M17x R4 5.1 analog audio rear channel

ok so i posted this in the general sound blaster audio problems thread but didnt get any replies and its not really what most folks were talking about in that thread so im making a new post here.

my problem is this, i have some old zalman 5.1 analog (3x 3.5mm jacks, front, center, rear, they dont have a bass speaker) and using them on my m17x r1 they had no problems, just plug in and go (had to turn down master volume but thats normal with all headphones). now on my new m17x r4 i have to go into the sound blaster control panel and under the mixer turn down the front, center, sub channels to 10% and my rear channels up to 90-100% just so i can have the rear audio at the same level as my front. now i know its not the headphones having a bad connection. i can plug rear into the front and have audio the same as if the front plugged into the port.

now i am just wondering if anyone else has had this problem or if i have a bad sound card. i know some sound cards underpower some channels with the expectation that if you are using that channel your going to have a set of powered speakers attached but i cant find any information telling me that the r4 has that setup. if no one has a set of analog 5.1 head phones to test it out if you could also just set it to 5.1 and plug your headphones into the rear port to see the audio levels.

if they are unpowered ill have to either look at building a small amp or look at a new pair of head phones. if its just a sound card problem then i might have to send my system in.

thanks

 

Hi, I just tried my headset (stereo) and iphone earbuds and the level from the rear output is much lower than the front. The centre/sub is also low (in one ear only as I guess one channel is the sub). At a guess I'd say the level is around 50% compared to the front. You might be right, usually people are using 5.1 systems with their own amplification system but you'd think the default output levels would be the same
HTH

 

ok thanks for checking. in most of my tests i almost seem to have the center/sub being too loud but that might be just from hearing it in both ears.

yea i figured that it was probably being under powered but it does suck. they dont all output the same levels because (i think) its saving power or they cant because the rear channel is the mic. as my roommate said, "youd figure that someone using a laptop would want a portable setup rather than some amp" but then again not many people are using 5.1 headphones. was going to try my earbud type headphones to test out the virtualized surround but yea i plugged that in and (with master at 10%) the right channel needed to be 10% higher to match left just on stereo.

guess im going to be looking at headphones when i can and going to avoid anything usb or analog 5.1 leaving me with either stereo or something like the sharkoon my roommate has.

again thanks for the check

 

If you are thinking of 5.1/7.1 the Corsair 1500 are very good and being USB they bypasses the analogue sockets. They also support Dolby Headphone which I find is a very good virtual 5.1.

Good luck in your search