[lttlfld]

I have a nice gaming desktop I enjoy gaming on at home, but I also travel for work (2 weeks at a time) and game on a MSI GT60 ONE. I just bought the Sennheiser HD 598s and my day one impressions are holy moly incredible. I use them probably 60/40 for gaming/music.
However, I do not have a sound card for my desktop and no DAC or amplifier in general. My question is what all do I really need to buy to enhance these headphones? Here are some possible scenarios:
1) buy a nice sound card, suck it up when using the laptop
2) buy a nice DAC or Amp (btw I still don't totally get the difference between these) and use them/it for my laptop and desktop
3) buy a decent sound card and a decent DAC/amp. Use DAC/amp for laptop and DAC/amp + sound card on desktop. For this scenario I would want good synergy between sound card + DAC/amp (if it matters)

I could also buy a very nice soundcard AND a very nice DAC/amp, but this could easily top $400, and that seems absurd when the headphones were only $200 with tax.
I think I would ideally like to spend $100, but obviously everyone wants to spend less money.

As an aside, my dad had an extra Creative Labs SB0790 PCI Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio Sound Card laying around, but I've read this thing is a POS and not truly X-Fi (although I admit I really don't know what X-Fi is).

I've spent hours on forums and I'm almost dizzy from trying to figure this out. Picking out the right headphones for me was hard enough!

ALSO, I can return the 598s (bought them yesterday at fry's) if different cans might help solve this.

Thanks!

 

[Koolpep]

The HD 598 is awesome. I always game with it. Nothing else comes close.

I can personally recommend Schiit Asgard and if you need to stick to the budget, the fiio e7k. DAC/amp pairs nicely with the Senns and doesn't break the bank.

You can use it with both desktop and notebook. Alternatively the dragonfly is now available for 99 usd as well.

Under no circumstances would I sell the hd598

Happy listening,
K

 

[lttlfld]

Koolpep what is your gaming setup? Would a soundcard on top of the Schiit Asgard make a noticeable difference? I don't have a strict budget; just trying to be reasonable as this is my introduction into the audiophile world.

 

[Koolpep]

Hard to say, in general, yes. If you want a mobile setup then the hifimediy sabre DAC is good, the Schiit Modi is great for stationary. At play I use the nuforce icon HDP as DAC and Schiit Asgard does the amping. Another great little DAC is the muse mini DAC. It has burr brown chips and sounds great for the price.

I am gaming with my PS3

Cheers,
K

 

[lttlfld]

Nice, I picked up a dragonfly yesterday at best buy (they didn't believe me when I told them they were selling it for $100). Going to get a chance to check it out later today

 

[Koolpep]

Wow that was quick. Let us know how it is....

 

[lttlfld]

So the difference in listening to music with and without the dragonflies is obvious, even to me. The sound is clearer, crisper and... better at all volumes.
However, this difference is less apparent for gaming. I'm beginning to wonder if I've gone over the top for my needs or if I've delved down a new path of music appreciation...

 

[Koolpep]

Hmm, 
 
enjoy the music and rediscover all your favourite tracks. 

 
The increase in gaming depends on the game (as well as Music depends on the mixing and quality). So you will have different experiences.
 
The latest Call of Duty Ghosts for example has terrible directional sound compared to the latest Black Ops2. I can't identify as good as before where people are, my spatial awareness sucks. I hope for an update to fix that.

 

[lttlfld]

Very cool. I have an Xbox one/360 as well. Will the dragonfly work with these?

 

[Koolpep]

I doubt it will, but why don't you give it a try and let us know?
 
Cheers,
K

 

[lttlfld]

I'm traveling these next couple weeks but I absolutely will try it when I get back. Appreciate the help!