[shuto77]

Can anyone recommend a decent usb lapel mic to pair with the X7 and PS4? I just jumped on a deal for two headphones that dont have standard 3.5mm detachable cables.

I have the X7.

 

[MusclePharm]

I have currently a Schiit Modi non-uber version, was thinking of getting the uber version to connect to my Xbox One by toslink. However, after reading this guide, I might of changed my mind a little bit. In my case, would you recommend an MixAmp™ Pro TR instead of the Uber version of Modi? I'm interested on the directional audio...

 

[Change is Good]

I have currently a Schiit Modi non-uber version, was thinking of getting the uber version to connect to my Xbox One by toslink. However, after reading this guide, I might of changed my mind a little bit. In my case, would you recommend an MixAmp™ Pro TR instead of the Uber version of Modi? I'm interested on the directional audio...

If you are interested in directional audio, the modi will not give that to you. It ultimately falls on what you really want. I get the sense that you want surround, so get a mixamp. Or, go a step further and get an all-in-one X7.

Can anyone recommend a decent usb lapel mic to pair with the X7 and PS4? I just jumped on a deal for two headphones that dont have standard 3.5mm detachable cables.

I have the X7.

You may be better off just getting one of these

http://us.creative.com/p/accessories/creative-bluetooth-audio-bt-w2-usb-transceiver

And hook up a clip on mic to the X7.

Edit: never mind, you are on XBox. Someone else can chime in.

 

[shuto77]

If you are interested in directional audio, the modi will not give that to you. It ultimately falls on what you really want. I get the sense that you want surround, so get a mixamp. Or, go a step further and get an all-in-one X7.
You may be better off just getting one of these

http://us.creative.com/p/accessories/creative-bluetooth-audio-bt-w2-usb-transceiver

And hook up a clip on mic to the X7.

Edit: never mind, you are on XBox. Someone else can chime in.

I'm on PS4. I just bought the Boompro, but I just bought the Hifiman He400i (wanted to see the planar goodness at work), and the Beyerdynamic T70, though flawed, is good for both both metal music and decent for gaming, which are rare for a $200-300 closed headphone.

I'm not at a desk or have a coffee table where I game, so I don't want a big usb mic.

 

[Change is Good]

I'm on PS4. I just bought the Boompro, but I just bought the Hifiman He400i (wanted to see the planar goodness at work), and the Beyerdynamic T70, though flawed, is good for both both metal music and decent for gaming, which are rare for a $200-300 closed headphone.

I'm not at a desk or have a coffee table where I game, so I don't want a big usb mic.

PETEREK can make you an adapter for the 400i to work with the boompro, if interested. He can even mod that T70 to have a detachable option. I chose to mod my X00 in a similar manner, along with an adapter, so that I may game with them when I felt the need. Just look on his profile and hit up his website link to contact him for a quote.

Edit: tagged profile

 

[Kazzuk]

Can anyone recommend me a Headphone Amp in the UK for the AKG K612, will only be using it on my gaming PC. That EHP-O2 is out of stock (i'll drop them an email to check if they're going to stock any soon).
 
I currently use a Xonar D2x soundcard and my only other options seem to be tube amps or SMSL sApII. I don't want to spend over £100 if possible. It seems the Fiio don't do a desktop headphone amp anymore, will a portable one work as a desktop headphone amp? Headphones will be used for 90% competitive gaming, so keeping the sound detailed and clear is very important.
 
Cheers for any help.

 

[Blze001]

  Can anyone recommend me a Headphone Amp in the UK for the AKG K612, will only be using it on my gaming PC. That EHP-O2 is out of stock (i'll drop them an email to check if they're going to stock any soon).
 
I currently use a Xonar D2x soundcard and my only other options seem to be tube amps or SMSL sApII. I don't want to spend over £100 if possible. It seems the Fiio don't do a desktop headphone amp anymore, will a portable one work as a desktop headphone amp? Headphones will be used for 90% competitive gaming, so keeping the sound detailed and clear is very important.
 
Cheers for any help.

 
Yeah, you can use a portable amp as a desktop one. That said, my experience has been that AKG headphones really like tube/hybrid amps, at least my Q701s seem to vastly prefer tube setups. I'm in the US, so I don't really know what options you have available to you in the UK.
 
SMSL stuff is decent from what I've heard.

 

[DagsJT]

  Can anyone recommend me a Headphone Amp in the UK for the AKG K612, will only be using it on my gaming PC. That EHP-O2 is out of stock (i'll drop them an email to check if they're going to stock any soon).
 
I currently use a Xonar D2x soundcard and my only other options seem to be tube amps or SMSL sApII. I don't want to spend over £100 if possible. It seems the Fiio don't do a desktop headphone amp anymore, will a portable one work as a desktop headphone amp? Headphones will be used for 90% competitive gaming, so keeping the sound detailed and clear is very important.
 
Cheers for any help.

 
From researching on the K7XX, it seems the Fiio E11k will work well. I had the E10k when I had my K612's a while ago and that drove them fine.

 

[halcyon]

I use the U3 for my PC to send optical out to my X7. I can send either Dolby Headphone, so the X7 would only need to do DAC and Amping duties (turn off SBX when doing this), or I can send out Dolby Digital from the PC to the X7 to convert into SBX. If I don't use the U3, and stick with just the PC to X7, I will NOT get Dolby Digital, and instead will have to rely on PCM to be converted to SBX which does NOT sound as good. I'm referring to virtual surround algorhythm sounding better, not talking about sheer technical performance.

I don't understand what's confusing about this. In all cases, the X7 is pulling all the weight. The U3 is only there for ensuring I get a digital DOLBY DIGITAL or DOLBY HEADPHONE signal to send to the X7.

Like I said 76389274874809 times, if the X7 gets Dolby Digital to light up on the front, it will do SBX surround better than when just doing X7 - USB - PC, because it will NOT get Dolby Digital from a PC this way, it will only get PCM (the Dolby Digital label will not light up on the X7's front face).

As for what the X7 can get from the PC, it can do PCM 5.1.

For console, obviously not using the U3. The console sends proper Dolby Digital to the X7, which is why I say it sounds better for the virtual surround.

 
Sorry, but this is still confusing - call me dumb :-D

Q1: Can X7 get 5.1 channel discrete PCM input from a PC vi (i.e. act as a TRUE 5.1 USB sound card)?

Q2: If Q1 is yes, then can X7 do SBX Studio Pro headphone virtualization PROPERLY with 3D sound stage positioning for headphones (like Sound Blaster Z -series cards) from this USB discrete PCM 5.1 channel input?

Q3: If Q2 YES, then is the 3D sound virtualization to headphones EVEN BETTER, IF one inputs Dolby Digital 5.1 bitstream via the optical input to X7 and uses SBX Studio Pro to make the headphone virtualized 3D sound from the DD 5.1 bistream?

Q4: If YES to Q3, then how is better? More streams? More accurate positioning? Better environmental (echo/reverb) effects? Something else? I do understand that this is not a fidelity or SN/R issue, but relates to possible differences in the headphone 3D virtualization performance.

I'm just trying to understand this, in order to make proper purchase. I just want the best of what the PC has to offer in 3D headphone virtualization, and I'm torn between the various options (internal PCIe cards vs external USB sound cards, SBX Studio Pro vs Dolby Headphone, etc). Price is not really that much of an issue. I can combine PCIe card for optical output and external USB/optical input device like X7 for actual sound card duties (along with headphone virtualization).

My current benchmark is X-Fi Elite Pro outputting headphone virtualized sound via digital output to an external DAC which outputs analog line out to my headphone amp. I get great gaming like this, but alas, no PCI-slots in current generation motherboards and it's time to upgrade and say bye-bye to X-Fi Elite Pro....

 

[Fegefeuer]

SBX virtualization is done through the Sb-axx1, there is no downconversion to Dolby Digital. Simply NONE as the sb-axx1 is NOT at all bound to Dolby Digital in any way.
If you plug the X7 to the PC then the driver will ensure that the residing 5.1 discrete PCM audio in the I/O will be sent over USB to the X7 where the virtualization will be applied through the SB-axx1.
 
In the current state you either go PC -> X7 -> Headphone + ability to play with SBX via consoles or you get the BlasterX G5 -> optical out with SBX applied headphone mode - DAC/AMP of your choice.
 
For 110€ the BlasterX G5 is currently the best choice for PC Gamers that want to rely on their own DAC/AMP combo or duo. If you need proper console SBX as well then you gotta make a compromise as the X7 cannot output SBX applied headphone mode to the optical out. 

 

[MusclePharm]

If you are interested in directional audio, the modi will not give that to you. It ultimately falls on what you really want. I get the sense that you want surround, so get a mixamp. Or, go a step further and get an all-in-one X7.

Thank you for the info, Change.
But why you say x7 is a step further over mixamp?

I do have already have an Amp, so that's not the issue. My only concern relies on directional audio that Modi may or may not provide. Perhaps the dac chip inside Mixamp isnt as good as the one on X7?

 

[Change is Good]

Thank you for the info, Change.
But why you say x7 is a step further over mixamp?

I do have already have an Amp, so that's not the issue. My only concern relies on directional audio that Modi may or may not provide. Perhaps the dac chip inside Mixamp isnt as good as the one on X7?

Better sound quality for those gaming on a desk and want an all in one device (amp, DAC, surround processor).

If you're on the couch gaming on console, stick with the mixamp or something similar. Keep it simple.

 

[shuto77]

Is anyone playing Destiny: The Taken King on PS4? Pm me for my screen name.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I did... months ago. Destiny is dead to me now though. I stopped a week before the halloween festival thing.

 

[DagsJT]

SBX virtualization is done through the Sb-axx1, there is no downconversion to Dolby Digital. Simply NONE as the sb-axx1 is NOT at all bound to Dolby Digital in any way.
If you plug the X7 to the PC then the driver will ensure that the residing 5.1 discrete PCM audio in the I/O will be sent over USB to the X7 where the virtualization will be applied through the SB-axx1.

In the current state you either go PC -> X7 -> Headphone + ability to play with SBX via consoles or you get the BlasterX G5 -> optical out with SBX applied headphone mode - DAC/AMP of your choice.

For 110€ the BlasterX G5 is currently the best choice for PC Gamers that want to rely on their own DAC/AMP combo or duo. If you need proper console SBX as well then you gotta make a compromise as the X7 cannot output SBX applied headphone mode to the optical out. 

I have my PC and console on a desk with the G5 connected via USB to the PC and optical from console. I've noticed that the G5 seems to play audio from both devices at the same time, which makes sense.

But does this also mean that my console audio can now get surround/SBX because the PC connection is driving and the software on PC converting as the audio plays from console?