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Will I notice a difference with a dedicated sound card?

post #1 of 10
10/6/11 at 8:39pm
Thread Starter 

I'm building a new gaming computer and am getting this mobo:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157264

 

I have a pair of DT770 Pro 80ohms I use for gaming/music/movies. Will buying a dedicated sound card make any difference in sound quality on these headphones (they aren't really the highest end headphones out there)?

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post #2 of 10
10/6/11 at 8:43pm

A dedicated sound card will have the ability to reproduce 5.1 surround sound in your stereo headphones, either with Dolby Headphone or CMSS-3D. That will almost definitely have a positive effect in games and movies. Music will benefit from what will probably be lower distortion and noise levels.

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post #3 of 10
10/6/11 at 8:56pm

In your specific case IMHO really depends on your estimated price of the card. Might want to consider better headphones than a card just now. Or then again, you can just get the card now and re-use the card for the future computer based rigs with better headphones.

Entirely your choice =) (btw nice mobo lol)

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post #4 of 10
10/6/11 at 9:05pm
Thread Starter 

Well, I will have $100 left over after building my computer. I was thinking either save 50 more and get a 3D vision kit, or put it towards a sound card if it would enhance my gameplay. I absolutely love the 770. They sound amazing, and have tons of base, which is nice when I game. But someone told me a while back that I wasn't using them to their full potential. Newer headphones would be nice, but definitely out of my price range. Unless there are any headphones that would give me great 3D sound for gaming and be reasonably priced...

 

I give priority to positioning for gaming and bass for movies/music.


Edited by Sovelin - 10/6/11 at 9:06pm
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post #5 of 10
10/6/11 at 9:17pm

AD700 has legendary positional audio for the price. A sound card is necessary for the best positional audio, though.

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post #6 of 10
10/6/11 at 9:20pm

If nothing else, you should get a lower noise floor and hopefully less likelihood of electronic noises (e. g. buzzes) from mobo bleeding through audio output of mobo.

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post #7 of 10
10/6/11 at 10:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sovelin View Post

Well, I will have $100 left over after building my computer. I was thinking either save 50 more and get a 3D vision kit, or put it towards a sound card if it would enhance my gameplay. I absolutely love the 770. They sound amazing, and have tons of base, which is nice when I game. But someone told me a while back that I wasn't using them to their full potential. Newer headphones would be nice, but definitely out of my price range. Unless there are any headphones that would give me great 3D sound for gaming and be reasonably priced...

 

I give priority to positioning for gaming and bass for movies/music.


Oh okay, now that I understand - go for the card and enjoy your gaming =)

 

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post #8 of 10
10/6/11 at 11:50pm

Beyerdynamic DT-770 series cans usually improve with a headphone amplifier.

 

Asus Xonar DG (PCI) sound card, low price, built in headphone amplifier and comes with Dolby Headphone 5.1.

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post #9 of 10
10/7/11 at 3:06am

Consider the Fiio E10 prolly @ $80 USD last i heard hehe

http://www.headfonia.com/the-latest-must-have-the-fiio-e10-usb-dacamp/

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post #10 of 10
10/7/11 at 8:05am
Thread Starter 

That Fiio e10 looks so nice, but the price of the Asus is pretty amazing. Also, it doesn't take too much away from my funds, so I'll still be able to get my 3D vision kit soon enough. So long as there isn't a major difference in what I would gain between the two, I'll stick with the Asus. Thanks everyone!

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