I just got the HD650s and I haven't made up my mind yet regarding the amplification. I'm leaning towards ZxR as I said two pages before, but some folks keep telling me to go the external route. The problem is that I think I'll need those Sound Blaster effects for gaming and movies. Should I...

      The question is I'll be doing gaming with the HD650s too, and the Sound Blaster emulates 5.1 surround sound and has a good EQ software. If I go with an external DAC/Amp now, I'll lose those features. Aren't the Burr-Brown DACs in the ZxR technically better than the Modi?   What if...

Does anyone in here have the HD650s hooked up to a Sound Blaster ZxR? Do they make a good match?  Do you recommend it over, let's say, the Schiit combo (Schiit Magni+Modi)?

I'm about to buy a Sound Blaster ZxR. Should I make that move or wait to see how this one turns up on reviews? I wonder if STX II is more moddable than ZxR.  As you are talking about the output impedance on the headphone jack, I read here on the forum that ZxR's is even higher (~40 ohm) despite...

Hi,   I listen to a lot of music, a little bit of everything, from rock to pop, from blues to metal, from alternative to folk. Oh, and classical and choral music when I'm working or relaxing.   Basically, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cranberries, Coldplay, Beatles, Queen, Eddie Vedder, Eric...

Hi,   Have you already tried the Sennheisers? These or the HD650s? What would you recommend?

I didn't know about those. I think I'm gonna read some reviews about them. Are they in the same league as the HD650s? I see that they are closed, whereas the Senns are open. (mistake)   Ok. Thanks.

@TwoEars Well, I listen to a little bit of everything, from pop to rock, from metal to alternative, from blues to classical and choral. So, if I go with the HD650s, there should be no point in getting the HD598s too according to you, right?

Thanks again for your insight!    One more thing, that person who is selling me the HD650s also has the HD598s for sale for 125€ (bought from Amazon last October). I arranged an audition of the two headphones with him, and he says that if both end up pleasing my ears and I get both from him...

Thanks. Yeah, I think I know what you're talking about there, but I also can't remember the name of it. 

Thanks for your input. ;) Yeah, I don't want anything colouring the sound when listening to music, just the raw stereo sound, plain and simple.   But can the SBX Pro Studio and the other gaming features on the card improve the quality of the HD650s in gaming, soundstage and directionality...

Hi,   Does the ZxR sound card keep up with the HD650s? Does someone in here have this combo? If so, how does it perform in music and games?   I almost pulled the trigger on the HD598s for ~170€. Now I can get the HD650s used (bought from Amazon last December) for "only" 250€.    Cumps

Yeah, I know that, but I'm talking about the relation between the output impedance of the sound card and the nominal impedance of the headphones. I read somewhere there's a rule that says the output impedance of the Amp should be less than 1/8th the headphone impedance. Otherwise, there can be...

Thank you for your insight. You've made things much clearer for me. :) I'm still getting a Xonar Essence STX or a ZxR though, because I'll use headphones for music too. I heard that ZxR has an output impedance on the headphone jack of the order of 40 ohm, whereas STX has only a 10 ohm output...

Ok, good, no problem in movies then.   As to the PS3 issue, you can't get 5.1 analog out of the console, so my idea was to pass the signal through the optical-In port on the ZxR daughterboard. I think PS3 can output Dolby Digital Live or DTS 5.1 and 2.0 PCM. As the ZxR doesn't support...

  These are a new revision of the original S550 speakers, named S550 Encore (http://www.edifier-international.com/products/edifier-multimedia/s550-encore). Too bad Edifier chose not to include a digital circuit in the set.    Quote:   Thanks for your answer. Most of the entries...

  That's a pretty interesting idea. :-) Then I could just use an entry-level sound card from Asus or Creative as a pass-through for the digital sound (and to make its processing) and allocate more money towards a good receiver which can supersede the quality of the Burr-Brown DACs and TI 6120A2...

Thanks for the wise answer. I'll certainly start a thread in the AVS forum. It's better to invest the money in small steps and upgrade as necessary than to go crazy and buy the first thing you see just because it is appealing in a certain way. Also, I do have a PS3 and the S550s are somewhat...

I'm in Portugal, and here the Encore S550 costs about 550€. It's funny that you mention the option for a set of home audio components and an AVR. That was also recommended to me today at a portuguese store specialized in sound. They defend the optical connection over the analog one, which is...

On the specs page it reads "not less than" 85dBA. The S730 and the old S550 both share this spec.   I thought they were good for the price, everyone keeps saying me that. Now I'm questioning that.

Hi,   I plan on buying the Sound Blaster ZxR, a pair of Senns HD598 and the Edifier S550 Encore speakers. I'll use this combo for movies, gaming and music. Is this a good choice? Or can I get better SQ for the same price range?   I'm a little bit concerned about the lack of DDL and DTS...

There's this review here, but it is in german:   http://www.tomshardware.de/edifier-s550-encore-review-sound-check,testberichte-241468.html   Previously, I was planning on buying the Edifier S530D, now I'm trying to choose between the 550 Encore and the 730.

Hello community,   I'm Manel and I write from Portugal.   So, I decided to join the forum because I'm building a gaming rig and need your opinion on the audio sector, which I very much care about. With that in mind, I'm willing to put aside a total of approximately 700€ (euros) just for this...