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A question with desperation on a setup

post #1 of 14
6/29/11 at 6:43am
Thread Starter 

Okay, first off i am a newb.

 

My question is this, i am looking for a setup that will 

give me satisfaction in regards to gaming, music, movies.

 

A balance if you will, maybe give or take some quality from one of them to compromise, but not much.

 

I am going to spend my time on games and music more than movies. 45/45/10 for gaming, music, movies.

 

Music i listen to is almost everything, but mostly hip-hop, rock, metal, electronica, pop, with variations of those genres like for example punk rock or classic rock.

 

Pause, i will probably open up a can of worms and going to end up

opening some more, but bear with me please, i have searched these forums for

a solution to my answer and only to a idea of what i might get, but no definite decision yet.

 

My setup i have in mind is:

 

Soundcard, because i have read that DAC's are typically designed just for music, no?

 

The soundcard i have in mind is either the Titanium HD or the Xonar essence.

 

Im worried about hearing interference, which this will lead to suggestions of DAC's, is there anyway to idk try to prevent it from happening? Like a certain cable setup with the outputs, inputs, etc?

 

To add more info i will be playing FPS but not that hardcore. Mostly other games. New, old, and emulation which is like epsxe if anyone knows what that is.

 

Now, for the headphones i have an eye on, which is the Beyerdynamic DT990 600 ohms.

 

Are these headphones suitable for the music i listen to?  I have already read these are good for gaming.

 

Now, for the amp, i am preferably looking for the cheapest option in this regard

like the FiiO E9 but as far as i will go is the Little Dot MKIII. No more than that.

 

Is a tube amp really worth it? I mean if the E9 can power them why bother? How much of a difference can i be looking at here in terms of sound quality that justifies the cost?

 

I am not an audiophile, atleast i don't think so, just someone that enjoys games, music, and movies. 

 

Forgive me if this is a long post, i just want it to be neat and understandable and will

apperciate the feedback.

 

Thank You.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Edited by ONyurSTEP - 6/29/11 at 7:00am
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post #2 of 14
6/29/11 at 6:51am

Good Luck!

 


Edited by Dynobot - 6/29/11 at 7:10am
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post #3 of 14
6/29/11 at 7:01am

A DAC converts music only.
A sound card is simply a DAC but on a card inside the PC
Often a sound card also have an AD option, the ability to record analog sources and translate them to a digital audio file.

 

Beyerdynamic DT990 600 ohms
A high value (600) check if the amp supports this load

 

tube amp
Given your taste I don’t think you will gain anything by using tubes.

 

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post #4 of 14
6/29/11 at 7:05am
Thread Starter 

The words operating and system are not in my previous post. 

 

And none of which you said after answered my questions.

 

Sorry, if that is rude, but its true.

 

@ Roseval, thanks for the info!

 

Still looking forward to more input though.


Edited by ONyurSTEP - 6/29/11 at 7:07am
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post #5 of 14
6/29/11 at 7:10am

Good luck...

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post #6 of 14
6/29/11 at 9:13pm
Thread Starter 

Going through the forums some more, i have decided to go with the Titanium HD, DT990 600ohms, and a FiiO E9 amp.

 

There are people on here with a similar setup and are happy.

 

But i guess the best thing i can do is play it by ear as experience is the best teacher, so

if something sounds off ill return my purchase and try something else.

 

To be honest i am upgrading from a dell 2400 with 2 dell speakers probably not worth even $30 to a over $2,000 custom rig setup,

so i am probably gonna be taken off guard.

 

It's just im trying to get good sound for all endeavors thats all.

 

If anyone has any input to offer, please do so.

 

@ Roseval

 

I hate to beat a dead horse, but you said given my tastes i would not benefit from tube amps?

 

Could you elaborate as to why?

 

Hey, just like everyone else i want to know what i am getting with this change i am going to be spending.

 

That is understandable right?

 

Anyway Thx.

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post #7 of 14
6/29/11 at 9:33pm

Overall, I do like the setup you're going with, and it will be quite a difference from an onboard audio chip and some budget speakers to the setup you're getting. One thing you should keep in mind is that not everyone notices a crystal clear distinction between different audio gear, but after some time of both listening and getting used to the changes that are happening even without you being aware, it will become more noticeable over small and not so small details. And mostly, you will definitely notice a difference if you spend a week listening to your new setup and try the old setup again wink.gif

 

The DT990 seem to be a rather balanced pair, even if they have a somewhat V shaped curve, which shouldn't be much of a concern, as that tends to make for an easier to get into listening experience.

Fiio E9 should be able to drive the DT990 well enough. About tube amps, they are known to have more power and to give sound a coloration typical from tubes, along with the fact that tube amps require more maintenance than SS amps.

The Titanium HD is basically the best choice you have for gaming, and with quite high quality parts to follow, making up for a very good purchase. It will cover all bases, although I do recommend you to disable most, if not all DSP features, like CMSS3D, SVM, EAX, Crystalizer, etc.

 

Some people argue that one should jump straight to the deepest level of audio that person can, while others are of the opinion that steps should be taken one by one. However, I do think that the difference between your previous system and the setup you plan to get is so big that you really shouldn't worry about it not being enough. Do get that setup, as it will fit your needs very well, and I don't believe you will be left wanting more, at least for the present time.

 

Oh, and you should be aware that while the Titanium HD will improve the sound of the likes of ePSXe and PCSX2, their respective plugins also need to play their parts :)

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post #8 of 14
7/1/11 at 12:14am
Thread Starter 

But wouldn't it be pointless to buy the HD if i am going to turn the features off?

 

If thats the case shouldn't spend my money else where?

 

I wonder how Auzentech and HT Omegas compare?

 

I know Auzentech has x-fi.

 

Like i said before i just looking for a good balance for gaming, music and movies.

 

Also won't the DSP features be canceled out through the amp anyway?

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post #9 of 14
7/1/11 at 1:28am

I think Asus xonar essence ST will have more balance between games and music, so why not go with that? 

 

If you do then you don't even need the fiio e9, they sound very similar and both can drive the phones.

 

i'm sure will be amazed with that setup, and later if you wanna upgrade the amp get the Little Dot MKIII, will sound better in music for sure.

 

My self i went with DT880 over 990, DT990 have more bass so i think 880 will be better in games "fps".

 

 

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post #10 of 14
7/1/11 at 1:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by eaglerock View Post

I think Asus xonar essence ST will have more balance between games and music, so why not go with that? 

 

If you do then you don't even need the fiio e9, they sound very similar and both can drive the phones.

 

i'm sure will be amazed with that setup, and later if you wanna upgrade the amp get the Little Dot MKIII, will sound better in music for sure.

 

My self i went with DT880 over 990, DT990 have more bass so i think 880 will be better in games "fps".

 

 



The X-Fi Titanium HD as literally the best gaming performance, and at least as gound sound as Xonar ST/STX, without sounding as harsh as a stock STX.

 

@ONyurSTEP: Even if the additional DSP features are disabled, there are core features that will still be running as they're essential for gaming, like full hardware accelerated audio. Also, the Titanium HD has improved quite a bit compared to previous X-Fi cards, using audiophile components, which is why they do perform better than X-Fi based Auzentech cards, and from what I've understood of most HT Omega cards, to be at least par on SQ.

 

About features being disabled through the amp, that's not going to happen with the connections you're making, and the same core features that don't get disabled by being hardware features also pass along the audio chain.

 

Overall, I find the X-Fi Titanium HD to be the best bundle, with top gaming performance and quite high quality general audio performance.

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post #11 of 14
7/1/11 at 4:33am

I agree with you that the creative is the best for games, but how much difference you will notice when using dolby headphones with asus xonar essence vs the creative CMSS3D.

And from what i read the ST sound better in music.

I was even thinking to get Musiland Monitor 02 US as it is much cheaper than the asus or the creative and they say it is better for music than the Asus and Creative, but for games I don't think so.

 

I'm not any Asus fanboy but im in the same place as the poster and after reading the forums for over a month i think the essence ST is a better card overall.

 

ATM i own creative X-fi gamer but i ordered the new card already, and it should be here next week.

 

 

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post #12 of 14
7/1/11 at 12:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eaglerock View Post

I agree with you that the creative is the best for games, but how much difference you will notice when using dolby headphones with asus xonar essence vs the creative CMSS3D.

And from what i read the ST sound better in music.

I was even thinking to get Musiland Monitor 02 US as it is much cheaper than the asus or the creative and they say it is better for music than the Asus and Creative, but for games I don't think so.

 

I'm not any Asus fanboy but im in the same place as the poster and after reading the forums for over a month i think the essence ST is a better card overall.

 

ATM i own creative X-fi gamer but i ordered the new card already, and it should be here next week.

 

 



The X-Fi XtremeGamer you have and the Titanium HD are very much worlds apart, with XtremeGamer just being one step above XtremeAudio, which is one of the worst Creative cards, while the Titanium HD is their best product. I personally think the Titanium HD sounds much better than an Essence STX, more pleasing, no comparison there, but it's also about preferences, as the Titanium HD has a warmer sound without piercing treble.

 

The whole argument of Dolby Headphone versus CMSS3D doesn't mean much to me since I loathe both those software virtualization techs. Some users say DH is better, others say CMSS3D have no comparison. I don't like either :)

 

Forget about DACs other than Creative to give you any more audio effects than an onboard audio chip. Yes, it's that drastic, and Asus only does half of the job on that. Though, you can pass the signal from the X-Fi to a DAC or simply to an amp.

 

Overall, given that the Titanium HD sounds better than Essence STX, IMO, and is by far the best gaming performer, it's a no brainer.

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post #13 of 14
7/2/11 at 9:31am
Thread Starter 

All right it is settled i will go with the HD.

 

One more thing if i do prefer the DSP features on, will they pass on through the amp or no since it is software?

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post #14 of 14
7/2/11 at 3:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ONyurSTEP View Post

All right it is settled i will go with the HD.

 

One more thing if i do prefer the DSP features on, will they pass on through the amp or no since it is software?



Good pick, I'm sure you'll be pleased :)

 

And yes, DSP features will be enabled through the amp.

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