[schwallman]

So Ive been listening to all the headphones ive been going back and forth with for the past month at work plugged into a speaker bar on my monitor. I figured the sound should be on par since the bar is plugged into the sound card. So ive been pretty unimpressed with the sound while at work. At home i listen on a rockboxed ipod 5.5g. While the phones have sounded ok through it, i just wasnt getting what all the fuss was with more expensive cans. So anyway, I moved my computer lower down today since my speker bar kept falling off my monitor. So I plugged the hf2 directly into the sound card. I had no idea the card was so nice. Its a sound blaster x-fi fatality edition. gold plated inputs and all. There isno reason a government computer should have this card. Anyway, HOLY CRAP... These hf2s came to life in a big way. I thought they were pretty good before but now I cannot believe how awesome these phones really are. I dont plan on going back to the mess of trying different phones again , but I wonder how those rs1,rs2,325s really sounded when played out of the soundcard. Ive been wanting to get a dot i but davids store is non existent lately. So im still going to get one whenever but now I am extremely happy with the sound I experienced before I left work.

 

[Head Injury]

Get a DAC too.

I don't know if the Fatality is significantly better than my normal XtremeGamer from a sound quality perspective, but if it isn't then even a $99 uDAC will transform your sound pretty significantly. More detail throughout the spectrum, more extension at the far ends, more separation between sounds, etc.

My first post on this forum was in regards to the muddy sound of J-rock and J-pop. I originally chalked it up to simply bad mastering, but after watching the spectrum in Foobar at work I'm convinced it has a lot to do with significantly over-emphasized midbass blurring the midrange. My uDAC did wonders to clean that up so it doesn't bleed over as much. Still sounds crappy, but not nearly as crappy.

 

[schwallman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Head Injury /img/forum/go_quote.gif Get a DAC too. I don't know if the Fatality is significantly better than my normal XtremeGamer from a sound quality perspective, but if it isn't then even a $99 uDAC will transform your sound pretty significantly. More detail throughout the spectrum, more extension at the far ends, more separation between sounds, etc. My first post on this forum was in regards to the muddy sound of J-rock and J-pop. I originally chalked it up to simply bad mastering, but after watching the spectrum in Foobar at work I'm convinced it has a lot to do with significantly over-emphasized midbass blurring the midrange. My uDAC did wonders to clean that up so it doesn't bleed over as much. Still sounds crappy, but not nearly as crappy.

I tried out a nuforce icon mobile. Didnt think it did anything special. Ipod sounded better without it. Same with at work. Definitely not worth $100+.

Your hf2s sound crappy?

 

[schwallman]

Went back and read your first post. I dont use eq, and i dont have access to any of the x'-fis settings. Its just a card that came with the computer. Just shows how much the government wastes money on crap they dont need.

 

[dcpoor]

the xi-fi's are mediocre at best.

sorry about your wallet, hope you enjoy the journey.

 

[schwallman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcpoor /img/forum/go_quote.gif the xi-fi's are mediocre at best. sorry about your wallet, hope you enjoy the journey.

maybe so. Im just saying it was night and day plugging directly into it.

Also I forgot the stock pads today and was orced to use the jumbos all day. They are grwing on me and Im glad i got a chance to just listen to them without changing pads all day long.

 

[DayoftheGreek]

Quote:

Originally Posted by schwallman /img/forum/go_quote.gif I tried out a nuforce icon mobile. Didnt think it did anything special. Ipod sounded better without it. Same with at work. Definitely not worth $100+. Your hf2s sound crappy?

A mobile icon is nothing like a uDac. The icon mobile from your ipod is just an amp. It is still using the DAC in the ipod and even the amp in the ipod unless you were using a LOD.

 

[schwallman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DayoftheGreek /img/forum/go_quote.gif A mobile icon is nothing like a uDac. The icon mobile from your ipod is just an amp. It is still using the DAC in the ipod and even the amp in the ipod unless you were using a LOD.

Was using an LOD.

 

[apatN]

I wonder what that x-fi is doing in a simple computer used for work. Nice find. The x-fi sounds pretty digital and isn't hi-fi by any means but the sound is good enough to please anyone at work.

 

[schwallman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by apatN /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wonder what that x-fi is doing in a simple computer used for work. Nice find. The x-fi sounds pretty digital and isn't hi-fi by any means but the sound is good enough to please anyone at work.

For the work we do we do have nice computers, just no need for a pretty good sound card though.

 

[phangtonpower]

Quote:

Originally Posted by schwallman /img/forum/go_quote.gif Was using an LOD.

That means that you were only using the line-out of your Ipod into the Nuforces amp and not the DAC. The Nuforce's DAC is only through USB.

Anyway, glad to hear you like your phones..Now turn around and don't look back

 

[Blackmore]

Maybe its just a standart these days

Quote:

Originally Posted by schwallman /img/forum/go_quote.gif For the work we do we do have nice computers, just no need for a pretty good sound card though.

 

[schwallman]

i had it connected through usb at work. LOD while at home. Couldnt really tell a big difference using it at work. Through the ipod though I didnt care for the sound. Straight out of the ipod sounded much better to me. Well anyway I went ahead and ordered a little dot i this morning from david. Now its time to research tubes and opamps. To think if I would of researched the way i do now back in school, id probably be better off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by phangtonpower /img/forum/go_quote.gif That means that you were only using the line-out of your Ipod into the Nuforces amp and not the DAC. The Nuforce's DAC is only through USB. Anyway, glad to hear you like your phones..Now turn around and don't look back

 

[schwallman]

I think it is standard for computer companies to overcharge all branches of the military for products and services.


Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackmore /img/forum/go_quote.gif Maybe its just a standart these days

 

[BoogieWoogie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by schwallman /img/forum/go_quote.gif i had it connected through usb at work. LOD while at home. Couldnt really tell a big difference using it at work. Through the ipod though I didnt care for the sound. Straight out of the ipod sounded much better to me. Well anyway I went ahead and ordered a little dot i this morning from david. Now its time to research tubes and opamps. To think if I would of researched the way i do now back in school, id probably be better off.

did you use an standestation ?