[dpjackal89]

Hello.  I am new to this forum.  I am confused about what I should do with my computer.  I was thinking about upgrading to an i7-4790k with an MSI Gaming 7 z97 board.  They mention something about having decent audio and an amplified headphone jack.  How would the audio on this motherboard compare to using an AMP/DAC.  Should I just get a different motherboard and get a separate DAC/AMP?  The only reason I wanted the MSI was because of audio.  Any opinions would be helpful.

 

[BigTerminator]

Most Z97 board makers have some type of audio solution. AsRock, Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, have "dedicated" audio solutions that claim to be better than regular onboard audio. They are decent upgrade for everyday folk, but if you are an audiophile then you really do want to buy a DAC/AMP. Don't buy the board solely for the audio, if it comes with decent audio then that is a plus. Only get a separate DAC/AMP if you have equipment that can utilize it. 

 

[dpjackal89]

I like good audio but I wouldn't consider myself an audiophile.  I do hate sh!tty audio though.  I am looking for a budget AMP/DAC combo. Not more than $100.  I just want to have decent sound nothing crazy.  Do you recommend anything?

 

[dpjackal89]

I currently have crappy speakers but I will be buying better ones in the future.  For now I'm using a HyperX cloud headset.  They don't sound loud though on my computer motherboard.  I read reviews and reviewers say they sound a little better with an amp.

 

[BigTerminator]

I would suggest you buying the motherboard first and testing how you like it. $100 for a DAC and AMP is limited. Fiio makes some good stuff for that budget.

 

[genclaymore]

I wouldn't buy a motherboard just for audio alone, There are plenty of options for $100,  You can find a Sound blaster Omni for $ 49-69 which is external on amazon and ebay which would be a good choice. Then you can either save the rest til you get enough, or see if you can find a good deal on powered speakers with the rest. That way so later on you don't limit your motherboard choices based on it onboard audio and have more options.

 

[PleasantSounds]

  I like good audio but I wouldn't consider myself an audiophile.  I do hate sh!tty audio though.  I am looking for a budget AMP/DAC combo. Not more than $100.  I just want to have decent sound nothing crazy.  Do you recommend anything?

 
If you get a MB, how much of your $100 do you think will go towards the audio? My guess is not more than $10...
 
If all you need is audio improvement then spend the money on audio.

 

[cel4145]

I currently have crappy speakers but I will be buying better ones in the future.  For now I'm using a HyperX cloud headset.  They don't sound loud though on my computer motherboard.  I read reviews and reviewers say they sound a little better with an amp.

I just built a computer with a i7-4790 (non K) and a more basic Z87 board just a couple of months ago. While you want to avoid the very cheapest boards, for the most part, the higher end gaming boards just offer additional features and may offer more stability for high overclocking. In this case with the MSI, one of which is the built in audio. Will it be better than what can be bought separately? I don't know. I don't think anyone really knows since implementation is important, and without a lot of audio fans testing that particular board, could be it's well done. Could be a separate internal sound card is better. On the other hand, head-fiers and other audio fans do know which sound cards perform well because lots of people are using them, and so lots of reports.

So unless you are seriously into overclocking, my advice is get the non-K core i7 version, get a Z87 or Z97 board that has been reported as reliable that has the features you want, and then think about a separate audio setup, not built in the board.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Hello.  I am new to this forum.  I am confused about what I should do with my computer.  I was thinking about upgrading to an i7-4790k with an MSI Gaming 7 z97 board.  They mention something about having decent audio and an amplified headphone jack.  How would the audio on this motherboard compare to using an AMP/DAC.  Should I just get a different motherboard and get a separate DAC/AMP?  The only reason I wanted the MSI was because of audio.  Any opinions would be helpful.

 
I don't have any of those motherboards on hand to test, but at least in theory, a separate amp and DAC will still be better. A serious enough amp will have a larger power supply and power caps, so off the bat current performance should be better than a motherboard with smaller caps and its cable from the PSU going around to a bunch of other computer parts. While I'd presume this for critical listening with music, I'd also doubt that (barring any non-linear or non-neutral component either way) any differences would be immediately noticeable if at all for gaming. For starters, a bunch of explosions and gunfire don't have the same differences as all the instruments in a complex enough recording, and on top of that the listener's brain is doing a completely different job when using either (critical listening and more attention to the sound on music, while on gaming it's just one of the stimulus in an immersive experience where your hands and eyes are likely concentrated on how you can put a bullet through somebody). Another problem though is that here's one thread where there might be some issues with the audio hardware or the software/DSP that has a definition of "audiophile" that is far from what "hi-fi" means (although at the end I did point out some other possible explanation).
 
 
In any case if we're talking MSI here the red motherboards with good audio aren't really that much more expensive than the non-"Gaming" boards. I got my Z87 mATX board back in 2012 for about a hundred bucks and the next price tier up was the red board for not much more money. At the time, I was thinking of a lot of reasons as to why I shouldn't blow another $35 or so on the mobo, like how I don't like running a 500w++ PSU and a monitor when I listen with my eyes closed (hence I have a smartphone as a music server for my reference system) and how I wouldn't have a window case anyway,* but a few weeks ago I gave up on the driver issues with Dolby Headphone and how the mobo sounds a little lazy on my HD600 and a DT770 I borrowed (well, on YouTube, but I don't really mind on games) but is too much power for my IEMs (so I can use a pair of 30db fans and not hear anything), so I ended up getting a Xonar U3 a few weeks ago. My next build will definitely be a red mATX/mITX and I'll get around to hunting down a cheap, used DT770 or AD700, but I'll keep the U3 as a back up (like if summer's too hot so fans need to spin at max speed all the time; my next case will use more of those).




* The Gigabyte HD7850 was also carbon fiber-ish, so what the heck a blue board doesn't look bad with it; and I had blue RAM from my brother's older build). Now I have two AF120 Performance on the intake with the blue rings on (and blue-bladed AP121s before that), so I still ended up with a color-coordinated build without much intent on doing so.

 

[Kalavere]

I bought an ASUS Maximus VI Formula (Z87), mainly for the over-clocking and built in waterblock for the MOSFETs but it's got an isolated PCB with the DAC built into that. For a while I used the Astro A40's (I'm a gamer) but decided to ditch the crappy 'phones and 'Astro MixAmp' for the boards onboard sound and a pair of AKG K550's, it totally blew the Astros out of the water, the difference was literally night and day.
I've since bought a Creative Sound Blaster Zx for gaming and that's even better than the onboard sound, I acutally found myself looking behind me when playing games thinking I could hear people coming etc. No joke.
 
Today I took my first step into, I suppose, 'head-fi' (a new word to me!) when I bought an iFi iDSD, It's an awesome little device, far better than the onboard sound for music, and even the sound card, there are too many settings - EQ's, sliders, bass, surround, Crystalizer etc. The little DAC is just pure music, no bells, no whistles. 
 
If you're looking for decent audio, you cannot beat a DAC/amp combo unit or separates. Onboard mixers and sound cards are for gaming, from my experience. Which is admittedly very limited, but that's just my 2¢. 

 
 
*Edit* As a side note, the motherboard doesn't push my AKG's very hard at all, it's very under powered, the sound card could push so it's uncomfortable to listen to, as can the iDSD.

 

[sonitus mirus]

Just about every modern DAC, whether being a $$$ MSB Diamond  or a modest iPod, are audibly transparent.  When properly volume-matched in an ABX test, I've not seen any reliable proof that anyone can identify one from another.  Get a motherboard with the features you want, and make sure you have the audio connections that will work with your gear, and any purchases you plan on making in the near future.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Just about every modern DAC, whether being a $$$ MSB Diamond  or a modest iPod, are audibly transparent.  When properly volume-matched in an ABX test, I've not seen any reliable proof that anyone can identify one from another.  Get a motherboard with the features you want, and make sure you have the audio connections that will work with your gear, and any purchases you plan on making in the near future.

 
The DAC is, question is on 1) the analog output circuit after it like when people want to have Sun, Moon, or Earth on their DACs; and 2) there might be some DSP settings that cannot be disabled on some devices, like a motherboard or soundcard.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Motherboard solutions are getting pretty decent these days. I'm a big fan of ASrock's "Purity Sound", against a ASUS ROG Maximus VI Gene the Asrock solution sounded noticeably more detailed, I have no experience with MSI though, I was considering it too. The thing why I like Realtek is it's great capability to produce virtual surround / out-of-your-head experience when using 5.1 speaker settings. It may be something limited to me but I can't get equally good soundstaging/imaging out of either ZxR or STX II and I'm not such a big fan of the SBX surround etc solutions that alter the sound too much for my liking, so they are sitting on the bookshelf as a result. On Realtek it seems to affect also stereo material if using 5.1 speakers so I get a more surround-like experience with more exciting imaging also when listening to music, it's more speaker like.
 
I understand not everyone is into virtual surround processing like I am also wanting my music to have the most convincing surround experience possible (ie ability to clearly tell this instrument sounds like sound coming at this and that angle and roughly X distance in front of me etc) but I'm just saying it, Realtek has something going for it, if you're into that sort of thing since it seems to do things in the software way slightly different, at least so far I've been unable to get the exact same experience no matter how I configured STX II or ZxR but would love it to be possible...

I guess it has to be that with Realtek stereo content also gets upmixed with 5.1 speakers settings algorithm and ZxR and STX II it doesn't.

 

[Souldriver]

So unless you are seriously into overclocking, my advice is get the non-K core i7 version, get a Z87 or Z97 board that has been reported as reliable that has the features you want, and then think about a separate audio setup, not built in the board.

 I advise that you DO get the K version. For $25 more (less if you grab it with a rebate) you get much higher clock speeds and the thermals are better. Both are pluses if you over clock or not. If you already have a non K processor then its not worth the upgrade. Buying new go K.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

   I advise that you DO get the K version. For $25 more (less if you grab it with a rebate) you get much higher clock speeds and the thermals are better. Both are pluses if you over clock or not. If you already have a non K processor then its not worth the upgrade. Buying new go K.

 
Also, on some games one might as well get a good CPU cooler. Overclocking even only up to the safest OC profile off the motherboard's factory suite (ie making it run at its boosted speed off the auto settings) does wonders for CPU-intensive games like Total War.