ASRock Extreme 6 Audio Question

alzerm · Jan 29, 2015

Just picked up the AC version and after initial install of audio drivers without the realtek program I came across a decibel feature under the sound options. I didn't bother messing with it and only remember looking at it briefly. I am no longer able to find it. I looked in the realtek program to see if volume can be increased but I can't find anywhere where there decibel amplification feature is at. I was on a xonar ds before that had a lower max decibel level than the onboard audio on this motherboard. I can tell by quite a bit while using my ath-m50's. I know there was a drop down menu and it had a few options that said +xxdb. Also I would assume there would be a feature for that as well seeing as the motherboard has a built in headphone amp. Anyone that has this mobo know what I am talking about?

Btw keep in mind the volume is not being reduced in any way. No changes aside from driver installs have been made.

EarthDog · Jan 29, 2015

Umm, the volume? Should be a speaker icon in the lower right by the date/time regardless if the Realtek audio is installed. Or look in contorl panel, system, sound.

That said, install the Realtek stuff man...

alzerm · Jan 29, 2015

EarthDog said:
Umm, the volume? Should be a speaker icon in the lower right by the date/time regardless if the Realtek audio is installed. Or look in contorl panel, system, sound.

That said, install the Realtek stuff man...

The volume works haha. I'm saying it sounds pretty damn quiet compared to my old sound card. Also I saw a feature to boost the audio but I can't find it anymore. Was asking to see if anyone on the ASRock z97 boards knew what feature I was talking about.

ATMINSIDE · Jan 29, 2015

Do you have the Realtek software installed?

alzerm · Jan 29, 2015

Yes. Volume is not being limited in realtek, in the audio on the bottom right and or in the audio settings via hardware and sound.

EarthDog · Jan 29, 2015

Boost is in the sound properties of Windows... but that may be just for the mic.

ATMINSIDE · Jan 29, 2015

Are you using front or rear audio?

alzerm · Jan 29, 2015

Front. I don't recall if I had headphones on when I first saw that decibel boosting feature but it is no longer present at all.

Theocnoob · Jan 29, 2015

alzerm said:
Front. I don't recall if I had headphones on when I first saw that decibel boosting feature but it is no longer present at all.

Front audio is for hippies. You'll get terrible sound quality and a lot of noise vs the rear outputs. And I seriously doubt the front panel audio would be affected by the headphone amp.

alzerm · Jan 29, 2015

No noise on it in the front. Didn't on the xonar either. Only problem I have is it sounds way too quiet. Almost and if it's muffled the louder I put it. Will try the back but I still want to find that decibel booster.

Theocnoob · Jan 29, 2015

alzerm said:
No noise on it in the front. Didn't on the xonar either. Only problem I have is it sounds way too quiet. Almost and if it's muffled the louder I put it. Will try the back but I still want to find that decibel booster.

You're probably just not using the headphone amp for your headphones. Read the full motherboard manual. Should be available online.

ATMINSIDE · Jan 29, 2015

Theocnoob said:
You're probably just not using the headphone amp for your headphones. Read the full motherboard manual. Should be available online.

There's no way to bypass the amp, Noob. It's built in to the circuit...

Theocnoob · Jan 29, 2015

ATMINSIDE said:
There's no way to bypass the amp, Noob. It's built in to the circuit...

But what if it's set to the wrong impedance for his headphones? Just trying to help..
Also, wouldn't there have to be a way to bypass the amp if, for example, using the soundcard with powered speakers like Corsair SP2500s or something? You wouldn't want the amp active for that.

ATMINSIDE · Jan 29, 2015

Theocnoob said:
But what if it's set to the wrong impedance for his headphones? Just trying to help..
Also, wouldn't there have to be a way to bypass the amp if, for example, using the soundcard with powered speakers like Corsair SP2500s or something? You wouldn't want the amp active for that.

There isn't a setting, it's an 8-pin OpAmp. You plug a 3.5mm jack in and go.

Powered speakers always have a volume wheel, that raises/lowers their amp gain.
You turn the amp down on the speakers and then it works.

Theocnoob · Jan 29, 2015

ATMINSIDE said:
There isn't a setting, it's an 8-pin OpAmp. You plug a 3.5mm jack in and go.

Powered speakers always have a volume wheel, that raises/lowers their amp gain.
You turn the amp down on the speakers and then it works.

Isn't the OPamp and the headphone amp 2 different things? *hiding under chair

ATMINSIDE · Jan 29, 2015

Theocnoob said:
Isn't the OPamp and the headphone amp 2 different things? *hiding under chair

The headphone amp IS an OpAmp.

The specific one for this board's front ports:

General Purpose Operational Amplifier, made by Texas Instruments.
Typical low noise/high speed stuff.

Theocnoob · Jan 29, 2015

Hmm.. Interesting. So which one of the dudes that I've circled is the headphone amp then? Just curious.

ATMINSIDE · Jan 29, 2015

Theocnoob said:
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n88/111olbap/ASR%20Z97Ex6%20Stand_zpsffiafktc.png[/img
Hmm.. Interesting. So which one of the dudes that I've circled is the headphone amp then? Just curious.[/QUOTE]

It's not just a "headphone" amp, it's just the OpAmp for the audio system.
One is for the front ports, one is for the rear.

Theocnoob · Jan 29, 2015

ATMINSIDE said:
It's not just a "headphone" amp, it's just the OpAmp for the audio system.
One is for the front ports, one is for the rear.

Oh. That's interesting. Thanks for sharing. I learned something.

alzerm · Jan 29, 2015

Both front and rear sound the same. Called support and the dude I spoke with had no idea what I was talking about. Feel like doing a fresh OS install just to see if I can find that db amp setting. This is why I wanted a pci slot in case the onboard had any issues. This audio is far too quiet for my liking. The more I increase the volume the wider the audio sounds. It sounds almost as if it starts to get compressed a bit.

ASRock Extreme 6 Audio Question

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