[inseconds99]

  why? You have a TH-X00 and a SHP9500, yet you want a K7XX as well? That's mid-fi purgatory. 

 
I miss the Chicolomist 

 

Owned TH-900 and HD800's, I loved them both but price to play was a little to high. I am doing tons of gaming and general computer usage and I just want some all day comfort headphones that are great with gaming. 
 
SHP9500 become too hot on the ears and start bothering me after an hour and the THx00 are just not very good for gaming.
 
If I had a choice of headphones it would be to repurchase the th900 but they're honestly more then I want to spend currently. Or the HD6xx as I liked my hd650's but they were just not all that great for gaming.

 

[socks mk2]

[redacted]

 

[TeeReQs]

Yeah, I think you've got a pretty solid idea of how to manage your setups.

Now, I've not owned an X-Fi Titanium HD before, but I have had an X7 since it came out. The X7 DOES have a line-out (two RCA's on the back, included RCA to TRRS adapter if needed), and a firmware update this year allowed the X7 to output the headphone-surround processed mix to be output through the line-out, if you desired to connect it to your O2. The X7 ought to be pretty close to the O2 anyway, and I'm working on a review of some upgraded OpAmps that elevated the amping audio experience even more. The old X-Fi and the newer X7 do share the same DAC and primary amp chips, BUT the electronics and design in general was improved for lower output impedance and better signal to noise ratio... you would experience a better sense of space and less distortion with purely stereo content, and I feel the surround processing takes those aspects even further. Dolby Headphone surround processing indeed is good, but it still sounds to me like speakers in a room (with a little bit of fuzzy bloom) rather than more transparent like the environment of the game. Though DH slightly exaggerates bass and makes treble slightly recessed/distant, I feel like SBX is ironically more immersive because it's more believable while DH is more competitive because it sounds more processed. Ask me another day and I might explain it a different way, but I'll always say pick according to what works for you

The BT-W2 module does keep the setup rather clean, and give you all the mic options of the X7.

Thanks Ev! Good to know about the X7/X-Fi. I'm curious to see your findings with the upgrade OpAmps. I think before I take the plunge into an X7, I need to decide whether I prefer Dolby Headphone vs CMSS/SBX.
 
Do you think sound quality on PC will take a significant hit going from X-Fi DAC to the the Xonar DGX? If so, I'm wondering if a Xonar Essence STX II would be a better replacement to pair with the K7XX, and be able to use DH. I was listening to music last night while reading hundreds of pages on this thread and the AKG's sounds so good. I don't want to give up my music SQ on PC if I can help it.
 
I think from prior experience I prefer Dolby Headphone, but on the contrary I feel my older Extigy using CMSS is a better sounding device than the DSS2. That's just in terms of clarity. I haven't had the DSS2 for that long though, and haven't really been able to find the best setting in terms of eq and surround positioning. I've decided I'm going to buy a Mixamp Pro 2013, double amp it with either my magni or O2 and test that against everything I have.. Seems like the 2013 version is the one to get as I've heard a lot of complaints on the new TR being very tinny. I do like the ability to make custom presets though.. I guess once I figure out which virtual surround processing I like the most, I can go from there. I still think I might have to buy an X7 to at least try it out though. I really just need to ditch the HyperX's and use my K7XX's on everything.
 
On a side note, the HD6XX sparks my interest for daily drivers when I'm not gaming.. Down the rabbit hole I go..

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Thanks Ev! Good to know about the X7/X-Fi. I'm curious to see your findings with the upgrade OpAmps. I think before I take the plunge into an X7, I need to decide whether I prefer Dolby Headphone vs CMSS/SBX.
Do you think sound quality on PC will take a significant hit going from X-Fi DAC to the the Xonar DGX? If so, I'm wondering if a Xonar Essence STX II would be a better replacement to pair with the K7XX, and be able to use DH. I was listening to music last night while reading hundreds of pages on this thread and the AKG's sounds so good. I don't want to give up my music SQ on PC if I can help it.
I think from prior experience I prefer Dolby Headphone, but on the contrary I feel my older Extigy using CMSS is a better sounding device than the DSS2. That's just in terms of clarity. I haven't had the DSS2 for that long though, and haven't really been able to find the best setting in terms of eq and surround positioning. I've decided I'm going to buy a Mix-amp Pro 2013, double amp it with either my Magni or O2 and test that against everything I have.. Seems like the 2013 version is the one to get as I've heard a lot of complaints on the new TR being very tinny. I do like the ability to make custom presets though.. I guess once I figure out which virtual surround processing I like the most, I can go from there. I still think I might have to buy an X7 to at least try it out though. I really just need to ditch the HyperX's and use my K7XX's on everything.
On a side note, the HD6XX sparks my interest for daily drivers when I'm not gaming.. Down the rabbit hole I go..

 
If you install the Xonar DGX and decide you prefer Dolby to CMSS-3D, you might consider buying a used ($100?) Asus Xonar D2X sound card and connect whatever external headphone amplifier (O2 or Magni or other) you might be using to it.
The Xonar D2X is really just like the original STX, but without a built in headphone amplifier.
I would rated the O2 (& Magni) headphone amplifier a little more desirable, then the one built into the Xonar STX/STX II 
 
I'm seriously considering buying the Massdrop (Senn) HD6XX headphones myself.

 

[Evshrug]

What happened to him?

He still reads the thread, from time to time. He may have upgraded his headphone, but he started talking about Custom-building his PC rig and then wasn't a regular poster anymore. I could be wrong remembering him settling on the Q701 (and kinda wishing that one day he could save up for an HD800... well I made it man! Made easier that used ones now are almost half the price of new HD800's back then), and I guess he was satisfied and hit endgame. Miss his wit though!

Gosh, just had an unsettling feeling. I hope I don't get bored of headphones and gaming once I am married next Sunday (the 12th). Preparing for that has kept me busy and tired lately, but I always assumed I'd eventually be back FULL FORCE!

Thanks Ev! Good to know about the X7/X-Fi. I'm curious to see your findings with the upgrade OpAmps. I think before I take the plunge into an X7, I need to decide whether I prefer Dolby Headphone vs CMSS/SBX.

In short, I've really grown to appreciate swappable OpAmps as a feature and it elevated the X7 to a midpoint between a good desktop amp and a high-end desktop amp; a solid value upgrade for the price. I've gotta post my review soon because it's driving me MAD and I feel like I'm overdue to be done with it, lol. Full disclosure, my almost 2 years old X7 developed an odd audio artifact which was becoming more and more noticeable before I got the Burson Audio v5i OpAmps, and I was hoping to get it sorted before posting my final review, but Creative sent two automated emails without actually responding yet. I think I'll just have to comment on the v5i's merits separately from the pre-existing problem, and hope that I can get the problem sorted when I'm not busy and tired.

Do you think sound quality on PC will take a significant hit going from X-Fi DAC to the the Xonar DGX? If so, I'm wondering if a Xonar Essence STX II would be a better replacement to pair with the K7XX, and be able to use DH. I was listening to music last night while reading hundreds of pages on this thread and the AKG's sounds so good. I don't want to give up my music SQ on PC if I can help it.

I think from prior experience I prefer Dolby Headphone, but on the contrary I feel my older Extigy using CMSS is a better sounding device than the DSS2. {snipped...}

On a side note, the HD6XX sparks my interest for daily drivers when I'm not gaming.. Down the rabbit hole I go...

I do think that the DGX should have an inferior DAC to the X7, which would be noticeable even if you used your O2. I haven't heard the DGX though, and if the DGX supports digital output to another DAC while passing along the Dolby Headphone mix, then the sound quality difference between any of the Asus sound cards would be moot (other than price you paid). If you just want Dolby Headphone, then forget about any of the cards and just buy the U3 or whatever's cheapest, and use an optical output to a Modi, Bifrost, Mojo, or some other DAC.

The beauty of the X7, however, is that you don't need to connect a separate amp, or a separate DAC. Techradar stated exactly what I'm talking about in their recent review of the M2 DAP: "But daisy-chaining devices to your phone can be a right royal pain in the AAC." I only use one gaming console, but even a single Optical switcher would IMO be preferable to having separate whole systems for two consoles, my PC/Mac, and my smartphone. Sure, a Jotunheim amp + Bifrost Multibit DAC or better would beat the X7 for audio quality (and you even could optical-output to such a DAC), but the X7 is a solid desktop-class performer and will outperform any Mixamp/DSS/portable sub-$200 setup with surround DSP out there.

You wanna talk about how deep the rabbit hole goes... I backed the Smyth Realiser A16 campaign this summer on Kickstarter! Excited for that, though I feel like I'll be waiting 3/4 of a year to get it.

 

[Evshrug]

Oh wow, ironically I just got an email from Creative 30 minutes ago. It just asks if I have the latest firmware, and if I have mic monitoring (and thus a feedback loop of the X7 mic hearing the... headphone, I guess). At least finally the process is starting!

(It's probably not obvious, but I spent the whole day driving from errand to errand, ate dinner and crashed/slept on the couch for a few hours, and I just woke up recently when my Fiancé came home)

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I'd consider the HD650/6XX the perfect alternative to any headphone. It's just smooth, luscious, and inviting. Like the kind of headphone you can immediately relax to and be pleased by it's tonal character. If you already own something more exciting and energetic, I'd say the 650 is a perfect complementary set of cans, if probably not outright better than your other set.

The price makes me really want them, but I'm out of that game. Funny how Chocolom and I are following similar paths.

My 'free' money is going towards other things, like the eventual PC build that I've been hanging on building until at least the 7700K/1080TI comes out. That and I still need a display, and have been DYING to get, but all this HDR bidnezz has kept me waiting and waiting until there is a display that can do SDR and HDR well with low input lag. PC games don't seem to have HDR capability quite yet, probably not until next year, so I need something that does SDR lag just fine. It seems TVs now either do input lag well on SDR but bad in HDR or vice versa.

Half tempted on buying a cheap non-HDR 4K set for now, and hanging on until OLED's become cheaper/smaller. The price of OLEDs are currently really good, but LG's new OLEDs are likely out in two-three months, and I wanna see how it improves, before taking the plunge.

 

[mashuto]

Hello everyone. I must say this thread is a little intimidating to get into, so I do apologize if the things I am asking have been asked before because with over 2000 pages, its really hard to find anything.
 
Basically, I am at a point where I think its time to upgrade some gear. The Massdrop Sennheiser 6XX are looking very appealing to me from a general audio standpoint, but I am also looking to make sure my gaming rig can keep up. I dont necessarily care about having the absolute best for gaming, just looking for a good pair of headphones that will be good for gaming but also sound great for everything else. The 6XX looks like it might fit that bill. I currently run a hyperx cloud, which has been adequate, but nothing spectacular either. This was coming from a pair of Sennheiser HD 555's that had really started to fall apart on me, the switch was also so that I could have a headset with a mic. So either way, the 6XX just looks like such a good deal and such a good all around pair that I am thinking it should fit the bill nicely. May not be the absolutely best for gaming, but hopefully good enough. And I was thinking of getting a modmic and sticking i on there.
 
On the PC side, I am running an old Xonar D1, which is partially broken due to a stupid past roomate and his dog. It still functions fine, but the actual headphone jack port was ripped out. I can still hold it in place fairly well, but its old and needs to be updated. I use Dolby Headphone, and really like the positional audio I get from it. I am used to it and have been using it for years as a replacement for a full surround system and am pretty happy with the positional audio I get. So, I am at a point where I am considering upgrading sound cards, but also looking for something that could serve reasonably well as an amp for any new headphones I get. I see there has been some discussion here between some of the sound blaster cards and their virtual 3d audio vs dolby headphone, but I am also not sure if its better to look for a higher end sound card with a build in headphone amp or look for something standalone. I have looked at the schitt magni, which I think could make a very nice addition, and would make cable management a little easier so i dont have to have the headphones plugged directly into the back of my pc. So, I really am not sure the best direction to go in terms of the PC itself, and again, I realize it has probably been discussed to death, but this thread is huge and intimidating, so again forgive me for asking.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Hello everyone. I must say this thread is a little intimidating to get into, so I do apologize if the things I am asking have been asked before because with over 2000 pages, its really hard to find anything.
 
Basically, I am at a point where I think its time to upgrade some gear. The Massdrop Sennheiser 6XX are looking very appealing to me from a general audio standpoint, but I am also looking to make sure my gaming rig can keep up. I dont necessarily care about having the absolute best for gaming, just looking for a good pair of headphones that will be good for gaming but also sound great for everything else. The 6XX looks like it might fit that bill. I currently run a hyperx cloud, which has been adequate, but nothing spectacular either. This was coming from a pair of Sennheiser HD 555's that had really started to fall apart on me, the switch was also so that I could have a headset with a mic. So either way, the 6XX just looks like such a good deal and such a good all around pair that I am thinking it should fit the bill nicely. May not be the absolutely best for gaming, but hopefully good enough. And I was thinking of getting a modmic and sticking i on there.
 
On the PC side, I am running an old Xonar D1, which is partially broken due to a stupid past roomate and his dog. It still functions fine, but the actual headphone jack port was ripped out. I can still hold it in place fairly well, but its old and needs to be updated. I use Dolby Headphone, and really like the positional audio I get from it. I am used to it and have been using it for years as a replacement for a full surround system and am pretty happy with the positional audio I get. So, I am at a point where I am considering upgrading sound cards, but also looking for something that could serve reasonably well as an amp for any new headphones I get. I see there has been some discussion here between some of the sound blaster cards and their virtual 3d audio vs dolby headphone, but I am also not sure if its better to look for a higher end sound card with a build in headphone amp or look for something standalone. I have looked at the schitt magni, which I think could make a very nice addition, and would make cable management a little easier so i dont have to have the headphones plugged directly into the back of my pc. So, I really am not sure the best direction to go in terms of the PC itself, and again, I realize it has probably been discussed to death, but this thread is huge and intimidating, so again forgive me for asking.

 
The Xonar D1 (PCI) & DX (PCI-E) sound cards come with a fairly nice CS4398 DAC chip.
You might consider replacing your damaged D1 with the DX card (used $40-$60) and connecting an external headphone amplifer (Magni?) to the sound card.
Or maybe a used Xonar D2X (used $93) and use it with an external head amp.
The Xonar D1/DX (& D2X) do not really come with I would call a "true" headphone amplifer, more like a line-output port that pretends to also be a headphone jack.
So adding the Magni to a Xonar DX (or D2X) might make a decent improvement in the HyperX Cloud.
But still think you should go for the Massdrop HD6XX, I'm planning on buying one myself

 

[mashuto]

   
The Xonar D1 (PCI) & DX (PCI-E) sound cards come with a fairly nice CS4398 DAC chip.
You might consider replacing your damaged D1 with the DX card (used $40-$60) and connecting an external headphone amplifer (Magni?) to the sound card.
Or maybe a used Xonar D2X (used $93) and use it with an external head amp.
The Xonar D1/DX (& D2X) do not really come with I would call a "true" headphone amplifer, more like a line-output port that pretends to also be a headphone jack.
So adding the Magni to a Xonar DX (or D2X) might make a decent improvement in the HyperX Cloud.
But still think you should go for the Massdrop HD6XX, I'm planning on buying one myself

Hmm, almost sounds like getting a new soundcard isn't worth it at all for me. Yes my current soundcard is broken, but it hasnt really affected how I use it and doesnt affect the sound at all. Its just one of things that sometimes is an inconvenience and a reason for me to look at upgrades.
 
So, if I was to get a magni, what would the setup be like? Just need a normal headphone jack cable that splits to the red and white for input to the magni, and thats it? Besides a 1/4" adapter for my headphones themselves? All the proccessing remains the same, so if I want to keep using dolby headphone, nothing changes? Since the volume control then happens on the amp, does the pc volume get set to 100% and just stays there?
 
And I do plan to get the 6XX regardless. It sounds like for the price its kind of a no brainer for anyone who doesnt already own a 650 and wants to get into more higher fidelity audio without breaking the bank. By the way, Since it is an open back design, do you think slapping a modmic on it would cause any issues? Either just staying in place, or potentially affecting the sound at all?

 

[Yethal]

Got a chance to listen to these guys an hour ago. Electrostatic MrSpeakers serial #1. A thing of beauty

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Mashuto, seeing as you came from the HD555 which is like a considerably inferior version of the 650 type sound, I think you'll be very, very happy with the 6XX. The one aspect the 555 does better is in soundstage, as the 6XX will sound a bit more intimate, but other than that, the 6XX blows the socks off the 555.

I honestly don't see a better headphone at $200. The 7XX may be a strong contender, stronger in some things, weaker in others, but both generally very, very competitive.

In case someone doesn't quite get it, I'm basing the 6XX off my experiences with the 650, not that I have the 6XX on hand. They should be the exact same, as it's already been confirmed online.

 

[inseconds99]

Mashuto, seeing as you came from the HD555 which is like a considerably inferior version of the 650 type sound, I think you'll be very, very happy with the 6XX. The one aspect the 555 does better is in soundstage, as the 6XX will sound a bit more intimate, but other than that, the 6XX blows the socks off the 555.

I honestly don't see a better headphone at $200. The 7XX may be a strong contender, stronger in some things, weaker in others, but both generally very, very competitive.

In case someone doesn't quite get it, I'm basing the 6XX off my experiences with the 650, not that I have the 6XX on hand. They should be the exact same, as it's already been confirmed online.

From your memory would you say the hd650 failed at competitive gaming or just weren't up to par with cheaper options? Does your opinion and rating of the hd650/hd6xx change now that price has changed?

 

[mashuto]

Mashuto, seeing as you came from the HD555 which is like a considerably inferior version of the 650 type sound, I think you'll be very, very happy with the 6XX. The one aspect the 555 does better is in soundstage, as the 6XX will sound a bit more intimate, but other than that, the 6XX blows the socks off the 555.

I honestly don't see a better headphone at $200. The 7XX may be a strong contender, stronger in some things, weaker in others, but both generally very, very competitive.

In case someone doesn't quite get it, I'm basing the 6XX off my experiences with the 650, not that I have the 6XX on hand. They should be the exact same, as it's already been confirmed online.

Yea, I did enjoy the 555's. They were my first pair of "nice" headphones I ever owned and only replaced them because the housings had started cracking and things were falling apart and I wanted a headset with a mic attached. I am pretty set on getting them. I dont know how massdrop operates, but I have already signed up and that even though they are clearly going to be sought after Im hoping that if I am online at 9am (eastern) on tuesday, I hopefully wont have any issues getting them.
 
That just leaves figuring out what to do on the PC side of things. As I said, I am pretty happy with the dolby headphone implementation for gaming on my old xonar d1. So assuming I want to keep that, it looks like my options are to use my fiio e17k via line out as an amp only, pick up a dedicated amp for the pc (looking at the schitt magni) or upgrade to a new soundcard, of which the xonar stx ii looks to fit the bill, but will cost quite a bit.

 

[Yethal]

Focal Utopia. I wish I had more time with these but came out impressed anyway.