A little overwhelmed

[buke9]

Well got here a bit late and would suggest the HiFiMan Sundara’s. To me a very good headphone for the price.

 

[mfer]

So, I kinda feel dumb(er) now.

I've been listening to my sony 1000xm4's for a year now at work and conf calls. Very convenient for sure, switching between mac/phone/pc pretty easy. I just pulled out the plug and hooked them up to my PC via wire bypassing the bluetooth. There is a pretty big difference. Suddenly there is no "crackle". I'm sure I'm using the wrong terms here, but easily a big improvement. Then I go look at my motherboard specs trying to see what output from the board as is. I have a pretty good computer (a passion of mine) and the mobo is decent, not gamer high end, but good. It is a gigabyte aorus pro wifi x570. Here is the back panel.

Per the manufacturer, it also has variable amp based on headphone speakers input.
ALC1220-VB Immersive Gaming ViBes
All New Realtek High-End HD Audio Codec
ALC1220 120dB(A) SNR HD Audio with Smart Headphone Amp automatically detects impedance of your head-worn audio device, preventing issues such as low volume and distortion.
With the new VB series audio controller, stream your voice to the world vibrantly with both front/rear microphone SNR up to 110/114dB(A).

Not sure how much of that is gaming hype (it is horribly exaggerated in many cases when it comes to pc components). I'm trying to search the milliwatt output of the board, but can't find it. I found a review of a z390 board that would likely be comparable to my board. It was decent, but the review states "no where near a simple $100 dac." I don't want to post the link as it is another audio forum and I don't know the rules here.

Think, I might be changing my mind a bit on what I want. I'd like a higher quality setup to do the following.
1. During the day, stream high res music from my phone via cable.
2. During the night, stream high res musci from my pc while I game with no game music, but some minimal game sfx that are queues in the game to do things.

2.0 speaker set up will likely be at a later date. As I sit here and type, I realize I can't listen to music on speakers as my 2 kids are fast asleep. I guess I can dream of a good 2.0 setup one day, but I guess it isn't likely anytime soon.

Sorry for the change of direction, you all have been VERY helpful and I truly appreciate everyone's time.

 

[mfer]

Well got here a bit late and would suggest the HiFiMan Sundara’s. To me a very good headphone for the price.

Thanks, I saw those as the primary comp for the previously mentioned ATH-R70x. Many choices!!!!!!!!

 

[mfer]

pc pic for fun.

 

[earmonger]

Sundara vs. ATH-R70X is pretty contentious. I went for the Audio-Technica but there is a lot of discussion favoring either one, and Audio-Technica's quality control and general reputation are what swayed me. Also the comfort factor which, believe me, is pretty remarkable.

https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/m3un7k/r70x_vs_sundara/

 

[mfer]

Sundara vs. ATH-R70X is pretty contentious. I went for the Audio-Technica but there is a lot of discussion favoring either one, and Audio-Technica's quality control and general reputation are what swayed me. Also the comfort factor which, believe me, is pretty remarkable.

https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/m3un7k/r70x_vs_sundara/

I hear you. I actually found this article earlier. I like the comfort factor for sure and the warmer feel than the Sundara (at least I think so). I don't like Klipsch if that helps. The bh photo site is out of them at the time anyway. Looking for more dac info at this time. I really like @pbui44 recommendation on the amp. Seems like a winner. I might chose a different dac now. Really wise there was a multi in usb unit, but doesn't look like much......but is my PC good enough? Just get an amp? I don't know. I guess get one then the other?

 

[pbui44]

Well, I think that you should still go for the ATH-R70x, especially since you want to listen to music while gaming with 1/2 gameplay volume, but you are asking for a lot in a bluetooth usb dac, as those are expensive. Still, you can go this route in getting an FX Audio DAC-X6 mkii and Schiit Magnius amp with an XLR cable for the ATH-R70x:

https://www.amazon.com/FX-Audio-Blu...id=1645595641&sprefix=fx+audio,aps,140&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/NewFantasia-Compatible-Audio-Technica-Professional-Headphone/dp/B082XMNQHW

https://www.schiit.com/products/magnius

You can even add some RCA-to-XLR interconnects, as the analog signal is RCA-out and grounded:

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-XL...596016&sprefix=xlr+to+rca,aps,146&sr=8-3&th=1

 

[pbui44]

Also, you can just try using your on-board audio with the magnius and see how that works with the ATH-R70x, but if you want bluetooth as well for the daytime, then the DAC-X6 mkii is one of the few cheaper choices.

 

[pbui44]

BTW, this the next bluetooth usb dac upgrade after the FX Audio DAC-X6 mkii is the iFi zen one signature with 32-bit/384k PCM and DSD256 playback and single-ended and balanced outputs:

https://audio46.com/products/ifi-ze...tm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping

 

[mfer]

Sorry if I wasn't clear @pbui44 , I wasn't looking for bluetooth per say. I was hoping/wishing there was a multi input usb dac, but there doesn't appear to be so I could switch between a wired iphone and a wired pc. I have optical out on my motherboard so I could use that and I could figure out some cable options to go from iphone lighting to usb micro and then flip the input selector.

So Modi?
https://www.schiit.com/products/modi-1
ATH-R70x
and that amp you referenced in your first post.
Sabaj A10h

​

 

[mfer]

Also, the gaming isn't even 1/2 volume. All game music and sound affects are off, only sound is notifications. Think of the occasional "ping", except it isn't a ping. Sound is unique though.

 

[pbui44]

Sorry if I wasn't clear @pbui44 , I wasn't looking for bluetooth per say. I was hoping/wishing there was a multi input usb dac, but there doesn't appear to be so I could switch between a wired iphone and a wired pc. I have optical out on my motherboard so I could use that and I could figure out some cable options to go from iphone lighting to usb micro and then flip the input selector.

So Modi?
https://www.schiit.com/products/modi-1
ATH-R70x
and that amp you referenced in your first post.
Sabaj A10h

​

That all looks fine and well.

 

[mfer]

So, I haven't disappeared, but unfortunately I can't buy the headphones from bhphoto as they are oos. I know the dac is also a 3 week lead time, but the amp is next day amazon. Any other thought in the sub $1000 headphone price?

 

[pbui44]

Pick up these 10/10 used-open box HD660S for $360 really fast:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/802460619-USE/sennheiser_508826_hd_660_s_open_back.html

 

[mfer]

Pick up these 10/10 used-open box HD660S for $360 really fast:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/802460619-USE/sennheiser_508826_hd_660_s_open_back.html

Ah, thx for this, but I'm reading up on them and I'll be patient. These look "heavy" for me. They are down in price though if anyone else likes.

Seems like the ATH-R70x are pretty much sold out everywhere.