[DoctorGonzo]

Hi,
 
I'm new to the forums. Just found them while doing some research about the Goldring DR-100 Cans.
 
I bought some yesterday on sale from Super-Fi for £21.95 which I thought was a pretty good deal considering the build quality. All-in-all I like the fit (I prefer a tight fit) My problem is, They're so quiet and produce hardly any bass. Granted I am using them with my PC's onboard audio (Realtek ALC888B)
 
Bit of info before I ask for some advice: I'll only be using these with my HTPC and listening to 320Kbs Rips of my CD's and watching Blu-ray movies.
 
My question is, what would be the best way to get the most from these Cans on a buget? A Fiio E5, ASUS Xonar DG or my other option is a new Gigabyte Motherboard that I have hanging around waiting to replace the one that's currently in my HTPC. The new motherboard has Realtek ALC889 onboard audio, would this drive the Goldrings better than the older audio codec?
 
More info on the new Motherboard:  http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3743#ov
 
Any advice would be most appreciated.
 
Cheers

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Hi,
 
I'm new to the forums. Just found them while doing some research about the Goldring DR-100 Cans.
 
I bought some yesterday on sale from Super-Fi for £21.95 which I thought was a pretty good deal considering the build quality. All-in-all I like the fit (I prefer a tight fit) My problem is, They're so quiet and produce hardly any bass. Granted I am using them with my PC's onboard audio (Realtek ALC888B)
 
Bit of info before I ask for some advice: I'll only be using these with my HTPC and listening to 320Kbs Rips of my CD's and watching Blu-ray movies.
 
My question is, what would be the best way to get the most from these Cans on a buget? A Fiio E5, ASUS Xonar DG or my other option is a new Gigabyte Motherboard that I have hanging around waiting to replace the one that's currently in my HTPC. The new motherboard has Realtek ALC889 onboard audio, would this drive the Goldrings better than the older audio codec?
 
More info on the new Motherboard:  http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3743#ov
 
Any advice would be most appreciated.
 
Cheers

 
For the cost, the Xonar DG for certain. It's $30. Gives you dolby headphone. And has an amplifier built in. I have it, and it's excellent, allows me to plug right into it, and also play simultaneously over the optical output to my external setup (DAC, etc). Very versatile card. Onboard will never drive a headphone like a dedicated card with an actual amplifier on it. And for $30, you can't beat the DG. If nothing else, it's a way to get dolby headphone which is fantastic for movies & games.
 
But, that said, make sure your audio settings are not simply set low. Go to the mixer in Windows (assuming you're using that) and make sure all the devices have their volumes turned up.

I have the DR150 myself, they make decent headphones for their costs. Quite a bright headphone, easy to drive, pretty comfortable.
 
Very best,
 
 

 

[DoctorGonzo]

Quote:

 
For the cost, the Xonar DG for certain. It's $30. Gives you dolby headphone. And has an amplifier built in. I have it, and it's excellent, allows me to plug right into it, and also play simultaneously over the optical output to my external setup (DAC, etc). Very versatile card. Onboard will never drive a headphone like a dedicated card with an actual amplifier on it. And for $30, you can't beat the DG. If nothing else, it's a way to get dolby headphone which is fantastic for movies & games.
 
But, that said, make sure your audio settings are not simply set low. Go to the mixer in Windows (assuming you're using that) and make sure all the devices have their volumes turned up.

I have the DR150 myself, they make decent headphones for their costs. Quite a bright headphone, easy to drive, pretty comfortable.
 
Very best,
 
 

MalVeauX, thanks for helpful advice.
 
Yes I'm using Windows 7 32bit. Everything is turned up in the mixer, I just think that the onboard audio is not enough to power these headphones (same problem with my HD201s)
 
How much change is there in sound quality and volume when you use your DR-150s directly driven by the Xonar DG?
 
I agree, they are pretty damn comfortable considering the price.
 
Have a good evening
 
 

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

MalVeauX, thanks for helpful advice.
 
Yes I'm using Windows 7 32bit. Everything is turned up in the mixer, I just think that the onboard audio is not enough to power these headphones (same problem with my HD201s)
 
How much change is there in sound quality and volume when you use your DR-150s directly driven by the Xonar DG?
 
I agree, they are pretty damn comfortable considering the price.
 
Have a good evening
 
 

Heya,
 
The DR150 is easy to drive, and the Xonar DG has an amp built into it, so it's effortless. I think your onboard simply has no juice at all. $30 gets you a Xonar DG. It'll fix your problem unless you're using a laptop. If using a laptop, you can get an external, like the Hifiman HM-101.
 
Very best,
 

 

[DoctorGonzo]

Thanks,
 
I went ahead and ordered the Xonar DG. It should be here on Monday, very much looking forward to listening to some Beatles Albums on the DR-100s.
 
Thanks again for the help.