Well, call me crazy but I think I prefer the sound from the headphone jack for my headphones over the line out. I have it at the Normal Gain setting, which is what Asus recommends for 50Ω headphones.

Sorry, you lost me on that last one. Free samples of what?

heh. The price tag on the card itself was enough for now, thanks. Ok, I'll have to give that a try then with line out then. I thought the headphone jack with normal gain setting, labeled as being for cans with 0 to 64Ω impedance, would be the ideal one but maybe not.

Ok, but just out of the box, with the stock op-amps, how does the line out differ from the dedicated headphone jack?

No, I just use the normal gain setting on the headphone jack, which I assume is what it's meant for. I've just heard all this stuff about "the HD555 sounds better with an amp!" and I was wondering if that would help it at all. I plan on getting some better cans in the coming years anyway, so I'm...

Hey there, I've got a set of Sennheiser HD555 which are rated at 50Ω. Is there any advantage/disadvantage/no effect of using the high gain setting on the Asus Xonar Essence STX which I believe is labeled as >64Ω?

Are there any good Canadian e-tailers for audio gear and turntables and such? I know several for computer parts which sell a small selection of headphones but that's it.

Thank you for your responses. Paul J, that was exactly the info I was looking for. Thank you. Regarding the mini-system speakers: I considered, and was afraid of that. Yes, I am using my mini-system speakers. So then the speakers are weak in bass response and the mini-system, being...

I know you probably get hundreds of these so I'll be as brief as possible. First of all, I'm in Canada, so that will probably narrow the recommendations down from the get-go. I'm looking for an entry level integrated amp or receiver. What I mean by entry is level is something that is at least...

Speakers are in phase, that was the first thing I checked. The minisystem being incorrect in its bass response is something I considered. I think Sony stuff in particular likes to ride the bass hard. I had a pair of Sony headphones once then switched to Sennheiser and at first was put off by...

Ok, good to know. There's definitely no clipping in the bass. What I don't understand though, is that if I isolate all variables i.e.: I use the same DVD player, same speakers, some speaker placement, and run it through my old stereo instead of this amp, the bass is significantly more strong.

Hi everyone, I just recently picked up a used Technics SA-DX1050 amplifier. A bit older, I know, made around 2000 I think, but I got it for what I think is a reasonable price for an amp. Anyway, the reason I bought it was to replace an old Sony stereo system I've been using. I don't...

Quote: Originally Posted by periurban 6) Distortion that increased towards the end of each side of the record. I'm actually surprised I haven't been able to find more information on this, since I've had two record players and I have noticed this myself. It's probably my only beef...

Yeah it tends to be a lot worse on the "rock" and "bass boost" settings so for recordings that are reasonably bass-heavy, I turn off the EQ. Trouble is, of course, it doesn't sound quite as good. Are there any decently priced, portable headphone amps that'll give me the punch I'm looking for...

When using the HD555 on an iPod Nano, I find there's a certain noticeable distortion in the bass region, especially anything with a loud synth bass drum. The distortion is not present when the same music is played with any other of my playback devices (PC, stereo, etc). Is this a problem with...