[trogdor796]

Just joined the mass drop for the K7XX's. 
 
Also, I've got a question regarding an amp, don't know if anyone here knows the answer to.
 
So right now I've got my desktop PC with the Xonar DX in it. I also have desktop speakers(Corsair SP2500). The desktop speakers are hooked up to the sound card in the headphone/front out port. The speakers have a volume module with a dial for controlling the volume, and this module has a headphone jack on it. If I get an amp, how can I have it so both my speakers and headphones are both hooked up to the PC/soundcard at the same time, so I can switch between them in Windows, instead of swapping cables? Would I plug the amp into the speakers module with the headphone jack, or will I have to run the speakers through my motherboard audio?
 
Probably a dumb question, I've got no experience with amps or high end headphones.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Well, looks like the speakers are powered, so if you get a headphone amp with a line out, you can plug in your speakers to that. Magni 2 Uber has at least a pre-out. That means you can control the speaker's volume with the Magni 2 Uber.

 

[trogdor796]

Okay, cool. Is there a button to turn the speakers on or off in that case? I guess just how would you switch between the headphones and speakers, such as turn the one you are not using off, when using an amp with a line out?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Nah, you'd have to just turn off your speakers separately.

You could save yourself a headache and get something like the Creative X7 which has everything you need, and DOES have ways to switch bvetween headphones and speakers. That's what I use. It's a good entry point for amping too, though I would look into something a bnit beefier amp-wise for the 7XX, though I'm certain the X7 will do fine as well.

 

[trogdor796]

Ah. The creative is a bit more than id like to spend atm, so I guess I'll just be turning the speakers off when not in use, no biggie. Also, say I wanted to use the speakers but not the headphones, can the headphones just be turned off with the amp then, and the speakers keep playing?

And how well would the 7XXs be without an amp? I plan to get one immediately for my desktop but say for using them with my iPhone 6 or MacBook, would they still sound decent for music without an amp?

 

[grownasssman]

I got rid of my x7 for the price it wasn't really doing it for me. I'm looking for a replacement I'm thinking mix amp but not sure what amp to get I would like something portable that could double as a phone amp dac leaning towards a fiio e07k. I'm going to be powering some psb m4u1s and akg q701s. Also anybody have info on when the Soundblaster g5 is coming out?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Ah. The creative is a bit more than id like to spend atm, so I guess I'll just be turning the speakers off when not in use, no biggie. Also, say I wanted to use the speakers but not the headphones, can the headphones just be turned off with the amp then, and the speakers keep playing?

And how well would the 7XXs be without an amp? I plan to get one immediately for my desktop but say for using them with my iPhone 6 or MacBook, would they still sound decent for music without an amp?

You can only lower a headphone volume if the amp you're using has the speakers attached to a line out, as opposed to a pre-out (which is what the Magni 2 Uber has). Line out bypasses amp volume, which is more ideal for your powered speakers, though you obviously lose the convencience of adjusting speaker volume with the headphone amp.

The 7XX without an amp is grossly limiting its performance. I would advise against it. You may be even be lacking volume if you go without an amp.

 

[trogdor796]

So for devices like an iPhone or Laptop would I be better using Apple earbuds or the 7xx without an amp? I'll amp it at my desktop, but using an amp with my phone or laptop would be a hit of a hassle.

 

[grownasssman]

Just did some research on the new astro mixamp pro tr editions... they are console specific and do chat through USB for both systems... with no controler input and astro advises you to buy both if you have both systems. So i guess im not buying the new mixamp. If creative ever releases some info on the g5 that will probably be my best bet but knowing my luck I probably won't be able to get chat through it.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Trog, you could use it without an amp, just, you may not achieve a good volume, and dynamics won't be as good. You'd be better off with something like the X2 which isn't as dependent on amping. It still deserves amping, but I have used mine off my laptop and phone plenty of times.

That's not really a hint to look at mine, lol. I've stated as such plenty of times. The X2 is better than the AKGs when going unamped.

 

[trogdor796]

Most of the time I'll be using it will be on my desktop which I'll use an amp, was just wondering if it would be decent/better than Apple earbuds on a phone or laptop without an amp, but since most of the time it's gonna be on PC I should be fine.

 

[Sam21]

this just came in: 
 
http://www.sybasonic.com/index.php?m=en&a=productview&id=173
 
it is an audiophile grade analog EQ with a pretty good amp (busted my KSC75). You can use it as a pre-amp , post-amp or standalone EQ-Amp. can be connected to a Mixamp etc...
 
 
I really like it.

 

[rudyae86]

You'll want an amp for those. A desktop amp at minimal. Something warm. I would probably take a Magni 2 as entry point for the AKGs. Personally, I would lean on the Vali, but I'm biased, and loved it too much.

IIRC, the 712 is made in Austria, everything else in the 700-ish line moved to China. Not sure how it is today though.

Nope, k712 are now made in Slovakia.

 

[Evshrug]

Ah. The creative is a bit more than id like to spend atm, so I guess I'll just be turning the speakers off when not in use, no biggie. Also, say I wanted to use the speakers but not the headphones, can the headphones just be turned off with the amp then, and the speakers keep playing?

And how well would the 7XXs be without an amp? I plan to get one immediately for my desktop but say for using them with my iPhone 6 or MacBook, would they still sound decent for music without an amp?

I had an AKG Q701 and K712, both 62 ohms and the same sensitivity as the K7xx. Unless the color and "Limited Edition" nature of the K712 appeals to you, I'd get the K7XX. Currently, I use the K612 which is also a bargain.

The Q and K both reached loud volumes on my iPhone 5S and iPad Mini 2, and sounded like an improvement over EarPods. I wouldn't use the AKGs on the go because they're just so big, but it's fine at home or the office. When adding an amp, the bass gets tighter and more defined, and extension into sub bass improves, also treble is controlled better and sounds less aggressive. Overall the headphone becomes more articulate with a good amp.

MacBook headphone jacks are better than most built-in setups, but I think it's the first Mac in a long time where the headphone out jack isn't also a combination optical mini-toslink output. Rather than the X7, I'd recommend the more affordable Omni... It has a headphone out in the front, outputs on the back for up to a 5.1 speaker setup (self-powered active speakers only, like you have), you can have it on your desk for easy access to ports, it has a volume dial on top to control you PC volume (so it can control both headphone or speakers), and Creative's control panel (compatible with PC/Mac) lets you toggle between speaker and headphone output. It also sends processed surround out through optical, so if some day you buy a $400 DAC you can still game in 3D with the Omni in your setup.

Only 2 downsides: doesn't have a battery to use with an iPhone on the go, and doesn't support game consoles in surround.

Alternative, if you want something that the Omni does, is a battery-powered portable, adds iPhone USB HOST connection support and Bluetooth, you could get the Sound Blaster E5. It also has a better amp than the Omni, but the Omni is at least an upgrade over an iPhone or computer port.

 

[trogdor796]

Thanks for the amp recommendations, I'll check them out. When it comes to using speakers with my PC in addition to headphones, I'm fine with controlling the speakers volume with the control pod that came with the speakers, so I don't need an amp that has that ability. I just didn't want to have to swap cables for headphones and speakers whenever i wanted to switch between them. So I guess I'd just need an amp with a line out then, not pre-out?
 
One thing I realized I'm going to miss from my Astro's is the ability to balance game and chat volume on the fly, without going into menus or windows settings. The A50's handle the chat via USB and game audio through optical, and then there's the rocker on the headset that you can use to balance volume between the two. Is there a way to do that with a pair of headphones like the 7XX's? Is that what a mix amp does?
 
Follow up to that question, if a mix amp allows me to do that, is there any mix amp + amp + mic I can buy for these headphones that will allow me to use them with my PC (Windows 10), PS4, and Xbox One? I was planning on just using these with PC, and keeping my Astro A50's for console use, but since the 7XX's will likely sound better to me I'd like to use them with my consoles if possible.