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Upgrading computer audio and could use some advice.

post #1 of 6
8/10/11 at 3:07pm
Thread Starter 

Let’s set the stage.  I would like to improve my sound in my PC.  I’m an avid music lover and computer gamer (flight sims and FPS) and have 300 gigs of MP3’s ripped at 320 I listen to in iTunes and have both an iPhone 4 and 80 Gig iPod that I travel with and use with my Alpine car audio.  I know I should have gone the apple Lossness route but I didn’t.  I also travel a lot and own an old set of Shure E3 earbuds I wear when riding my motorcycle and the Bose Quite Comfort 2 noise cancelling headphones I bring when traveling.

I listen to music and game on my computer and I’m at my computer a lot and also need headphones and/or a headset when I’m there.  So… with that said, I’m ready to invest in some great sound for my computer (Speakers and Soundcard).  I have a 2 year old descktop Dual Core 3.0 Ghz, 8 Gigs of ram running 64 bit Vista soon to be Windows 7 that I custom built and I’m using my motherboard’s built in sound card (which is killing me)!


Options:

Sound Card:  I’ve been looking at the ASUS Xonar Essence STX and the new Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD soundcards.  Are they Chevy Ford?

 

Speakers Option 1:  I have been looking at the Bose Companion 3 Series II and Audioengine A2’s or A5’s.  I have heard that the Audioengine line is good but have not heard them. I like the Bose because of the space savings and the volume control puck.  But it’s all about the best sounding audio right?  I’ve heard the Bose and they sound decent to me (from the loud and noisy store).  Has anyone compaired them?

 

Speakers Option 2:  I have an old 1993 Yamaha pro logic receiver (semi high end at its time - 75 watts per channel) and a pair of Bose 201 book shelve speakers I’m currently using as rear surround sound speakers in the home theater setup.  I could use the 201s with my receiver and buy a new set of rear book shelve speakers for my Polk Audio book shelve theater setup.

 

So which way will make the best audio?  Option 1 or 2?  Money is not that much of an issue really, within limits of course.

 

Headphones/Headsets:  I have the Bose quiet comforts I already own and may at some point upgrade to a better quality headphone like Denon or Senn, but not at this point.  Ok Bose bashers, before anyone says it, please do not respond with “get rid of your Bose headphones.”  LOL…

 

So which way should I go and what would sound better?  Anyone got an opinion on any of my choices and dilemmas?  Also, I have many questions about Headphone Amps that I will post in another thread.  So much to learn!  Thanks for any help and opinions you can add to the discussion!


Edited by Bill1202 - 8/10/11 at 3:14pm
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post #2 of 6
8/10/11 at 9:14pm

Plan on gaming? X-Fi all the way, then-only way to get genuine EAX 5.0, even if modern games are far less likely to use it. (Older games can just use ALchemy, unless they use OpenAL to begin with.) The Titanium HD seems to be a great choice, though I don't have one (I use the Auzentech-built X-Fi cards).

 

Perhaps an external DAC would offer better sound quality, but you'd be spending hundreds of dollars more and would end up worse in the gaming feature department...if anything, it might actually reveal more of the flaws in gaming audio (not exactly a high fidelity source).

 

I have no particular advice I can offer on speakers because I lack knowledge and experience on that subject, specifically what speaker models to recommend (unless you've got the big bucks for Quad ESL-63s). I've chosen to focus on headphones until I have a room I can dedicate to a speaker setup (acoustically treated and everything), which won't happen for several more years.

 

However, it sounds like option 1 would be computer speakers and option 2 is a proper hi-fi/home theater speaker setup, in which case option 2 is always the way to go. I just don't see how little computer speakers can compete with the big drivers they can cram into those gigantic hi-fi speaker cases, among other things...but mostly that computer audio generally isn't regarded as being for audiophiles and thus isn't held up to spec, in much the same way as people on the Internet regard Bose nowadays. (Which isn't to say that they're bad, but seen as overpriced for what you get in terms of sound quality. And no, this isn't a suggestion to sell your headphones; you bought them, you like them, so you might as well keep them.)

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post #3 of 6
8/10/11 at 9:45pm

Hmm how about a compromise:

 

Games : Use decent cans

Music + 24/7: Use decent active monitors/passive bookshelfs?

Perhaps use the Fiio E7 USB DAC/Headphone amp with the L7 line out kit?

 

The reason is peeps buy cheapo 2.1/5.1 PC Speakers with low quality/muddy bass for games and while these may work frankly i find them awful for music eek.gif

 

Edit: btw i own the Fiio E7 but i vastly do music/movies (i went bookshelf + amp) more rather than game but this dude used did a simple review which included some gaming hehe

 

http://www.techenclave.com/reviews-and-previews/fiio-e7-usb-headphone-amplifier-dac-169245.html


Edited by trog - 8/10/11 at 9:49pm
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post #4 of 6
8/11/11 at 11:14am
Thread Starter 

Thanks Namless!  I think you are right.  I have not drug out my old pro logic Yamaha receiver I have in storage and dissasembled my theater system yet (to steal away those old Bose 201 book shelves) to test out ths theory but it could easily done.  And you know what?  I'm going to do it this weekend and test it out and I will re-post my results for us to review!  I agree with you that my insticts say that any and all computer speakers would not give me the fidelity of the alternative we are talking about here.  We will see and the proof is in the pudding! 

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post #5 of 6
8/11/11 at 11:54am
Thread Starter 

Thanks Trog...  Great suggestions.  But can you alaborate more about this:

 

Perhaps use the Fiio E7 USB DAC/Headphone amp with the L7 line out kit?

 

I know about headphone amps but do not know a lot.  I will have a kick ass audio card?  Why do we use them?  Where are they good to use them?  Where can I benefit?  I've heard they are great for ipods but for a computer?  Are yuou suggesting that I use this "inline" from my PC to my headphones?

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post #6 of 6
8/11/11 at 12:02pm

Without the line out kit one would be using the DAC section and amp portion of the E7 and when fed to a stereo receiver/internal amp for speakers this could cause problems and drop in SQ

 

 

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/523699/newest-design-for-line-out-kit-of-e7-fiio-user-please-give-us-some-adivce/15

 

Yes you could use it both with cans as a USB DAC + Headphone Amp or use as USB DAC with the L7 kit to speakers tongue.gif

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