[cadobhuk]

Bithead is screwing his games,remember.

 

[Twisteve]

Well getting the hd 555's + airhead wouldnt exactly be upgrading, more like downgrading, but apparently it works as just an amp and doesnt have a soundcard like the bithead. Would it be worth getting the A900's and waiting a couple months before getting an amp, or is the hd 555's + airhead good enough?

 

[commando]

You should decide between 555s and A900 based on whether you want open or closed cans, I think. I like my A900s, but my next purchase will be 595s, just for comparison.

Bitehead/earhead is an easy call - get the bithead. It does everything the airhead does and more. As for airhead/other amp, it's a little tough. I'd probably stay with the bithead myself, if i'd got one of them 6 months ago i'd have saved me many hundreds or even thousands of dollars mesing around with sources and amps.

 

[breez]

It is still undetermined whether Bithead can amplify analog signal from line input using USB power. If yes, then it may not make any sense to swap for an Airhead, but if no, then Airhead+external supply would be cheaper and more functional in the case of amplifying analog signal from line input (ie. no battery drain).

 

[Twisteve]

I wouldnt mind that the bithead didnt amplify in games, and it would be just my sb a2 + hd555's at work. But its a pain in the ass to switch my bithead / sb a2 everytime I go from games to music / music to game. I cant figure out how to set it to the amp for music and soundblaster for gaming, without having to switch anything around. Anyone konw how this can be done?

 

[commando]

This sounds like something you'd just call headroom about. I wrote a message speculating, but it's not useful, so just call/email them. Either way i'd get the bithead myself.

 

[commando]

You set the SB to be your primary audio device, and set winamp/foobar to output to the bithead. Then the only thing you need to change when you move between them is what the headphones are plugged into. You could probably get a little switcher for that too, but it might not be great for the sound quality.

 

[Twisteve]

I called headroom, and they told me something simliar to what you told me. Havnet got to try it out yet though, as I had to leave for work immediately after. They also shipped me a new pair of sennheiser hd 555's since the one they gave me that I have now seem defective. I hope it still doesnt sound funny with me new pair, because that means my amp is messed up.

Whats foobar, and is it better than winamp?

 

[commando]

I think foobar's better than winamp, and its graphic equaliser is much better. If you use it do negative equalisation (search for that i've explained it a few times).

 

[Twisteve]

Does having sound amped in games really make that big of a difference?

Well lets put it this way:

Is it better to have the bithead amping + its DAC when listening to music (and use the DAC from the sb a2 when playing games)
or
Is it better to have the airhead amping music / games but it doesnt have a DAC (so i would be using sb a2 for games and music)

And I listen to music like about 40% and games about 60%

 

[Jamey Warren]

Hello,

Well, I'll give it my best shot for the record but if anybody wants to e-mail me, I'm usually much quicker to respond.

The BitHead can be used for you gaming and music listening pleasure. When the effects of EAX are desired use your BitHead in this manner:

Plug it in to your computer via the USB connector. Turn the power switch to off (away from the green light). While this will work with the power on as well, having the power switch off draws power from the computers resources. If you are using a laptop and want to conserve its battery power then turn your BitHead to on. Your computer will recognize it as a sound card and select it as the prefered audio device.

Open the sounds and audio devices window in your control panel. Click on the Audio tab and select the Audigy SB2 as your default device. Then click apply. At this point your BitHead should still be receiving power.

Connect the line output from your Audigy 2 to the analog line input of the BitHead. slowly turn up the volume and begin gaming. You should be receiving all of the effects of EAX through your soundcard and then amplifying that signal through your BitHead.

If you need more assistance give me a call at 1-800-828-8184 ext. 100.

Cheers,
Jamey

 

[Twisteve]

It works, thanks alot to jamey and everyone else for the help!

Now I just have to wait for my new hd555's to get here which should be tommorow

 

[Imyourzero]

What I want to know is: will the Bithead's onboard sound card provide better sound quality for listening to music than an Audigy 2?

You can see my current gear in my sig. I have no dedicated headphone amp and my source is an Audigy 2. I have been looking at the bithead for months now because I primarily listen to my headphones while using my computer. I use the computer for both games and music. I want to upgrade my source AND get an amp, and the Bitheads just seems like it could kill 2 birds with one stone. However, at its price I just wonder if it can do both of those jobs really well (jack of all trades?) or if I should go the other route and get a seperate source upgrade and a seperate amplifier. I initially wanted a Chaintech AV-710 but now I think if I upgraded my source, I'd go straight to an EMU 0404 or 1212M. I am still undecided on an amp...I just can't make up my mind. I'm considering anything from something like a Headsave Ultra to a Gilmore Lite and a Corda HA-1. However, I'm reading mixed opinions on amps--some say upgrading amps makes a huge difference and others say it's a very minor difference and that all that really matters is that the signal is amped, period.

So here are my questions for now:

1 - Would the Bithead's onboard sound card be superior to my Audigy 2 (for music; I realize the Audigy will be superior in games)

2 - Would the Bithead's amplification be enough to drive both my SR-80's and HD-580's adequately? I'm just not sure it's got enough "oomph" to drive the high-impedance Sennheisers but I could be wrong; I didn't design the thing.

3 - Would a dedicated amp like a Headsave Ultra or Corda HA-1 be light years ahead of the Bithead's amplification, or would it be a subtle difference? I know that battery-powered amps (cmoy, pimeta, Airhead, Bithead, etc.) are typically considered inferior in sound quality to AC/DC powered amps, but if the difference would be very minor then I see no reason to spend several hundred dollars on the Corda or Gilmore Lite when I could just get the Bithead and receive the benefits of the amplifier AND the sound card in it (not to mention the small size).

 

[commando]

Imyourzero, I have a few comments, but you should be asking Headroom these questions I think.

You're calling the bithead cheap? At $200 I don't call it cheap. I've never heard it, but I wish i'd gotten the total bithead when I first got into headphones instead of messing around with all sorts of sources and amps. The question is really will it power the headphones you want to drive, which headroom can probably answer. I think it should sound a good bit better than an audigy.

As I understand it, battery power is very clean and generally superior to regulated AC power. Short peak loads required are easily supplied by batteries, and it doesn't need regulation (or at least doesn't need much).

 

[Twisteve]

For me there is a quiet a difference between the a2 and bithead while listening to music. I dont have the same headphones as you, so im not sure if it will be the same way far you.!