If i buy something like the Sony MDR DS6500 and connect it via optical to my Xonar D1 soundcard will that give me noticably better sound than my Sennheiser RS170 connected to Xonar D1 via analogue out jack. Regards Adrian

What DAC would you recommend fot driving monitor speakers? I'm using KRK Rokit 8's. Not sure if I need balanced outputs on the sound card or not, though I would prefer 6.3 TRS or XLR since I already own these cables.   200-300USD with shipping is my budget for the project, second hand is also...

This will be my first post over on head-fi so I hope I'm doing it right.   So what I'd like to know is if I'll hear a difference going from a Asus Xonar D1 to a Schiit Magni (Or something else in that price range if its better). I'm currently using a pair of AKG Q701 headphones and love them...

Hi guys, I've been trying to choose a DAC/amp combo unit but am currently stuck between 4:   1] AUNE X1 24bit 192kHz USB DAC Headphone Amp...

I just got my career job and can finally get my feet wet with some real cans. I purchased the BeyerDynamic DT 990's 600OHM ( used this site to read and pick ones i wanted. You guys are awesome) and I am loving them. I paired them with a Asus xonar STX. Card became defective and they resent me my...

Hi, I have a budget of $500, that can go up to $750 if necessary. I want a really good amp/dac combo for my HD 600s, seperate units or a single combined unit works. I am running off a windows desktop that has optical, headphone, and usb. Any reccomendations?

I won't be using the amp on either as I'll be outputting to the Fiio E9, though both DACs seem to have similar options. I'm not bothered about Dolby virtual 5.1 stuff - but I do wonder which DAC is best like for like.

Hi Headfi! Long time lurker, first time poster! Pretty much a newbie to the world of headphones and audiophiles in general so looking for a recommendation for a desktop amp from someone with better knowledge then I! What I have: Audio Technica a900x headphones, just on board Realtek HD...

Would Schiit Magni and Modi offer much of an upgrade over my STX?   I rarely game and when I do its not serious, and mainly listen to music. Wondered if Schiit Magni and Modi would offer much of an upgrade or wouldnt it be worth the money?

Hello, I'm looking for a good soundcard with a built in amp to replace my Fiio E9, Dolby Digital or something similar is required. Currently I have my eye on this http://www.dustinhome.dk/product/5010618825/creative-sound-blaster-recon3d-fatal1ty-pro-pcie/#intcmp=searchProvider_SiteSeeker...

Hi guys,   I'm thinking of buying An Amp / Dac (I haven't fully understood the difference between them)   my current equipment:   Headphone :Audio Technica Ad900 Onboard sound card (with optical) Logitech Z-5500 ( to which i connect my headphones) I also own HiFiMan Re0 which i...

Hello! Im looking for a decent cheapish amp for now.. Im not really good at amps and was wondering what would pair well with my q701's at a price of 150 or less. (or should i just save up for a xonar STX/xonar phobeous)   My listening is 90% gaming 10% music.   was looking at a...

Hello everyone,   I'm considering to buy Sennheiser HD 25-1-II cans ($300, 70 ohm). I do not have them yet. On my computer, I have poor onboard audio and some $50 Creative 2.1 speakers.   So before purchasing the headphones, I firstly want to buy a PCI soundcard for my computer. I...

I've read some post here about the two products but I still have a few questions. I decided to go with the DT 990 premium 250 ohm because I heard they are great for gaming and also for music/movies. Being new to all this audio stuff i also learned that it needs an amp and a soundcard to function...

Brief description, I have 2 separate systems that I listen to music on, one stand-alone 2 ch audio system and a computer system. I've found that I haven't touched the 2 channel system in over a year, because I'm always at my computer when I'm listening to music. Also, the house I live in is very...

I recently installed these third party drivers for my Xonar D1 just to try them out and I wasn't expecting it, but I'm pretty sure they sound better than the official Asus drivers.   I'm pretty curious though. How is it possible for these drivers to sound better? Cheers!

Hello everyone.   I've bought a new rig and ordered a decent pair of cans (Creative Aurvana Live) now I wanna get a bit more out of it and get a sound card and maybe an amp ( from what i could gather its not really needed for cals)   now my main use is games but i also play music and...

Hello.   I'm about to buy one of the asus Xonar sound cards.   For my purposes all it will do is process a digital audio signal. It needs to output this  through SPDIF to my E17.     After almost of month of researching into these sound cards I don't really know what their...

ive heard alot of great reviews on asus essence one,cheap and offers great audio quality, has lots of inputs for different sources (PC,DVD,PS3,XBOX etc.) i can link the asus essence one with my Z5500 Logitech Speakers too. Waiting for the Muses Edition   ive heard o2/odac sounded very boring...

I need a sound card that has   Dolby Headphone Dolby Digital Live Digital optical output   I prefer Dolby Headphone over CMSS-3D (seems to have better positioning), but sometimes, I like to game on my plasma tv and use my real surround sound system. So for that, I need dolby digital...

So i have had my AKG MK 271 II headphones for about 3months now and i absolutely love these things. They are absolutely amazing and just pure awesome. But i know i am not using them to their full potential using my computers on board sound....So i decided i would budget out about $50,.....maybe...

My Asus Xonar Essence STX just came in today and to my dissapointment I can only fit it in my case by putting it right under my graphics card which causes it to overheat when I play any video games that are GPU intensive. I've been able to listen to it while not playing any games and I love the...

hey fellas,   just got some HD 558's with a Xonar D1 on the way. will i benefit from an amp ? if so any recommendations?   cheers

I need something fairly bright for home theater. What is good and cheap? Thanks.

One of the ongoing criticisms of a lot of the gear on the market is that there is no attempt to supply meaningful measurements to support the marketing rhetoric. In addition to a favorable subjective review. the Dragonfly seems to have done OK for itself on the test bench -   ...