# disabling DSP in sound card?



## gdstupak (Jul 13, 2010)

sound card:Auzentech X Meridian 7.1 2G
audio controller: C-Media, Oxygen HD
3D audio engine: Xear3D DS3D EAX
link to more info on my sound card: 
http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...g-auzentech-x-meridian-7-1-2g-sound-card.html

This sound card is connected to my Onkyo TX-SR706 with analog cables, input into the AVR's _5.1 multichannel input_ jacks.

I want to send an unaltered signal (DSP) from my computer to my Onkyo AVR, but I can't figure out how to turn off the sound card's DSP, it is always taking a 2.0 (stereo) signal and processing it into a 5.0 multichannel signal which is then sent to my AVR.

For the sound card I open the _OXYGEN HD CONFIGURATION_ panel and in the _MAIN SETTING_ tab there is a DSP area where there are 3 buttons: _DPL IIx_ and _DTS NEO PC_ and _7.1 VIRTUAL SPEAKER SHIFTER_. 
I assumed that if I left all of these buttons off (unhigh-lighted) then the card would send a raw unprocessed signal out of the sound card. But even with all these buttons off, it still expands the original 2.0 signal into a 5.0 signal which is sent to my AVR.
With all 3 buttons turned off, it sends this 5.0 signal to the AVR which is evenly distributed throughout all surround speakers. 
If I turn on the _DPL IIx_ button, it still sends this 5.0 signal but now it allows me to adjust how much of the signal is sent through the surround speakers. To do this, it has 2 sliders:
... one slider allows me to send more signal to the REAR speakers or more to the FRONT speakers
... the other slider allows me to send more signal to the LEFT and RIGHT speakers, or more signal to the CENTER speaker.

If I adjust the sliders in a certain way, I can get it to down mix the signal into 2.0 STEREO. 
But I do not want the sound card to expand a 2.0 signal into a 5.0 signal, then have to down mix that back into a 2.0 signal.

Can DSP be turned off?


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## RTS100x5 (Sep 12, 2009)

Easy - in the ANALOG OUTPUT dropbox choose 2 SPEAKERS instead of 5.1


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## RTS100x5 (Sep 12, 2009)

If your interested in upgrading the OPAMPS on your Auzentech I can make a suggestion that will make your Analog output sound flat out amazing !! There is a great read on these discreet OPAMPS vs IC OPAMPS that come stock with that soundcard as did my ASUS HDAV DELUXE
I have these upgraded OPAMPS 

http://bursonaudio.com/burson_opamp.htm


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## gdstupak (Jul 13, 2010)

I've thought about changing the sound card's output setting to _2 SPEAKERS_.
But the reason I kept the _5.1_ setting is because some of my music is in 5.1. Interestingly, even when I have the aforementioned _surround sound adjustment sliders_ adjusted so that the card will ultimately send out a 2.0 signal when the source is 2.0, it will still send out a 5.1 signal if the source is 5.1. 
The DSP on this card probably isn't changing the 2.0 signal enough for me to notice any difference anyway.

I have changed my OpAmps, there is more info about my setup on this thread:
http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...g-auzentech-x-meridian-7-1-2g-sound-card.html
I'd looked into the Bursons earlier, a bit too pricey for me at this time, so I went with some cheaper ones for now.

RTS100X5, in case you hadn't seen this other thread, I've found an interesting case where I think my Onkyo 706 is taking the analog DVD input (which is where I have my computer signal going into) and sending the analog signal through it's own ADC (which of course means that the signal will then go through the Onkyo's DAC):
http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...yo-convert-dvd-analog-input-into-digital.html


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## vann_d (Apr 7, 2009)

Using the digital out should fix the problem but if you were going that route you probably wouldn't have bothered upgrading op amps and choosing analog out.

Just in case you haven't already thought of it...


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## gdstupak (Jul 13, 2010)

I have thought about trying the digital out, but you are correct as to why I haven't used it.
I will try the digital to see what it does.

Also I kept using the analog because I wasn't sure that the digital out would send a hi res multichannel signal.


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## RTS100x5 (Sep 12, 2009)

Do you resample or upmix to 5.1?? I have alot of upmix to 5.1 96/24 using Adobe Audition 3.0. With really good results...


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## vann_d (Apr 7, 2009)

gdstupak said:


> Also I kept using the analog because I wasn't sure that the digital out would send a hi res multichannel signal.


Dolby digital and DTS but not the new stuff (e.g. TrueHD). Those mixes will be down-sampled to DD or DTS. I still think they sound great.

I'm going through the analog out learning curve right now myself in an attempt to eliminate the receiver. My old M-Audio card would not do bass management correctly in Windows 7 so I had to ditch it. I'm now temporarily using on-board analog. The noise floor is higher than with the discreet card but bass management and other features are working properly. I do still get popping when the computer wakes up which is pretty lame.

Prior, I was using on-board digital to the receiver and it worked great. I wanted to go with an external amp without buying a new receiver (old one did not have 5.1 analog pre-out) which is what got me in my current mess.


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## RTS100x5 (Sep 12, 2009)

vann_d said:


> Dolby digital and DTS but not the new stuff (e.g. TrueHD). Those mixes will be down-sampled to DD or DTS. I still think they sound great.
> 
> I'm going through the analog out learning curve right now myself in an attempt to eliminate the receiver. My old M-Audio card would not do bass management correctly in Windows 7 so I had to ditch it. I'm now temporarily using on-board analog. The noise floor is higher than with the discreet card but bass management and other features are working properly. I do still get popping when the computer wakes up which is pretty lame.
> 
> Prior, I was using on-board digital to the receiver and it worked great. I wanted to go with an external amp without buying a new receiver (old one did not have 5.1 analog pre-out) which is what got me in my current mess.


My god man, stop tutoring yourself with on-board sound :yikes: get on over to NEWEGG and get this sc....you will not be dissapointed :T it comes w the add on analog out for 7.1......and upgradable OpAmps....but the specs are amazing out of the box....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829271005


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## gdstupak (Jul 13, 2010)

RTS100x5 said:


> Do you resample or upmix to 5.1?? I have alot of upmix to 5.1 96/24 using Adobe Audition 3.0. With really good results...


I've tried some upmixing, not much. Some has sounded really good, and some don't sound as good as the native stereo. I don't think I've tried Adobe Audition yet, sometime in the future I will.

The hi res multichannel music I have has been downloaded from iTrax. I usually download wav files but don't know how the multichannel audio is encoded. I don't watch movies through the computer so I don't send out Dolby TrueHD. 
iTrax:
http://www.itrax.com/Pages/PostSignUp.php


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