Quote: Originally Posted by chinesekiwi Sorry to quote this again but mmm..looking at these comparsions, looks like the DT880 might fit well with the LM6172. That said, I might get 2 LME49720's and 3 LM6172 to do a nice comparison. Anyone done a 2 LME 49720 + 1 LM6172 buffer or 3...

Given that you're looking for a gaming solution I second obobskivich's suggestion of the X-Fi USB. Either that or an ASUS Xonar U1. Both are usb solutions and are about the same price.

It seems this thread has gotten a bit off-track from what the OP was apparently asking, so allow me to try to get us back on topic. @Mutsu, you were wondering if you should upgrade your Xonar D2X to the Essence STX or keep the D2X and instead buy an external headphone amp for about the same...

Yes I would go for the cheaper one, if for no other reason than it's cheaper. It's not the first time that I've seen a website have multiple entries for the same part. If you can tho, I'd suggest getting it from Digikey here instead, since I know that's the correct part...

Quote: Originally Posted by Ansh Another question Are DIP and 8-DIP OPAMPs compatiable? I am trying to find the LT1361 and find no version of 8-DIP but one of DIP The pins look similar through those pictures?(8 pins with similar shape) Thanks again Quote: Originally...

Quote: Originally Posted by freakydrew I recently entered the world of Head Fi and just picked up my headphones (Senns HD555 and ATH-AD700), I thought I had a decent sound card as my Dell is less than a month old, it is the Realtek High Def Integrated 7.1. Fellow head fi'ers have said...

Quote: Originally Posted by obobskivich well, before reading the $100 tick I was gonna suggest M-Audio or E-MU, as it'll get you the OS X compatability (Creative afaik still doesn't support mac with the X-Fi boards, I could be mistaken regarding the external unit though) at around...

Yeah I figured that out after I thought about it a bit. I just misread what Creative was saying when they said "stereo spdif." They just mean that their spdif output signal contains a stereo (i.e. front L/R) signal, not that the digital signal actually uses 2 separate channels to carry its...

Quote: Originally Posted by royalcrown If you decide against the Xonar, get the EMU 0404 PCI version - it's the same thing for half the price. You miss out on a lot of the features on the USB version, but they're strictly for recording, so unless you need those features the PCI version...

.Sup, Here a few links that might help you out: Digital Output vs. Analog Output FlexiJack Configurations for S/PDIF Digital I/O, Mic In/Line In I think iriverdude is right. The first link above says that X-Fi cards have a stereo SPDIF digital out, so it looks like you need a...

Hey ROBSCIX, which modules are you testing, specifically? I'm going to be buying one most likely but haven't yet decided on the OPA-Moon or -Earth.

@Winterlord, AFAIK the STX has only been compared to two external DAC's on these forums. taso89 compared it to his Zero DAC w/ OPA-Earth HDAM installed, and he found the STX to be "clearly superior" to the Zero. scytheavatar compared it to his iBasso D2 Boa, and said the STX made the Boa...

Quote: Originally Posted by obobskivich actually the OP never asked for opinions or experience, he asked if there was actually a difference in SQ between the two styles of converter/adapter reading the original post can be fun: Is there a difference in sound quality between a 3.5mm...

Quote: Originally Posted by obobskivich two words for ya champ: prove it. Why must you always be so argumentative? Like all the other times you've been like this to me, I give you the same answer: I use my ears. When I listen to my headphone w/ a radioshck splitter in the...

To the OP, looking at the pics you attached, it's not so much which design is chosen as the quality of the materials and workmanship. An adapter of either "style" from, say, Radioshack, will degrade the sound quality slightly, but you'd need good ears and pretty resolving equipment to hear the...

Quote: Originally Posted by rodomenr New review: ASUS XONAR Essence STX PCIe Audio Card - HotHardware Interesting review. Not too much we didn't already know of course, but the Centrance ASIO Latency Test results are a good read. It's also worthy to note that the reviewer...

Quote: Originally Posted by Shahrose So Alydon, I tried the LM6172 in the buffer spot with 2xLME49720 and surprisingly, it sounds quite different from before. The bass no longer cuts out, and there's no unneeded warmth to the sound (still add warmth, but not excessively). I believe it...

Good to know that you haven't heard any. That eases my concern a bit. However, in riderforever's post 2 pages back he does mention a lack of extension: I haven't yet read any opinion that specifically mentions bass extension as being good or bad other than the above post by riderforever...

I wouldn't use the speaker's HP-out as it will probably degrade the sound rather significantly. A 2-way splitter like what FallenAngel suggests is a better option. Depending on build quality some of the cheaper ones will degrade the sound as well but IME the difference is very small and almost...

Quote: Originally Posted by ROBSCIX @maarek99, I forgot the 627 is single channel so yes, you will need a single to dual channel adapter. If the caps are too close to the socket to allow for the 627 in a adapter to be used, you can use a dip 8 socket to extend the socket upwards...

Quote: Originally Posted by Shahrose Just tried the LME49860 in the buffer spot. Compared to the LME49720, they are brighter, less bassy and have less mids. The soundstage is not as wide as it is with the LME49720, but the front-depth increased a bit. I also agree with Alydon about...

Quote: Originally Posted by Shahrose Soundstaging is good but it's not their forte. I would say they rank somewhere near the default opamps for soundstage depth but it's not as wide as stock. However, they are quite layered and holographic, maybe the most out of all the opamps I've...

Quote: Originally Posted by Shahrose Absolutely. In fact, I was initially impressed by their performance from the headphone-out, which prompted me to try them in the buffer spot as well. On a different note; I've been experimenting further with 1xLME49720 and 2xOPA2107 and I like...

Quote: Originally Posted by Shahrose I'm not sure why but when I tried the LM6172 after the LME49720 in the buffer spot, the bass was strained, especially at higher volumes. It felt like the bass was just giving up partway through the note and I don't mean a quick decay. I mean some...

Quote: Originally Posted by Soriano First off thanks for the replies both of you! I think I've decided to go with Foobar2000 after seeing it for myself. I like how light it appears to be compared to others. Thanks for the note of how to rip into FLAC. That will be one of my big...