword, but I think 96 % is the ideal here, 95% already it starts being too similar to stock config soundstage wise and 97 % the sound starts getting a bit "wet" as in reverby and thus a little "smoother" and this may mask fine details. That's what I balanced it against when tweaking, soundstage capabilities versus detail perception and I believe 96 % is the ideal value for that.




From 1st page download, I got 109%. Would you mind updating your download link with your new config?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





musicholic said:


> From 1st page download, I got 109%. Would you mind updating your download link with your new config?


 
   
  that is true for the "laid-back" config, They use different values, the laid-back config doesn't sound as reverby due to Freesurround plugin and the goal of this plugin is to have a bigger stage and slightly less "in-your-face" sound hence the bigger value is used. You can also switch between the configs in File -> Preferences -> Playback -> DSP Manager and check the DSP chain presets dropdown list, "Default: Balanced (Forward)" for the forward config (more in your-face-sound) and "Default: Balanced (Laid-back)" for the laid-back sounding one (less in-your-face)


----------



## bisayaboi

I tried out your forward config with my HD650. At first I thought it was strange and I listened to it for a while and I thought to myself, "This is cool but I don't think I'll keep". Then I tried the laid back setting and I liked it better. After a few more listens with the laid back setting I was amazed. I got used to the sound and I relistened to a lot of my favorite songs. The sound of my music totally transformed.
   
  Instead of hearing sound mostly from left and right; for the first time the sound came from left, right and in front of me. It's like my head is enveloped with sound all the way from my left ear, to my face, and finally to my right hear. This gives my music a truly live feel and it sounds amazing. It's as the sound of my music was in a container the whole time and then it became open. Details in the music that were more subtle and congested due to the restraints of stereo sound suddenly became fully fleshed out and because of that the sound improved. I never believed I could hear ever hear any more details in my music but I did. That's truly spectacular. 
   
  I understand the purpose of your config is to simulate 5.1 surround sound. It's like adding extra virtual channels of sound. With the forward setting with those extra channels of sound, it didn't make my HD650 more forward but it definitely sounded more forward making it a little too chaotic; like sound overload (and I like forward sound). With the laid back sound however, it's as if the virtual channels were pushed back a little more giving a bigger field of listening and thus making it sound a lot more natural and ultimately very realistic. That's what I really like about your config: it adds surround sound while still sounding very realistic and natural. I no longer have to go live concerts anymore! (jk I'll still go however your settings make it sound very close to the real thing  )
   
  Awesome job!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Thanks for the kind words. 

 Yes that's my goal, to provide virtual surround while sounding NATURAL and without tampering the quality (audibly, what happens to the signal itself I'm not interested in, I'm only interested in the audible end result). Barely any surround DSPs on their own manage to sound natural, in fact I never encountered one, they always overdid it in one way or another. I however only tweaked this config with the goal to not tamper quality and try to add as convincing surround sound experience as possible without going overboard (it's always a matter of constant balancing, surround sound vs natural sound).

 Then about the 2 different configs, this is where we start to touch the subject of sound psychology. Having spent time on this forum I've realized there are mainly 2 different listeners. Some people seem to want to listen and _analyzing_ the _details_ in the music, hearing all those subtle tiny microdetails and more the merrier and this brings the satisfaction, a more laid-back listening with a soundstage that isn't so much in-your-face but instead provides an experience as if you were sitting in a large concert hall hearing all the different instruments very clearly from different directions. Sennheiser HD800 comes to my mind as a prime example that provides a very good this kind of experience out of box. For those the "laid-back" config is more suitable. I'd call these "_audiophiles"_

 Then we have people like me, that primarily as first priority want to _feel engaged_ with the music, you want to tap your foot, you want to sing along, you want to dance to the music and prefer a more "in-your-face" sound and a distant and very large soundstage can actually be countereffective. Hearing the details comes 2nd priority as scientifically speaking a laid-back sound with less in your-face sound does provide a technical advantage if your goal is to be able to hear maximum detail richness. I.e. they purposedly sacrifice detail retrieval for more engaging listening experience. Especially Grado headphones comes to my mind or bass boosted headphones for bassheads etc. For these people it's more about the feeling you get from the music which is envoked on entirely different grounds than analyzing music and hearing as much details as possible (different parts of the brain is activated most likely). Here the more forward soundstage helps a lot for people with these kind of listening preferences. These kind of listeners I'd call _"music enthusiasts"_

 The two configs are meant to cater towards these 2 target groups. Ultimately only yourself can decide which one is right for you! Sound psychology is such an overlooked matter in this hobby, I'd say it's due to my understanding of what brings many people satisfaction in music listening that has helped me to optimize the configs, I haven't tweaked blindly, I've had a goal to tweak the configs with these 2 sound abilities, the opposite "soundstaging" sound signatures. Of course some people are more in the middle or more extreme towards one direction, I'd say these two configs are reasonably balanced in that sense in the sound signature they provide, it's not too extreme so that it works with both a large scale of listeners as well as type of music.


----------



## waynes world

^ Nice explanation RPG! Color me a "in your face forward config" kinda guy lol!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





waynes world said:


> ^ Nice explanation RPG! Color me a "in your face forward config" kinda guy lol!


 
   
  Yap, I also belong to that camp but I have to admit the laid-back does also sound good for me with orchestra stuff, it's the only kind of music I very much enjoy with that config.


----------



## Campi

Hi there,
   
  so i bought Beyerdynamics dt990 pro a week ago. Its a fine pair but the sound is too tiresome for me. I cant figure out if its the bass but it feels the sound is in my head or earcanal and thats too much and hurts.
   
  Using your config its perfect now i would say. The sound is now slightly in front of me and finally i can enjoy it.
   
  But that results in a few question for me: (Not completely OnTopic but maybe someone can help me still)
   
  Is there any way to get this "equalizer" setting onto my computer without using the foobar player ? I know of the Dolby Headphone setting in Realtek Settings, but that sounds too artifical. Reason is i want to use it with grooveshark/soundcloud etc.
   
  And/Or  is there a DAC with similar setting ? I used a Fiio e10 before but it had absolutley zero change in comparison with my onboard soundcard(Realtek). I want to get the sound a little bit more into the front so it doesnt burst my head 
   
  Or do i have to buy a complete other pair of headphones ? I read so many reviews and "vs" Threads what alternative there is. But i guess in the price range of 140€-200€ those dt990 pro are the best ?!
   
  Anyways thanks very much for this, with foobar and your settings i finally started enjoying my music


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





campi said:


> Anyways thanks very much for this, with foobar and your settings i finally started enjoying my music


 
   
  Which setting are you using though, "forward" or "laid-back", I guess you must be using the "Laid-back" config or else I don't see how it would be helping your DT990.


----------



## Campi

I use both. The Laidback is a bit too (i dont know the term) "laidback" ?! ^^
   
  So i mainly use the forward setting. I dont know what u mean that it wouldn help my dt990, but it does in my case. ^^
   
  The musik plays a few inches in front of me or feels more open and that does the trick for me. Without foobar everything play in my head going left and right through the ears...and thats too much for longer sessions then 20 minutes.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





campi said:


> I use both. The Laidback is a bit too (i dont know the term) "laidback" ?! ^^
> 
> So i mainly use the forward setting. I dont know what u mean that it wouldn help my dt990, but it does in my case. ^^
> 
> The musik plays a few inches in front of me or feels more open and that does the trick for me. Without foobar everything play in my head going left and right through the ears...and thats too much for longer sessions then 20 minutes.


 
   
  Ahh okay, now I understand your problem better. You seem to have a problem with "stereo imaging" with only having left & right side and for your brain it's much more easier to listen to a more "360 degree" (well 180 degree more like) / free-roaming / open soundstage.
   
  If you have problem with DT990 Pro, then you'd have serious issues with AKG K701  It's one of the more heavy intense "stereo"-feel listening headphones.
   
  Well I'm glad the config helped you in your case.


----------



## Campi

Yes i guess that must be it. I need a wider Soundstage. But i searched the last week and as mentioned, in my price category (150-200euro) i didnt find any headphones with wider soundstage then my current.
   
  So im happy i found a sollution. But i would be great if i could use it outside of foobar  But thats ok.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Quote: 





campi said:


> Yes i guess that must be it. I need a wider Soundstage. But i searched the last week and as mentioned, in my price category (150-200euro) i didnt find any headphones with wider soundstage then my current.
> 
> So im happy i found a sollution. But i would be great if i could use it outside of foobar  But thats ok.


 
   
  Well you can convert the files themselves to be using the same config if that's preferred and then you can use whatever player you want and it will still sound the same.  There is a "Convert"-function that processes the files themselves with the config used in foobar2000. Simply add files to the playlist and right click it and pick convert and use either the "forward" or "laid-back" config.


----------



## Campi

Yes thats a great tip i already read in here, but what i mean is using this setting for everything on my computer...like streaming music sites (grooveshark,soundcloud) and maybe even youtube without foobar or converting files.
   
  Do you know if there is maybe a method with a extern soundcard where i can get a similar effect ? Maybe a DAC ? Im new to audio stuff so as mentioned i just bought an fiio e10, but it has no equalizer or other customization settings.


----------



## trinaldi

Sorry, but the links seems to be off.
   
  Does anyone have the files?
   
  Thanks!


----------



## koolas

Very good article, good job!

Just tested out the settings from the first post. I am listening on Xonar DG, which does Dolby Headphone in hardware. I was curious if Xonar's DH is better/worse than the foobar plugin. Both require multichannel sound, so first two filters I had to setup. I tried to see if there is a difference between DH + Electri-Q plugins and Xonar in H-Fi mode vs. without these two and Xonar in DH mode. I think Xonar in DH mode does better job than foobar plugins. However I don't know. Any Xonar users, what do you think?

Also, does anyone know how does DH compare to solutions like iCAN 3D sound?


----------



## Eduardo Ramos

I am really loving your "forward" configuration.

 I think the "laid-back" doesn't work for me for one reason. I think some artists make some effects to be heard on headphone, like voices going from one side to the other in the center channel. I notice that in the laid-back some of that effects vanish for being too "laid-back".
 Also, the voice is too low and away on "laid-back" so I think that also runs out of the original artist intentions.

 Thought, "forward" to me also sound too close, a liiiitle bit more then from stock foobar, correct me if I am wrong.

 So, I was wondering, could you also do a configuration with stock foobar center distance but almost like your "forward" configuration?
  
 I think that would be a good "standart" setting, for not modifying so much the original center distance.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I think they will be too close. If you prefer that just go into channel mixer and reduce "Front in rear" from 0.94 to 0.71 and "Rear in front" from 1.02 to 1.01. Now it sounds to be roughly like stock foobar2000 in that regard. It's mostly these settings which bring the "center" more forward. (it also looses some vol doing so, so if u want to keep that similar for example bring the vol in Matrix Mixer up from 0.731 to 0.736 or whatever is needed, possibly also raise electri-q's gain to -2.860 or so.
  
 The forward's config is meant to sound slightly more forward and the laid-back slightly positioned back compared to the standard foobar2000 config. Most of the time people prefer either scenarios. For me "sounding as artist originally intended" has very little meaning as I don't expect the original artist to have same taste as me either, well he/she could have but very little chance of being so. I get the ideal listening experience when my senses get what they want to hear.  My senses for example prefer a fairly in-your-face engaging listening experience which the forward config brings.
  
 I will think about it if I'd also offer a 3rd config though. Would also need to update foobar2000 version for the preconfigured package as there's many newer versions since (I'm still using 1.2.2 myself too on my computer as I'm too lazy to keep updating foobar2000 all the time and doing so is also very boring to switch over the Dolby Headphone settings to it :s).


----------



## Eduardo Ramos

Thanks for the reply.
 I really think you are a perfeccionist genius in controlling all this reverb, coloring and ajusting the right ammount of spatial depth thing.
 Can't describe how much more I've been enjoying my headphone since I found this topic.
 My regards.


----------



## AK7579

I agree with Eduardo on the sound of the voice and effects but To me the "laid back" config works great for instrumental jazz or classical so that's what I use the setting for exclusively


----------



## difficult

_*Hi all! Great topic, and exellent job*_, *RPGWiZaRD**!! 
Today I did some recordings with Windows Stereo Mix+Audacity->24/48.
Creative Player+X-Fi CMSS-3D
fb2k5.1.record test - forward
fb2k5.1.record test - Laid - Back
fb2k.v1.2.9.record test.24/48Khz->DSP setings
Winamp.record test.24/48Khz

Motherboard: GA-F2A85X-UP4 (rev. 1.0).
OS: W7 Ultimate SP1 x64.
Windows Audio Settings: In Realtek HD is set to 5.1.
Audio Drivers - Latest stable daniel_k Realtek HDA X-Fi moded.
Sound Blaster X-Fi MB - original creative source.
Headphones: AKG K44 Perception.
Creative Console Settings: Headphones, EAX->Jazz Club->Effects Amount -60db, 
Bass Boost(enabled)->Level: 3.0db, Cutoff Freq - 52Hz.
X-Fi Crystalizer->100%, Graphic EQ sett's:
31Hz - 0.0db
62Hz - 3.4db
125Hz - 3.4db
250Hz - 3.1db
500Hz - 0.0db
1K - 0.7db
2K - 1.1db
4K - 1.6
8K - 2.3db
16K - 3.4db

After you listen to the demos, if anyone wants
point me to a better setting.*


----------



## musicreo

First could you tell the title of the song, cause it would help to hear the orginal without any postprocessing.
  
 I wouldn't use any effects after foobar output. No "X-Fi Crystalizer and equalizer"   and no "creative Console Settings: Headphones, EAX->Jazz Club->Effects Amount -60db" .


----------



## difficult

musicreo said:


> First could you tell the title of the song, cause it would help to hear the orginal without any postprocessing.



original


----------



## customNuts

I have to say Wizard, this dolby mod has probably been the single best mod I have discovered in my audio days period. I can not find a better sounding player than foobar with your dolby settings including Jplay & the likes. It sounds so natural & lifelike. Normal setting sounds very flat & boxed in in comparison. 
 I did want to try and implement Jplay into foobar however when implemented, the dolby settings don't work, & even with the Jplay, it sounds no where near as good as the normal foobar with dolby. 
 Is there something I can do to have foobar with Jplay and keep your dobly settings? 
 Thanks, your truly are a wizard!


----------



## musicreo

I just want to mention another equalizer "Equalizer APO".   It is free software which can be used with  Win7, Win 8 and win 8.1.  The great thing about this parametric  equalizer is that it can be used system-wide, have very high quality works with stereo and also on every  multichannel configuration  and  with additional software you can automatically adjust this equalizer.
  
 http://sourceforge.net/projects/equalizerapo/
  
 The disadvantage is that you first have to spent some time to fully understand how this equalizer works but it is better than the electri Q equalizer mentionend in this thread.


----------



## Yoshi8765

The links for the .fbcp files are dead. Can someone reupload them?


----------



## Eduardo Ramos

I've been liking more the laid-back settings these last weeks, but there are some things I find strange in this:

 1 - It seems the center stage narrows down a bit to the extend that some effects and instruments locations just disappear to my ears.
 2 - I also think that it lowers down a little the center stage volume, throught sincerely I am just amateur in perceiving this things, not a pro like you guys.

 If I just, like raise the center volume up, would that create coloring and things that should be avoided?
 And the narrowing question, is that just me that thinks this? Can that be fixed without going back to forward settings?

 Again, thanks for all, these are just my wanderings, skip if they are stupid/wrong.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Well that's the point of laid-back config to put less focus around center channel in order to give a percieved more spacious/large stage due to more focus towards the sides. The laid-back config has slightly less in-your-face / center focus than stock foobar2000 while the forward is the opposite.

 It's like comparing Grado headphones vs AKG K70x in sound signature. The purpose is to offer slightly different signatures to match as many people's preferences as possible.

 I should really give an update to this config, update to latest foobar2000 and provide new links (would move to my mediafire account) etc. Will see, can't promise when I do.


----------



## Eduardo Ramos

Well, I understand. I guess we have to sacrifice some things to gain in others.
 Through, I really think I am gonna stick with laid-back settings from now on, it's just so spacious, and there's just so much to analyse *-*.
 Thanks again for the reply =).


----------



## e6600

hey, the dl links seem to have gone down for the portable installs


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

e6600 said:


> hey, the dl links seem to have gone down for the portable installs


 

 Yea I know, just been too lazy to update them. But now they are updated with foobar 2000 v1.3 beta7.


----------



## tbritton

Download links seem to be working now.
  
 I just want to say I've been enjoying these since the first day RPGWiZaRD uploaded them, and I still find this to be the most rewarding headphone experience with any headphones I've used to date!
  
 Thanks again, RPGWiZaRD!
  
 Terry
  
 Edit - heh... seems I was writing at the same time you were uploading, RPGWiZaRD!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

tbritton said:


> Download links seem to be working now.
> 
> I just want to say I've been enjoying these since the first day RPGWiZaRD uploaded them, and I still find this to be the most rewarding headphone experience with any headphones I've used to date!
> 
> ...


 

 Good to hear! Btw the latest foobar2000 will sound slightly different. I did notice it myself when updating the foobar2000 version. At first I wasn't sure if I liked the change, it seems slightly more laid-back than it was in v1.2.x but the soundstage is more speaker-like and it handles better brickwalled recordings when using this config. The wasapi plugin also has been updated in the preconfigured package.


----------



## MusicHolic

I just now tried both forward and laid-back. Forward config is splendid and works, but can you try to download laid-back config from the link in page 1 and re-test again? The sound is somehow weird, as if it has been configured wrongly. I already redownload the laid-back config and keep getting same weird sound. Forward is working good btw 
  
 Foobar 1.3 final is out!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

musicholic said:


> I just now tried both forward and laid-back. Forward config is splendid and works, but can you try to download laid-back config from the link in page 1 and re-test again? The sound is somehow weird, as if it has been configured wrongly. I already redownload the laid-back config and keep getting same weird sound. Forward is working good btw
> 
> Foobar 1.3 final is out!


 

 Do you try manually loading the dolby headphone dll file? I'm pretty sure that's what's wrong, if there's any probs with it. It even says in bright red text below the links to do it just in case it's not loaded.


----------



## MusicHolic

Thank you, it's fixed now xD
  
 Weird thing is, I don't need to do this in previous update, that's why I ignoring that red warning >_<


----------



## InCreD1Ble

Started using this config nearly 3 years ago with my entry level ATH-M50's, still using it today my with Audeze LCD-2.2. Amazing results


----------



## UnarmedLad

RPGWiZaRD, thank you for all your hard work! Just a heads-up for those new to the plugin: I never had to do this before, but with this latest update, I had to manually reselect the location of DolbyHph.dll in the DSP plugin settings to get the correct sound. You can easily check by comparing the volume to the Custom: Stock foorbar2000 preset. If incorrectly configured, the Default: Balanced preset is much softer, otherwise it's more or less the same.


----------



## Deathsycthehe11

Can someone send me the (Forward) fbcp file? The link is down.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

deathsycthehe11 said:


> Can someone send me the (Forward) fbcp file? The link is down.


 

 Just use the preconfigured package.


----------



## koolas

I wanted to share my config.

I use filters in following order:


 IIR filter for CD de-emphasis filter
 HQ resample to 192 kHz rate to improve accuracy of following DSP effects
 matrix to decode surround, i.e. to convert 2 channel input into 4 or 5 channels
 surround-pan to move sound in front of me
 programmable reverb, which simulates 3-dimensional space
 HQ resample to 48 kHz rate because Dolby Headphone wouldn't work otherwise
 Dolby Headphone - Live Room
 HQ resample to 96 kHz rate to match my Pan Am

The IIR Filter and Reverb DSPs can be found under:

http://www.foobar2000.org/components/tag/DSP

Screenshots:











I have dropped settings here:

http://www.filedropper.com/foobar2ksettings3


----------



## musicreo

@koolas
  
 This dsp

surround-pan
programmable reverb
  
 are not for 5.1 processing and you will loose your center channel!


----------



## koolas

Thank, it's good to know. I had some suspicions that Surround Pan does something wrong. Anyways for Dolby Headphone you only need, and you get best results when you have 4 channels. I use different matrix than I shown here.

OUT | L | R
FL | 1.2 | 0.5
FR | 0.5 | 1.2
BL | 0.5 | -0.2
BR | -0.2 | 0.5

Sometimes I use Surround Pan to set sound ahead, but sometimes I go without it.
Also Programmable Reverb is an option I am not always using.

But matrix and DH is a must 

I also use sometimes Electri-Q to reduce some freqs if there is too much, especially upper bass and lower mids.

When listening without room virtualisation I sometimes need to turn CD-DeEmph, this applies to Red Book CD's like trance music compilations made by Armin and John O'Callaghan. For classical I use matrix coefficient equivalent to Dolby Pro Logic because these CD's I have are recorded in this format. All depends


----------



## musicreo

I prefer 5.1 with Dolby Headphone compared to  4.0.  At the moment I always use a equalizer  (EQ-APO ) to get the  most possible flat ferquency response  of my Headphone (HD555 mod 595)   with DH. DH sounds much better with the equalizing.
 For the upmix I have tested different dsps.  ChannelMixer, MatrixMixer, FreeSurround, FreeSurround (beta), VI Suite , Dolby Pro Logic, dts neural upmix, and some other dsps.
 I can tell  that FreeSurround(beta) is very similar compared to dts neural upmix and Pro Logic and the best freeware upmix dsp I know.


----------



## VinnyG

Why when i convert a music the surround effect is not "baked" with the file??
  
 EDIT > I figured out already


----------



## koolas

When you have stereo record you would put it on virtual speakers being 2 meters in front of you rather than in your head, thus you may use matrix to put all left in front left, and all right in all right, and the you use Dolby Headphone to enable virtualization, because otherwise you would still just have 2 channels.

When you have Dolby Surround recording you need to use Dolby Pro Logic decoder to obtain four channels two front and two back, and then you use Dolby Headphone to convert these four channels into image for headphones. Note that Dolby Surround recording might be using two channels, but these are not suitable to listening in headphones, you need to decode that and place what you have decoded in proper location in 3D space, and this is why you need to use Dolby Headphone.

Now when you have regular stereo recording it is designed to be used with speakers and not headphones. When you listen on speakers, they usually stand in front of you, so you hear sound coming from ahead of you. However sound doesn't just stop, but it bounces from the walls and this way it fills up a room. In order to simulate similar effect you need to mix a bit of front to back. You can achieve nice result with coefficients I mentioned in my previous post.


----------



## koolas

I couldn't find Dolby Headphone wrapper for Linux, so I came out with some idea how to add virtual environment using JACK and LADSPA plugins.
Below is the screen-shot.



I connect output from Audacious to input of channel "1" on JackMixer, and then I connect output of that channel to JackRack where I set delay and filter. Then and I connect output from that JackRack to input of channel "2" on JackMixer swapping L with R. On the JackMixer I set volume of channel "2" to -1.5dB as I think this is the difference between how much you hear left speaker in your left ear and in your right ear. So this simple trick perfectly simulates speakers being in front of you. 

Next trick is to simulate room in which you are listening. I want to simulate echoes and resonances from walls. So I assume sound first hits wall behind speakers and then it hits the wall behind the listener. I could complicate model much more, but I already find hard to manage Jack connections, so I stuck to this simplified model. In order to implement it I connect output from channel "1" on mixer to another JackRack, where I set several effects. I set delay to obtain echo, and I set low pass filter to simulate damping, and then I set comb filter to simulate resonance from walls. The output from that rack I connect to input of channel "3" on mixer. Next I want to simulate wall behind the listener. Again to do that I take output from channel "3" on mixer and connect it to another JackRack, where I set delay and matrix spatialiser, which inverts the phase so that sound seems to be coming from behind the listener. The output goes to mixer channel "4". 

I set all parameters empirically, so scientifically looking at them they can be completely wrong, but to my ears result is IMHO very cool, actually I think I might prefer it over Dolby Headphone.


Here is screen with settings I came up for rock genre:


----------



## vanhoivanbinh

please provide the username and password for the package in the first page !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The mediafire asked me to input it in order to download the zip file
 Thank you!!!!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

vanhoivanbinh said:


> please provide the username and password for the package in the first page !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The mediafire asked me to input it in order to download the zip file
> Thank you!!!!


 

 There's no password or username needed, that's only if you want to login to mediafire. Just wait 5 secs and the link is redirected to the currently working link.


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## koolas

Moved my post to new thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/712182/ambience-and-binaural-sound-under-linux


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## gabbylee690

Hi,
  
 I finally registered on this forum after tinkering around with the 2 preloaded setups (laid back and forward).
  
 Personally, I'd feel the forward one to be a lot more.. engaging, feels like a much more immersive experience. Would like to know if this can be applied to games, videos (off youtube and such) and movies too?
  
 Also, im currently using an ATH AD-700 pair of headphones paired with an Asus Xonar DX 7.1 sound card. Is there anything else I could do to optimize or enhance the experience? 
  
 Lastly, just wanna say thanks for such an amazing work, really made listening to music so much better!
  
  
 EDIT: I'm also currently having the Xonar DX Audio Center program open and set to 8 Channels (Audio Channel), PCM 192Khz (Sample Rate) and Headphone (Analog Out). Under the SPDIF section, PCM is left unchecked while both 7.1 Virtual Speaker and Dolby Headphones are checked. Do let me know if I've done anything wrong.
  
 EDIT2: I'm not sure what I did regarding exclusive mode or enabling the WASPI mode but now my youtube videos have no sound. Same goes for twitch.tv (live streaming service for games). Anyone able to help?
  
 Kinda of a newbie towards these things but would be glad and willing to learn!


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Not sure how virtual speaker effects are working but if you use this config and dolby headphone then you must disable Dolby Headphone on either foobar2000 or the soundcard or else you get it twice applied which will result in much more reverb and exaggerated sound processing.


----------



## gabbylee690

Oh, never knew that. Hmm, is there any way to get ur setup to work for games, youtube videos and live streams?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

gabbylee690 said:


> Oh, never knew that. Hmm, is there any way to get ur setup to work for games, youtube videos and live streams?


 

 I wish there was. I've been working with very similar configs that works roughly the same, only had to swap the channel mixer for something else but it involved using an advanced VST host config. Frankly I don't remember exactly all details of that anymore but it was just too much of a PITA to start it all the time when windows launches. Skyrim sounded quite nice though I remember.


----------



## gabbylee690

hmm, ic.. then in regards to my current setup, is there anything i can do to optimize audio quality? Especially when gaming, watching movies/anime?


----------



## musicreo

gabbylee690 said:


> hmm, ic.. then in regards to my current setup, is there anything i can do to optimize audio quality? Especially when gaming, watching movies/anime?


 
  
 You have to set the game audio to 5.1.  For movies I upmix 5.1 to 7.1 (just redirecting the RS/RS Channels to 50% to RB/LB Channels) using ffdshow in MPC-HC.  I also use the "Equalizer-APO". This is a very good multichannel equalizer that can be used with every system sound  (not with WASAPI or ASIO).


----------



## gabbylee690

just to be clear, so even though im using a pair of headphones, i change the game's internal audio setting to 5.1 whilst using the xonar dhoby engine?
  
 also, i'm new to all these things, could you rephrase the above sentence in layman terms and how to go about doing them? Also about the program equalizer APO?


----------



## musicreo

Yes, Dolby Headphone (DH) will play virtual 7.1 on your headphones if you input a 7.1 signal . 
 If you input a 5.1 signal  DH plays virtual 5.1 and if you input 2.0 DH plays virtual 2.0,....
 You also have to change the channel setting  at your xonar audio card to 7.1, 5.1, 2.0, depending on your audio source channels.


----------



## gabbylee690

hmm, so if the 7.1 feature is left unchecked, it automatically plays 5.1? which is better for gaming and watching movies (5.1 or 7.1?)


----------



## timido

sorry for my english, I greet all.
 I have a headphone AKG K 280 with the V-DAC II. I do not feel so much vaccations between foobar and one configured for normal headphones that I downloaded from here, why?
 thanks


----------



## BunnyNamedCraig

wow that was awesome.. i am going to try and tweak Foobar2000 like you did. i didnt know it could do all that. Thank you


----------



## 21quest

This is awesome, thanks for the hardwork and sharing this with us. Somehow the laidback version doesnt work on mine, it stutters and distorts I am not sure why, maybe software incompatibilities.
 And I wanna know can this be enabled and disabled easily?


----------



## zanox

I'm using the Grado SR60i. I found both the settings too bright. Can you tell me the tweaks to reduce brightness and make it more natural sounding?


----------



## DreamKing

Is everything from the config turned off when you remove everything from the dsp list? or is there more? I agree with the previous poster, it's too bright with my AKG K550's and the only change I notice is a grating, slim sound and reduced gain on every frequency it feels like (reduced by a lot i should add). I don't know how this could sound optimal for all headphones. I find after using it that, logically, optimal would just be a dsp-less foobar, for my headphones at least. I think it's meant to work with dark headphones. Thanks for making this guide though, was worth a try.


----------



## zanox

dreamking said:


> Is everything from the config turned off when you remove everything from the dsp list? or is there more? I agree with the previous poster, it's too bright with my AKG K550's and the only change I notice is a grating, slim sound and reduced gain on every frequency it feels like (reduced by a lot i should add). I don't know how this could sound optimal for all headphones. I find after using it that, logically, optimal would just be a dsp-less foobar, for my headphones at least. I think it's meant to work with dark headphones. Thanks for making this guide though, was worth a try.


 
 It works really great with dark headphones. I tried it.
 I hope he posts settings for bright headphones as well.
 The soundstage is very good giving the sound more depth than the width.
 But the brightness annoys me a lot refraining me to use these settings.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

zanox said:


> It works really great with dark headphones. I tried it.
> I hope he posts settings for bright headphones as well.
> The soundstage is very good giving the sound more depth than the width.
> But the brightness annoys me a lot refraining me to use these settings.


 

 To me it sounds pretty much the same, that's the point of it anyway to keep as close to non-Dolby headphone config balance. Without the adjustment dolby headphone sounds pretty veiled while this EQ setting to me sounds fairly similarly balanced as stock.

 Are you sure Dolby headphone is even activated, sounds to me like you may be listening with the EQ settings enabled and the Channel Mixer plugin tweaks but DH isn't activated. Check in the settings for the DH wrapper that the dolby headphone dll plugin is loaded. Some users reported it isn't loaded by default when you grab the preconfigured package, you might have to manually enable it.

 This page, check so it's loaded ("location" path will be empty if it's not loaded):

*FILE -> PREFERENCES -> PLAYBACK -> DSP MANAGER. SELECT DOLBY HEADPHONE PLUGIN IN THE LIST -> CONFIGURE SELECTED*


----------



## DreamKing

rpgwizard said:


> Are you sure Dolby headphone is even activated, sounds to me like you may be listening with the EQ settings enabled and the Channel Mixer plugin tweaks but DH isn't activated. Check in the settings for the DH wrapper that the dolby headphone dll plugin is loaded. Some users reported it isn't loaded by default when you grab the preconfigured package, you might have to manually enable it.
> 
> This page, check so it's loaded ("location" path will be empty if it's not loaded):
> 
> *FILE -> PREFERENCES -> PLAYBACK -> DSP MANAGER. SELECT DOLBY HEADPHONE PLUGIN IN THE LIST -> CONFIGURE SELECTED*


 
 DH was 100% activated when I used it as it appeared exactly like what your screenshot shows except path was C:\foobar2000\components\DolbyHph.dll to be accurate, but it's the same thing. It's easy to notice since I have a xonar soundcard as reference.


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## Eulbrother

Called then ? I registered here specially to thank for his excellent work RPGWiZaRD !! Thank you for this custom foobar !! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  
 I listen with Superlux HD-662 F or 68 Yoga CD (Patafix custom) ... It's very good, headphones are transformed !  I'm no expert, but I'd like you two ideas ... What do you think ?
  
 1 - EQ Electri-Q dropped at zero in Digital mode.  http://hpics.li/bf7f4e5
  
 2 - Adding a Resampler (Sox) at the end. 90% Passband, 30% Phase response. http://hpics.li/790331f
  
 The sound seems to me less bright, more detailed... ?


----------



## dmbr

Is it possible to use this config in conjunction with Isone Pro?
  
 What settings would make the most sense? Specifically, where in the DSP chain would the VST Wrapper go (before/after DH? Before/After Channel Mixer?), and what mode would Isone best be set to (5.1; 5.0/no lfe; Stereo)?
  
 Thanks! I'll come back with my own conclusions about the sound of the various setups after some further experimentation, but I'd very much appreciate any input.
  
 Here are the settings I've found to sound best so far, but I'm really not decided on whether or not I've got it right or more important, prefer it to your configs on their own:


 (Bypass is supposed to be unticked, obviously)


----------



## imackler

Hey All! 
 I'm fairly new with using a dac or any kind of computer audio. I'm struggling with Foobar and my E07K. I know the flac files are good, but I'm getting brief pauses/cutting out as music is played. I'm running Windows 7 and have the most current version of Wasapi loaded. Can anyone help me know why this is happening?


----------



## PleasantSounds

imackler said:


> Hey All!
> I'm fairly new with using a dac or any kind of computer audio. I'm struggling with Foobar and my E07K. I know the flac files are good, but I'm getting brief pauses/cutting out as music is played. I'm running Windows 7 and have the most current version of Wasapi loaded. Can anyone help me know why this is happening?


 
  
 Sounds like you need to increase the buffer size.
  
 Go to Preferences -> Playback -> Output and set the Buffer Length to something like 1500 ms.
 While there check your output device. If it is WASAPI based, then you should also check the Advanced -> Playback - WASAPI buffers. I have them set to 200 ms for event mode and 500 ms for push mode.


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## Dixter

subscribed


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## imackler

pleasantsounds said:


> Sounds like you need to increase the buffer size.
> 
> Go to Preferences -> Playback -> Output and set the Buffer Length to something like 1500 ms.
> While there check your output device. If it is WASAPI based, then you should also check the Advanced -> Playback - WASAPI buffers. I have them set to 200 ms for event mode and 500 ms for push mode.


 
  
 Thanks a ton! I'll let you know how it goes!


----------



## LoveKnight

Yesterday, I tried the forward and laid-back versions. Somehow, the laid-back version gave me a few more details but my ears do not like it because I felt everything liked a nearly flat board. Then I tried the forward version and feel it more engaged than the laid-back, but I really liked it because most of my music relates to vocals. Moreover, both the versions somehow fix the distortions of the vocal I got at some songs. I really appreciate RPGWiZaRD's work and thanks for the mod.
  
 My test track was Metal Gear The Best is yet to come. I have Odac + C4 portable amplifier with MrSpeakers Alpha Dog headphone. My next upgrade would be a nice iFi iUSB to clean my dirty USB power.


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## RPGWiZaRD

Glad you enjoyed it, I should really update the foobar2000 version sometimes soon haha. Been so busy with rest of my hobbies that I seldom think about upgrading foobar2000 player, I usually only update mine only like once in a half year or something.


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## GustavMahler

Hi, Thank you very much-It sounds amazing for classical music!
 Are the files on the first page are the most recent ones?


----------



## Joe Bloggs

Part of the objective of this thread is to find an Electri-Q setting that neutralizes the "sound sig" of Dolby Headphone, correct?

I ran a piece of multichannel music through both Dolby Headphone and Downmix to stereo for comparison by spectral analysis, and the result is the following EQ that objectively corrects Dolby DH1 reference room mode to within 1.5dB of flat response averaged through its 5.1 virtual speakers 



You may download the .e-q file here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pf6vesr57d4g1zy/Dolby%205.1ch%20headphone%20compensation.e-q?dl=0

I didn't know that DH2: live room actually has less reverb than DH1! I'll try that tonight and post my next compensation EQ when I'm done


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## ExpiredLabel

Im glad to see you still helping folks with their EQ joe, keep it up brother.


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## ExpiredLabel

By the way just wanted to say I through this through my Foobar stup with my newish KEF m200s and it got rid of this coloration I didn't know was there, thanks again buddy


----------



## dmbr

joe bloggs said:


> Part of the objective of this thread is to find an Electri-Q setting that neutralizes the "sound sig" of Dolby Headphone, correct?
> 
> I ran a piece of multichannel music through both Dolby Headphone and Downmix to stereo for comparison by spectral analysis, and the result is the following EQ that objectively corrects Dolby DH1 reference room mode to within 1.5dB of flat response averaged through its 5.1 virtual speakers
> 
> ...


 
 Awesome! I appreciate this so much.
  
 Would you mind providing some instructions as to how to properly implement the file? Foobar doesn't seem to load the preset automatically, but rather loads the OP's--I have to go into Electri-Q and "Import Preset" each time, and this almost always freezes the program 
  
 I'm also curious as to why you're using the Economy setting?
  
  
  
 As for DH2 vs DH1, I'm rather skeptical that DH2 has less reverb...to my ear DH1 has less, as it did to a professional producer/DJ friend (I actually was showing him this nifty config, and he commented that there was some reverb added--I switched it from DH2 to DH1 and he said "Ah there we go") really would appreciate some testing


----------



## Joe Bloggs

dmbr said:


> joe bloggs said:
> 
> 
> > Part of the objective of this thread is to find an Electri-Q setting that neutralizes the "sound sig" of Dolby Headphone, correct?
> ...




I forgot about that bug with the VST adapter... yes, you would usually have trouble loading Electri-Q presets with the VST adapter included in this thread.

1. On the one time that you manage to load the preset without crashing foobar, go to foobar's File->Preferences->Playback->DSP manager, and save a new DSP chain preset by typing a name in the text box and clicking Save. This would save a foobar preset with my new EQ for future use.
2. You may also consider switching to another VST wrapper that supports VSTs better: http://www.yohng.com/software/foobarvst.html This supports VSTs in foobar2000 in much more stable fashion, albeit only allowing one VST to load at a time.

I analyzed the output of DH2 and found it does indeed have slightly less reverb than DH1. Its frequency response is also well-nigh identical to that of DH1, but I made a separate EQ for it anyway:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jtdytt6lqqm2t7j/Dolby%205.1ch%20headphone%20compensation-DH2.e-q?dl=0


About the use of the Digital Economy setting, I have found that it is actually the setting that elicits the highest fidelity from Electri-Q, as evidenced by a well-nigh perfect impulse response. A perfect impulse passing through Electri-Q in Digital Economy mode will come out still looking pretty much like a perfect impulse.
In  Out 
(there is the slightest bit of LF rolloff causing a change to the waveform that is however not visible to the naked eye and certainly not audible. We're talking about 0.1dB of rolloff at 4Hz or so)

A perfect impulse passing through Electri-Q in Digital mode on the other hand will look like this:


xnor speculated that this was the effect of an upsampling filter used to make the effects of high-frequency adjustments more precise. But I reckon that since Electri-Q shows the effects of the lack of the upsampling filter on the filter shape in Economy mode, I'd live with the minor inaccuracy (adjusting the curve manually if needed) and get the much better looking impulse response in return. It shouldn't be audibly different either way but still...


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## ExpiredLabel

additionally in response to loading EQ I've found that using the winamp dsp bridge allows Electri-Q to not only load presets stably but also allows access to the DB slide which doesn't seem accessible otherwise. Just my two cents.
 Btw dmbr I gleaned a little of your plugin setup and it brought everything together even more so with my KEF m200's
 Thanks JOE for the EQs, the community appreciates your work (They better ;p), and thank you dmbr for helping me get a little more outta these phones


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## bettergenes

Unfortunately, the download link to laid-back version expired. Dear RPGWiZaRD, would you please update the link?
 It would be awesome, if the foobar would be of the latest version as well! Thank you in advance.


----------



## kidgafanhoto

bettergenes said:


> Unfortunately, the download link to laid-back version expired. Dear RPGWiZaRD, would you please update the link?
> It would be awesome, if the foobar would be of the latest version as well! Thank you in advance.


 

 Only complementing, It would be awesome, if you add a nice skin for the foobar because the current appearance sux a lot, thx in advance.

 Cheers !


----------



## rikk009

bettergenes said:


> Unfortunately, the download link to laid-back version expired. Dear RPGWiZaRD, would you please update the link?
> It would be awesome, if the foobar would be of the latest version as well! Thank you in advance.


 
 +1


----------



## Giogio

I am new to Foobar. And I am a fan of soundstage and tweakings, so, cool.
 Problem: where can I find the latest dll of dolby headphones?


----------



## gevorg

giogio said:


> I am new to Foobar. And I am a fan of soundstage and tweakings, so, cool.
> Problem: where can I find the latest dll of dolby headphones?




Checkout these threads:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/555263/foobar2000-dolby-headphone-config-comment-discuss

http://www.head-fi.org/t/473885/isone-pro-the-best-thing-you-could-ever-get-for-your-headphones-on-your-computer

http://www.head-fi.org/t/689299/out-of-your-head-new-virtual-surround-simulator


----------



## Giogio

Did you just give me a link to this thread? 
I don't like Out of your head. Too much reverb, and boring idea of not customizable presets which imitate the sound of real speakers.
I'm checking isone, thanks


----------



## dmbr

giogio said:


> Did you just give me a link to this thread?
> I don't like Out of your head. Too much reverb, and boring idea of noon customizable presets which imitate the sound of real speakers.
> I'm checking isone, thanks


 I didn't like it at first, largely for the same reasons, but it really grows on you...others have expressed this, too.

But I won't press you to spend $150


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## Giogio

oh, I am not sure I want to spend that.
 So, at first I would like to find a recent dll of dolby headphones and try the tweaks of this and another similar thread. If I am not satisfied, or if by comparing I like the Isope more, I will think about it.
  
 Nobody knows where I can download the dolby dll?


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

giogio said:


> oh, I am not sure I want to spend that.
> So, at first I would like to find a recent dll of dolby headphones and try the tweaks of this and another similar thread. If I am not satisfied, or if by comparing I like the Isope more, I will think about it.
> 
> Nobody knows where I can download the dolby dll?


 


 Here's an updated link for the preconfigured package for this Dolby headphone config which includes the dll file. It's a new "neutral" setting I loaded as default which is right in-between the two old settings "forward" and "laid-back" presets in the sense how it positions things like vocals, instruments in the soundstage so this neutral setting doesn't really push vocals or instruments more in-your-face than vanilla foobar2000 sound does, it's roughly the same. The forward is a bit more aggressive / in-your-face and the laid-back as it suggests less in-your-face sounding, little bit expansier stage as a result etc.

 Be sure to check whether or not the dolby headphone dll is loaded though since I don't know whether or not it works for people that grabs the package if it's directly loaded or not despite the checkbox "remember path relatively to foobar2000 dir" is checked and the dll file placed inside the foobar2000 folder.

 http://bit.ly/foobar2000-dolby-neutral


----------



## dmbr

Does the uploaded include this http://www.head-fi.org/t/555263/foobar2000-dolby-headphone-config-comment-discuss/735#post_11190310 Electri-Q preset or the OP's? The former is much better.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

dmbr said:


> Does the uploaded include this http://www.head-fi.org/t/555263/foobar2000-dolby-headphone-config-comment-discuss/735#post_11190310 Electri-Q preset or the OP's? The former is much better.


 

 It includes my own settings, with my setup/ears, I lose a lot of bass and it gets thinner sounding than "vanilla" with that preset. Just by looking at the setting I can say it's a bit "overboard" since I could never imagine a DSP config changing the balance so drastically either (I'm a hobbyist mastering engineer so when it comes to EQing I'm fairly experienced) and we may speak about personal preferences on how you like it to sound when I try to achieve something "x" sound which isn't necessarily my own ideal.


----------



## Giogio

Hello Wizard,
I see that the laid back and forward configurations differ not in the settings but in the components.
How about the neutral?
And what do you suggest if I'm not interested in presets because I'm a tweaker and i want to find my own truth?
Which components should i download?

Which version of dll did you put?

And, sorry, what's vanilla?


----------



## dmbr

rpgwizard said:


> It includes my own settings, with my setup/ears, I lose a lot of bass and it gets thinner sounding than "vanilla" with that preset. Just by looking at the setting I can say it's a bit "overboard" since I could never imagine a DSP config changing the balance so drastically either (I'm a hobbyist mastering engineer so when it comes to EQing I'm fairly experienced) and we may speak about personal preferences on how you like it to sound when I try to achieve something "x" sound which isn't necessarily my own ideal.


 I don't know, his sounds more neutral, and I think he provided evidence that it was. I produce and master, too, btw 

Your Config, your taste, though.

Edit: I don't mean to demean your work, really appreciate what you've done here. I've switched to OOYH recently but still adore this config and could never go back to stereo or use DH without it.


----------



## musicreo

giogio said:


> I don't like Out of your head. Too much reverb, and boring idea of noon customizable presets which imitate the sound of real speakers.


 
  
  
 You know that Dolby Headphone  also tries to imitate real speakers in three different rooms and is not customizable?  As far as I know  every room  or loudspeaker simulation for  headphones is based on convolution reverb. Some dsps use real measurements and some try to caculate the effect.
  
 I used Dolby Headphone for about 8 years  but at the moment I only use it for gaming.  For movies and music I switched to convolution reverb using binaural room impulse responses (BRIRS) measured with a dummy head.  With the right BRIRS you can get a much better effect as Dolby Headphone (if you want you also can get the same effect as Dolby Headphone).


----------



## Giogio

musicreo said:


> You know that Dolby Headphone  also tries to imitate real speakers in three different rooms and is not customizable?
> With the right BRIRS you can get a much better effect as Dolby Headphone (if you want you also can get the same effect as Dolby Headphone).



No, I didn't know, thanks for warning!
Then I'm not interested anymore.
While I really would like you to tell me more if this convolution and how i get it


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

I'd also wanna know, I've never heard of BRIRS before.


----------



## musicreo

If have written a short tutorial how to setup convolution reverb with BRIRs. Unfortunately the tutorial is not written in English yet and I have not enough time in the moment to  translate it.
  
 So here is a very short explanation:
 Convolution reverb is a well known method for creating    an “acoustic-fingerprint” of different sound stages.  Normally a frequency sweep is played through speakers and is recorded at one or several positions at a specified distance.  After deconvolution of this recording you get an “impulse response (IR)”.  This impulse response contains the whole information of the room and used speakers.  If you use the IR in a convolution reverb dsp the incoming audio will be filtered with the IR and playback will sound like the audio was recorded in the room where the IR was originally measured.  When a dummy head (or a real head) is used for recording the IR you will get the so called Binaural Room Impulse Responses (BRIR).  If you use a BRIR in a convolution reverb dsp incoming audio will be filtered with the BRIR and playback will sound like the Audio was recorded with a dummy head in the room where the BRIR was originally measured.
  
 Using BRIRs with foobar2000:
 Download:
 VST-Convolver: http://convolver.sourceforge.net/
 Resampler:  http://www.hydrogenaud.io/forums/index.php?showtopic=67373
 VST-Host: http://www.hydrogenaud.io/forums/index.php?showtopic=84947
  
 Impulse responses:
 The BRIRs are recorded at 5 different rooms with a dummy head (full 360° rotation, 720 channels) and there are filters for some headphones. You should choose the headphone filter which comes closest to your own headphone model. The BRIRS are published under a  CC BY-SA 3.0  license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode)
  and can be found here:
 http://www.audiogroup.web.fh-koeln.de/wdr_irc.html
 They can’t be used directly with the convolver VST as it can only handle wave and PCM.  But I already have created wave files of the BRIRS which can be used with the convolver.
  http://www.xup.in/dl,13480571/Binaurale_Wiedergabe_ueber_KH24022015.zip/
  
 Setup:
 1 Install foobar
 2 install the VST-Host/ resampler component (sometimes  the Convolver files must be put into the foobar folder in order to install them)
 3 Install the Convolver
 4 unzip the Impulse responses and put the file “BinauralAudio” to C:\Program Files
 5 load the resampler into the active component list and resample to 48 kHz
 6 load the convolver VST into the active component list and load one of the txt-files you find in the file “BinauralAudio” and choose a useful attenuation.
  
 That’s all 
  
 Informations and tutorials  how the convolver works  can be found on the download site.
 The linked BRIRs are just a example. You can use every IR as long it is  wave or PCM. You can find a lot other  IRs for free and if  you have the rigth hardware you can make your own IR or BRIRs.


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Interesting, thanks for the info. Will give it a shot when I find the time.

 I also have to respond to some earlier comment regarding the Dolby Headphone not being configureable. The reason I started with this custom config for foobar2000 is the ability to tweak HRTF and this happens through either Surrounder+ (laid-back config) or Channel Mixer (neutral & forward). These are the ones which you can alter how it sounds rather drastically, you basically tweak how the virtual surround will be percieved.

 The tweaks I did with the whole config has a positive effect (to me anyway) on how Dolby Headphone sounds like. I also added slight EQ counter measures as a bonus to help restore the balance (but every headphone/listener will prefer or need various balance anyways) but the important thing was how the soundstaging was percieved. Every slider in the forementioned plugins will affect the sound in one way or another and I've took one slider at a time, A/B'd, switched back n forth to nail down configs that I thought appealed me most and this process had been refined over a course of like 1 year probably. My goal with it though which is important to understand, was the focus on keeping Dolby Headphone sounding as natural as possible, sure, I could make it sound much more expansive and what not but my goal was to provide something which also sounds natural and not gimmicky or overdone. 

 The only thing I wish was possible to improve regarding DH is removing the focus around the extra reverb being the prime reason for the ability to further being able to extend the size of the soundstage. For the most part, that's where the greater stage is coming from in DH. More reverb though has especially bad impact when it comes to EDM lovers, electronic generated bass beats are the first ones which tend to suffer from extra reverb in the sense of "muddying up" and providing lesser sense of impact. It can be that some of you which disagree with my EQ settings vs the other suggested setting aren't EDM lovers but I happen to be and I've tweaked especially (being a guy with a bit of bass emphasized headphone setup), made sure, that the bass YOU FEEL, stays also roughly the same. Yes, with my setup, I do not only hear the beats but I actually can FEEL them too and this has always been an important measuring factor for me so that when the bass lands that initial impact or "punch" if you will, that is kept similar.


----------



## Giogio

musicreo said:


> If have written a short tutorial how to setup convolution reverb with BRIRs. Unfortunately the tutorial is not written in English yet and I have not enough time in the moment to  translate it.


 
 Thanks!
 In which language is your tutorial?
 I speak perfectly Spanish, German, Italian and English.


----------



## musicreo

@Giogio: It is in german and it is included in the  above  download link.


----------



## Giogio

musicreo said:


> @Giogio: It is in german and it is included in the  above  download link.


 

 Danke


----------



## bavinck

I have some flac files that are 6 channel. Foobar says it cannot play them. Any idea of a plug in that will convert 6 channel to 2 channel stereo on the fly? The files play in Hqplayer no problem.


----------



## Fabithierry

bavinck said:


> I have some flac files that are 6 channel. Foobar says it cannot play them. Any idea of a plug in that will convert 6 channel to 2 channel stereo on the fly? The files play in Hqplayer no problem.


 
 try Channel Mixer http://www.hydrogenaud.io/forums/index.php?showtopic=29985


----------



## bavinck

fabithierry said:


> try Channel Mixer http://www.hydrogenaud.io/forums/index.php?showtopic=29985



Thanks, I got it working.


----------



## Drsparis

rpgwizard said:


> Here's an updated link for the preconfigured package for this Dolby headphone config which includes the dll file. It's a new "neutral" setting I loaded as default which is right in-between the two old settings "forward" and "laid-back" presets in the sense how it positions things like vocals, instruments in the soundstage so this neutral setting doesn't really push vocals or instruments more in-your-face than vanilla foobar2000 sound does, it's roughly the same. The forward is a bit more aggressive / in-your-face and the laid-back as it suggests less in-your-face sounding, little bit expansier stage as a result etc.
> 
> Be sure to check whether or not the dolby headphone dll is loaded though since I don't know whether or not it works for people that grabs the package if it's directly loaded or not despite the checkbox "remember path relatively to foobar2000 dir" is checked and the dll file placed inside the foobar2000 folder.
> 
> http://bit.ly/foobar2000-dolby-neutral


 
 Would Love to try the new setting! long time fan, I enjoy switching it up sometimes, some songs/albums/ styles sound better with one, or the other. The link says the file is deleted, or I don't have permission to view it.
  
 Thanks for all your work


----------



## RPGWiZaRD

Try now, the permissions had changed on that folder.


----------



## musicreo

rpgwizard said:


> Interesting, thanks for the info. Will give it a shot when I find the time.
> 
> I also have to respond to some earlier comment regarding the Dolby Headphone not being configureable. The reason I started with this custom config for foobar2000 is the ability to tweak HRTF and this happens through either Surrounder+ (laid-back config) or Channel Mixer (neutral & forward). These are the ones which you can alter how it sounds rather drastically, you basically tweak how the virtual surround will be percieved.


 
  I agree that you can change the sound with equalizing and changing the upmix parameters. Your work is great as many people don't know you can change DH sounding drastically with equalizing and "tweak" the upmix.
  
 But  you can't change DH directly. You have the three rooms and that's all. There is no way to change virtual speaker angels or to change room parameters and that is what I mean with not configureable.


----------



## batman1

Hi RPGWiZaRD,
  
 I sent you a PM kindly requesting some of your expertise


----------



## Joe Bloggs

bavinck said:


> I have some flac files that are 6 channel. Foobar says it cannot play them. Any idea of a plug in that will convert 6 channel to 2 channel stereo on the fly? The files play in Hqplayer no problem.




But that's the whole point of Dolby Headphone--just put it in the DSP chain (without anything above it) and it should work to convert 5.1 into headphone stereo!

The "Dolby Headphone config" here is for upmixing 2 channel audio to 5.1 and then downmixing it again to 2 channel using Dolby Headphone with "enhanced" spatial cues--you don't need any of that if your source material is already 5.1 channels!

:confused_face:


----------



## Joe Bloggs

pavane said:


> Hi, I am not sure if i should post it here, But i need help from you guys. I am using the Concero HP and at a volume level of 14 i get adequate volume. Now i want it to be much more sensitive. What can i do? This is a problem especially with DSD, Because i can't even change the volume in foobar.
> Thanks for the help




By much more sensitive do you mean you want the optimal volume setting of the Concero HP to be higher or lower?


----------



## MelvinRobertson

I cant download your dsp chain preset, even both configurations are also not downloading soo I had installed manually, but please renew your dsp chain preset link.


----------



## blakleaf

i just want to say "thank you very much for your hard work"


----------



## blakleaf

melvinrobertson said:


> I cant download your dsp chain preset, even both configurations are also not downloading soo I had installed manually, but please renew your dsp chain preset link.


 
  
 try this dude, his custom foobar
  
 https://efzrea.bn1303.livefilestore.com/y2mGHZKGqjF1nwjDrwOFmd5d-7bNnve7ER7wfmd86ggPaV48Js9sQ9Ad2NpIa_iRD6sX7utnWTkpzsT1IGs9ahzDVb4ud0El_T9EYGxtFv2YwQYJ-N3MXhUHZ2TGnTQ30gT/foobar2000.v1.3.8.Dolby.Headphone.(Neutral)-RPGWiZaRD.zip?download&psid=1


----------



## shadab15

joe bloggs said:


> I forgot about that bug with the VST adapter... yes, you would usually have trouble loading Electri-Q presets with the VST adapter included in this thread.
> 
> 1. On the one time that you manage to load the preset without crashing foobar, go to foobar's File->Preferences->Playback->DSP manager, and save a new DSP chain preset by typing a name in the text box and clicking Save. This would save a foobar preset with my new EQ for future use.
> 2. You may also consider switching to another VST wrapper that supports VSTs better: http://www.yohng.com/software/foobarvst.html This supports VSTs in foobar2000 in much more stable fashion, albeit only allowing one VST to load at a time.
> ...


 
 How to apply this in the custom foobar?


----------



## dmbr

musicreo said:


> If have written a short tutorial how to setup convolution reverb with BRIRs. Unfortunately the tutorial is not written in English yet and I have not enough time in the moment to  translate it.
> 
> So here is a very short explanation:
> Convolution reverb is a well known method for creating    an “acoustic-fingerprint” of different sound stages.  Normally a frequency sweep is played through speakers and is recorded at one or several positions at a specified distance.  After deconvolution of this recording you get an “impulse response (IR)”.  This impulse response contains the whole information of the room and used speakers.  If you use the IR in a convolution reverb dsp the incoming audio will be filtered with the IR and playback will sound like the audio was recorded in the room where the IR was originally measured.  When a dummy head (or a real head) is used for recording the IR you will get the so called Binaural Room Impulse Responses (BRIR).  If you use a BRIR in a convolution reverb dsp incoming audio will be filtered with the BRIR and playback will sound like the Audio was recorded with a dummy head in the room where the BRIR was originally measured.
> ...




1. I already use one VST (ReLife, it's great); is it possible to run two at once? 

I don't think it is with George Wong's VST Wrapper 

2. Is this an alternative to DH or meant to be used in conjunction with it?


----------



## musicreo

dmbr said:


> 1. I already use one VST (ReLife, it's great); is it possible to run two at once?
> 
> I don't think it is with George Wong's VST Wrapper
> 
> ...


 
 1  You can use Yegors VST adapter. For most VSTs it works and you can load as many VSTs as you want in foobar and it is not limted to stereo.
 2  It is an alternative. It is not limted to foobar and can also be used for videos in any directshow player on Windows. I use it for about  six month now and I like it more than DH which I used  some years.


----------



## SSS01

i like your neutral setting wizard B-)


----------



## goodyfresh

rpgwizard said:


> ​ *RPGWiZaRD's Dolby Headphone foobar2000 info & tweaks*​  ​
> 
> *FAQ*
> 
> ...


 
 You, sir, are my new HERO!  Thank you so much for this!  From now on I'm using the "Forward" setting for rock, rap, etc., and "Laid Back" for Acoustic and Orchestral.  Right now, I'm about 3/4 of the way through Hotel California, and lemme tell ya, I have NEVER heard this song sound so damn good on a pair of headphones.  The music sounds like it's all around me!  And yet, the sacrifice in detail-resolution in order to obtain the widened soundstage and imaging is so tiny and subtle that I have to listen REALLY hard in order to perceive it at all!  Kudos to you, man, it's clear you spent a long, long time experimenting with and tweaking these settings, and I am very grateful to you for it ^_^

 By the way, the headphones I'm currently using are V-Moda M-80s, which certainly have pretty darn good soundstage and imaging for a pair of closed on-ears.  However, these DSP settings take its soundstage to a whole other level entirely, almost like a good pair of open-backed cans!  I'm saving up right now to buy a pair of either Sony MDR-1A or PSB M4U 1 cans, which both have INCREDIBLY wide soundstages and imaging for closed-back cans, and I simply can't WAIT to see what these settings make THEM sound like once I get them 

 Again, thank you!


 Edit:  BTW, has anyone else been trying to compare the sound they get with this method to that obtained using the various possible settings in TB Isone?  TB Isone is a great program, which I feel like may be managing to tweak and widen the soundstage even MORE than teh settings described here, but I also feel like it might be sacrificing a bit more detail as a result.  Anyone else having trouble deciding between using these settings, and using Isone?


----------



## goodyfresh

I actually do have one big ol' question, guys! Where can I get Electri-Q, now? It no longer seems to be available for download!   I had to use Easy-Q instead, and couldn't get the EQ settings as-precise with it.


----------



## musicreo

This link should help:
http://sagamusix.de/plugin/electriq_win/


----------



## goodyfresh

musicreo said:


> This link should help:
> http://sagamusix.de/plugin/electriq_win/


 

 Thanks man!

 So, anyone else been comparing these settings/DSP chain with TB_Isone?


----------



## nicholasng99

[]


----------



## musicreo

@ nicholasng99
  
 Interesting to see that you can have 5.1 in the VST host. I never get it working with 5.1 input. 
 You know that all the dsps also could be loaded directly in foobar? So the VST host is not necessary. DH and TB Isone are doing similar sound processing. This both dsps shouldn't  be used together.....


----------



## nicholasng99

[]


----------



## Pazz

musicreo said:


> If have written a short tutorial how to setup convolution reverb with BRIRs. Unfortunately the tutorial is not written in English yet and I have not enough time in the moment to  translate it.
> 
> So here is a very short explanation:
> Convolution reverb is a well known method for creating    an “acoustic-fingerprint” of different sound stages.  Normally a frequency sweep is played through speakers and is recorded at one or several positions at a specified distance.  After deconvolution of this recording you get an “impulse response (IR)”.  This impulse response contains the whole information of the room and used speakers.  If you use the IR in a convolution reverb dsp the incoming audio will be filtered with the IR and playback will sound like the audio was recorded in the room where the IR was originally measured.  When a dummy head (or a real head) is used for recording the IR you will get the so called Binaural Room Impulse Responses (BRIR).  If you use a BRIR in a convolution reverb dsp incoming audio will be filtered with the BRIR and playback will sound like the Audio was recorded with a dummy head in the room where the BRIR was originally measured.
> ...


 
  
 When I try adding the convolver VST, it says this: 
  
 "Could not load VST DLL. You may have tried to use x64 DLL or there is an internal error in the plug-in.
 C:\Program Files (x86)\Convolver\Convolver\convolverVST.dll "
  
 Any idea how to solve this?
  
 EDIT: Never mind, it works now.


----------



## Typhoon859

It's been a while and a lot of posts since the original post here.  In this time, anyone added any further meaningful mods or recommend alternatives to this (the original)?  If so, why?  Thanks!


----------



## nicholasng99

[]


----------



## musicreo

> I initially just wanted to upmix stereo sources in MPC-BE (video player), I tried the mixing function in LAV Audio Decoder but it doesn't upmix. Figured how to do with FFDshow Audio Decoder with the channel mapping function (although it's just copying the channels to rear),


 
 The FFDshow filter also can use Dolby Pro Logic 2. You can find it under the  ffdshow options under "Dolby Decoder".


----------



## dmbr

nicholasng99 said:


> I have updated my plugins chain once again.
> 
> @musicreo
> 
> ...


 Wow, VI's channel upmixing is great! I prefer it to the channel mixer and FreeSurround--better sound placement and separation, and a bit of a crisper sound.

Thanks for sharing! What are your VI settings, btw?


----------



## nicholasng99

[]


----------



## Kwangsun

The uploads for the Dolby settings are no longer working. Can anyone please share the Forward and Laid-back configs?


----------



## nicholasng99

[]


----------



## Kwangsun

I did manage to download one of the two, and I think it's the forward setting. Still hoping for the laid back setting but not getting my hopes up.
  
 Thanks!


----------



## yorneb

I think i have on my computer at work. If so, i'll upload it monday.


----------



## turen009

Do any of you guys have the laid-back and forward setting ZIP files? The links seem to have expired long ago.


----------



## Giogio

Does anybody of you guys have experience with the Haas effect?
 I have downloaded this vst called *SX36 *which I am preferring to DH.
 It does not have reverb, so it also does not create a wide room. But it can enhance the feeling of space and distance of objects effectively.
 Although it is a bit tricky to get the right point. I had to spend hours for that. Luckily it should be universal (not related to ears and device) so I can share my settings for those interested. Just ask.
 I use it together with Xfeed for a more natural and centred sound, plus EQ, plus Real Bass Exciter. And SoX, of course.
 I have used DH for a while but, too unnatural.
 I noticed that I had never used the files of @musicreo, I am gonna do it now.
  
 Does anybody know if the DH 1.4.1 is the latest dll? I see @Joe Bloggs speaks of DH2 and DH1...


----------



## Giogio

musicreo said:


> Setup: 1 Install foobar
> 2 install the VST-Host/ resampler component
> 3 Install the Convolver
> 4 unzip the Impulse responses and put the file “BinauralAudio” to c/programs
> ...


 
 Doesn't work for me. When I open Foobar and I go to install a VST, I select the Convolver and I get this:
 "Could not load VST DLL. You may have tried to use x64 DLL or there is an internal error in the plug-in.
 C:\Program Files (x86)\Convolver\Convolver\convolverVST.dll"
  
 I have tried copying in my components but does not appear (of course I have restarted Foobar).
 Suggestions?


----------



## musicreo

giogio said:


> Doesn't work for me. When I open Foobar and I go to install a VST, I select the Convolver and I get this:
> "Could not load VST DLL. You may have tried to use x64 DLL or there is an internal error in the plug-in.
> C:\Program Files (x86)\Convolver\Convolver\convolverVST.dll"
> 
> ...


 

 Put all files from the convolver into your foobar folder and then try again installing the vst. Sometimes this helps.


----------



## Giogio

musicreo said:


> Put all files from the convolver into your foobar folder and then try again installing the vst. Sometimes this helps.


 
 It worked. I like it more than DH. It gives a nice and natural room, dramatically enhancing the Soundstage in a much more realistic and less reverbering way than DH.
 Now, do you use a crossfeed with it? I feel that it is not "in front of you" like when you listen to speakers. It is more around you. And I want to put it a bit more forward.
 With DH and xfeed, or with the SX36 and xfeed, I could. But somehow with this convolver the xfeed does not do much. I have had better results with the meier crossfeed on 6.
  
 And what about the partitions? what are they for?
 And you mention the possibility of adding a "stereo to 5.1" effect in the chain. What for?
  
 Anyway I think you should edit your post with the setup instructions to say people the fact about copying the Binaural folder in C/Programs Files. Otherwise it does not work. (btw, why Program Files and not Program Files X86, if the VST is in the X86 folder?)
  
 I also think you should say people that they absolutely need to put a limiter in the chain after the Convolver BEFORE playing around with it, because the slider to set the gain is VERY tricky and can jump from -11 to +37 easily, and it is NOT a pleasant experience...
  
 And, in the pdf you say to choose the text file, but when I open the convolver it is set to search for a wave file. As far as I see, if I choose the wave file it sets input and output channels to 16 and the panning is all left. Not good. If I chose the text file (config file) it sets input at 8 and output at 2 and all is fine.
  
 Thanks for the plugin, very impressed.


----------



## musicreo

Giogio said:
			
		

> And what about the partitions? what are they for?


 
 I think the with the partions you can decrease the delay but I didn't use it.
  


			
				Giogio said:
			
		

> And you mention the possibility of adding a "stereo to 5.1" effect in the chain. What for?


 
   
All files support 7.1. If you use stereo music only the left and right speaker is used. If you want to use also the center and rear speakers than  a upmix can help.

  


> (btw, why Program Files and not Program Files X86, if the VST is in the X86 folder?)


 
   You can use every folder you want but in the txt files you have to link to the wave files.  I think everybody have the  Program Files folder. That is why I choosed it. If you want you can change the folder.


> I also think you should say people that they absolutely need to put a limiter in the chain after the Convolver BEFORE playing around with it, because the slider to set the gain is VERY tricky and can jump from -11 to +37 easily, and it is NOT a pleasant experience...


 
 You're  right.  


> And, in the pdf you say to choose the text file, but when I open the convolver it is set to search for a wave file. As far as I see, if I choose the wave file it sets input and output channels to 16 and the panning is all left. Not good. If I chose the text file (config file) it sets input at 8 and output at 2 and all is fine.


 
 The convolver can only handle stereo wave files correct. For files with more than two channels  the convolver needs the txt file which have the instructions for the convolver how to handle all the channels in the  wave file.


----------



## Giogio

musicreo said:


> You can use every folder you want but in the txt files you have to link to the wave files.
> The convolver can only handle stereo wave files correct. For files with more than two channels  the convolver needs the txt file which have the instructions for the convolver how to handle all the channels in the  wave file.


 
 Ok, I understood, I have opened now the text file, I can read that there is the destination path with C/ Program Files.
 It makes sense now, it must be chosen because it is the one given in the text file, otherwise the convolver does not find the wave file. Actually the text files could be also in another folder, but the wave must be in the folder written in the text file.
  
 I understand also better why the Convolver is on default set to look for wave files. If you cannot change this (I mean you offering this nice bundle to people) so to make it search for text files as default, then I think you should say this clear in your post, because if I would have not been able to read German, I would have never understood what to do (actually I also feel the pdf is not super clear on this, but it may be because I am not native German speaker).
  
 My favourite BT headphone is a ATH, that's why I have chosen the ATH-M50 in the binaural files.
 But, why is that so important? Was some Frequency and Impulse response applied?


----------



## musicreo

giogio said:


> [...]so to make it search for text files as default, then I think you should say this clear in your post, because if I would have not been able to read German, I would have never understood what to do (actually I also feel the pdf is not super clear on this, but it may be because I am not native German speaker).


 
  This was already mentioned in my post:
  
 6 load the convolver VST into the active component list and load one of the* txt-files* you find in the file “BinauralAudio” and choose a useful attenuation.
  
  
 Quote:


giogio said:


> My favourite BT headphone is a ATH, that's why I have chosen the ATH-M50 in the binaural files.
> But, why is that so important? Was some Frequency and Impulse response applied?


 
 I think that they did  a compensation of the headphone impulse response (HIR) for some headphone models.


----------



## Giogio

musicreo said:


> This was already mentioned in my post


 
 Then ignore what I've said


----------



## audiojun

Can someone please reupload the laid back and forward preconfigurations? The link doesn't work anymore.


----------



## dsdsds

audiojun said:


> Can someone please reupload the laid back and forward preconfigurations? The link doesn't work anymore.


 
  
  
 If you have any of the configurations, it already got the others


----------



## audiojun

It's fun to use it once in a while. I found the forward config in the thread on page 54, I like the electric q equalizer.


----------



## Joe Bloggs

musicreo said:


> If have written a short tutorial how to setup convolution reverb with BRIRs. Unfortunately the tutorial is not written in English yet and I have not enough time in the moment to  translate it.
> 
> So here is a very short explanation:
> Convolution reverb is a well known method for creating    an “acoustic-fingerprint” of different sound stages.  Normally a frequency sweep is played through speakers and is recorded at one or several positions at a specified distance.  After deconvolution of this recording you get an “impulse response (IR)”.  This impulse response contains the whole information of the room and used speakers.  If you use the IR in a convolution reverb dsp the incoming audio will be filtered with the IR and playback will sound like the audio was recorded in the room where the IR was originally measured.  When a dummy head (or a real head) is used for recording the IR you will get the so called Binaural Room Impulse Responses (BRIR).  If you use a BRIR in a convolution reverb dsp incoming audio will be filtered with the BRIR and playback will sound like the Audio was recorded with a dummy head in the room where the BRIR was originally measured.
> ...




I'll just ride on this and throw out the settings I made for convolverVST.

For listening to stereo music with a crossfeed simulating speakers spaced 50 degrees from the front (which I found a good compromise between the narrow headstage provided by the usual 30 degrees and an image breakdown at too-wide spacing. It can also render some virtual surround cues (e.g. sounds coming from the sides or back from stereo speakers) quite accurately):
Config text file--https://www.dropbox.com/s/ljtgx86h7l3p3x6/50deg%20real-comp128.txt?dl=0
Matching wav file--https://www.dropbox.com/s/uxykxjyx3tkwxth/50deg%20real-comp128.wav?dl=0

For listening to multichannel music with virtual speakers placed at standard positions:
Config text file--https://www.dropbox.com/s/jnj9bcbctn9kuah/7.1%20headphones%20Pano-comp%20impulse6-128.txt?dl=0
Matching wav file--https://www.dropbox.com/s/4239u6jdhlln0i6/7.1%20headphones%20Pano-comp%20impulse6-128.wav?dl=0

The distinctive feature of my settings, I believe, is I have tuned the wave files to make a minimal impact on the tonality of most music files, so you can enjoy the spatialization they provide with minimal re-tweaking of your headphone system or any EQ.

Oh, *I forgot to mention that the BRIRs I did were actually done at 44.1kHz so that's what you should set your resampler to resample to, in contrast to musicreo's instructions.*


----------



## seeteeyou

Could this be any good for 5.1-channel DSD files or what? PowerDVD 16 came with DSD support thanks to the latest DirectShow filter called *DSD_decoder.dll*
  






 
  
  


> Additionally, PowerDVD continues to keep on top of the latest advancements in audio technology with new support for the lossless crystal sound of DSD audio.


 
  
 http://www.cyberlink.com/prog/company/press-news-content.do?pid=3985
  




  
  


> Enjoy the acoustic difference of specialized multichannel audio and lossless audio formats such as FLAC and DSD.


 
  
 http://www.cyberlink.com/products/powerdvd-ultra/features_en_US.html
  
  
 No DSD love for PowerDVD 16 Standard
  
 http://www.cyberlink.com/products/powerdvd-ultra/spec-deluxe_en_US.html
  
 PowerDVD 16 Pro / Ultra / Live are good to go
  
 http://www.cyberlink.com/products/powerdvd-ultra/spec-pro_en_US.html
 http://www.cyberlink.com/products/powerdvd-ultra/spec-ultra_en_US.html
  


> DSD Audio (DSF, DFF)


----------



## Joe Bloggs

seeteeyou said:


> Could this be any good for 5.1-channel DSD files or what?




Well, foobar2000 can decode DSD too using the SACD plugin https://sourceforge.net/projects/sacddecoder/

If you're referring to the convolution files I posted above yours, they were made in 44.1kHz so that's what you should resample the output to before running through ConvolverVST.


----------



## waynes world

joe bloggs said:


> Well, foobar2000 can decode DSD too using the SACD plugin https://sourceforge.net/projects/sacddecoder/
> 
> If you're referring to the convolution files I posted above yours, they were made in 44.1kHz so that's what you should resample the output to before running through ConvolverVST.


 
  
 I get this with the pre-configured foobar2000 (v1.2.2):
  


> Failed to load DLL: foo_input_sacd.dll
> Reason: Wrong version number; this component appears to have been built with a newer version of the foobar2000 SDK, please download latest version of foobar2000 in order to use it.


 
  
 I suppose I'll either have to find an older version of foo_input_sacd.dll, or else try to get the "laidback" configuration manually done into a newer version of foobar2000. Not sure which would be easier.


----------



## XipeTotec

dead links on op thread. can anyone provide the configuration files?


----------



## bettergenes

This is the last configuration from *RPGWiZaRD:*
  
 https://www.mediafire.com/?32s5dcpu4ubc3cb


----------



## XipeTotec

bettergenes said:


> This is the last configuration from *RPGWiZaRD:*
> 
> https://www.mediafire.com/?32s5dcpu4ubc3cb


 
  
 thank you very much.
 i am particularly interested in the EQ preset. Do you know where I can download or find it?


----------



## waynes world

bettergenes said:


> This is the last configuration from *RPGWiZaRD:*
> 
> https://www.mediafire.com/?32s5dcpu4ubc3cb


 
  
 Cool. Any idea what the version of foobar2000 is?


----------



## XipeTotec

waynes world said:


> Cool. Any idea what the version of foobar2000 is?


 
 1.3.8


----------



## waynes world

xipetotec said:


> 1.3.8


 
  
 I had version 1.2.2, so it's great to have a newer version available in case I need to install components that aren't available for 1.2.2. Thanks!
  
 Btw, great avatar! I saw KC on their last tour. Wow.


----------



## XipeTotec

waynes world said:


> I had version 1.2.2, so it's great to have a newer version available in case I need to install components that aren't available for 1.2.2. Thanks!
> 
> Btw, great avatar! I saw KC on their last tour. Wow.


 
 I managed to extract the DSP chain and apply it on the last Foobar version. It is pretty easy actually.
  
 Yeah, King Crimson. Modern era heroes. I've seen Robert Fripp several times with various projects but I'm waiting for a proper KC tour.


----------



## waynes world

xipetotec said:


> I managed to extract the DSP chain and apply it on the last Foobar version. It is pretty easy actually.
> 
> Yeah, King Crimson. Modern era heroes. I've seen Robert Fripp several times with various projects but I'm waiting for a proper KC tour.


 
  
 I was thinking about figuring out how to "extract the DSP chain", but then had another drink and gave up lol.
  
 So you did it and then posted the ZIP. Mighty kind of you! Thanks a lot.
  


> Yeah, King Crimson. Modern era heroes. I've seen Robert Fripp several times with various projects but I'm waiting for a proper KC tour.


 
  
 Their current project is about as proper a KC project as you're going to get. I see they are getting pretty close to Italy in September!
  
 Btw, I saw that you were in this thread. Worthwhile? I've been happily using the RPG's "laidback" config for a couple of years, but that thread looks interesting.


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## XipeTotec

waynes world said:


> I was thinking about figuring out how to "extract the DSP chain", but then had another drink and gave up lol.
> 
> So you did it and then posted the ZIP. Mighty kind of you! Thanks a lot.
> 
> ...


 
  
 Yeah I was testing the "5.1 Headphone experience" but I got distortions using WASAPI event. If I play certain songs, expecially music with round basses like kauan's villiruusu, I hear crackling. I turned to this config and I noticed I don't get that problem.
  
 Unfonrtunately I don't live in italy ATM eheh, Otherwise I would checked it out.
  
 Later I post a zip file with the cfg files, so you can use it with the last foobar version.


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## bluzeboy

links on front page wont work for me
  
 im trying to get the forward *configuration:*


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## waynes world

bluzeboy said:


> links on front page wont work for me
> 
> im trying to get the forward *configuration:*


 
  
 Say a big thank you to @bettergenes!
  
 http://www.head-fi.org/t/555263/foobar2000-dolby-headphone-config-comment-discuss/810#post_12646492


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## bluzeboy

how can i change the portable config to standard ?
  
  
  
  
 BTW Thanks Wayne for the link


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## PleasantSounds

bluzeboy said:


> how can i change the portable config to standard ?


 
  
 Go to Preferences -> Shell Integration 
 click the "Manage file type associations" at the top
 a new window with audio file associations should appear
 select file types you want f2k to open as the default program (or just check "Select All") and press Save
 check "Register supported file formats on startup" (optional)
 check "Set as the default audio CD player" (optional)
 click OK


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## bluzeboy

thanks PleasantSounds
  
  
  
 i get this


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## waynes world

bluzeboy said:


> how can i change the portable config to standard ?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  
 Yer welcome!
  
 Try this: File, Preferences, Playback, DSP manager, Click on Down Arrow beside "DSP Chain Presets"; select "Default: Stock foobar2000"; Load.


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## bluzeboy

success


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## ehjie

xipetotec said:


> 1.3.8


 

 Foobar2000v1.3.9


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## GloriousLettuce

Seriously, why doesn't more people talk about this?
  
 This is like THE thing for soundstage guys (myself included). I can't believe I haven't known this for years of my headphone mania journey.


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## bettergenes

I'm also wondering. These configurations are perhaps the most optimal for a pleasant binaural sound. I tried a lot of them: VST plug-ins, convolvers, many other different tools for my headphones. Nothing sounds better than laid-back config to me.


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## bluzeboy

is anyway you can post the presets of this wizard? 37904/foobar2000.v1.2.2.Dolby.Headphone-RPGWiZaRD/foobar2000.v1.2.2.Dolby.Headphone.%28Forward%29-RPGWiZaRD.fbcp
  
 the links on the front doesn't work


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## tbritton

bluzeboy said:


> is anyway you can post the presets of this wizard? 37904/foobar2000.v1.2.2.Dolby.Headphone-RPGWiZaRD/foobar2000.v1.2.2.Dolby.Headphone.%28Forward%29-RPGWiZaRD.fbcp
> 
> the links on the front doesn't work


 
 Heh - you just missed this two posts back.
  
 Say a big thank you to @bettergenes!
  
http://www.head-fi.org/t/555263/foobar2000-dolby-headphone-config-comment-discuss/810#post_12646492
  
 Terry


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## bluzeboy

im looking or the presets the RPGWiZaRD.fbcp the *Equalizer settings presets*


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## tbritton

I understand. That download includes all of the presets. I hope that works for you. Is there a reason you only want the presets file? One can export them from holding shift and clicking the menu item, "Playback" and then a hidden menu appears, "DSP Chain Serializer" which you can then load from the same menu into more recent versions of Foobar2000. You need to do this separately for each of the setups, exporting them one at a time after loading each in the DSP settings dialog. Be sure to reset the page there between loading setups, as it can crash if you try to just switch between neutral/laid-back/forward.
  
 Terry


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## bluzeboy

ok thanks i think just look for the .fbcp file
 thanks again


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## tbritton

bluzeboy said:


> ok thanks i think just look for the .fbcp file
> thanks again


 
 Here they are for you, as I recently extracted them myself on a different machine. (I went and got the copies.) You will still need all the plugins - two VST ones. Those are all included in that download link I sent you. I hope this is what you needed.


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## RPGWiZaRD

I should update the initial post yea. The links stopped working since £@€9! mediafire deleted my account.

 I don't personally use this config so often anymore mostly due the fact I almost only listen to hardstyle these days and for that genre which is typically brickwalled to the max masters and not so much focused in audio quality it doesn't offer so much, in fact I feel the "attack"/impact of the beats is often sliiiiiiightly bit reduced mostly due the nature of EDM masterings + added reverb which is bad for hardstyle kick as it makes it less tight.

 But I still enjoy using it for other genres but I almost 99% listen to hardstyle being the leading youtube hardstyle promoter by subscribe amount so it keeps me pretty busy. Will look into updating this thread in the weekend possibly.


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## bettergenes

Hey, *RPGWiZaRD*
  
 Could you please update the latest Foobar2000 with your tweaks?
 Many thanks for your wonderful job.


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## RPGWiZaRD

I'm both busy and lazy to update it at the same time but I will try to update it but I wanted to make a quick new recording with the neutral preset, which had the slightest possible adjustment to it but I really like how it sounds and found this pretty old overplayed song apparently really works superb with it that has really unnexciting instrument separation and soundstaging without the dolby headphone config:

 Adele - Rolling In The Deep (Dolby Headphone - Neutral preset)
 https://clyp.it/cdc0rvxm
 (stream only as it's against rules to provide a download link for copyrighted material and clyp.it has probably the best quality for that as it sounds as if they don't compress the uploaded material


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## RPGWiZaRD

OK here's a link to a preconfigured "Neutral" preset. As usual it comes with the forward and laid-back configs as well and you can check the OP to see how to switch between them:
  
 Portable preconfigured foobar2000 install in otherwise factory state:
*foobar2000 v1.3.13 Dolby Headphone (Neutral)*

 Or if you prefer to load the config to your current foobar2000 setup using the DSP chain serializer plugin (check first post how to do that): 
  
*foobar2000 v1.3.13 Dolby Headphone (Neutral) .fbcp*
*foobar2000 v1.3.13 Dolby Headphone (Forward) .fbcp*
*foobar2000 v1.3.13 Dolby Headphone (Laid-back) .fbcp*

 The opening post should be updated at some point but I'm too lazy for it right now at least. As usual it's a full portable install foobar2000 with only the plugins included that this config is utilizing besides the standard ones and foobar2000 in a factory default state. You might have to manually load the dolbyhph.dll file even though I have checked the box to ignore the foobar2000 dir's install path, if the volume is rather low then the dolbyhph.dll is probably not loaded.


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## bettergenes

Thanks a lot. The update is much appreciated!


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## Morkai

As much as i liked this config for my open headphones, it ruined the sound of my (closed) meze 99. I think since those have a very forward presentation, they don't benefit at all from the improved spacialisation. 
 However, i very much liked the laid-back config with the DT990 premium. 

 Do try it ! 

 Thanks to rpgwiezard for that very interesting config.


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## jared basshead

Can anyone help me with dsp chain serialization? The whole hydrogenaudio site is down. Im just want to load the fbpc files!! 

Thanks


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## jared basshead

And of course thanks for the amazing work #RPGWiZaRD


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## Morkai

jared basshead said:


> Can anyone help me with dsp chain serialization? The whole hydrogenaudio site is down. Im just want to load the fbpc files!!
> 
> Thanks


  



 Quote: 





rpgwizard said:


> OK here's a link to a preconfigured "Neutral" preset. As usual it comes with the forward and laid-back configs as well and you can check the OP to see how to switch between them:
> 
> Portable preconfigured foobar2000 install in otherwise factory state:
> *foobar2000 v1.3.13 Dolby Headphone (Neutral)*
> ...


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## DeliriumCordia

I've been using these with a pair of Samson SR850s. My music sounds much more alive now. Thanks for this.  My only real complaint is I can't replicate this from a phone.


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## FrequencyBlue

deliriumcordia said:


> I've been using these with a pair of Samson SR850s. My music sounds much more alive now. Thanks for this.  My only real complaint is I can't replicate this from a phone.


 
  
 You can convert and apply DSP settings to the audio files, although it's gonna be lots of work if your library is really big


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## RPGWiZaRD

At least you can batch convert though all files in the playlist at once. If your computer is fast (like my overclocked desktop computer) the converting goes very quickly.


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## castleofargh

just a warning. it might not be necessary for that specific setup, it's been a few years since I tried it, but some VSTs might not keep the last setting when used to convert files. if that happens you need to open the VSTs directly from the conversion interface and set again whatever it is you want to get. some VSTs may even have live parameters and rendering parameter that are different.
  
 I mention it because it's faster to check before starting a batch than to cry when it's done and you realize the sound is wrong on 50giga worth of files. I have a friend who did that, not me, no of course not me, plus it was years ago and I didn't know much about foobar or vst at the time... I mean my friend didn't know 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





.  #notproud


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## bluzeboy

why  are the links you  uploaded no longer working?


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## Reinhold

great work, thank for this.

maybe someone can upload the two configuration zip files please?


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## pedrothelion

Hello everybody!

how can i change the portable config to Forward or Laid-back?

When try this:
File, Preferences, Playback, DSP manager, Click on Down Arrow beside "DSP Chain Presets"; select "Default: Stock foobar2000"; Load

nothing happen! I'm using the pre-configured foobar2000.v1.3.8.Dolby.Headphone.(Neutral)-RPGWiZaRD


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## Lulu800

Mines slightly different to OP i use APO for EQ instead & use SOX at 44.1k since i use directsound instead. But so far holy crap it makes ER4XR sound really open and 3D like, Almost better or the same as my SRH1540??!.


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## HaBo

How to make an impulse response file from these settings ? (wav file for android for example) ?


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## Joe Bloggs (Jan 19, 2021)

HaBo said:


> How to make an impulse response file from these settings ? (wav file for android for example) ?


You don't.  Unless it's a 5x2 channel impulse response (which AFAIK no Android program can load)

Edit: ok you can export the front two channels into a 2x2 impulse which V4A and JamesDSP can load.  But I was too used to thinking about using surround impulse responses on all material including stereo via an upmixer.


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## HaBo

Yeah, how to export it to load it in V4A ?


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## Joe Bloggs

HaBo said:


> Yeah, how to export it to load it in V4A ?


"Convert" a stereo wav file of silence (with the first sample maxed out on the left, to excite the left channel) into 32-bit wav, then do the same with the first sample maxed out on the right.  The first output is your first two channels and the last output is your last two channels in a 4 channel impulse for V4A or JamesDSP.


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## redrol

Is there a way to have Foobar look nice?!   lol


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