bucket indeed
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2013
- Posts
- 13
- Likes
- 10
This will cross over into diy a bit, but I need a baseline before I make that post. My gear is pretty cheap, but I like ringing the value out of my dollars... even if it requires a soldering iron. What am I talking about? Especially if it requires a soldering iron.
First, what I have:
Senn HD201 (currently open backed, new pads on the to-do)
Xonar DG
homebrew condenser mic (9v powered, Joel Cameron design)
What I want:
headset
decent positional audio
convenient volume control
Problems are:
Xonar is bad at games
Integrated audio is better at games, but can't drive the 201's
I don't like changing batteries
Turning the 201's into a headset is just a bunch of soldering and wires, and not for this sub-forum. The bits from the mic will require a box somewhere between the mic capsule and the mic in jack, so that seems like a good place for a volume control. The PC's power supply seems like a better place to draw power from, since it's not a stupid battery that will be dead the first time I really want to use the mic. This is pretty much a lan rig too, so portable is good. So this is where it gets interesting; I have literally dozens of options to get what I want, whether I use anything I currently have or not. Cheaper is better, and soldering is more fun. I think the Xonar/HD201 sets a (modest) ballpark for both performance and price.
I'm leaning toward some sort of homemade amp with volume control on the integrated (realtek) until I can come up with, say, an x-fi or the like. The question is, will it make any real difference? I mean, if I just said screw the game audio (realistically only few games would be affected) and slapped a cheap pot volume knob in the line, would I really hear a difference with what I've got? Thoughts, suggestions? All are welcome and appreciated.
First, what I have:
Senn HD201 (currently open backed, new pads on the to-do)
Xonar DG
homebrew condenser mic (9v powered, Joel Cameron design)
What I want:
headset
decent positional audio
convenient volume control
Problems are:
Xonar is bad at games
Integrated audio is better at games, but can't drive the 201's
I don't like changing batteries
Turning the 201's into a headset is just a bunch of soldering and wires, and not for this sub-forum. The bits from the mic will require a box somewhere between the mic capsule and the mic in jack, so that seems like a good place for a volume control. The PC's power supply seems like a better place to draw power from, since it's not a stupid battery that will be dead the first time I really want to use the mic. This is pretty much a lan rig too, so portable is good. So this is where it gets interesting; I have literally dozens of options to get what I want, whether I use anything I currently have or not. Cheaper is better, and soldering is more fun. I think the Xonar/HD201 sets a (modest) ballpark for both performance and price.
I'm leaning toward some sort of homemade amp with volume control on the integrated (realtek) until I can come up with, say, an x-fi or the like. The question is, will it make any real difference? I mean, if I just said screw the game audio (realistically only few games would be affected) and slapped a cheap pot volume knob in the line, would I really hear a difference with what I've got? Thoughts, suggestions? All are welcome and appreciated.
