So I recently bought a pair of Sennheiser HD558s and I was wondering where I should listen to music online. I usually go on Youtube, but earlier I was listening to a track I liked and it sounded kinda awful. Kinda like when a can of pop comes off sour or bitter.

It's from ~2008 so yeah, gettin up there. It's still good though.

My onboard sound card (VIA Vinyl VT1708/A - 8-channel HD Audio) claims   Supports 44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz DAC Independent Sample Rate All ADCs Support 48K/192KHz Independent Sample Rate Built in High Quality Headphone Amplifier   I figured that it would provide the quality, but I'm less...

You'd recommend the usb over optical? I would be using it for gaming, so I'm not sure how much of an effect the latency mentioned in many reviews might affect me.

Alright, so I ordered a second hand pair of the 558s. Can you recommend a low budget amp that would go well with them, preferably with optical-in?

I don't want the isolation. I spend a lot of time longboarding and in places where hearing my surroundings is ideal. That's why I felt that going for open headphones would be a better choice. Am I wrong about this? I am not a pro at audio.   Also I am open to buying a headphone amplifier. I...

I'm looking at a pair of sennheiser 518s. any comment?

So I busted my headphones, and have decided to upgrade. I've allocated $200 for the hunt on eBay. What should I get?   I'm looking for open, clear sound. I fell in love with the Sennheiser 800HDs the first time I heard them, but that's long out of my reach. I need something that can be...