Help my PC sound better!

[elbrickodaviso]

I am a complete beginner to all of this, and it's been a blast so far. I just got some HD595s this weekend and I am stunned at their sound quality. However, I cannot seem to make them sound nearly as good through my PC. I am using an Xfi XtremeMusic sound card, and I'm pretty sure I've done all I can to the settings. I have/can save up some money if I need to buy something.

I'm thinking of purchasing the E-MU0404 USB, since from what I understand I bypass the sound card completely with that, and hook the DAC up to a headphone amp. Is that correct? The 0404 will also let me hook my guitar into it, and that sounds like loads of fun...but anything cheaper would be nice.

The only amp I have is a pa2v2 from gary. Do I need a better amp?

Answers to any of these questions that I can't seem to find answers to are very greatly appreciated. I can't wait to have great audio for all the music (192-256k quality) and movies i have on this thing

 

[Alleyman]

What aspect of sound do you think is lacking when you say you cant make them sound good?

Your soundcard seems perfectly fine and 595s are pretty good without an amp too.

 

[elbrickodaviso]

I guess it actually sounds OK, I'm just not sure how to tweak anything. Once I neutralize the sound (turn off the EQ in foobar2000, bass/treble at 50% on my sound card options, all effects disabled) everything sounds so flat and dull, which confuses me because with my portable CD player the things sound amazing with everything I've listened to it with, and obviously there's no EQ or effects in there.
So far, this EQ setting has improved the sound.

Any other suggestions?

I eventually want to get those things I mentioned anyway if they are good, because the 595s will not be my only pair...I'm far too addicted to the fun of headphone stuff

 

[lui_boy]

Are you using ASIO or Kernel Streaming for foobar2000?

 

[soloz2]

you could mod your xtreme music

 

[elbrickodaviso]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lui_boy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are you using ASIO or Kernel Streaming for foobar2000?

No, I don't even know what that is =O

 

[elbrickodaviso]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soloz2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif you could mod your xtreme music

that topic looked scary to me as well =O

 

[LeonvB]

Cheapest start: buy an interconnect cable for your current amp (3.5mm to 3.5mm). A soundcard in general doesn't deliver the power a high current or high resistance headphone needs. Perhaps even a pa2v2 will show some improvement.
Most expensive solution would be to head for a good DAC (fi. Stello 220 MKII using USB) plus powerful amp. It's most likely you'll settle somewhere in-between the two ends of the spectrum.

 

[Alleyman]

I'm actually lost as to why neutral settings are giving different results on different sources. Of course there will be a difference between sources but not to enough change the sound of the 595s.

You said bass/treble were at 50%, what happens at 0%?

Your EQ tells me that you miss the treble more than the bass, maybe 595s are not right for the kind of music you listen to? Grado maybe?

 

[elbrickodaviso]

I am starting to realize that my main problem is just balancing out the bass/treble of the sound card with the EQs of iTunes/foobar...I wish I could find a combination of settings that would get it right!

 

[Alleyman]

I would recommend using a single EQ in the sound/software chain; have your bass/treble on the soundcard at zero.

Also, it is recommended that EQ used in foobar be a "cut" and not a "boost" (avoids clipping). This simply means that once youre done setting the EQ according to your tastes, just click on the "auto level" button. The volume might drop if you have set large boosts but you can compensate with the overall volume control.

 

[lui_boy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lui_boy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are you using ASIO or Kernel Streaming for foobar2000?

Quote:

Originally Posted by elbrickodaviso /img/forum/go_quote.gif No, I don't even know what that is =O

For Kernel Streaming:

You can download the KS component from the foobar2000 site:
http://www.foobar2000.com/components/foo_out_ks.zip

The install is pretty simple, extract the file to the /components folder of your foobar2000. Then set your output in foobar2000 to use the KS component. It is a bit buggy on some systems, but work fine for most files I play.

Setting up ASIO is a little more complicated, but they both kinda do the same thing but in different ways. Hope this helps.

 

[Gatticus]

I have 595's and was using them with X-Fi soundcard but I bought an EMU 0404 USB soundcard and am happy with this combo. Read the threads about EMU 0404 USB and also read the thread about setting up foobar with the dolby DSP plugin. In foobar I use channel mixer set to surround 6 channel>dolby headphone>advanced limiter. This sounds really good on the 595's with no equalizer needed, not to my ears anyway. Yesterday I was listening to an old poorly recorded song by Iron Butterfly and alternating between no dsp's and the above setttings it was a night and day difference.

 

[soloz2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elbrickodaviso /img/forum/go_quote.gif that topic looked scary to me as well =O

just pay someone to mod your card 4 u

 

[cooperpwc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lui_boy /img/forum/go_quote.gif For Kernel Streaming: You can download the KS component from the foobar2000 site: http://www.foobar2000.com/components/foo_out_ks.zip The install is pretty simple, extract the file to the /components folder of your foobar2000. Then set your output in foobar2000 to use the KS component. It is a bit buggy on some systems, but work fine for most files I play. Setting up ASIO is a little more complicated, but they both kinda do the same thing but in different ways. Hope this helps.

I'm amazed that you can get this to work. I can't even get kernel streaming to start playing in Foobar. I run on XP Professional. ASIO4ALL works for me though.