The Nameless Guide To PC Gaming Audio (with binaural headphone surround sound) - Page 59

So I was thinking of going the line-out rout with a headphone amp.  No more than $150 USD

The sound card is the one thing I skipped on this build currently I'm just using the audio from my Blue Yeti Mic which is not bad at all but it’s a little dark on my SHURE SRH840 headphones.

 

My primary uses of audio on my PC in order.

 

Voice chat = Mumble: This makes my Fiio e10 almost useless due to the non async USB "If I have no other sound playing it cuts off the first part of the first word of every transmission.”

 

Gaming : I miss having the good positional audio I had in the past, Rapture3D works but the games that can use it are rather limited. Also will this help with BF3 that game has some horrible positional audio is seems  to be a simple L/R panner with depth there is no discernible vertical possitionality. I can't tell if someone is on my floor or one above or below.

 

Music: Aggrotech IDM Metal Classical and anything with a Chello

 

Movies

 

Whatever sound card I use I am going to have to use 4ft to 6ft extension cable to get from my case to my desk  this is part of why I was thinking of going with a desktop amp.

 

Side note: I also have a iBasso D7 I bought it after the E10 Hoping to fix the mumble problem.  Before the D7 had really been reviewed by anybody. I fully regret buying it and I'm not selling it to anyone I don’t want to waste their money.  It did fix the mumble problem but it also has a lot of line noise that I fixed by building a USB isolator but is still has a cracking problem on all 5 of my systems. It's not a defect it’s a design flaw. It makes a great paper weight.

 

Edit added more info.

 

Update: I think Im going to go with a Xonar DSX and JDSLabs CmoyBB but a may switch to a little bit more analytical OP-AMP.

Edited by RED-404 - 10/12/12 at 4:37am

Happy update! I disabled my onboard sound, deleted the Xonar from Device Manager, rebooted, and the Xonar was detected. Installed the Unified drivers, rebooted again, and I'm now listening to Dolby Headphone from my front panel. I'm a happy camper.

What make and model is your motherboard?

The Xonar DSX comes with DTS, not Dolby.

Are you ok with just using DTS?

 

FacePalm you Sir are exactly right. I meant to order the DGX and not the DSX… Looks like it shipped…..
So I'm going to be refusing a package on Monday. :-/

 

Note to self: Never order stuff at 5AM….

Good thing you didn't actually order the DSX, that would been worst. You get the package expecting to see DGX but see DSX instead.

Yay!
*Ode to Joy*

New Soundblasters are reaching Amazon.

 

I'm curious to get one and use it under Windows 8, see how it performs but I am still skeptical about SBX. I believe it could be just a rename of THX TruStudio Pro and if you play under THXTSP you'll notice less sonic degradation than CMSS-3D but worse positioning. 

 

I find it to be quite the opposite, the previous software package performs better on both SQ and positional cue accuracy, when compared to THX TruStudio Pro.

Where can I find this $300 deal? How do they compare with the Koss ESP-950?

Thanks for the quick and knowledgeable reply, but unfortunately I never seem to be in the right place at the same time as when the deals appear. lol.

So back to looking for a comfortable set of cans that have AD700 staging but with some ~60Hz bass capabilities for under $200.

I am not interested in a V shaped EQ curve, just a little thump - is that asking too much?

Maybe? I've heard several people recommend a new headphone I've not heard called the Takstar, but I can't personally vouch for it.

Last night I played Oblivion with my Recon3D and AD700, it's amazing how strong the virtual surround works, even better than the Q701. I'm sincerely hoping the Q701's soundstage expands and becomes more accurate with an extra amp, but... If not, then I may just get an E11, use the bass boost, and sell my Q701. I waffle on wether the Q701 was worth it at 2x the price... But it (the Q701) is really an amazing headphone when used for music.
Edited by Evshrug - 10/20/12 at 6:07pm

Does the e11 give AD700 some bass? 

The FiiO E11 has two bass-boost settings.

Ok, if you'll let me give a personal analysis and opinion based on said analysis, but keep in mind that I don't have the money to test out every hypothesis, and your preference may vary...

The AD700 is godly for competitive gaming. It's easily amped, it's very light weight with a light and IMO comfortable clamping force, has the biggest soundstage and best directional positioning I've heard without adding a powerful desktop amp, very detailed, and I don't find the sound signature fatiguing for long gaming sessions. I don't think spending more money will get you a headphone that will increase your competitive edge in FPS gaming.

All that said, it won't thump thump. The bass is there to hear, as detailed as the rest of the sound frequencies, boosting the bass with another device like the E11 or a computer EQ will make the bass louder and more prominent, but the reason I started looking for another headphone was that the AD700 can't get much... hard to pick the right word... body, authority, or weight. Everyone seems to use different words to describe this, some merely say "doesn't have bass," but that's not an accurate description either.

You can have a loud explosion, but it won't sound like a big explosion, if that makes sense.

It's a minor difference, and I do enjoy my AD700s. They sound lean rather than rich, but they have all the advantages above, and work really well with binaural/surround processed audio. If you have speakers or don't listen to much music, or if they would be your first pair of nice headphones, then I'd give the AD700's a strong recommendation at a bargain price. Otherwise you might want to pair the AD700 with something more "rich" for a more "musical" experience, like the Koss KSC75 clip-ons so you also have something fun to wear when out of the home.
Edited by Evshrug - 10/20/12 at 5:34pm

OMG, HOW DID I MISS THIS POST?!
Looks awesome! kinda gets me in the mood for a replay The "Inception" soundtrack inclusion was a nice touch.
I understand how some people feel about the stock models, Bernie (I think, your security guard friend) looks good, but I think the models used for Alyx and her father look like... Well they don't fit the characters IMO, to keep it polite haha. But the environment visuals are stunning! Benefits of a strong fan base
Edited by Evshrug - 10/20/12 at 6:15pm