[spacemanspliff]

What do you think? I am looking at building a headphone rig whose sole purpose in life is gaming. Looking for something new or used that will mate well with dynamic headphones and a SS amp, either Darths or Ultrasones. I had an old PS audio superdac II that was excellent but they are tough to find now.

 

[synaesthetic]

An Alien USB DAC is about the best you'd need if it's strictly for gaming.

 

[iriverdude]

If gaming I'd recommend you use a multi-channel speaker system, it really does help with gameplay. If you have X-Fi it cannot pass EAX on the digital out.

Save phones for late night gaming.

 

[spacemanspliff]

I'm looking at 5.1 speakers and headphones atm. I might get V4 Darths. Plenty of time. No hurry. Might get an Onkyo 606 just for the HD codecs.

 

[FallenAngel]

This has to be the strangest request I've ever heard but sure, it's easy to answer.

1) Get a Creative X-Fi card (not Auzentech, Creative - they're the only cards that pass 3D-CMSS through S/PDIF). Put the card in "game mode" with 3D-CMSS on and the "Headphones" setting. Enable Digital IO. You can either mod the card (check my XtremeMusic in signature) or simply use S/PDIF output through the "multiport" to your DAC.

2) Any DAC will do, absolutely any, I don't think you'll see any difference with DACs for games even though I do have to agree, some have great soundtracks, it's the gaming effects, filters and 3D-CMSS that's handled by the X-Fi engine (and passed through S/PDIF) that you really want, after that, the DAC just translates them to analog. Since the output of games, as far as I've seen is strictly 16-bit 48kHz, a good older DAC off eBay would be my recommendation.

 

[apatN]

For gaming even my X-FI on its own is all you need. Please keep your 500$ and do something fun with it.

 

[spacemanspliff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by apatN /img/forum/go_quote.gif For gaming even my X-FI on its own is all you need. Please keep your 500$ and do something fun with it.

I am using an X-Fi titanium for gaming and yes it is ok BUT it is way fatiguing and in need of smoothing out. I had an Oritek dac but that just doesn't work for gaming. That old PS audio superdac was more involving somehow. I do not want to spend $1000 on the new PS audio dac though. Ah well, nevermind. I was just hoping someone had figured it out. I haven't.

 

[FallenAngel]

How does the Oriteck "not work for gaming"?

 

[spacemanspliff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FallenAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif How does the Oriteck "not work for gaming"?

Dunno. Just never got into it. The PS audio dac got me into the games more somehow.

Might have been the rest of my setup though. My Stax had no low bass and my speakers were in a bad position.

 

[spacemanspliff]

I suppose I need something like the Onkyo 606. I really only want to run 2.1 and be able to use it as an analogue source for a desktop headphone amp.

 

[n3rdling]

Why do you want to buy a $400 7.1 receiver for purely 2.1? I must be missing something here?

 

[spacemanspliff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by n3rdling /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why do you want to buy a $400 7.1 receiver for purely 2.1? I must be missing something here?

To get multiple hdmi inputs/output for a 360 + PS3 + PC setup. That and the Audyssey room correction feature to help the sonics out a bit.

 

[oqvist]

I would say go with soundcards. They are often optimized for gaming seldom shy on bass and you get to play with equalizing as well use all the functions it has.. .

I use an Elite PRO is actually a straight competitor to DACs in the 2-300$ range easilly. It´s not totally equal to my Keces though but that´s above the 300$ limit. I have great use of it´s external console to route my digital audio from my PS 3 through. No need for a receiver here. Otherwise you would need an external DAC/receiver for headphone gaming with a PS 3. The MS engineers was smart enough to include analogue out RCA options for the 360. Better solution if you have your PS 3 in the living room. Routing it through your tv is a crappy solution at least with my tv... Mess up the signal big time.

Depending on how you build your computer you may get issues with noise and such but I have always gotten good PSU and big chassis which let me put my soundcards on it´s own and never had much if any problems with noise from my computers I read others are having.
I do have a DAC now a Keces 131 mk 2 and loving every bit of it but it´s as mentioned not a necessity for gaming but a really nice luxury for both games and music... You really need to use high quality recordings and focusing 100 % on the music not trying to survive at the same time to really appreciate the difference in them though.
Though some games really does have great audio of course where it do make a difference too so it´s not all for nothing.

If it´s purely for PC a Essence STX looks quite interesting especially since you can switch op amps on it. And if you don´t have an amp already I am sure it will surpass an Elite PRO in term of SQ

. I am just worried since it´s PCI E and sit´s next to the GPU that it will cause a lot of interference. But it´s shielded at least.
CMSS3D is nice but it distorts the audio big time. It´s not always worth it other then for sneaky fps games perhaps

 

[spacemanspliff]

Using the X-Fi Titanium with my amp and A5 iems works ok. I know, iems, but it is the only way I can get bass and it actually does sound ok for bad guy placement.

I just want a larger sound stage really. A big bottom end and air. I guess I'll try the receiver route just for S and Gs. Plenty of time still though. I am waiting on money still so no hurry.

 

[obobskivich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spacemanspliff /img/forum/go_quote.gif Using the X-Fi Titanium with my amp and A5 iems works ok. I know, iems, but it is the only way I can get bass and it actually does sound ok for bad guy placement. I just want a larger sound stage really. A big bottom end and air. I guess I'll try the receiver route just for S and Gs. Plenty of time still though. I am waiting on money still so no hurry.

why don't you buy a pair of over-ears with accurate positioning and proper balanced sound, before upgrading everything else in the chain thats unrelated?

its kind of like if I replaced the tcase, transmission, engine, and ECM for my car, to try and fix a dent in the rear quarter panel, you're basically just replacing everything willy-nilly hoping it'll fix things

I've found that ECH's and supra-aurals are awful with gaming (I've only ever owned Grado's as supra-aurals though, and I know Grado's get slammed for soundstage (and 100% agree), so thats probably unfair to say supra-aurals are trash for gaming), you want big and open, like Sennheiser HD 555/595/600's, AKG K601/701's, AT AD-700/1000/2000's, etc (you don't need super hi-fi for gaming, the 595's are a great middle of the road pick, so are the AD-700's, the K701's aren't everyone's cup of tea for comfort, and the HD 600's apparently have some comfort issues as well (I <3 them, but some people have complained))

@ the "no 3D CMSS over S/PDIF", I have EAX Effects and CMSS-3D (and CMSS Headphone and Crystalizer and SVM), just to prove I could) running via S/PDIF into my Technics SH-AC500D passing along to my Yamaha receiver and NS-777 towers, from an X-Fi Prelude 7.1, you owe me for listening to how horrible this sounds just to make a point

also note that CMSS is not EAX, CMSS is Creative's version of Pro Logic II, while EAX is Creative's API for sound effects, they're independent, and either can be enabled with no issues, the other advantage the Prelude has is Dolby Digital Live, which is great for gaming in 5.1 (if you have a DD decoder)