Why do I see files in the 'devices' folder named Hifi Speakers. But I only have the option to pick normal speakers when I plug in or headphones..
I do not understand MSI's choice to only use the ESS Sabre DAC for headphones. I run my monitors on the Hifi option since this gives me the best detail, but overall its a bit of a dissapointment. The headphone output also has little power.. even with my easy to drive M50X. So i've ordered a Matrix Mini-I Pro.
Don't get me wrong. The headphone output with the Sabre does good detail and has an reasonable soundstage but I think I just expected to much from a laptop implementation and I should've kept in mind the 9018 2m is no 9018S.
The thing that bothers me the most is that MSI did not implement the ESS chip for the speakers output option..
Hi creativeimpulses,If you really want studio-grade sound, I respectfully think you're going about it the wrong way. The best DAC in the world will not change the fact that the interior of a computer is no place for analog circuitry. As soon as you've converted to the analog domain, you're beset with all kinds of noise and interference from the surrounding circuits. The best way to get stellar sound is to stay in the digital domain while inside the notebook chassis, use the optical S/PDIF output to feed the digital audio signal to an external DAC where the transition to analog can occur in a far better environment away from the noisy inside of your GS60 6QE notebook.
Secret: Many computer audio systems now purport to support studio-grade sampling rates. This may be true inside the DAC. But something about the way it is implemented is preventing it from working as it should. The most common failing is attenuation of the high-frequency response and a collapse of the sound stage (phase or time-domain distortion---probably because of the filters being used). For example, my GT80 2QE Titan notebook with its Realtek DAC and discrete headphone amplifier has this problem whenever I set the sampling rate to 96 kHz or higher. However, if I back it down to 48 kHz it actually sounds fairly decent with my Sony MDR-7506 and Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones. These may not be audiophile-grade headphones like your sister's STAX Lambda SR-507, but I need better noise isolation than an open-air headphone offers and my ears are "calibrated" to the former because I've been using them for so long. So, if you're attempting to use a high sampling rate with your GS60 6QE, try reducing it to 48 kHz and see if that doesn't restore the brilliance and open the sound stage.
Kind regards, DavidP.S. One more thing: I wouldn't be caught dead with a sound effects program like Nahimic in the audio path of my computer. As far as I'm concerned, Nahimic and its ilk are nothing but distortion generators! (I've tested them.)
For high fidelity, stick with a clean-as-possible audio path. The Realtek HD driver is actually quite good if you don't cobble it by strapping Nahimic or Creative Cinema onto it.