The Nameless Guide To PC Gaming Audio (with binaural headphone surround sound) - Page 61

Hello, I'm new to the world of hi-fi audio.  I've decided I want to get some AKG Q701s based on Mad Lust Envy's Headphone Gaming Guide. It seems like the consensus after spending the last week reading, was that the Q701s need some amplification. At some point I think I want to get to a Schiit BiFrost and Lyr, I just can't get everything at once.  On the gaming side I was thinking of using an Asus Xonar DX to save some money and outputting that via S/PDIF to a FiiO D3 + Matrix M-Stage amp or FiiO E17.

A concern I noticed with the The Asus Xonar DX is that the specs say the Digital S/PDIF Output is shared with the Line-In/Mic-In jack, where do you guys who do the sound card + dac + amp with these cards plug in your mic? In to the onboard sound card (I thought you should uninstall the drivers before installing a sound card)?

I read all the post in this form but there was some mixed information about the Asus Xonar Essence STX, I see that it has a separate mic in and optical out of course it’s more expensive.  My question with this card that I don't think has been directly asked or answered is if you can get the Dolby Headphone out of the RCA outputs?  I know the S/PDIF has definitively been settled with yes, but haven't seen anything on the RCA outputs. Since this card is more expensive I would run the output directly to an amp if I had to get this card enable to use a microphone.

Questions:

1. Where do you plug your mic when using Xonar DX + S/PDIF -> DAC -> AMP -> Headphones?

2. Does Xonar Essense STX output Dolby headphone over RCA outputs?  (potential: Xonar STX -> AMP -> Headphone).

3. Do I gain anything by using the D3 or E17 as a DAC over just going DX headphone out -> AMP -> headphones? (I thought this was a no, no because of double amping?)

4. If I get a Xonar Essense STX is it worth getting an E17/M-Stage as a hold over until I can afford the LYR? (Kind of a Q701 specific question

5. Does anyone use the LYR in this kind of setup or is that just overkill? It seems like a good bang for its buck based on reviews.

Hope that is coherent. I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head, and its hard to put them all down on paper. Essentially I'm looking for a good setup for gaming 60%/ Music and Movies 40% with the Q701s. Besides the E17 I was also considering things like the Yulong D100 MII, NuForce Icon HDP and Grant Fidelity Tubedac II.

Unless you have interference or ground loop problems, why not use the analog output of the Xonar DX ? The FiiO D3 is a downgrade, and the E17 does not have a better DAC either. Also, you would not be "double amping" the Xonar DX, as it has no headphone amplifier, only line outputs. However, some of the amplifiers you listed are indeed known to be prone to ground loop issues.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stv014 

Unless you have interference or ground loop problems, why not use the analog output of the Xonar DX ? The FiiO D3 is a downgrade, and the E17 does not have a better DAC either. Also, you would not be "double amping" the Xonar DX, as it has no headphone amplifier, only line outputs. However, some of the amplifiers you listed are indeed known to be prone to ground loop issues.

+1 what STV014 said.

The Xonar DX comes with the CS4398 DAC chip :), so whatever external amplifier you get, just plug it into the Xonar DX's line-out/headphone jack (green).

(the Xonar DX/D1 line-out/headphone jack (green) is more like a line-out jack that pretends to be a headphone output).

The Xonar Essence STX (& ST) and the Xonar DX (& D1) all come with almost the same audio processing features and all have the same audio processor, the CMI8788.

So if you planning on getting external amp or external DAC/amp, just get a Xonar DX or D1 (save a few dollars and buy used).

Make sure if you buy a used DX or D1, make sure it comes with the 3.5mm to optical adapter (for external DAC hook up).

Otherwise buy new.

My biggest concern with the Xonar DX was if I could use my microphone if I'm using the S/PDIF output since the specs say that the S/PDIF port is shared with the line-in/mic-in jack.

Hm. Well, assuming you have mic-in by the FRONT panel, maybe that won't be a problem?

Also, found this:

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/audio/48063-dual-onboard-xonar-dx-setup.html

Seems that S/PDIF out would be 2.0 only on the DX, so maybe you shouldn't use S/PDIF at all?

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKWintermute 

My biggest concern with the Xonar DX was if I could use my microphone if I'm using the S/PDIF output since the specs say that the S/PDIF port is shared with the line-in/mic-in jack.

Why do you need to use the Xonar DX S/PDIF output?

HalidePisces, I'm not sure AKWintermute has any trouble connecting a card to the Front Panel. In fact, there's nothing in his posts to indicate he's even intending to do this. So, I'm not sure your post answers his question...

Oh. Uh, that's more or less the same thing that I'm hypothesizing, no? 

Except I don't know if there's some software/firmware limitation that prevents the DX from simultaneously allowing S/PDIF out + Front panel mic-in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HalidePisces 

He wants to use his sound card's SPDIF out. It resides on a shared multi-purpose jack. He also wants to use his microphone. His sound card's mic-in jack also resides on the previously mentioned multi-purpose jack. Thus, he cannot use that jack for both at the same time. Therein lies his problem.
He can attempt to connect his sound card to his computer's front panel audio, which has a mic-in jack. This would allow him to connect a mic and have a digital out at the same time. The downside with front panel jacks is that they are noiser. Whether this is significant enough to be an issue for him is something he needs to find out. If he can live with it, problem solved. If the noise is too much, he might have to consider a different sound card.

The sound card may not function that way, when S/PDIF optical is enable, the cards mic feature may not work, even when the mic is plugged into the front mic jack.

I ask again, why use the S/PDIF port.

You can plug a nice external headphone amplifier into the Xonar's Line-out/headphone out jack (green) and use the just about any headphone he likes.