[Evshrug]

Agreed!
And your system's more beefy than mine... Still rocking an i3 3.3Ghz/GTX 660! Yours looks like a supercomputer from my perspective

I definitely want some escapism too... It's almost the point of a most entertainment, right? Add a little drama and adventure? Of course, I've had moderation drilled into me my whole life, and honestly I could understand how bad it would SUUUUUCK to actually have to fight giants or get shot at in real life, but it's fun when it doesn't actually hurt and you can turn it off whenever you like.

Nameless PFG, do you have a Rift CV1 already? Did you read my impressions of PS VR?

 

[Napalmhardcore]

I personally am pro VR. I must admit that I am concerned about the success of this attempt to bring VR to the masses. While certain genres like vehicle simulation (I'm a big fan of racing sims) are inherently suited to VR, there has to be a killer app that appeals to core gamers in general.
 
Some people are cynical about VR and see it as a gimmick/fad. Sadly, many of the current experiences on VR are very gimmicky in nature. What is really needed is a game that is good in its own right and makes good use of VR as opposed to trying to create games that are reminiscent of Wii games. Job Simulator is probably the most well known VR game and the closest thing to a killer app. It is very gimmicky, but it makes good use of the technology. We need something that speaks to gamers as they are the ones that will dictate the success of VR. The only reason the Wii worked with its approach of appealing to casual/non-gamers was because it was cheap in comparison to its competition (plus it was Nintendo, so had the benefit of being well established and the power of their IPs to draw people in). People aren't going to rush out to buy an expensive piece of hardware and potentially a new PC/upgrade their existing PC to play something that is kind of cool but gets old after a couple of hours.

 

[arandomguy]

My Gigabyte motherboard didn't come with its own virtual surround, I think. I've heard some weak surround processing (Razer, Silent Cinema) and good surround processing (SBX, Dolby, Cirrus Logic), and weak processing isn't even worth bothering to use. If you try the processing and it doesn't seem easy to distinguish front/back placement, then at least you can always buy X-Fi MB3 (or, better yet, a dedicated sound processor like an U3, Omni 5.1, or E5) after the fact to get good surround.

 
Gigabytes now come with X-Fi MB3, well at least their relatively higher end boards that use ALC1150 do. While equivalent Asus (Sonic Studio 2 or SupremeFX? Not sure the exact branding/name they use) and MSI (Nahimic) boards also come with additional software.
 
This is why I'm wondering about comparisons. Otherwise I have to factor in the add on value for X-Fi MB3 ($30 USD) for a Gigabyte.
 
What external options would you recommend? Planning on going SFF so an internal card is not an option. Looking for value/cheap not really picky. Just need VSS, volume control (without having to rely on windows), and bass boost for more sub bass (compensation for my KSC75s, I don't want to switch though for comfort reasons).

 

[rudyae86]

Agreed!
And your system's more beefy than mine... Still rocking an i3 3.3Ghz/GTX 660! Yours looks like a supercomputer from my perspective

 

Core i7 4790k just clocked at 4.2ghz (could do more) and my newly aquired but used EVGA GTX 980 Ti FTW edition.

Sorry just had to lol.
 
I already feel like upgrading to a GTX 1080 lol

 

[Change is Good]

Yeah...I wanted to pull the trigger on them but they are practically new, not really much info is what they say in the discussion thread. So it didn't really motivate me to purchase a pair.
 

 
Nooooo! I'm supposed to be your motivation! Buy it and tell us how awesome they are for gaming and if they happen to be a 9500 killer for the <$100 go to headphone. You know you wanna' be the one to make the discovery... 

 
/jk
 
Hopefully someone reviews it. If they turn out good I'm sure someone will make it known.

 

[NamelessPFG]

Agreed!
And your system's more beefy than mine... Still rocking an i3 3.3Ghz/GTX 660! Yours looks like a supercomputer from my perspective

I definitely want some escapism too... It's almost the point of a most entertainment, right? Add a little drama and adventure? Of course, I've had moderation drilled into me my whole life, and honestly I could understand how bad it would SUUUUUCK to actually have to fight giants or get shot at in real life, but it's fun when it doesn't actually hurt and you can turn it off whenever you like.

Nameless PFG, do you have a Rift CV1 already? Did you read my impressions of PS VR?

 
I've had my day-one Rift CV1 pre-order for about two months, actually. It was pretty much what I expected, so I'm satisfied with what I've got since there aren't any blatant manufacturing defects impeding my use of it.
 
I sorta remember your impressions of PSVR, but I haven't paid attention to it too closely because I don't have a PS4 and probably won't even think about getting one 'til that NEO revision's out. The PSVR games are gonna need the boost, and while I would ideally just play them on PC with my Rift, you know how console exclusives are...
 
 

Core i7 4790k just clocked at 4.2ghz (could do more) and my newly aquired but used EVGA GTX 980 Ti FTW edition.

Sorry just had to lol.
 
I already feel like upgrading to a GTX 1080 lol

 
I've got my 4770K pushed to 4.6 GHz, though pushing beyond that even on custom water cooling is considerably difficult. I may have no choice but to delid.
 
And yeah, while I'm also feeling the itch for the GTX 1080, that means I'd have to put up with a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter that most likely has a crappier RAMDAC than the one in my GTX 980. Such is life for a CRT enthusiast in 2016.
 
That and I'd rather have the 1080 Ti/equivalent Titan based on GP102 instead of GP104, bigger GPU and all. The prices are gonna suck if the 1080's already $700 in practice and AMD doesn't put some pressure on with Vega, though...

 

[Sonikku13]

Is there a go-to IEM similar to a Q701 for gaming purposes?

I ask because my desktop setup takes forever to setup.

 

[rudyae86]

   
I've had my day-one Rift CV1 pre-order for about two months, actually. It was pretty much what I expected, so I'm satisfied with what I've got since there aren't any blatant manufacturing defects impeding my use of it.
 
I sorta remember your impressions of PSVR, but I haven't paid attention to it too closely because I don't have a PS4 and probably won't even think about getting one 'til that NEO revision's out. The PSVR games are gonna need the boost, and while I would ideally just play them on PC with my Rift, you know how console exclusives are...
 
 
 
I've got my 4770K pushed to 4.6 GHz, though pushing beyond that even on custom water cooling is considerably difficult. I may have no choice but to delid.
 
And yeah, while I'm also feeling the itch for the GTX 1080, that means I'd have to put up with a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter that most likely has a crappier RAMDAC than the one in my GTX 980. Such is life for a CRT enthusiast in 2016.
 
That and I'd rather have the 1080 Ti/equivalent Titan based on GP102 instead of GP104, bigger GPU and all. The prices are gonna suck if the 1080's already $700 in practice and AMD doesn't put some pressure on with Vega, though...

I dont know if I will ever go back to CRT lol.
 
But yeah, I dont think I will get a 1080 Ti even if it releases. AMD really needs to shine with Vega....Polaris isn't that much impressive considering you can get a GTX 980 for sub 200 right now.

 

[Evshrug]

What external options would you recommend? Planning on going SFF so an internal card is not an option. Looking for value/cheap not really picky. Just need VSS, volume control (without having to rely on windows), and bass boost for more sub bass (compensation for my KSC75s, I don't want to switch though for comfort reasons).

The three DSPs I mentioned are all external options that I would recommend. Asus U3, Creative Omni 5.1, and Creative E5. The E5 costs a bit more, but it also fills the roles of portable amp/DAC, transport, Bluetooth, mic. The U3 is the least expensive, though I haven't tried it and at that price I wouldn't expect much from the DAC/Amp. Might be the best fit to use with the Koss KSC 75.

Nooooo! I'm supposed to be your motivation! Buy it and tell us how awesome they are for gaming and if they happen to be a 9500 killer for the <$100 go to headphone. You know you wanna' be the one to make the discovery... 

/jk

Hopefully someone reviews it. If they turn out good I'm sure someone will make it known.

I agree, being the first to discover a good value (and make a review) is really fun. Maybe get the headphone instead of making a 9% gpu power increase for $700? That GTX980 should last you for YEARS.

Where the hell would you find a GTX980 for less than $200 besides 2nd hand from your brother, or something? Lol I'll buy yours for $190 if you don't want it!

 

[Napalmhardcore]

  Core i7 4790k just clocked at 4.2ghz (could do more) and my newly aquired but used EVGA GTX 980 Ti FTW edition.

Sorry just had to lol.
 
I already feel like upgrading to a GTX 1080 lol

Q8200 clocked at 2.94ghz (can't do more), GTX 660 Ti aaaand.... Windows Vista.
 
Luckily I have some money put aside, so I'll soon have a very respectable rig.

 

[Change is Good]

Is there a go-to IEM similar to a Q701 for gaming purposes?

I ask because my desktop setup takes forever to setup.

Try to vsonic gr07 or the philips fidelio S2.

 

[Change is Good]

I agree, being the first to discover a good value (and make a review) is really fun.

If I hadn't spent what I did on the woodie CAL! I'd be all over it. I did sell it but came away at a loss. Tis the risk one takes when buying on impulse. I just wish I had taken that risk on these instead.

 

[NamelessPFG]

I dont know if I will ever go back to CRT lol.
 
But yeah, I dont think I will get a 1080 Ti even if it releases. AMD really needs to shine with Vega....Polaris isn't that much impressive considering you can get a GTX 980 for sub 200 right now.

 
Well, when you have FD Trinitrons in the 21" to 24" range that were top-of-the-line professional graphics monitors in their day acquired for rather low prices, it tends to spoil you rotten. No input lag, perfect viewing angles, black levels that are BLACK, high refresh rates, no native resolutions for when you still like to fire up the classics... these things wipe the floor with LCDs and I'm just waiting for OLED monitors to become more widespread.
 
My only issue is that the flyback transformer board or some other high-voltage component in my prized GDM-FW900 blew out over a year ago, and I need to get it fixed. Having to go back to 21" 4:3 in this day and age is rather painful with a lot of games.
 
But then I realize that the cost of fixing up the FW900 might be prohibitive when to keep using it with future graphics cards to its maximum potential, I'd have to start shopping for a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter that doesn't completely suck compared to the RAMDACs built into graphics cards up until NVIDIA's Maxwell generation, which most likely isn't going to happen until the HDFury 5 releases - the most prestigious in a line of video DACs that are NOT cheap.
 
Most DisplayPort-to-VGA adapters have a RAMDAC clocked at only about 230-260 MHz, you see. 400 MHz RAMDACs have been standard features in graphics cards for years. The FW900 could push resolutions and refresh rates that take advantage of such fast clocks. 'Nuff said.
 
Meanwhile, you can get refurb Acer XB270HU monitors for $400 now. The quality's going to suck by comparison, but 2560x1440, 144 Hz and G-SYNC in particular make it a potential holdover 'til we get widespread OLED.
 
Oh, and sub-$200 GTX 980s? Maybe I should pick up a second one at that kinda pricing just for the hell of it, though I know full well that a lot of recent releases don't support multi-GPU at all due to incompatible rendering methods. I'd probably be better off saving the money for Volta.

 

[Yethal]

   
Well, when you have FD Trinitrons in the 21" to 24" range that were top-of-the-line professional graphics monitors in their day acquired for rather low prices, it tends to spoil you rotten. No input lag, perfect viewing angles, black levels that are BLACK, high refresh rates, no native resolutions for when you still like to fire up the classics... these things wipe the floor with LCDs and I'm just waiting for OLED monitors to become more widespread.
 
My only issue is that the flyback transformer board or some other high-voltage component in my prized GDM-FW900 blew out over a year ago, and I need to get it fixed. Having to go back to 21" 4:3 in this day and age is rather painful with a lot of games.
 
But then I realize that the cost of fixing up the FW900 might be prohibitive when to keep using it with future graphics cards to its maximum potential, I'd have to start shopping for a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter that doesn't completely suck compared to the RAMDACs built into graphics cards up until NVIDIA's Maxwell generation, which most likely isn't going to happen until the HDFury 5 releases - the most prestigious in a line of video DACs that are NOT cheap.
 
Most DisplayPort-to-VGA adapters have a RAMDAC clocked at only about 230-260 MHz, you see. 400 MHz RAMDACs have been standard features in graphics cards for years. The FW900 could push resolutions and refresh rates that take advantage of such fast clocks. 'Nuff said.
 
Meanwhile, you can get refurb Acer XB270HU monitors for $400 now. The quality's going to suck by comparison, but 2560x1440, 144 Hz and G-SYNC in particular make it a potential holdover 'til we get widespread OLED.
 
Oh, and sub-$200 GTX 980s? Maybe I should pick up a second one at that kinda pricing just for the hell of it, though I know full well that a lot of recent releases don't support multi-GPU at all due to incompatible rendering methods. I'd probably be better off saving the money for Volta.

Out of pure curiosity. Is there such a thing as videophile video dacs?

 

[Evshrug]

Out of pure curiosity. Is there such a thing as videophile video dacs?

Sure, but don't think they call them DACs. All I know is the Sony PS3 was considered a superior Blu-Ray player than most competition for video quality, until Oppo took the throne. And there's always exotic super $$$ items that jockey for "the best" quality position.

The signal decoder built into a TV is also quite important... Maybe that's the RAMDAC that Nameless is referring to? And 400hz is kind of like audio's 24-bit/196kHz sampling rate?