Original article from /u/OneDepressoExpresso.
This guide works with any pair of headphones, since Windows will handle the virtualization and output the audio as stereo. Ensure you have no other surround sound processing, and if applicable, set your sound card to direct mode.
You will need to download and install the following software:
Step 1: Install Hi-Fi Cable & Asio Bridge and ASIO4ALL. For ASIO4ALL's installation, make sure offline settings is checked. Then reboot your system.
Step 2: Install EqualizerAPO. At the Device Selector, under Playback Devices, select Hi-Fi Cable Input.
Step 3: Install HeSuVi.
Step 4: Open ASIO Bridge (Hi-Fi Cable Control Panel) as administrator and do the following:
- Press File in the top left hand corner and checkmark System Tray so it will automatically load on reboot.
- In the black box where it says Select A.S.I.O. Device in cyan text, click on it, and from the dropdown menu select ASIO4ALL v2.
- Click the button ASIO OFF to toggle the program on.
- (Latency) In the latency menu, set max latency to 2048 samples. You'll have to reboot to apply this change.
Step 5: Press ASIO Panel in the window to open ASIO4ALL. Within the new window, do the following:
- Select the physical device to output audio to. This will route all audio processed to this speaker.
- Select the gear button (bottom right), and ensure Latency Compensation is set to 0 samples (both in and out) for the active device.
- (Latency) Set ASIO Buffer Size to 256. Adjust higher if you hear sound crackling.
Step 6: Open the legacy sound panel: in Windows 11 sound settings, you can find it under More sound settings by the bottom.
Step 7: Under the playback tab, you should see your available audio outputs. Hi-Fi Cable Input should be the default output device, if not already. Selecting your actual audio output (not Hi-Fi), click on properties:
- Under Enhancements, ensure the following are disabled:
- Low Frequency Protection
- Room Correction
- Loudness Equalization
- Under Spatial Sound, set spatial sound format to off.
- Under Advanced, do the following:
- Enable "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device"
- Enable "Give exclusive mode applications priority"
- Press OK to save your changes and close the properties window.
Step 8: Select Hi-Fi Cable Input and press Configure. Set it to output 7.1 Surround.
Step 9: Under Recording tab, reset your default input device to your microphone (or usual input device).
Step 10: Open up Explorer, and navigate to where you have HeSuVi installed (usually C:\Program Files\EqualizerAPO\config\HeSuVi). Copy the downloaded HRIR .wav files into the hrir folder.
Step 11: In HeSuVi, under Virtualization and in Upmix Content, make sure both Stereo and 5.1 checkboxes are selected. Under common HRIRs, you can select either choice of DTSSoundUnbound (or whichever HRIR file).
To test out your audio, click on 7.1 Test. You can hear the difference as you toggle HeSuVi's processing while 7.1 audio is being played.
If you ever decide to switch audio devices, do the following:
- In ASIO4ALL, switch audio device.
- Under legacy sound settings, ensure that Hi-Fi Cable Input is still the default audio device.