Cheapest way to get some decent 7.1 surround sound into a pair of DT 770s?

[Kalookakoo]

The 80ohm pro version.
 
These would be perfect if I could just get some surround sound in them. Would make playing games like skyrim, fps, and watching movies 100x more enjoyable.

 

[PurpleAngel]

7.1 might be more of a marketing tool, then something that really makes a noticeable difference in headphone surround sound.
Sound Blaster Z (5.1) sound card, $85

 

[Kalookakoo]

The 7.1 I'm not picky about, the general surround sound is what matters.
 
Is that card the lowest I can go for some decent sound?
 
 
 
 
And on a side note, I see you have the 558's in your sig. How do they compare to the 770s? I know I debated over getting the 598 or 770s for a long time. The whole open/deal threw me for a spin since I've always used closed..

 

[PurpleAngel]

  The 7.1 I'm not picky about, the general surround sound is what matters.
Is that card the lowest I can go for some decent sound?
And on a side note, I see you have the 558's in your sig. How do they compare to the 770s? I know I debated over getting the 598 or 770s for a long time. The whole open/deal threw me for a spin since I've always used closed..

 
The Asus Xonar DG or DGX sound card are about as cheap as you can go.
If there is no noise around, i prefer to use open headphones and the HD558s are very easy on the ears, slightly detached sound, not really an "in your face" kind of headphone.
Where as the DT770 Pro 80-Ohm are bassy headphones.
 
I think the SB-Z would be the better choice for use with your the DT770, as the SB-Z has a decently powerful headphone amplifier and the Beyer work best when decently amped.

 

[Kalookakoo]

The reason I was going closed is because it's what I'm used to (albeit 30$ JVC Ha-s700) and I hear it gives a more immersive experience when playing RPG's and watching movies due to the isolation and bass. I was under the impression open headphones were more for FPS players when it came to gaming.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  The reason I was going closed is because it's what I'm used to (albeit 30$ JVC Ha-s700) and I hear it gives a more immersive experience when playing RPG's and watching movies due to the isolation and bass. I was under the impression open headphones were more for FPS players when it came to gaming.

 
Just to ask, I'm assuming you have not bought the DT770s yet?
 
A closed headphone would more naturally have more bass, but I think open headphones are "usually" better with everything else.
I think open headphones put less strain on the ears, allowing you to wear them for longer periods of time.
I have some ATH-A900X and ATH-W1000X and Beyer T70s, they are all closed headphone and have great all around sound (so nothing wrong with closed headphones)
But for watching Blu-ray movies I like using my DT990 Premium 600-Ohm (open) headphones, they are like a movie theater type sound.

 

[speakerman]

There are surround sound cards you can buy on Ebay dirt cheap. I have two that have USB inputs but there are probably others with mini jack inputs.

I saw a surround sound amplifier USB powered card just the other day for under $5.00.

 

[Kalookakoo]

   
Just to ask, I'm assuming you have not bought the DT770s yet?
 
A closed headphone would more naturally have more bass, but I think open headphones are "usually" better with everything else.
I think open headphones put less strain on the ears, allowing you to wear them for longer periods of time.
I have some ATH-A900X and ATH-W1000X and Beyer T70s, they are all closed headphone and have great all around sound (so nothing wrong with closed headphones)
But for watching Blu-ray movies I like using my DT990 Premium 600-Ohm (open) headphones, they are like a movie theater type sound.

No I haven't pulled the trigger yet. Just want to make sure I'm certain I know what I want before I spend the $$$.
 
I was looking at the dt990 and sennheiser hd598 before and I was unsure of how good their bass would be (not a bass head sine I listen to pretty much all genres minus "most" rap) so I was reluctant.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  No I haven't pulled the trigger yet. Just want to make sure I'm certain I know what I want before I spend the $$$.
I was looking at the DT990 and Sennheiser HD598 before and I was unsure of how good their bass would be (not a bass head sine I listen to pretty much all genres minus "most" rap) so I was reluctant.

 
Chances are I would use the DT990s, over the DT770, for just about anything.
The HD598 do have bass, but it's more like they "technically" have just enough for it to be called noticeable/decent bass.

 

[Kalookakoo]

   
Chances are I would use the DT990s, over the DT770, for just about anything.
The HD598 do have bass, but it's more like they "technically" have just enough for it to be called noticeable/decent bass.

Doesn't hurt to give open headphones a shot, can always return them. What ohm do you recommend? This will be hooked to my pc pretty much all the time.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Doesn't hurt to give open headphones a shot, can always return them. What ohm do you recommend? This will be hooked to my PC pretty much all the time.

What is the make and model of your motherboard?
 
For plugging headphones directly into a everyday average PC motherboard, 32-Ohm to 60-Ohm, maybe 80-Ohm or 100-Ohm
The DT770 Pro 80-Ohm headphones are more power hungry then a "normal" 80-Ohm rated headphone.
 
Takstar Pro 80 (closed 60-Ohm) provide some great sound, they are around $55 to $70 ordered from Hong Kong or China.
http://www.takstar.com/en/product/redetail-11-28-413-1
They are somewhat a Chinese knock off of the DT770.
Very easy for motherboard on-board audio to drive.
The Takstar Hi2050 are the open version of the Pro 80s
http://www.takstar.com/en/product/redetail-11-29-220-1
 
I think the Pro 80s sound just slightly better then the Hi2050s, but only very slightly.

 

[SteveHiFi]

It may be possible to use a pair of 2 channel headphones with the following software, I've tried the demos on this page which are pretty interesting -
 
https://fongaudio.com/demo/

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  The 80ohm pro version.
 
These would be perfect if I could just get some surround sound in them. Would make playing games like skyrim, fps, and watching movies 100x more enjoyable.

 
Cheapest is to get one of those USB soundcards; as mentioned above, there are some generic brands on eBay, but I have no idea what surround simulation software can work with them. Creative and Asus both have similar form factor USB sound cards (USB thumb drive-size) but they are around $30 to $45 each.
 
Another thing you can try out is try Razer Sound - it's free for download until the end of the month (they do ask that you make a donation for one of their charities, you'll see it on the site). This assumes that your motherboard doesn't have Dolby Headphone. Mine supposedly does, but for some bizarre reason it just won't work when I try to install it (from both MSI and another link on CNET), but I ordered the Asus U7. The motherboard does fine driving my HD600 for SFX, however, the earpads are kind of expensive, so I prefer using my ASG-1 IEMs. The motherboard was too loud with it at 10% Windows volume so I'm hoping a USB-powered surround sound card would be friendlier for sensitive IEMs. For my next build though I'm definitely going for one of those red Z87 motherboards (Asus or MSI, whichever I can get cheaper) that has a dedicated headphone driver op-amp, and yeah I'm getting DT770s for these too (I can use an Antlion ModMic with it too, unlike my IEM).

 

[metal571]

Razer Surround is one way. I use my Xonar DG's Dolby Headphone feature. It works well for movies and gaming alike.