[BackwardPawn]

Hi all,
 
I'm a newbee to the whole headphone scene.  My old setup had my audigy 2 hooked directly to the digital input of my Yamaha, outputting to B&H speakers.  I've since split up my computer and receiver and am looking for a suitable replacement for sound.  I really disliked the sound on my z-680s for music, so I purchased an HD555 and then saw there was a sale on Xonar DX sound cards, so I picked one up for $60.
 
Now I'm having doubts about this setup.  Don't get me wrong, I think it sounds great for the price...I just detect a slight hollowness to the sound and wonder if I can do better.
 
My first question:  With the HD555, is it worth an extra $150 for the STX, or would I need a better headphone to tell the difference anyway?  I'm planning to mod the HD555s, but I don't really want to put more money into the headphones at this point.
 
My second question (and I hope I don't touch off a powder keg with this one):  Am I better off starting with the STX or should I use the DX for now and add a desktop DAC/amp with a digital input when I have a bigger budget?
 
Also, am I getting the most out of my HD555s using a card without an amp.  I've heard they're easy to drive, but I'm not sure if they might sound better amped.
 
I'm currently leaning toward using this setup now and getting the amp later as I like the idea of being able to move it where I need it (since my home theater is currently in the basement), but if I'm really missing out...I'll upgrade.
 
One last question.  Which DAC/amp would you recommend when I do buy one.  I'd be looking in the sub-$500 range (I just don't have the budget for one right now...even the STX would be stretching it, but I'd rather get it right the first time.)
 
Thanks for your help.
 
Shack

 

[LowPhreak]

I have a DX card and don't hear any hollowness, unless I add some digital effect from the card's options. To judge how any card truly sounds, you have to run it straight/normal without any faux effects.
 
To get a non-processed output on the DX, under "DSP mode" tick the "HF" button. That turns off all effects and EQ. "Game", "Music", "Movie" , the Dolby settings in the "Main" panel, or the "Environment Size" may be giving you the hollow sound.
 
IMO the DX is a very good card for my needs, and I haven't felt the need to replace it though it is more a gaming card than strictly audiophile. The other ASUS cards may have a somewhat "better" sound than the DX, or at least different, having different D/A and A/D chips, better caps, shielding/grounding, you can roll OP amp chips, etc. I've heard that the ST version sounds better than the STX, so if I were spending the $200.+, I'd get the ST.

 

[BackwardPawn]

I think the hollowness was from the Dolby effects.  I did a comparison between my Yamaha on straight and the card using the HF setting.  I may post a more detailed summary, but in a nutshell I found that the Yamaha was more upfront and drove deep bass notes better, but the card still sounded very good.
 
I'm leaning toward keeping the card for now and upgrading later.