Maximum PC

I own a HT Omega Striker 7.1,and I'm running it through the analog output jack to my Sennheiser HD558 headphones.

I can't select 24-bit,96 khz in the drop-down sound quality list.(in the Cmedia driver control panel.)
(Meaning that 24-bit/96 Khz audio sources are downsampled to 16-bit,48 Khz.)
What exactly could the issue be?

(Are analog outputs-with headphones- not capable of 24-bit,96 Khz playback?)

I'm really confused here.

(I'm using Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit.)

I don't know what could be causing the inability to select 24/96 but I do know that it's not the analog headphone port that's limiting it.

I have my headphones plugged into the analog jack and can select 24/96 and even 24/192 in my sound cards control panel.

I downloaded a audio track in 320bps mp3, 16/44 and 24/96 just to see if I could tell the difference. I couldn't with the 320bps mp3 and the 16/44 files but the 24/96 was noticably better.

The chipset on my HT Omega Striker 7.1 is a C-Media CMI8770.

(Which according to an Auzentech comparison chart I found,should support 24-bit/96 KHz playback.)

So,what's going on here?

Have you tried from Windows?

Just so people are aware: the digital processing of audio has nothing to do with what analog headphones are "compatible" with. 24-bit 96KHz is just more accurate with reproducing the sound wave than 16-bit 48KHz.

However, a 16-bit 48KHz sound source running out a 24-bit DAC isn't going to sound better. An 8-bit color image upscaled to 32-bit colors is still going to look the same.

The problem I'm having is when I try to play 24-bit FLAC files,they always are downsampled to 16-bit 48 Khz.
(I don't see a setting in my Cmedia control panel for 24-bit 96 Khz.)

I've had other Cmedia chipset-based soundcards (previously a Bluegears B-Enspirer with the Cmedia CMI8788 chipset-which allowed me to select 24-bit/96 KHz in its control panel.)
My current HT Omega Striker 7.1 has the CMedia CMI8770 chipset.Is there something the older CMI8788 has that the newer 8770 doesn't?

I meant go to Control Panel -> Sound -> Right click on your audio output and select "Properties" -> Go to the Advanced tab.

Also check to see if your playback software is downsampling it. You have to enable 24-bit audio in Winamp for instance.

I checked under the Control Panel advanced sound options... and it lists 16 bit 48 kHz as the highest option.

This is getting really weird.