[TeeReQs]

   
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.

I did a quick eBay search and found one D2X, but now it's gone . Seems like a used one might be hard to find, but an STX/STX II can be easily had, just not quite as cheap. I'll definitely try the DGX out again before committing to something more expensive. Looks like there's a good handful of people on here hoping to get their hands on a pair of HD6XX haha.
 

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.
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.

I actually had forgot that the X7 had swappable amps until you mentioned something. Not sure if it's a feature I would use, but it would be nice to have the option. I guess that's a good point on just buying a U3 or something similar. I never really though about getting a separate DAC as I've always just though to use a soundcard as my primary. I'll see if the DGX sounds significantly worse than the X-Fi's DAC. Either way I'm going to use the Magni/O2 for my K7XX. I still go back to the idea of an X7 though because of the all in one factor. I'll probably end up ordering one this weekend just so I can have everything all at once to test back and forth. I'd really like to not have any more devices than I do now. I need to make room on my desk for a second monitor! Now that I think about it, I don't know if I've tried my K7XX with the Extigy or DSS2 to compare to the Hyper X Clouds with no amping. That's going to be my goal for the weekend.
 
I was checking the Realiser out last night. Looks like a pretty cool product, albeit quite expensive. I'll stay tuned for your review
 
 
 

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)

Good news! Hopefully you get it all sorted out.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Shadow Warrior 2 has HDR. Is also the first non-VR game with Nvidia Multi-Res Shading.

Ah cool. Does it easily just work on an HDR TV where the TV knows it's getting an HDR signal? I ask because HDR has been a thing for PC games for years, but it's not 'this' type of HDR.

 

[octiceps]

Ah cool. Does it easily just work on an HDR TV where the TV knows it's getting an HDR signal? I ask because HDR has been a thing for PC games for years, but it's not 'this' type of HDR.

Yes, it has a setting for HDR display.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

That's cool. It is about damn time.

 

[apaar123]

how does ether c compare to stax lambda and hd 800?

 

[lenroot77]

how does ether c compare to stax lambda and hd 800?

Probably a question for the hd800 board or a Stax board.

 

[apaar123]

Probably a question for the hd800 board or a Stax board.

thanks

 

[Yethal]

Had a chance to listen to these. Most bizzare thing, they were playing Rage Against The Machine. There is a line of about 20 people right now whowant to listen to rapcore on 50k headphones.

 

[Ljanmi]

Had a chance to listen to these. Most bizzare thing, they were playing Rage Against The Machine. There is a line of about 20 people right now whowant to listen to rapcore on 50k headphones.

Where was that?

 

[Yethal]

Where was that?

Audio/video show in Warsaw. Three days of audiophile bliss for 15 dollars.

 

[rudyae86]

Had a chance to listen to these. Most bizzare thing, they were playing Rage Against The Machine. There is a line of about 20 people right now whowant to listen to rapcore on 50k headphones.

I hope nobody was banging there head and potentially risked dropping them lol.
 
Also, who doesn't love some Rage Against The Machine and even more so using a 50k headphone?

 

[Yethal]

  I hope nobody was banging there head and potentially risked dropping them lol.
 
Also, who doesn't love some Rage Against The Machine and even more so using a 50k headphone?

When it was my turn to listen (there was a literal line so every person was restricted to two minutes max) there was some smooth jazz playing. But somebody left first RATM album on the table so I quickly switched CDs around and started my session. I thought that the next guy in line would switch back to jazz but for some reason they kept the CD going. People in the line went through the entire album and then discussed the richness of the sound while Zach de la Rocha screamed KILLING IN THE NAME OF throughout the room (sound leakage on HE-1 is ridiculous). Swear to god, like being in a Twilight Zone episode.

 

[CPTredsox]

Hi guys.. Im a noob in dolby headphone related stuff and wanted to try it out. So I want to buy a mixamp and wanted to know if I could double amp it with an old Denon Stereo Receiver, does the dolby signal work through a stereo receiver? It's still analog

 

[PurpleAngel]

Hi guys.. I'm a noob in Dolby Headphone related stuff and wanted to try it out. So I want to buy a mix-amp and wanted to know if I could double amp it with an old Denon Stereo Receiver, does the Dolby signal work through a stereo receiver? It's still analog

Yes, it will work, just connect the Mix-amp's headphone output to the line-input (RCA?) jacks of the stereo.
What headphones will you be plugging into the stereo?

 

[CPTredsox]

I am using the DT880s and X2s with vmoda boompro