[Mad Lust Envy]

I only went down from 100%, because for some reason, I started getting dialogue echo on Dragon Age Inquisition. Lowered it to 80%, and that's gone. Note: I'm on THX Tru Studio, not SBX, though fairly sure Creative Control panel for SBX is very much the same as THX Tru Studio.

 

[High Fidelity]

For those using an Astro Mixamp with another amp on the Xbox One, where are you setting the Mixamp master volume at? I initially set mine a little more than 3/4, but I get some crackling, popping static in party/game chat, usually when people first start a sentence. Lowering the Mixamp volume a little and increasing the Magni 2 Uber volume helps quite a bit, but I would like to know the cause.
 
I'm also using the MS headset adapter with the left side game/chat balance at max volume for chat and the right side volume (+/-) at max. I tried skewing the game/chat volume more toward game, but then I can't hear people as well and game audio sounds distorted. 

 

[Stillhart]

I only went down from 100%, because for some reason, I started getting dialogue echo on Dragon Age Inquisition. Lowered it to 80%, and that's gone. Note: I'm on THX Tru Studio, not SBX, though fairly sure Creative Control panel for SBX is very much the same as THX Tru Studio.

 
When did you get a Recon?  I thought you preferred DH...
 

  For those using an Astro Mixamp with another amp on the Xbox One, where are you setting the Mixamp master volume at? I initially set mine a little more than 3/4, but I get some crackling, popping static in party/game chat, usually when people first start a sentence. Lowering the Mixamp volume a little and increasing the Magni 2 Uber volume helps quite a bit, but I would like to know the cause.
 
I'm also using the MS headset adapter with the left side game/chat balance at max volume for chat and the right side volume (+/-) at max. I tried skewing the game/chat volume more toward game, but then I can't hear people as well and game audio sounds distorted. 

 
I keep volume on the controller maxed and I keep the volume on the Mixamp as low as possible.  That thing is noisy as hell and double amping the noise makes it worse.  The quieter you keep it, the less hiss you're double-amping.
 
BTW, I have no issue with crackling noise, but I'm using a 5.8.  Be sure to update the software on the controller (should do automagically, but doesn't hurt to force a manual check just in case) and the firmware on your Mixamp.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

When did you get a Recon?  I thought you preferred DH...

My laptop has a built in Recon 3Di. When I game on Pc and I'm away from home, I just connected my headphones directly to the laptop. THX TS is fine enough. Sure, I prefer DH, but it's not like THX is far behind. They're both perfectly capable for me.

Also, I have no idea where my Xonar U3 went. I think I lost it when I moved out of my apartment. Too lazy to lug that around and constantly hook it up to my laptop when I'm on the go, anyways.

 

[High Fidelity]

   
When did you get a Recon?  I thought you preferred DH...
 
 
I keep volume on the controller maxed and I keep the volume on the Mixamp as low as possible.  That thing is noisy as hell and double amping the noise makes it worse.  The quieter you keep it, the less hiss you're double-amping.
 
BTW, I have no issue with crackling noise, but I'm using a 5.8.  Be sure to update the software on the controller (should do automagically, but doesn't hurt to force a manual check just in case) and the firmware on your Mixamp.

Yeah, seems like the extra power is amplifying any unpleasant noise. It might have been present before, with the Mixamp alone, but I didn't notice it. 
 
I checked earlier to see if my controller and adapter were up to date and both showed "No update available". 
 
I'll take your suggestion to lower the volume on the Mixamp. It's not like I'm hurting for power. With the Mixamp at 3/4 volume I set the Magni 2 Uber at ~9 o'clock without a mic and ~12 o'clock with a mic. The only reason I set it a 3/4 volume was because the external amp guide on the first page stated "You would then max out or nearly max out the 'Mixamp' on the master volume, and control the volume with the audiophile amp."

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

As for Mixamp hiss, I'm pretty damn certain the hiss isn't dependent on Mixamp volume, and regardless of whether you reach a certain decibel level with the Mixamp alone or double amped, you'll get the same amount of hiss. You get more hiss with an attached amp, because you are getting a louder decibel level in general vs Mixamp alone (hence why you're probably double amping in the first place).

I'm pretty sure lowering your Mixamp volume is actually reducing your bit resolution data being sent to your other amp anyways... so I suggest actually having the Mixamp near max. Not completely max (as it tends to distort), but like 80%. You're getting lower audio fidelity by lowering the Mixamp volume, IIRC.

This is assuming that your attached amp doesn't impart it's own hiss.

 

[High Fidelity]

As for Mixamp hiss, I'm pretty damn certain the hiss isn't dependent on Mixamp volume, and regardless of whether you reach a certain DB level with the Mixamp alone or double amped, you'll get the same amount of hiss. You get more hiss with an attached amp, because you are getting a louder decibel level in general vs Mixamp alone.

 
Not sure when you say hiss if it's the same as what I describe as crackling, popping. I only hear it in party/game chat when someone is talking, though it is not present the entire time someone is talking. If no one is talking or I'm not in chat everything sounds fine. 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Then that has nothing to do with the headphone amp section, but something to do with the chat capability. So many factors that can cause problems there, all which I'm not well versed in.

I ws just referring to the Mixamp alone vs double amped hiss, which people seem to think has more with an attached amp. I'm here to say that there isn't 'more' if you were to have the same exact volume level. Double amping has more hiss simply because you're pushing the volume higher than the volume alone on the Mixamp, so of course there is gonna be more hiss. The hiss is embedded into the signal once it reaches the Mixamp. Lowering the volume on the Mixamp isn't going to reduce hiss to your other amp. In essence, you're just killing bit resolution and making audio quality worse. (though I'm not clear on this, as double amping is usually taboo in the headphone world). I'd like to know how lowering the first amp's volume differs from lowering software volume. I may be completely wrong there and lowering the first amp's volume may not be detrimental to SQ.

Pretty sure, as long as the first amp sends out at LEAST a line level signal to the second amp, you're good. Problem is, what is line level from an amped signal, i.e. from the Mixamp? 20% volume, 50%, 100%? Just don't know. Just, a line level from a dac is very quiet, but if line level was AMPED, the loudness from line level has changed once it hits the (mix)AMP. These are things that I desperately need answered.

In any case, it's been awhile since I've tested the hiss between the two, but I'm pretty convinced that hiss remains at the same amount of loudness per decibel with or without an attached amp, as long as the attached amp doesn't add it's own hiss.

I prefer to err on the side of caution and keep my volume closer to max out of the Mixamp to ensure I'm sending out as much bit data as possible to the next amp.

 

[High Fidelity]

Then that has nothing to do with the headphone amp section, but something to do with the chat capability. So many factors that can cause problems there, all which I'm not well versed in.

I ws just referring to the Mixamp alone vs double amped hiss, which people seem to think has more with an attached amp. I'm here to say that there isn't 'more' if you were to have the same exact volume level. Double amping has more hiss simply because you're pushing the volume higher than the volume alone on the Mixamp, so of course there is gonna be more hiss. The hiss is embedded into the signal once it reaches the Mixamp. Lowering the volume on the Mixamp isn't going to reduce hiss to your other amp. In essence, you're just killing bit resolution and making audio quality worse. (though I'm not clear on this, as double amping is usually taboo in the headphone world). I'd like to know how lowering the first amp's volume differs from lowering software volume. I may be completely wrong there and lowering the first amp's volume may not be detrimental to SQ.

Pretty sure, as long as the first amp sends out at LEAST a line level signal to the second amp, you're good. Problem is, what is line level from an amped signal, i.e. from the Mixamp? 20% volume, 50%, 100%? Just don't know. Just, a line level from a dac is very quiet, but if line level was AMPED, the loudness from line level has changed once it hits the (mix)AMP. These are things that I desperately need answered.

In any case, it's been awhile since I've tested the hiss between the two, but I'm pretty convinced that hiss remains at the same amount of loudness per decibel with or without an attached amp, as long as the attached amp doesn't add it's own hiss.

I prefer to err on the side of caution and keep my volume closer to max out of the Mixamp to ensure I'm sending out as much bit data as possible to the next amp.

Thanks for the detailed explanation.
 
The Schiit Magni 2 Uber is my first headphone amp, if I don't count the Mixamp. With the Mixamp + AD700 + Modmic + MS adapter and now the Mixamp + Uber + K7XX + Modmic + MS adapter, and the way MS implemented game/chat on the Xbox One, it's been tough getting game/chat to balance properly. Was so much easier and better sounding on the 360. 
 
When you say "Double amping has more hiss simply because you're pushing the volume higher than the volume alone on the Mixamp, so of course there is gonna be more hiss", do you mean the act of increasing the volume knobs regardless of the actual db volume creates more hiss? So for example, with the the Mixamp + external amp, if the volume was at 60 db, with the Mixamp at 3 o'clock and the external amp at 12 o'clock, would that create more hiss than the Mixamp alone at 60 db with the volume knob at 10 o'clock, simply because the volume knob is higher in the first scenario?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I guess one can simply compare using a standard DAC to an amp and seeing what level you prefer the volume at as the first test, then try again by going from a dac to an amp to another amp, and seeing how far in volume the first amp has to be to match the volume level from the first test.

A simpler example of what I'm confused about: (This is seriously what i should've started the topic with. Sorry, it's really late at the moment)

Step 1: Fiio E17 dac only - line out to Schiit Vali - volume pot at about 40% to hit my sweet spot

vs

Step: 2 Fiio E17 - headphone jack out to Schiit Vali - certain volume setting on the E17 = same volume as step 1.

I assume: Would going LOWER in volume on the E17 for step 2 (meaning sending out a lower than line level signal volume from step 1) = losing source audio fidelity?

I'm well aware that bit data is digital, and my question is almost entirely analog related.

So... since the first amp stage already has all the data from the DAC... the second amp can retain it, regardless of the first amp's volume level? I always thought going too low in volume from the first amp would lose some data. Now that I think about it... I feel really stupid.

I may have been completely wrong in this regard, and Mixamp volume does not impact the source information being sent to the second amp.

This is why I stick to the easy things: the subjective stuff. :rolleyes:

 

[Change is Good]

What do you guys think of using the DT770s with some EQ (equalizer apo) to lower the bass when "competitive" gaming? Seems like a winner based off Madlust's review.  I'm trying to find a comfortable closed-back to compliment my K7XX's for gaming when it's noisy and they seem to fit the bill if EQ works out.

Are there any other headphones that I should be looking at? I'd like something with:
-Spacious circumaural
-Good positional accuracy
-Good isolation
-Light to medium weight, Mad dogs are just too heavy and wide(annoying when reclining) for me. Basically an all-day headphone
-At least somewhat close to neutral, with good sub-bass extension for when not tryharding in a video game
-Preferably $300 USD or less

I would say the Shure SRH1540, but with your budget, go for the SoundMAGIC HP100/150. You will be very happy

 

[Evshrug]

Mad and High Fidelity,
The question of "What volume to use while double-amping" has certainly been a matter of mild debate for a long time. Using a pre-amp and a power amp was commonplace in speaker setups, in today's headphone example the Mixamp is both a DAC (and DSP) as well as pre-amp, and the Vali/Magni are power amps. I'll be honest, I still have my Mixamp but it's been gathering dust for over half a year, so I can't remember from testing what setting produces the most noise. IIRC, both of you are right about noise. The mixamp imparts a certain constant level of noise (Mad's suspicion), I know that's at least true, but as you get closer to the Mixamp's max volume, there may be a point where the noise:signal ratio starts to rise a bit more. I'm not completely sure the second condition is present, but regardless if I was desiring wireless I accepted the consequence of noise, usually not even bothering with a second amp because the Mixamp 5.8 with chat was enough wires near my body already.

If the Mixamp uses a digital volume control, then low-settings reduces bit depth. If the Mixamp is attenuating volume at the analogue stage, then you mostly just have to worry about chat imbalance near the lowest volumes.

Chico had a neat method for finding the line-out volume of an amp, I forgot how it goes but Mad's idea is logical and should work.

 

[PixelSkills]

So i have $350 to spend, should i get the elite 800 or the phillips x2 with just a simple usb soundcard for the ps4?

 

[Donnyboy98]

So i have $350 to spend, should i get the elite 800 or the phillips x2 with just a simple usb soundcard for the ps4?

Philips X2 by far a better headphone alround

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

My X2 review is gonna be awhile, but I'll just say the X2 is a stellar all rounder, and will be fantastic for both fun and competitive (leaning a little more on fun, but not as heavily tilted as the X1).