Sound card? - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omark12 
For gaming definitely go the STX route. Dolby headphone is pretty cool. Also look into X-Fi titanium HD. It has CMSS-3D which is like dolby headphone but performs better in games. The X-Fi also has an amp.

To the best of my knowledge, only the new Recon3D (SB1350) comes with a dedicated headphone amplifier.

Which X-FIs do you know come with a dedicated headphone amplifier?

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleAngel 

To the best of my knowledge, only the new Recon3D (SB1350) comes with a dedicated headphone amplifier.

Which X-FIs do you know come with a dedicated headphone amplifier?

The X-Fi Forte and HomeTheater HD are touted as having one, but since I only have sensitive, low-impedance headphones, I couldn't really push it. The dedicated headphone-out was a tad louder than the breakout dongle front left/right output at the same volume setting, though.

While it would be nice for the X-Fi Titanium HD to have an integrated dedicated headphone amp, I don't find it too much of a drawback since it seems like the kind of card meant to feed external dedicated amps (which I have to do anyway if I want my electrostatics to work).

I thought the Titanium HD had an amp?

Quote:

Originally Posted by NamelessPFG 
The X-Fi Forte and HomeTheater HD are touted as having one, but since I only have sensitive, low-impedance headphones, I couldn't really push it. The dedicated headphone-out was a tad louder than the breakout dongle front left/right output at the same volume setting, though.

While it would be nice for the X-Fi Titanium HD to have an integrated dedicated headphone amp, I don't find it too much of a drawback since it seems like the kind of card meant to feed external dedicated amps (which I have to do anyway if I want my electrostatics to work).

I'm brain dead, forget all about the X-Fi non Creative cards.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omark12 
I thought the Titanium HD had an amp?

The Titanium HD does not seem to have a dedicated headphone amplifier.

But Creative Labs seem to have figured out how to make the card seem like it has one.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omark12 

I thought the Titanium HD had an amp?

Strictly speaking, all analog outputs are amplified, or else they wouldn't work at all. The question is how the analog amplification circuit is designed-what impedance, how much current, how much voltage swing, etc. In that sense, the Titanium HD does have a headphone amplifier, though it may not be specifically designed for headphones in the same sense of the Xonars, the Recon3D cards, or the numerous external amps floating about.

Personally, I don't get too hung up on what capabilities internal headphone amps in sound cards have, though the one in the Essence STX certainly adds to the value (remember that a FiiO E7/E9 combo costs more than an Essence STX in most cases). Sooner or later, you'll probably go external for the amp. Haven't seen anyone drive an HD800 or LCD-2 straight out of an Essence STX, and just forget about electrostatics unless you want to invest in a compatible amp too.

Then again, this is just my outlook on headphone selection; either they're going to be sensitive enough to be driven properly out of anything, especially portable sources, or they're going to be so demanding that an external amp is a requirement anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jontaz23 
Alright so what would the Q 701's go best with, the xonar, fiio, or NFB-12.

The soundcard is easiest to get so I'm leaning greatly towards it. If I can't see any major reasons why it would be a bad idea then I'm going to go with that :)

When you order the Asus Xonar DG, make sure you buy from an autherised seller, so you can send in for the $10 mail in rebate, good until Dec. 31st.

It is a bit of an exaggeration to say that the headphone amplifier on the Essence STX as a feature does not matter much because it is not typically used with the highest end headphones or electrostatics. Obviously, people who spend $1000 or more on a headphone will also tend to spend more on the source, although I do recall seeing the STX+LCD-2 combination in the signature of one regular Head-Fi user. The amplifier of the STX is basically the same as the FiiO E9 (TI TPA6120 with 24V power supply), which seems to be fairly popular. It is definitely useful for the money with medium to high impedance dynamic headphones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stv014 

It is a bit of an exaggeration to say that the headphone amplifier on the Essence STX as a feature does not matter much because it is not typically used with the highest end headphones or electrostatics. Obviously, people who spend $1000 or more on a headphone will also tend to spend more on the source, although I do recall seeing the STX+LCD-2 combination in the signature of one regular Head-Fi user. The amplifier of the STX is basically the same as the FiiO E9 (TI TPA6120 with 24V power supply), which seems to be fairly popular. It is definitely useful for the money with medium to high impedance dynamic headphones.

This is what happens when I don't convey my thoughts into the right words.

It's definitely a useful feature that adds to the value proposition of the Essence STX (as you say, basically an E9, but matched with a better DAC than the E7 at a lower price point), but I feel that people here get a bit too hung up on it sometimes, like sound cards that aren't pitched as having dedicated headphone amps built-in aren't worth considering at all, even if the budget would allow an external amp.

I suppose it's really more about knowing your upgrade path down the line and where your personal end game lies, and that will vary for many people. Maybe they don't need to have their end game at the summit, somehow resisting that Head-Fi influence, and they plan on sticking to headphones that the Essence STX can drive well in the end. The question is, do they match their headphones to the amp, or do they match their amp to their headphones?