JimVincible
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2009
- Posts
- 46
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- 0
Hi guys,
Okay, so technically South Africa is a "developing country" and not 3rd world, but the issue still stands: It's virtually impossible to get decent affordable audio equipment.
I'm a pretty noob audiophile, just getting started. My current "rig" is basically an iPod Nano 3rd Gen and some UE Super.fi 5 Pros (using 320kbps mp3 or .alac) I used to carry them around with me at school etc, but they are impractical for everyday use (time to put them in, can't hear people talking, afraid of breaking them accidentally etc.) That's why I got some "disposable" (dons fire-proof suit) SkullCandy 'phones.
Aanyways... I have decided to focus more on a home setup, as I don't really need a high quality mobile setup (yet.) Currently, I am using my desktop computer (reasonably fast) as a source with the (stock) "SupremeFX" soundcard on my Asus Commando motherboard. I want to improve on this, computer audio is far from ideal.
The problem is that A: I don't have much money and B: I don't have much selection for variety or price. I have found only one supplier nationwide that sells Grado, I can get some SR-80i's for about $142, roughly $40 more than the rest of the world lol...
I am uncertain which will give me a better result, buying some SR-80i's (which, through reading here, I believe are the best cans for the money) or continuing the use of my S-F5P's and getting a better soundcard. I don't want to spend more than ~$150 (R1200) on either option, so let's call it about $100 in the American market to compensate for exorbitant prices over here.
I have access to a decent range of AKG and Sennheiser, but both are overpriced.
In terms of a soundcard, I'd prefer something simple and USB (desktop,) won't go into detail, it would just be much more convenient for swapping audio (I could also use it on my netbook/USB extensions are easy to find, decent 3.5mm aren't.)
I was going to get an Asus Xonar U1, which seemed like a nifty device. However, there is only one supplier for that as well, and they don't have any (with no ETA.) Lots of online stores have them listed, but none have stock (or ETA.)
That would seemingly leave me with a "Creative Sound Blaster Digital Music SX" or.. um.. that's it. Can anyone vouch for this card? It's hard to find solid technical reviews on products not designed for audiophiles ("it was an improvement over my motherboard audio" is a little less detail than I had hoped for.)
The main question is: Would the Grados be a bigger improvement than a sound card of sorts, or is there a better headphone for the money/some source I am overlooking?
Also, how will the experience change from my UE IEM's? I've only ever had a Zalman 5.1 gaming headphone set for closed cans and they were terrible, muddy and uncomfortable.
Thanks in advance to everyone that read this and is willing to help with the severe pickle I seem to have found myself in. Any help/advice is much appreciated. Many days have been spent googling/head-fi-searching to little avail.
-
Jim
Okay, so technically South Africa is a "developing country" and not 3rd world, but the issue still stands: It's virtually impossible to get decent affordable audio equipment.
I'm a pretty noob audiophile, just getting started. My current "rig" is basically an iPod Nano 3rd Gen and some UE Super.fi 5 Pros (using 320kbps mp3 or .alac) I used to carry them around with me at school etc, but they are impractical for everyday use (time to put them in, can't hear people talking, afraid of breaking them accidentally etc.) That's why I got some "disposable" (dons fire-proof suit) SkullCandy 'phones.
Aanyways... I have decided to focus more on a home setup, as I don't really need a high quality mobile setup (yet.) Currently, I am using my desktop computer (reasonably fast) as a source with the (stock) "SupremeFX" soundcard on my Asus Commando motherboard. I want to improve on this, computer audio is far from ideal.
The problem is that A: I don't have much money and B: I don't have much selection for variety or price. I have found only one supplier nationwide that sells Grado, I can get some SR-80i's for about $142, roughly $40 more than the rest of the world lol...
I am uncertain which will give me a better result, buying some SR-80i's (which, through reading here, I believe are the best cans for the money) or continuing the use of my S-F5P's and getting a better soundcard. I don't want to spend more than ~$150 (R1200) on either option, so let's call it about $100 in the American market to compensate for exorbitant prices over here.
I have access to a decent range of AKG and Sennheiser, but both are overpriced.
In terms of a soundcard, I'd prefer something simple and USB (desktop,) won't go into detail, it would just be much more convenient for swapping audio (I could also use it on my netbook/USB extensions are easy to find, decent 3.5mm aren't.)
I was going to get an Asus Xonar U1, which seemed like a nifty device. However, there is only one supplier for that as well, and they don't have any (with no ETA.) Lots of online stores have them listed, but none have stock (or ETA.)
That would seemingly leave me with a "Creative Sound Blaster Digital Music SX" or.. um.. that's it. Can anyone vouch for this card? It's hard to find solid technical reviews on products not designed for audiophiles ("it was an improvement over my motherboard audio" is a little less detail than I had hoped for.)
The main question is: Would the Grados be a bigger improvement than a sound card of sorts, or is there a better headphone for the money/some source I am overlooking?
Also, how will the experience change from my UE IEM's? I've only ever had a Zalman 5.1 gaming headphone set for closed cans and they were terrible, muddy and uncomfortable.
Thanks in advance to everyone that read this and is willing to help with the severe pickle I seem to have found myself in. Any help/advice is much appreciated. Many days have been spent googling/head-fi-searching to little avail.
-
Jim