[rEEcEj]

I have already ordered my Sennheisers but I am still looking at a sound card and a headphone amp to pair them with,
could someone tell me what equipment would be the best with them?
I can only get a normal PCI sound card and not PCI-Express as I only have one slot, which my graphics card is using.
I would spend max £150 on each of them

 

[JayB18]

The Xonar Essence ST would be a good place to start. It has a nice DAC but the amp will not fully drive the HD650.  I don't think any amp will for under at least $300.

 

[1Time]

Welcome to Head-Fi (sorry about your wallet). 
 
For 2 channel, I suggest starting off with a USB device + amp instead of a sound card + amp. I also suggest posting in the computer audio and amp forums.  
 
Quote:

I have already ordered my Sennheisers but I am still looking at a sound card and a headphone amp to pair them with,
could someone tell me what equipment would be the best with them?
I can only get a normal PCI sound card and not PCI-Express as I only have one slot, which my graphics card is using.
I would spend max £150 on each of them

 

[Professor00179]

x2 on Xonar ST. Very good source. It is good however to buy a separate AMP later if you can afford it.

 

[jr41]

There do seem to be quite a few posts about capable, 'audiophile' focused sound cards which are well regarded as a source. However, having never tried one, my first investment in a source would be an external DAC (the NuForce uDac is a popular entry level option that's in your budget). I've probably read an equal number of comments advising internal sound cards do not make a good source as they are subject to a lot of interference.
 
As for an amp, the general consensus is that the HD 650 are a fairly demanding headphone to drive and require a good amp to sound their best. OTL tube amps are a popular choice for this headphone, and entry level Chinese versions (i.e. the Little Dot MK III) can be had for about £150, but you may want to consider saving up more money so you can purchase a more capable amp to enjoy your headphones to their full potential.

 

[Professor00179]

@jr41 - from everything I've read so far about uDAC and Xonar ST the sound card should be much better. As for people who say sound cards are crap - majority of these people have not even heard high quality sound card. Yes, thing like noise from the inside of the PC and some technical aspects affect the sound in a bad way. But it only limits the SQ you can achieve on the sound cards in general so if there was a comparison of high-end sound card vs external DAC, the DAC would win. It does not change the fact that Xonar ST is a great source/AMP combo for what it retails.