[elpiojo]

I'm a long time lurker on here, but this is my first post so please be gentle. I am in the process of upgrading my PC and have noticed that my new motherboard (Z87 Sabertooth) doesn't have any PCI slots so I therefore need a new sound card to replace my old Audigy 2 ZS. The card will be used for games, video and music in pretty much equal measure using HD650's. I was looking at the Sound Blaster Z and Omni (£60 and £55), but noticed a Xonar Essence STX on sale for £95.
 
My question is would the Xonar be worth the extra money and how does it compare to the 2 Creative cards in gaming and movies? Would the onboard audio (Realtek ALC1150) be sufficient or would some form of external DAC be the best solution? I'd be looking to spend ~£100 maximum on this part of my PC upgrade. Thanks in advance and Happy New Year.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Have you installed the new motherboard?
Have you tried the HD650 plugged into the motherboard?
The Essence STX is a good value for sound quality and for driving your 300-Ohm HD650s.

 

[GREQ]

An external DAC at least follows you down the road whichever computer comes next.
If you're used to controlling the sound from your PC you might not need an amp, but it's so much easier/convenient to change volume with one.
Should sound better too.
I'd go for a little desktop stack like an O2/ODAC or Modi/Magni type shindig. 
Or if you want something all-singing-all-dancing, get something like a FiiO E17 that can follow you as a portable amp, and is much smaller than most desktop solutions. 
I've got one of these but never use it for desktop, but I saw a guy at work use his on the desktop. Looked like a very low clutter solution.

 

[billybob_jcv]

I think the big decision of "sound card" versus an external DAC is based more on whether you want to use any of the extra sound processing features that come with gaming soundcards, like multi-channel processing, dolby headphone, or any of the soundblaster stuff. If your focus is only stereo music, then IMHO an audiophile DAC makes more sense.

One of the nice things about products like the Fiio E10K is that they are so cheap, that it's pretty easy to just leave it on your desk, and you can still have money to spend on a portable amp if you need one. I prefer to use IEMs when portable, and my IEMs are very efficient and do not need an amp. So, I don't need to disassemble anything - I have gear I use at home, gear I use at the office, and gear I use in the car.

It's only money...

 

[elpiojo]

Thanks for the replies, really appreciate it.
 

Have you installed the new motherboard? Have you tried the HD650 plugged into the motherboard?
The Essence STX is a good value for sound quality and for driving your 300-Ohm HD650s.

I've not put the PC together yet so I've not tried using the on board sound.
 

I think the big decision of "sound card" versus an external DAC is based more on whether you want to use any of the extra sound processing features that come with gaming soundcards, like multi-channel processing, dolby headphone, or any of the soundblaster stuff. If your focus is only stereo music, then IMHO an audiophile DAC makes more sense.

I do play a lot of games on the PC and watch a lot of TV shows and films so I guess I'd be looking for something that's a Jack of all trades really.

 

[billybob_jcv]

You can always have both a soundcard and a audiophile DAC and just change the playback device as needed in Windows.