Random poll: How many of you use/NEED surround sound for Forza 6?

Forza Motorsport Legacy Motorsport FM6 Discussion
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I’ve been doing a bit of experimentation with sound settings on my stereo amp and speakers via the Dolby Atmos and Windows Sonic setting. I’ve got to say it truly brings the game alive - the car sound samples that are already really good in the game sound overwhelmingly good. Even the bad ones (very few believe me) sound tolerable and somewhat pleasing.

I also once set the HDMI output to 5.1 (yes, I know my system doesn’t support it and it doesn’t make a difference), during which I could hear slightly different and more realistic exhaust sounds coming out of my speakers, in addition to more pronounced reverb. However, as you can imagine, I had noticeably muted sounds coming out the right channel in the chase view, quiet sounds in the cockpit view and no sound at all when cars would approach me from the rear, only after they’d immediately pass me, I could hear them.

What I’m getting at is this: do I absolutely, ABSOLUTELY need a true digital surround amp to enjoy Forza in all its glory? Directional audio is not important to me at all as I don’t do MP gaming all that often. But do these surround amps make car and enviromental sounds less compressed and more life-like, so to speak? Are we actually looking at higher sound sampling (kHz) rates and overall quality when gaming through a surround amp?

Finally, how many of you think a surround sound system just for the sake of Forza is a worthwhile investment? Would you say it’s a huge upgrade moving up from a reasonably good stereo amp and speakers?

Do you think the majority of players are already gaming on good 5.1/7.1 amp + speaker setups? I’m quite happy with my 2.1 system and using these virtual surround enhancements help, but if you feel the upgrade is truly worth it in the long run, I might as well start saving. Downside is though, I’d have to throw away a perfectly good set of speakers and sub.

Thanks for reading and I’d love to hear your thoughts and insights. Game on and happy motoring. :slight_smile:

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Full 5.1 Surround sound definitely improves the Forza experience as you can hear cars approaching form the rear more clearly. New entry level 5.1 amps can be had for about US$250 or less if you buy used. No need to throw away existing sub & speakers; just add small center and rear surround speakers to work with the 5.1 amp.

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Well, like I said I don’t need the directional ques at all - I don’t really care if I hear the cars approaching me or if I hear them as if they’re right next to me. I am fundamentally interested in whether surround amps actually change the way you hear your car’s engine and exhaust from different angles and in replays - i.e. do they sound higher quality and more life-like?

Hmm, $250 for entry level isn’t bad - do you think I can actually get an Onkyo or Yamaha for that amount? Also, is 7.1 absolutely necessary or do most games just support 5.1? Dolby Atmos is not even supported yet in Xbox One games other than Overwatch.

Oh and I neglected to mention: I do have the 5.1 speakers as the component HiFi I have (yes, it’s one of those HTiBs) outputs surround sound but only through the built-in DVD/audio CD player. It has no jacks at all at the back that can accept surround inputs from external components such as a console, digital TV box or Bluray player. I can always pick an amp that matches the ohms and Watts power rating for each respective speaker, but I don’t if any amp will accept the speakers’ “click on” color-coded pins. So for now, I’m just getting stereo sound through the front L/R, rear L/R and sub. The center speaker does not output any sound. Connection method: console to TV using HDMI, and then stereo RCA jacks going to the amp.

I’m been having myself some fun actually with Dolby Atmos and Windows Sonic as of late. It lets you use virtual surround sound even through your amp and speakers as long as you have a stereo headset connected to the controller’s 3.5mm jack. Since we’re on the subject, will it make a difference if I check the Bitstream Out option and select Dolby Digital underneath it? I think not but I need to know for sure. Also, I’ve checked the “using HDMI or Optical headset” option underneath the headset audio options. I don’t think I need to do that either, but can it possibly improve quality on virtual surround when you have headphones connected to the controller? Finally, I have the four speakers (front and rear L/R) linked in a virtual surround field using an option on my amp.

It really is a wonderful set of speakers and I can’t bring myself to just ditch this system. On the other hand, how can a standalone amp accept inputs from speakers that have click-on pins from 2004?

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Most HTIB systems uae 4 ohm speakers, so that will likely be an issue for any modern amp. You’ve had had the HTIB since 2004, so at some point, actual upgrades are needed to take advantage of the latest technologies. Whether or not it’s worth it is something only you can decide. I went from an old JVC stereo system to a Denon 5.1; reused four old speakers, plus added new ones and the new amp is providing a vastly different sound experience. If you pay enough, the new amps can upconvert a 5.1 sound field into an 5.1.2 / 5.1.4 simulated Dolby Atmos sound field. Ultimately all this is being done via software in the new amps so it’s all up to you as to where you want to end up and it does cost $$ :slight_smile:

Do you NEED it to enjoy Forza - no. Does it make a difference to Forza sound and improve the experience - yes.

If you really want to keep your old speakers, you could always try making an adapter to provide two wirtes for the speaker hookup; no guarantees though that you won’t fry the new amp power circuits due to low impedance speakers.

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I just checked and can confirm that the front L/R speakers and sub are 6 ohms (that’s what it says next to ‘rated impedance’), while the surround and center speakers are 16 ohms each.

Even if I get an amp that closely matches the impedance on each speaker or does not exceed the rating, I’ve to worry about hooking up the speakers. If it’s an old amp, it’ll probably have +/- terminals, in which case I can just snip off the click-on pins on my speaker wires and attach the silver and copper wires to the correct terminal for each speaker, right? But will the amp allow all speakers including the sub, to be connected this way? Furthermore, I’m not even sure if I will see two separate +/- wires if I cut off the pins. Huge gamble. So many questions man. I love these speakers, and don’t want to see them get blown, so I really have to be picky with what amp I buy. I still have my eyes set on a Denon or Yamaha. In case you’re interested, my component HiFi is the Sony MHC-GN999DS. This little sucker packs a lot of power and dynamic range, you’d be surprised! Too bad I can’t put it to full use with the XOne.

To date, I have honestly never felt the need to have surround sound in games or otherwise because I don’t do much MP, so it doesn’t matter to me where the footsteps are approaching from or how the cars are ganging up on me from behind. Good ol’ Stereo does it fine for me, and since we don’t go by the component A/V cables anymore, Stereo Uncompressed over an HDMI calble yields pretty good results.

For now, I have my 8-speaker system set up in a surround field, you see (2 more Creative speakers with a sub hooked up to the TVs headphone jack). When I activate Dolby Atmos through the new app, it almost feels like cars are behind me and by my side, especially when I change views in a rear-engine car, going from chase to cockpit, I can somewhat feel the sound changing. It really is quite neat, but then again, it’s simulated on a 3D plane, not actual 7.1. So you can expect that some of the sounds do not come out clearly, or get muddied up in the process. They can even sound a bit weak and “reverby” at times. Then there’s the audio lag. However, Windows Sonic is a different kind of beast. It’s loud and clear, though without the extra bells and whistles of Dolby Atmos. The positional audio isn’t as prominent, but the volume levels, bass and clarity is fantastic. I actually prefer Atmos for headphones for Forza because of how satisfying it feels going from cockpit to bonnet to chase cam, the sounds change dramatically and the doppler effect is fantastic. However, for games like Batman AK, I prefer Windows Sonic because it has more channels and overall higher as well as better balanced volume levels so you basically hear more sounds effects simultaneously. Plus, it doesn’t sound as “echoey” or wide as DA.

How was your experience in Forza going from a stereo to surround amp? Does the latter actually change the way cars sound? For example, can you HEAR and feel more detail richness in the exhaust sound samples? Or do the cars around you sound louder and more distinct? Do engines sound less synthesized and “compressy” and more true-to-life?

Yes, I imagine the newer Dolby Atmos capable amps and speaker systems will cost me a pretty penny. Like upwards of $500 minimum, is my guess. Not sure I want to shell out that kind of cash on a sound system.