Hello, I am looking to purchase a pair of heaphones to match with the O2+ODAC combo (which I will purchase in about a week). I am still a bit new to this quality   I have zero'd in on the AKG Q701's and the Beyerdynamics DT 880 Pro's.   They both seem like really great headphones from what I...

I recently bought a pair of AKG K701 . I use them with an asus dgx sound card at highest possible 64 Ohm amp. The sound on stereo is we can say good(not so much) but not very loud even at 100% volume .    In the other hand when  enable surround sound Dolby headphone (with all the setting on...

Looking at a pair of DT 770s (the 250 Ohm / pro version) to use mainly on my desktop PC. Right now I don't have an amp/dac, but I do have a soundcard -- unfortunately it does not have a headphone amplifier. I was looking at the STX.. Thoughts?

Recently I purchased a xonar essence stx and a Sennheiser PC 360 I love it!  Amazing sound compared to my Corsair Vengeance 1500 USB.  Though there seems to be a specific issue that stands out.  When I boot up the PC for some reason it tends to hang on the windows logo (Windows 8.1) for like a...

Hi, I would like to set up foobar 2k with ASIO but I am unsure on how to set it up properly.    Do I just download the asio foobar component and select ASIO device? Or must I download ASIO4ALL too? I thought the Essence STX has native ASIO driver support? Is this true that I do not have to...

Is the soundcard capable of driving the Beyerdynamic headphones without any sound quality loss compared to a external amp? I am trying to purchase my first set of headphones, and am in need of advice. The soundcard part is basically a must, as I intend to play games with the headphones, and want...

Hi there   Ii had such a laugh. These guys say your onboard has better audio than a dedicated sound card  

Hi guys. Currently I own IE80 earphones from Sennheiser. The sound quality is amazing. However, I also want to get myself a headphones for home usage, and also for my computer sound card Essence STX. What could you recommend? Budget is $500 max.

I'm really looking for a really good set of bassy, portable headphones.   For my computer, i use AKG Q701 with the Asus Xonar Essence STX.     So i'm looking for something that can compare.   I'm pretty new to the audio scene, and could really use the help     NOTE:  I plan to wear a...

Hey guys. I just got a Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro 250 Ohms + FiiO E09K. I already had a Xonar Essence STX, but i didn't l ike the amp very much. However, this soundcard has a pretty good DAC. Anyway, I just want to use the E09K as a Amp, and the STX as a DAC. Which connections I use, and what cable...

looking to get a new sound card ( got a new motherboard doesnt have pci old sound card was pci)  i am currently trying to choose between 2 sound cards and wondering which one i should get. will be used with my Pioneer SE-A1000 headphones mabye something better in the future with a higher...

[Edit] Im an idiot, didn't read the welcome message.  I'm going to ask over in the help and recommendations sub.  Sorry.   Hey everyone, I got a pair of IE80s a few months ago, and I am looking for some sort of amp to drive them.  I am currently using my Xonar Essence STX, which seems to be...

I'm having issues with only being able to run one audio stream at a time. I'm currently running Windows 7->Essence stx toslink out->Schiit Bifrost->Bottlehead Crack->Sennheiser HD650. Before I got the Bifrost, when I was running rca out from the stx, I could pause a movie in jriver to watch a...

Hey guys. Kinda new to audio equipment so this may need to be moved, and I apologize in advance if that's the case. I currently have an old Logitech system (2 speakers and a sub) along with a control dial (like this one: http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/00b35819b3.jpg). I'm always...

I am looking for a new sound card and Amazon is going to have a limited time deal on the Sound Blaster ZXR tomorrow. Does anyone know if the Sound Blaster ZXR is as good as or better than the Xonar Essence STX and would it be worth getting the Sound Blaster ZXR on sale (assuming the price will...

Hello, My mistake, I posted this in the wrong thread.   My question is in regards to the HiVi M50W 2.1 Multimedia Speakers. Is it still a good quality speaker? Would XONAR Essence STX work well with it? With technology being obsoleted so quickly every couple years, does that apply to audio...

Hi,   I've bought new headphones Audio-technica ATH-AD700, and I want to buy DAC+AMP combo. I'm deciding between Xonar Essence and MicroStreamer, but I don't know which one choose. I know that Essence is internal and MicroStreamer is external, but it's not important for me. I want to use it...

Hi I've seen a previous thread in Head-Fi about Asus Essence STX being modified and 'degraded' in sound quality because of capacitors/op amps being swapped for cheaper ones.   http://www.head-fi.org/t/662886/xonar-essence-stx-fake   I was thinking of buying a used Asus essence STX and...

Hey guys,   I'm not really good at all this high tech audio stuff so don't shoot me for asking this...   I'm using a beyerdynamic DT 990 pro atm with a ASUS Xonar Essence STX soundcard, but sometimes with certain types of music like dubstep etc. I feel like the bass isn't deep and/or...

Hi,   I'm pretty new to using headphones for listening to music, but a few weeks ago I decided to purchase a Sennheiser HD 650 so that I can also listen to music in hi-fi during the late hours.   I already had a Asus Xonar Essence STX soundcard with dedicated headphone amp built in (TI...

I'm looking for an amp to power the Beyer DT880 600ohms. I currently have have a Xonar Essence STX and from what I've heard, doesn't drive the 880s very well. I haven't bought the 880s yet so I can't test it for myself. So I'm looking for an amp that would be a considerable upgrade to the...

Hey guys. I'm in abit of a predicament here and I could really use some advice. Basically, I'm quite fatigued of the sound of my Xonar STX's headphone amp. I have a pair of HD600 and Mad Dogs and they both sound really congested and messy from the STX. Bass is nearly nonexistent on metal/rock...

I need help with an amp. I have the opportunity of getting a Little Dot MKV for 160$ used. the only problem i have, is that im not sure if ill be able to use it with my Xonar STX. (using the stx as a DAC, and the little dot as the amp.) I am not sure if it is possible, maybe go RCA to RCA into...

I currently use a Xonar STX to drive my Sennheiser HD 650's from my computer, but I'm considering upgrading to a dedicated amp and DAC setup, and the Schiit products in particular caught my eye. I'm trying to decide if I want the Bifrost/Asgard 2 combo, or if I should wait a few months and save...

Greetings all,   Recently bought a Rolls Bellari HA540 and AKG Q701's.  So I heard how crappy the stock tubes were and thought I would try a NOS tube.  So I bought a nice well balanced Telefunken 12AX7.  Tried it tonight and must say I am underwhelmed.  I can barely hear any difference...