[zzbloopzz]

I got my AD700's the other day, however I am not as happy as I expected. The sound stage is fantastic but it feels like they are "under powered" and sort of muffled? I feel that they can be a little more crisp and with more bass.

I am currently using onboard Realtek 889a sound. Would there really be an improvement getting a sub $60 sound card for gaming and 192k MP3's? Could the sound be muffled/sorta distorted due to the MP3 bitrate? I was going to buy an X-Fi XtremeGamer but hear their drivers suck. Might go with a Xonar, but only if I will see improvements.

As for lack of bass, I know I need an amp. Would just getting an Fiio E5 be good enough or should I save up for a Mini3/Cmoy? I doubt I will be upgrading these headphones for years to come.

I am rather limited on money and would like to spend as little as possible, with best bang for the buck. If I will see a big difference then I don't mind saving up few months. I was originally thinking to buy the Fiio E5 for ~$20 when it comes out. If I'm still not happy then to get a better sound card.

Thanks!

 

[stumbo]

Realtek sucks for sure.

A cheapie ebay x-fi will be a nice upgrade, then when you have the money you can step up to something like the Zero Dac.

I wasn't that impressed with my ad700s at first, but the more I listen to it and the better the source gets, the more that I like them.

 

[zzbloopzz]

Well I changed Realtek settings audio to be Headphone mode and it sounds much better. The vocals are simply amazing.

However, still no bass at all. Going to have to give that E5 a shot for now and maybe pick up a Xonar if there is a good sale.

Create FTL for driver support.

 

[chinesekiwi]

The AD700's are bass light with neutral/bright sources.

 

[No Smoking]

The ad700 were never bass heavy and if you wanted a bass heavy set of headphones you DEFINITELY bought the wrong headphones.

 

[elliot42]

Now, didn't I tell you to get the Moocher's AD900?

Definitely improve your source, on-board sound can suck pretty hard.

 

[stumbo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by No Smoking /img/forum/go_quote.gif The ad700 were never bass heavy and if you wanted a bass heavy set of headphones you DEFINITELY bought the wrong headphones.

The AD700s do not have a lot of bass from a flat source for sure, however with a little more juice and some EQ they are more than capable.

 

[zzbloopzz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by No Smoking /img/forum/go_quote.gif The ad700 were never bass heavy and if you wanted a bass heavy set of headphones you DEFINITELY bought the wrong headphones.

I just want a lil more bass. There is like NO base at all right now.

I'm going to go with an E5 amp for now and see if it's enough.

 

[blue_lammer]

If your looking for a cheapo solution you can grab the Chaintech AV-710. Everyone mentions how it needs to be amped but the AD700s are pretty damn efficient. It should give you the crispness you are looking for. At worst it'll be a cheap transport for your future upgrades.

 

[zzbloopzz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue_lammer /img/forum/go_quote.gif If your looking for a cheapo solution you can grab the Chaintech AV-710. Everyone mentions how it needs to be amped but the AD700s are pretty damn efficient. It should give you the crispness you are looking for. At worst it'll be a cheap transport for your future upgrades.

Just did some reading on this card and it looks like it rocks! How is it for gaming though? Since it seems like games are moving away from EAX over to OpenAL, should I be fine? I don't even use my speakers anymore just headphones.

 

[zzbloopzz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue_lammer /img/forum/go_quote.gif If your looking for a cheapo solution you can grab the Chaintech AV-710. Everyone mentions how it needs to be amped but the AD700s are pretty damn efficient. It should give you the crispness you are looking for. At worst it'll be a cheap transport for your future upgrades.

Just installed the AV-710, which I picked up for $20 shipped pre-modded using the Wolf DAC.

It ROCKS!!! I have bass! Music also sounds more crisp compared to my onboard Realtek 889a.

Thank you, Thank you! I'm not even going to bother with amp.

<--- Me.

 

[blue_lammer]

Glad your happy! Now be happy and stop coming to this site. I just dropped a couple hundred dollars on new equipment

or is it

There's a setup thread here that'll give you the best sound out of the card if you haven't found it yourself. Have fun with your new headphones!

 

[zzbloopzz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue_lammer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Glad your happy! Now be happy and stop coming to this site. I just dropped a couple hundred dollars on new equipment or is it There's a setup thread here that'll give you the best sound out of the card if you haven't found it yourself. Have fun with your new headphones!

^^ Yep that's the guide I followed.