evshrug said:

Bomb,
Glad it's working well, thank you for thanking us! The DAC (and amp) built-in to the Omni is a bit better than the one in that base station DreMag is using, though his works processing surround from consoles. Conquerator2 (spelling?) uses the same base station as him.

I usually turn off crystalizer and other special effects besides surround, but in the end they are tweaks to suit your preference, so season to your taste. For example, "I" like to use the dialogue booster

For the mic issue, could be a bunch of things, I recommend asking tech support.

Click to expand...

 
Thanks,
 
Think you can explain a bit more (than what Creative wrote) in regards to the SBX Pro Studio for games? I am trying to figure the difference in-game with the SBX Pro Studio "Surround", "Crystallizer", "bass settings", etc. 
 
Its hard in-game to edit these settings and then differentiate. For Example when I did there First Person Shooter mode, the sound of the gun seemed to be low. Thought maybe some other people may have tested it out. Regardless it sounds MILES better than what I heard before.
 
Do you like the Diaogue Booster mainly for its ability to play the sounds of people talking or more for hearing? What other effects do you turn off?
 
BTW, I have an old Audigy Platinum EX I doubt these two would work with my setup, what do you think I could sell the unit for?
 
 
P.S. what do you use for music?
P.P.S. for 2.1 surround (speakers) should I set up the Speaker/Headphone area as stereo or 5.1? Not sure what would be better for my seutp

bombadilio said:

Thanks,

Think you can explain a bit more (than what Creative wrote) in regards to the SBX Pro Studio for games?

Do you like the Diaogue Booster mainly for its ability to play the sounds of people talking or more for hearing? What other effects do you turn off?

BTW, I have an old Audigy Platinum EX...

Click to expand...

Sure, I already wrote more in-depth in my Recon3D USB review (linked in my signature). I just went in and out of a game cutscene to test audio, you just hold the windows button and press tab to switch between open programs. The only thing I'll add, sometimes it's more precise to have the surround slider at the default 67%, but usually I like it turned up.

Some stuff you're gonna figure out for yourself, for example I have no idea what to do with that front bay Audigy thingie you pictured.

evshrug said:

Sure, I already wrote more in-depth in my Recon3D USB review (linked in my signature). I just went in and out of a game cutscene to test audio, you just hold the windows button and press tab to switch between open programs. The only thing I'll add, sometimes it's more precise to have the surround slider at the default 67%, but usually I like it turned up.

Some stuff you're gonna figure out for yourself, for example I have no idea what to do with that front bay Audigy thingie you pictured.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Yeah I don't think I can use that deck or controller from the old audigy platinum ex.
 
I read your review, fps wise, and music wise would you mind taking a screen or let me know what your settings are? I am trying to determine seperate settings for headphones and settings when I watch movies / music for my 2.1 speaker setup.

Hey Mad Lust, or another audio professional,
 
Thank you for the write up. Helps a lot, but I still had to sign up to ask some questions. I am somewhat a newbie to the headphone world. I do a lot of FPS gaming and looking for a fantastic headphone. Price is around $300 tops. As of now I am using Razer's Kraken 7.1. They are ok, but I feel I can do a lot better with sound. I also have a razer-barracuda AC-1 sound card which I do not use right now. I see that you have rated the AKG K701's as a great 10/10 competition headphone. Which is awesome. In my price range and everything. Now my questions are as follow:
 
1.) Can I just plug these into my razer sound card and turn on Dolby and run it that way without any aftermarket equipment to buy, or can I just plug into my motherboards audio input?
2.) Will these work with virtual surround?
3.) I play mostly CS:GO right now and they only go up to 5.1. Now in game would i select headphones or 5.1 for the audio option?
4.) I saw you talking about a Mixmap or something like that. Do I really need one of those? 
5.) Can I just use a clip on mic like at micmods.com for this headset?
 
 
If you, or anyone, can answer my question I would appreciate it.
 
Thank you for reading and taking your time to reply.
 
 
Randy.

bombadilio said:

  Thanks, Yeah I don't think I can use that deck or controller from the old audigy platinum ex.
 
I read your review, fps wise, and music wise would you mind taking a screen or let me know what your settings are? I am trying to determine seperate settings for headphones and settings when I watch movies / music for my 2.1 speaker setup.

Click to expand...

In the control panel you will want the settings to reflect what equipment you have (ie: headphones when you have headphones connected and stereo when you are outputting to stereo speakers). In the game menu however, if you are going to be using virtual surround, set the configuration to 5.1 (game menu only, not the control panel of the card). When you are outputting to stereo speakers however, I'd recommend switching the in game settings back to stereo.
 
As for some of the other questions you've asked, there really is no particular "good" set up to use. You'll have to just experiment a little. I personally have my EQ flat, Crystaliser off, bass enhancement off, scout mode off and am still experimenting with the amount of surround I like.

bombadilio said:

Thanks, Yeah I don't think I can use that deck or controller from the old audigy platinum ex.

I read your review, fps wise, and music wise would you mind taking a screen or let me know what your settings are? I am trying to determine seperate settings for headphones and settings when I watch movies / music for my 2.1 speaker setup.

Click to expand...

If you give a mouse a cookie...

existencelies said:

Hey Mad Lust, or another audio professional,

Thank you for the write up. Helps a lot, but I still had to sign up to ask some questions.

Randy.

Click to expand...

Randy, we're not professionals... If we were, we'd actually be getting paid to make this worth our while!

Most of your questions are answered in the FAQ spoiler section of the guide. I'll just add a little info about the only one question that isn't answered in the guide, since the guide is based on console gaming: you would want to set CS:GO to 5.1, so that your soundcard (if it has Dolby Headphone) can use that to create a virtual headphone mix.

Well my K712 arrived today, spending a lot time with them to get a good feel of them on my system and also got another headphone out of curiosity the HD 545.
 

Kman1211,
I'd be interested to hear your impressions on the K712 Pro paired with the HiFiman tube amp you've got...

evshrug said:

Kman1211,
I'd be interested to hear your impressions on the K712 Pro paired with the HiFiman tube amp you've got...

Click to expand...

I also have the FiiO E12(which you seem to have) and I'll compare it to the EF2A once I get my interconnect cable through the mail so I can compare how both amps sound on my new DAC. I also have 3 different pairs of tubes on the EF2A and each sounds very different.

 Originally Posted by Evshrug 
 
Randy, we're not professionals... If we were, we'd actually be getting paid to make this worth our while!

Most of your questions are answered in the FAQ spoiler section of the guide. I'll just add a little info about the only one question that isn't answered in the guide, since the guide is based on console gaming: you would want to set CS:GO to 5.1, so that your soundcard (if it has Dolby Headphone) can use that to create a virtual headphone mix.

Click to expand...

 
 
Haha. I may have exaggerated a little much on professionals. Basically wanting to know if the K701 are leaps better than my Kraken 7.1? They are USB only. I do not use my sound card as of now since the razer synapse has it's own little shindig. I would like to know if the K701's have that surround sound to them? Like I said I am new to the audio world and I am ready to burn a small hole in my pocket. Just would like the best for FPS gaming. Any gaming to be more specific. As of now I do have my 5.1 set on CS:GO. I have switched between headphones and 5.1 and the 5.1 is more precise on where everyone is. I just feel these Krakens are kinda cheap. I also feel as if my old Razer Barracuda HP-1 that had Dolby with my sound card was MUCH better. Not to sure about these USB headsets.
 
 
 
EDIT: Damn why does the quote code not work here? Also I did not see any FAQ on the gaming sub-forum. I must be blind?

existencelies said:

 
Haha. I may have exaggerated a little much on professionals. Basically wanting to know if the K701 are leaps better than my Kraken 7.1? They are USB only. I do not use my sound card as of now since the razer synapse has it's own little shindig. I would like to know if the K701's have that surround sound to them? Like I said I am new to the audio world and I am ready to burn a small hole in my pocket. Just would like the best for FPS gaming. Any gaming to be more specific. As of now I do have my 5.1 set on CS:GO. I have switched between headphones and 5.1 and the 5.1 is more precise on where everyone is. I just feel these Krakens are kinda cheap. I also feel as if my old Razer Barracuda HP-1 that had Dolby with my sound card was MUCH better. Not to sure about these USB headsets.
 
EDIT: Damn why does the quote code not work here? Also I did not see any FAQ on the gaming sub-forum. I must be blind?

Click to expand...

 
In a word: yes. The K701 will be a very noticeable improvement over the sound of the Kraken 7.1. I can't and won't say that the Kraken isn't a decent headset because that just isn't true. But having heard it and a K701 previously, the K701 is more musical and will give you a better representation of what's playing. Razer does have its own surround processing and while it does its job you may find that Dolby Headphone or one of the other surround processors work better for your tastes. You can demo them all in a YouTube video on the first post. The demo uses Bioshock: Infinite to demonstrate the various processing available.
 
The K701 do not have surround inherently, so you'll need something to go with them to achieve it. You can even use the Razer software if you're on Windows. And if you're looking for the best in FPS gaming where detail is more important than immersion then you could be better off with the AD700x from Audio Technica. When it comes to sound whoring in FPS games I have yet to come across anything better. And since it's a lot easier to drive than the K701 you won't need to have an amp to push them. With the K701 it's pretty well accepted around these parts that an amp is a must.
 
If you're looking for all-rounders in gaming there are other options as well. The K701 is a very nice headphone but requires a pretty beefy amp to really get the most out of it. You could get the Q701 which is easier to drive and then you can get by with a less powerful amp. Heck, you may not even need one to achieve the volume you want. The amp will just help fill out the sound better. The MA900 is also a good choice if you can find it for a decent price, but since it was discontinued prices have pretty much only gone up.

eXistenze,
If you send me 5 dollars, I'll quote the sections of the guide where each of your questions are answered


kman1211,
Yes, I have a first-batch E12 (which should sound identical to yours when both have the bass boost off), and a Class A SET tube amp. I love the way tubes change sound, for a while buying/hunting $15-$20 tubes was a great way to hear a high-quality new sound, but manually biasing with a multimeter and a screwdriver is a PITA, lol. Which DAC did you get? I haven't made the plunge for a DAC yet, so far the DACs of my Omni and iDevices have been fine and I hear the change in upgrading is slight.

Axel,
The K701 and Q701 have the same impedance (62 Ohm) and sensitivity (105 dB SPL/V), so they take the same amount of "push" to amp. It's just that the sound signature is different, the Q701 is less picky about what character the amp lends to the sound because it's warmer at the bottom end. And they sound quite good without an extra external amp (I'm listening to some chill-out music right now with my Q701 plugged into my iPad Mini retina, having a good time), but an amp opens the door on soundstage and gives more defined body to the sound.

evshrug said:

eXistenze,
If you send me 5 dollars, I'll quote the sections of the guide where each of your questions are answered

kman1211,
Yes, I have a first-batch E12 (which should sound identical to yours when both have the bass boost off), and a Class A SET tube amp. I love the way tubes change sound, for a while buying/hunting $15-$20 tubes was a great way to hear a high-quality new sound, but manually biasing with a multimeter and a screwdriver is a PITA, lol. Which DAC did you get? I haven't made the plunge for a DAC yet, so far the DACs of my Omni and iDevices have been fine and I hear the change in upgrading is slight.

Click to expand...

So they should be similar. I love the way it changes the sound as well. As good as the E12 sounds on my new DAC it does lack the depth, soundstage, smoothness, and dimension of the EF2A. I get the feeling when the dac is hooked up to the EF2A it's going to pull a good deal ahead, because when both are hooked up to the same source the EF2A sounds better. I am curious what high quality cables will do to the K712s sound. I know from experience good cables make a difference, while not quite as big of change as other components, it's audible. I got the HRT Music Streamer II+ as I found a good deal on it. It has a warm, smooth, and organic sound, with solid and powerful dynamics, good detail and imaging, soundstage is good, and no sense of hollowness or brittleness that can be found in lesser DACs.
 

I definitely feel the same way about my desktop tube amp vs the E12, but then the tube amp needs to be plugged in and cost 2x as much.

I see a music streamer II+ like yours for ~$310, but for that price I'd want USB and Optical Inputs. Though I now tread on the verge of going OT, the AudioEngine D1 looks much more like it would fit my needs/budget. Have you heard any reason to avoid that/look at something else? Wait another month for a Bifrost?

I might want to find someone willing to trade my K712 for their Annies... purely because I'd rather have the blue