[maRT-sk]

Hi guys,
 
I bought the HD 598 yesterday.
I need a DAC becasue my on-board sound card sucks.
I'm in Slovakia and I am looking for a DAC with a good soundstage for FPS gaming and for best price per performance.
 
My budget is around $80.
Sennheiser HD598 
 
Any help with be appreciated... 

Thank you for your time.

 

[cel4145]

Get the Xonar DX (or DGX) or Soundblaster Z sound card for your PC if you want virtual surround.

It that doesn't matter, look for the Fiio E10K.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Get the Xonar DX (or DGX) or Sound Blaster Z sound card for your PC if you want virtual surround.

It that doesn't matter, look for the Fiio E10K.

 
+1 on what cel4145 said.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Hi guys,
 
I bought the HD 598 yesterday.
I need a DAC becasue my on-board sound card sucks.
I'm in Slovakia and I am looking for a DAC with a good soundstage for FPS gaming and for best price per performance.
 
My budget is around $80.
Sennheiser HD598 
 
Any help with be appreciated... 

Thank you for your time.

 
Xonar U3 if virtual surround for FPS games is much more important than a convenient volume knob, and for only $39.

 

[maRT-sk]

I don't know what to do...
I am going to use "Speak configuration = HEADPHONES"
My headphones are stereo so that I do not need virtual surround, do I? 

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
I am going to use "Speak configuration = HEADPHONES"

 
I'm not on my gaming desktop right now, but the Xonar interface is easy enough to understand. You have to pick "Headphone," then the gain (Asus labels the gain levels as "<32ohms," "32-64," and ">64ohms" - misleading because it has more to do with sensitivity than impedance), and then if you want Dolby Headphone virtual surround or plain stereo.
 
 

 
My headphones are stereo so that I do not need virtual surround, do I? 

 

"Virtual" means it will simulate surround on two channels, the same way that virtual reality will simulate reality using 3D goggles and "force feedback" (man, I'm old) tech on the peripherals (including, at some point, full body suits so you can feel every punch, and...well...they now have vibrating fleshlights too). You're not going to hear a shot from 5meters away sound like it did come from 5m away, just a tiny circle around your head. To be fair to headphones, if you use speakers, they'd have to be 5m away at leastto sound like they came from 5m away,  and then the DSP should be aware of how far the speakers are so it can adjust the volume of other sounds so they sound closer.

 

Note that this also depends on the game - some games, especially non-major title games including FPS, don't have any kind of surround sound. If you're playing Battlefield, Call of Duty, Crysis, etc, then you can get surround; if you're playing Sniper Elite II (not sure about III), it doesn't have it, no matter how useful it might seem for that kind of game where you're less frantic about spraying bullets. I get surround on Total War ShogunII and RomeII, and there's nothing like appreciating the graphics and directing the fight with the camera over your general's head sitting in the center behind the infantry, then suddenly hear hooves from the rear getting louder and louder. Then bam, lances stab your general's bodyguards and infantry square on the chest.

 

[Jeff Y]

How about Schiit's Fulla?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  How about Schiit's Fulla?

 
Reviews regarding sound quality are good and it looks like it has a convenient volume control but note that it doesn't have virtual surround, since it's a pure DAC with no DSP chip, unlike somethingthat would otherwise be labelled as an external soundcard. Also, note that as of the last time I read the thread on it, it seems to have driver issues, so you might want to ask Schiit if they've solved that before you order.

 

[maRT-sk]

THX GUYS!
I just bought Sound Blaster Z and it sounds AWESOME with HD 598.
 
I have one more question:
Which encoder should I use: Dolby digital live or DTS connect? (for surround)

 

[cel4145]

Whichever sounds better to you

Congrats on the new soundcard!