[conquerator2]

The U3 has a very high output impedance, which will mess with the frequency response of the Technicas. The Technicas border on being a bit too treble happy, so this could be a bad thing if it makes it harsher.

The U3's internal amp sucks in either case, though if you're not worriedd about the frequency response being altered, the U3 would drive those quite loudly.

I think I'll give it a try.
Is there a different DH device you'd recommend?

 

[widdyjudas]

I do hope you're turning off Dolby Headphone in the U3's software menu when you listen to music, though obviously unnecessary when you have your own amp/dac.

Yes, I do turn it off. However, the sound becomes bassy and somehow feels metallic. I dont know how to describe it...
For music, I just plug my aune x1 with usb.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I think I'll give it a try.
Is there a different DH device you'd recommend?

For pc use? No, because the U3 is basically JUST sending dolby headphone signal to your legit headphone dac and amp. Getting a more expensive device is basically pointless, unless you don't have a legitimate headphone amp and dac (your dac must have an optical input). Of course, if you want an internal soundcard that does the same thing, I think that would be the Xonar DG.

Of course, the Xonar menu must be set so that the headphone jack on the U3 is sending an optical signal in PCM.

 

[a_recording]

Thanks for the plug! I reaponded with my Shin CZ account.

Hmm, not sure I'll ever have a chance to try the AD700x, but it seems that if you already own the AD700, it's probably not worth upgrading to the AD700x if they're that similar. I've heard they were very similar from other people, so I'm guessing the AD700x is just a slight retuning, with better aesthetics, since the color scheme put off a lot of people.

 
Yeah I'm not sure they would be much of an upgrade for a happy AD700 owner, but on the other hand they didn't mess with the formula. Have to wonder what the upcoming AG and ADG will be like...
 

The U3 has a very high output impedance, which will mess with the frequency response of the Technicas. The Technicas border on being a bit too treble happy, so this could be a bad thing if it makes it harsher.

 
As far as I understand it, a high output impedance only really messes a great deal with frequency response if the impedance of a headphone swings quite a bit in the first place (since a high output impedance will mean different currents at different frequencies). At least as far as the W1000X goes Tyll's impedance measurements seem pretty stable so I don't imagine high output impedance will interact too much with it. Damping factor on the other hand is a different kettle of fish.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Yeah, I'm not sure how Audio Technicas respond to impedance mismatches, but I know some headphones like the K70x doesn't get affected much, nor do planar magnetics. Some others do vary quite a bit. In either case, the U3 has a 23ohm output impedance, which is waaay too high, and the internal amp sucks regardless.

 

[widdyjudas]

If I build a pc later early next year, are there any point for getting an internal soundcard if I already have the U3? Since for pc surround gaming, U3 is basically more than enough.
Maybe for music benefit, with coaxial/optical output (24/192) from the soundcard, rather just from USB (24/96)

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

If you want less external equipment, then yes getting an internal soundcard is better. Otherwise, there's no benefit of getting something else, since all the grunt is being done by your own dac/amp.

 

[Qupie]

Hi Mad Lust Envy!
 
First of all, thnx for the wonderfull read. 
 
As an audiophile from birth ( inherited  ) I am glad you found your way to the music side of this great hobby next to your gaming purposes. 
For myself the story is the other way around, been using my 5.1 system for gaming, and I am looking into buying a headset/mixamp for gaming purposes soon.
 
I use an Igrado (pretty nice audio, used rarely for gaming, tried it but not convinced yet, probably need a mix amp) or my 5.1 set for gaming right now, but I am going to upgrade soon. (thinking about senheiser, audio technica or another grado). The Igrado is great for its price (if you have not tried it) but I feel they are uncomfortable and not compatible with my big head
 
I have one small Question. I own an receiver (marantz sr 5600), it has dolby headphones function. Is this a good function to use from a receiver, or is it only recommended for the actual headphone amps? And therefore, do you think a mixamp still ads allot of detail compared to my receiver? 
 
 
Thnx in advance, and again, thnx for all the effort you put into this page!
 
Qupie

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

That receiver is all you need for now. I had an inferior model that sounded fantastic, though it was used and died on me.

The receiver does the same exact thing as the Mixamp, etc. As long as Dolby Headphone is on, and you're getting a Dolby Digital or DTS signal, you'll be hearing the same virtual surround we do.

 

[Qupie]

Awesome! Thnx for the quick reply! 
 
I guess I will miss out on the equalizer part, so I will have to buy non-muddy /non-bass heavy headphones, but that was my plan anyway. 

 

[Fegefeuer]

Repost from Nameless PC Gaming Thread
 
 

 
PC True Audio, PS4 True Audio, Xbone's SHAPE similarly to use. Talk about REAL hardware accelerated audio explosion. The future can only be bright.
 
http://www.maximumpc.com/everything_you_wanted_know_about_amd%E2%80%99s_new_trueaudio_technology_2013
 
What is True Audio?
 

In a nutshell, TrueAudio is a return to the concept of hardware accelerated audio processing, with AMD leveraging their position to put the necessary hardware on the GPU. Hardware accelerated audio processing in the PC space essentially died with Windows Vista, which moved most of the Windows audio stack into software. Previously the stack was significantly implemented through drivers and as such various elements could be offloaded onto the sound card itself, which in the case of 3D audio meant having the audio card process and transform DirectSound 3D calls as it saw fit. However with Vista hardware processing and hardware access to those APIs was stripped, and combined with a general “good enough” mindset of software audio + Realtek audio codecs, the matter was essentially given up on.

Now even with the loss of traditional hardware acceleration due to Vista, you can still do advanced 3D audio and other effects in software by having the game engine itself do the work. However this is generally not something that’s done, as game developers are hesitant to allocate valuable CPU time to audio and other effects that are difficult to demonstrate and sell. Further complicating this is of course the current generation consoles, which dedicate a relatively small portion of what are already pretty limited resources to audio processing. As a result the baseline for audio is at times an 8 year old console, or at best a conservative fraction of one CPU core.

 

 

MPC: You guys are using GenAudio and McDSP. GenAudio’s says AstoundSound modeling is based on how the brain reacts to sound rather than the older model of putting microphones into head dummies to create the algorithms. GenAudio calls it HRBF. How is HRBF an improvement on Head Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs)?

AMD: [...] GenAudio’s BRTF is based on the way the brain actually interprets audio, as analyzed through EEG-fMRI and MEG data. Traditional HRTFs assume, as you implied, that your head is the same size and shape as the dummy head used to create the psychoacoustic model. But the critical failing of an HRTF is that nobody’s head is the same size or shape as the binaural dummy head, so you have to go deeper. Right into the brain. Learn how the brain itself receives and processes a 3D soundfield, and then you work back from there to create the algorithms that work on that level. The GenAudio team has done that, and I’ve not met one person who hasn’t been blown away by the quality of their methods as demonstrated in Lichdom.

 

 

[widdyjudas]

If you want less external equipment, then yes getting an internal soundcard is better. Otherwise, there's no benefit of getting something else, since all the grunt is being done by your own dac/amp.

Guess i'll just use the u3 then. I dont think i can hear much different from coax input 24/192 compared from usb 24/96.
I'm trying not to stretch my 1500usd budget, so any unnecessary items must go.

 

[aserate]

Hey Mad Lust!

First, thanks for the in-depth guide of this topic.
I'm very interested in buying a gaming headset (or w/ souncard) so my googling brought me here. Sad to say the choices of headphones/soundcard here are limited, not to mention my budget.
 
Anyway, I'm currently eyeing on the Siberia V2 analog + budget sound card (xonar d* series maybe). Is that combination good? Or do you got something else on your mind. My budget would be about less than $130 for a headphone + soundcard combo. I'd be very much happy if you'll help me out on this one.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Speaking of Audio Technicas,
Can the U3 alone drive them sufficiently?
Namely the A900X [42 ohms, 101db/mw] and the W1000X [40 ohms, 100db/mw]?
Does the U3 work well with music [i.e. - is there something like a bypass function so it can play music in stereo]?

The Xonar U3 should be able to drive headphones up to 150-Ohm, so 40-Ohm and 42-Ohm should work, but the U3 is not something that will bring out a headphone's best.
I would think at least using a Schiit Magni or O2 amplifier plugged into the U3 would, would help audio quality.
Even better, a FiiO E17 or Audioengine D1 optical connected to the U3 would help audio quality.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  If I build a pc later early next year, are there any point for getting an internal soundcard if I already have the U3? Since for pc surround gaming, U3 is basically more than enough.
Maybe for music benefit, with coaxial/optical output (24/192) from the sound card, rather just from USB (24/96)

Get a Xonar DX or D1 sound card (used, $60) and a Schiit Magni, $99 or O2, $119, headphone amplifier.
As these head amps have an output impedance of less then 1-Ohm, they are a better option over internal sound card, as the lowest impedance possible (currently) for an sound card is 10-Ohms.