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Product:
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Zalman ZM-RS6F Theatre 6 Headphones |
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Price:
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$65 (CDN) / $50 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Zalman Tech
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Author:
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Hi-TEK
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Date:
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November 16th, 2002
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The Zalman ZM-RS6F Theatre 6 Headphones use a simple 3 colour coded system to designate the function of
each 3.5mm headphone jack. As pictured from left to right, the black cable represents the front channel,
the white/light gray cable represents the center channel and the dark gray cable represents the rear
channel. In order to use this product to its full extent requires a 5.1 compatible sound card which
can be an add-on board or integrated on a motherboard. The cable easily connects to the proper ports
as illustrated on the back of the pictured Sound Blaster Live 5.1 card.
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Picture courtesy of ZalmanUSA (c) 2003
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The Zalman ZM-RS6F Theatre 6 Headphones has been designed to be a universal product and not just restricted
for PC use. Zalman has also been marketing to owners of home theatre systems and popular gaming consoles.
The included documentation also covers the installation procedure for using these headphones in the home and
on different gaming platforms. While not all PC applications utilize Dolby Digital 5.1, all home theatre
setups and gaming platforms such as Microsoft's XBOX and Sony's Playstation 2 use this format exclusively for
game play and DVD viewing.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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In order to test the Zalman ZM-RS6F Theatre 6, I connected the headphones to my existing gaming rig which consists of the following
configuration:
- ABIT NF7-S Rev 2.0 Motherboard
- AMD Athlon XP 2200+ CPU
- 2 x 256MB OCZ PC3200 Dual Channel Kit EL-DDR RAM
- ATI Radeon 9700 Pro Video Card
- 2 x Maxtor D740X-GL 60 GB Hard Drive (RAID 0)
- Promise FastTrack TX2000 ATA-133 w/ RAID
- D-Link DFE-530TX NIC Card
- Pioneer 106S 16X DVD IDE
- Lite-On LTR-40125S 40x12x48x CD-Rewriter
- Modified Scorpio TA-10BD Full-Tower ATX Case
- D-TEK Customs White Water Waterblock AMD (Socket A)
- HWLabs Black Ice 2 Radiator
- Aqua Via 1300 Pump (370GPH)
- CritiCool PowerPlant PCI Relay Card
The ABIT NF7-S Rev 2.0 is an NVIDIA nFORCE2 motherboard which includes integrated Dolby Digital 5.1 cinematic
quality sound and 3D positional audio thanks to Soundstorm Technology. After inserting the cables into the
proper ports, the first step is to adjust the appropriate settings for the Zalman ZM-RS6F Theatre 6 Headphones in the
NVIDIA nFORCE2 Control Panel. I was able to set my Listen Mode and Test Tone for 6 speakers, enable Dolby
Sound Encoding as well as adjust speaker output levels. I ran the Zalman ZM-RS6F Theatre 6 Headphones through
a series of applications including standard audio, DVD playback and games. For standard audio, I used a number
of CD's ranging from Rap, R&B, and Rock. Audio playback was a bit disappointing and not as good as my existing
Aiwa HP-X30 Stereo Dynamic Headphones. Since most PC audio applications are coded specifically for 2 channels,
a 6 channel headset does not improve upon the sound quality and as the volume level is raised you here some distortion
in your music tracks. For DVD playback, I used The Mummy Returns and LOTR - The Twin Towers via Cyberlink's
Power DVD 5 application software. Power DVD 5 currently supports three forms of multi-channel playback (Dolby
Digital EX 6.1/7.1, Dolby Headphone and Dolby ProLogic II). I had to play around with each mode to find out
which setting worked best for my personal configuration. Once I made the necessary adjustments, overall sound
quality was superb and I was able to distinguish environmental background and foreground sounds generated
from all 6 speakers. Finally, I played a few campaigns in Microsoft's HALO and this is the area where the
Zalman ZM-RS6F Theatre 6 Headphones really shine. The combination of clear background noises, theme music and
character voices really enhance the overall gaming experience.
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Conclusion:
The ZM-RS6F Theatre 6 Headphones represent a unique and different direction for a company whose previous
focus has been on silent computing and performance based products. Zalman's first entry into the gaming
market can be summed up with one word "success". The ZM-RS6F Theatre 6 Headphones work as advertised
to some extent, although in some application programs software adjustments must be made in order to get
true 5.1 multi-channel sound or a relatively close emulation. As previously mentioned, a majority of the
audio applications for PC's are designed to use only 2 channels, so with a 5.1 headphone configuration
you really are not at an advantage with the 4 additional speakers. DVD playback and gaming using the
integrated sound ports on my ABIT NS-7 Rev 2 motherboard was excellent and depending on the type of
sound card used results may vary. The other aspect of the ZM-RS6F Theatre 6 Headphones to consider is
that all three channels (front, center and rear) are relatively close to your ear while most common
5.1 configurations have these channels spaced away from each other to simulate the 5.1 surround sound
experience. Overall, I was pleased with the Zalman ZM-RS6F Theatre 6 Headphones and award a final rating
of rating of 8.5 out of 10. If you have any
questions regarding this review be sure to visit the Zalman
website for more information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Aesthetically pleasing design
- 6 speaker channels
- Dolby Digital 5.1 support
- Can be folded away for easy transport
- Enhances the overall gaming experience
- Strong bass tones
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Cons:
- Some application adjustment is required to achieve Dolby Digital 5.1 sound or emulation
- Rear and Center channels need more volume
- Audio playback is poor
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