[PurpleAngel]

  Is that meant for me?  The only option with 7.1 i have in the Xonar audio center is "7.1 virtual speaker shifter" is that it or something else ?

Is the Audio Channel set to 8-channel (7.1)?

 

[NamelessPFG]

Anyone able to speak to the positional audio queues in Assassin's Creed 4? I picked it up today with Amazon's special and I'll be playing it at some point over the next couple days. Wondering how it does considering it's third person and all that.

 
The PC version sounds alright in that regard, at least.
 
Got it as part of the NVIDIA holiday game bundle, wouldn't have bought it otherwise seeing as I have no experience with the rest of the series. Ubisoft needs to offer some kind of massive series bundle at a deep discount.
 

Finally, what else will I be wanting/needing to pick up with these headphones? Will I need a soundcard (My MoBo is ASUS Maximus VI Hero which apparently has pretty decent sound)? Will I need an amp? If so, any recommendations? Is this a long-lasting purchase that I will be able to use for years?

 
The Maximus VI Hero's Realtek drivers don't have any headphone surround tech at all, neither from Dolby nor Creative. You'd have to opt for Razer Surround, which isn't the greatest for positional audio in my experience.
 
In other words, get a sound card. Any decent one should last you for a few years; and a cheap one like an X-Fi Titanium or Xonar DGX is all you need to get started.
 
As for amplification, that depends on what headphones you choose in the end. I can safely say that the MA900 doesn't demand a dedicated amp like some cans will, and that's part of the appeal to me right there.

 

[SaLX]

@Hoffen - yeah sweet that you got it working. If it's working then you WILL have set your soundcard to 7.1 in the windows sound CP as MLE suggested. Note: the new SBZ range automatically sets this up for new users - which can also be a pain in the **** too.
 
Any chance of any feedback on how the NFB sounds with your K702's - a lot of people keep asking this... and I'm soon about to 'pull the trigger' (sound's like a cry for help)  on the Sabre 11.32 or the 2x Wolfson 15.32 with the K712's. Consensus is to go for the Wolfsons. *Edit* I know the vanilla 702's will sound more neutral, but tonally both must be the same.. almost. 

 

[grizzlybeast]

If @Mad Lust Envy can get his hands on a JVC DX1000/700 that would make a great gaming headphone to add to the list. 
 
dx700=Nice impactful bass, nonfatiguing listen, great details, AMAZING IMAGING and instrument separation, AWESOME soundstage for a closed headphone and bests the x1 easily. The treble is still detailed though over all its a dark sounding headphone.
 
It is everything I wanted the x1 to be. If I buy the one I am borrowing I wouldn't mind loaning it out.

 

[Hoffen00]

  Are you feed it a 2-channel music sound or 5.1 movie audio or gaming or other ?
What sound card are you using?

right now in the xonar DGX audio center i use 8 channels, PCM 96 khz, headphones analog out with gaming mode, SPDIF out -PCM enabled  dolby headphones enabled with option DH-2 and GX enabled.  I use the optical input on the NFB with H gain and 4/3 on the other options. But i have a box in the xonar DGX audio center saying "7.1 virtual speaker shifter" should i enabled that for gaming ?

 

[Hoffen00]

  @Hoffen - yeah sweet that you got it working. If it's working then you WILL have set your soundcard to 7.1 in the windows sound CP as MLE suggested. Note: the new SBZ range automatically sets this up for new users - which can also be a pain in the **** too.
 
Any chance of any feedback on how the NFB sounds with your K702's - a lot of people keep asking this... and I'm soon about to 'pull the trigger' (sound's like a cry for help)  on the Sabre 11.32 or the 2x Wolfson 15.32 with the K712's. Consensus is to go for the Wolfsons. *Edit* I know the vanilla 702's will sound more neutral, but tonally both must be the same.. almost. 

Yea it works now thanks again. How do i enabled the 7.1 ? Configure speakers option and then choose 7.1  surround and then have everything enabled ? or should i enable it aswell in the xonar audio center "7.1 virtual speaker shifter" ?
And im new to the part with useing headphones instead of headsets and useing a amp/dac, so this is the first time so i have nothing to compare it to. Only thing i can say is that it sounds really good, but i would proly have said the same about other headphones and amp/dacs

 

[Naingolann]

 
I own both. Overall I find the K612 the better sounding of the two. Both are good headphones and the sound signature is different , but overall I find the K612 the more balanced and refined sounding of the two. But like most AKGs it can be a bit difficult to find the right synergy for them as they are quite picky.

 
Thanks. I have a FiiO E9 and love it's versatility, because I can use it with either my PC or my PS3 with no problem whatsoever and it does a great job at driving the DT990 600ohm. It should be good enough, but what else would you suggest?
 
Quote:

   
The PC version sounds alright in that regard, at least.
 
Got it as part of the NVIDIA holiday game bundle, wouldn't have bought it otherwise seeing as I have no experience with the rest of the series. Ubisoft needs to offer some kind of massive series bundle at a deep discount.

 
PS3 here and it works flawlessly. I can distinctly hear where a sound comes from and it's exceptionally useful during naval fights!

 

[conquerator2]

  If @Mad Lust Envy can get his hands on a JVC DX1000/700 that would make a great gaming headphone to add to the list. 
 
dx700=Nice impactful bass, nonfatiguing listen, great details, AMAZING IMAGING and instrument separation, AWESOME soundstage for a closed headphone and bests the x1 easily. The treble is still detailed though over all its a dark sounding headphone.
 
It is everything I wanted the x1 to be. If I buy the one I am borrowing I wouldn't mind loaning it out.

Somehow I don't believe that... If it's anything like the DX1000, then the midrange will be recessed and the signature U shaped....
Even if it was better, it's $650 and the DX1000 is $1099... that's notwhere near the X1 price, is it?

 

[PurpleAngel]

  right now in the xonar DGX audio center i use 8 channels, PCM 96 khz, headphones analog out with gaming mode, SPDIF out -PCM enabled  dolby headphones enabled with option DH-2 and GX enabled.  I use the optical input on the NFB with H gain and 4/3 on the other options. But i have a box in the xonar DGX audio center saying "7.1 virtual speaker shifter" should i enabled that for gaming ?

I leave in disabled, never use it.

 

[kman1211]

   
Thanks. I have a FiiO E9 and love it's versatility, because I can use it with either my PC or my PS3 with no problem whatsoever and it does a great job at driving the DT990 600ohm. It should be good enough, but what else would you suggest?
 
Quote:
 
PS3 here and it works flawlessly. I can distinctly hear where a sound comes from and it's exceptionally useful during naval fights!

I don't think driving the K612 will be a problem. I haven't heard the E9 before so I don't know how the headphone reacts to the amp. It's just a matter of trying them and seeing if they suit your tastes or not.

 

[AvroArrow]

  Hi there,
 
Sorry to post again, but I am still a little lost!
 
These will primarily be used for gaming but also music and other needs. They wont leave my PC desk so they don't have to be mobile. My needs are: comfort > gaming > music. Someone asked what type of music I listened to as a reference, here it is.
 
My decision seems to be Philips X1 vs Sony MA900 vs AKG 701/702.
 
MA900 is currently winning as it's $100~ less than the X1s. I don't like what they look like, though. The X1's seem to never go on sale which is hurting them for me. The AKG's have multiple versions right now: 702s, 702 anniversary and 701 QJ. I don`t think I'd notice that much of a difference getting into higher end pairs like the anniversary edition though, so those are probably out too. A big problem with the AKGs is that Amazon doesn't seem to let me order them from Canada. I can order the rest, but none of the AKGs ship to Canada. Are there other places that ship to Canada I should be looking out for? I don't mind waiting until Christmas for a pair, so I'm fine waiting for a sale on any of these.

 
I would not get the Philips X1 because of the non-removable/replaceable earpads.  I read another thread on head-fi where a guy with some Philips L1 (also fixed earpads) pleather ripped after 1 year (so no more warranty).  He called up Philips and even offered to pay them to fix it but they said too bad, so sad, we can't fix it and you are out of warranty, kthxbb.  Yeah... I would not buy a $300USD pair of headphones with that kind of support.  This is doubly more so since you're in Canada, and chances are, you'd probably have to send them to the US for warranty if something came up... and possibly be taxed again when they crossed the border again if they don't mark the CN22 form properly and depending on if you get screwed by an inattentive CBSA agent.  
 
Too bad you missed the amazon.ca $140-150 CAD BF deals on the Sennheiser HD598s.  I feel those would be a possible contender at that sale price.  You also mentioned comfort as a requirement.  Do you have a big head and/or wear glasses?  I have both so it's hard to find comfortable headphones that don't clamp like a vice grip (e.g. Senneiser HD650s hurt a lot).  I can confirm the AKG K702.65 Annies, K550, Sennheiser HD598s, Audio Technica ATH-AD700s are very, very comfortable for me.  I can easily wear the Annies and HD598s for 2-6 hours with no discomfort.  On the flip side, I HATED the Q701s for comfort.  The bumpy headband plus the hard foam earpads made them very uncomfortable.  The Annies (& K712Pro) have a flat headband and much softer memory foam earpads that feel very nice.  The problem with the AKG K/Q70x is that they REQUIRE an Amp to sound decent.  Realtek onboard sound is totally insufficient for driving the AKGs.  You will get sound if you crank it up... that's about it. I currently run mine off an Audioengine D1 and sometimes a Fiio E17.  They may not be the best amp for the AKGs, but they were within my budget (sub-$150).  
 
Razordogaudio will ship to Canada via USPS (so you don't get raped by UPS/FedEx brokerage fees).  I got my Annies from them for $350+$29.50 USD shipping to Vancouver during a sale back in August.  They had the K712Pro for $375+shipping for their BF sale.  Maybe they'll have another sale closer to Xmas, but the K712Pro+amp may be out of your budget.  

 

[Totoori]

Thanks Avro! I will not grab the X1's then. While I like the KCG's, requiring an amp and being another $150~ on top of that is rather expensive and might be better once I know more about what I want in headphones.
 
Yes, I have glasses and a somewhat big head, not too big though.
 
I think my best bet is to just suck up the appearance and pick up MA900s eh? Best deal I can find on them is US Amazon @200. 

 

[Murder Mike]

 
Any chance of any feedback on how the NFB sounds with your K702's - a lot of people keep asking this... and I'm soon about to 'pull the trigger' (sound's like a cry for help)  on the Sabre 11.32 or the 2x Wolfson 15.32 with the K712's. Consensus is to go for the Wolfsons. *Edit* I know the vanilla 702's will sound more neutral, but tonally both must be the same.. almost. 

 
I really like the analytical sound of the 11.32 with the K702 65ths. I love the detail that comes through. 

 

[SaLX]

Ty MM: The 11.32 isn't too dry overall, bright in the highs and restrains the bass too much (if I may ask)?

 

[grizzlybeast]

  Somehow I don't believe that... If it's anything like the DX1000, then the midrange will be recessed and the signature U shaped....
Even if it was better, it's $650 and the DX1000 is $1099... that's notwhere near the X1 price, is it?

dx700 is 530 at amazon. But the dx700 midrange isn't recessed. With the x1 comparatively speaking the x1 midrange is more distant as well as everything else besides the bass.. The dx700 does everything...besides air and the x1 having a slightly more transparent sound... better. Better details, better and stronger textured bass, better soundstage width, better soundstage height and depth, better instrument separation, stronger midrange, similar treble, more natural instruments, better timbre, way more cohesive and musical... yeah thats almost everything. I have had both and really liked the x1 but it's no match for the dx700.