VSX Soundcheck Guide

VSX users who are having issues with the sound of VSX will want to run through the following steps to troubleshoot:

Hardware: The first step is to make sure the issue isn't with the hardware connection. Especially, if users are experiencing any cutouts, phasiness, or loss in sound quality even when listening to the headphones with the software. 

Make sure the 1/8 inch cable is seated all the way in the headphone jack on the left VSX earcup. The black sleeve of the cable plug should be completely flush with the headphone jack, with none of the gold tip showing. Users may also need to try a different 1/8 inch cable to test. Most standard 1/8 inch cables will work, just make sure it has a similar diameter sleeve as the VSX, so it fits in the jack. If the cable isn't seated properly or is damaged, users may experience cutouts, phasiness, or loss of sound quality. 

Users should also test to make sure the 1/4 inch adapter, by plugging the VSX headphones directly into the headphone out on their computer, in order to make sure it isn't the 1/4 inch adapter causing issues. 

Software: Once you have ruled out the issue being a hardware issue, move on to the VSX software. 

Step 1. For starters, make sure you have the right serial (that corresponds to the serial on your headband) selected in the VSX settings. Also, make sure your Global Speaker Version is set to 5.0. 

NOTE: Users who do not have the 5.0 upgrade will select 4.0 instead. 

Also, do note that even if Global Speaker Version is set to 5.0, the speaker version for the room you are listening on may still be something else. Underneath the name of the selected room, it will say the speaker version for that room. If it is not set to 5.0, then right-click the number next to "SPEAKER VERSION" to change the speaker version for that room. 

Step 2: If the above did not solve things, move on to Step 2. Start by pulling up one of the drier VSX rooms, such as the Nearfield speakers in one of our studio rooms. This will give for a more neutral listening experience. 

Next, pull up a reference mix that you are familiar with and listen through VSX. For the sake of testing, please use a professional reference mix that is not one of your own mixes. Also, please make sure that any issues you are hearing through VSX aren't result of the mix itself, as VSX can amplify problems in a mix that you may not notice on other types of monitoring. 

Step 3: If the issue is that you are hearing a lot of resonances, it may be due to having a larger ear canal. Please note that people with bigger ear canal openings will be more sensitive to resonances, especially in the upper-mids. 

In this case, click the text in the upper left corner next to the VSX logo, then load Ear Profile 2, as this profile is meant for users with a larger ear canal. Then drag the ECCO amount slider until you get the desired sound. 

Step 4: If the issue is that you are hearing some sort of whistling, then click on the ECCO EQ button. Then pull down every frequency band one by one until you find the band(s) where the whistling comes down. 

NOTE: If users are still having issues with the sound of VSX and have run through the ECCO calibration and have a custom profile loaded, it may be better to ditch your custom profile as this may be what is throwing off the sound. Instead load one of the ear profile presets.