[Evshrug]

First thing apologize for poor english, i'm from italy
I'd wish to ask for some help, i'm currently searching for a solution to my problem: volume at late night I usually watch movies or play games 'till late and my wife doesn't like the chaos i make, but you know playing with low volume is just unacceptable I currently own a xbox360, an htpc (both connected to a yamaha ampli via hdmi) and a gaming pc. Both the pc use internal mobo audio (but the htpc streams dts or ac3 mkv to the ampli so i think no big deal), and with the gaming pc i use a cheap behringer hpx2000, i'd now wish to find a good compromise to get 5.1 with headphones (virtualised DH, not true 5.1 headsets). I saw that with a tritton ax720 i should be fine, i can connect it to xbox and pc via usb, but i'm bit worried about the headset quality and the fact that everyone seems to report background noise (to various degrees), otherwise i can go for a xonar + cal (found them a 50€ in offer) for the gaming rig but this won't resolve the x360 and htpc problem... i saw the astro a40 too but seems like that only the mixamp is worth the price, not the headset. 
So i should go for the ax720? Are they really worth 140€ (price in italy), am i missing some other solutions??
Again sorry for my grammar and thanks for reading 'till here

Hello from America! Your English is much better than my Italian
First, you say all your devices are connected to a Yamaha Ampli. Which model is it? You might want to find out if your integrated amp/receiver has Yamaha's Silent Cinema feature, as this is a pretty decent virtual surround for headphones. On my Yamaha RX-V367, which was a low-price beginner model from 3 years ago, I have Silent Cinema as long as I turn on a DSP mode like Action Game and plug in my headphones. This may be the simplest connection for you at night, and you already paid for it. It would work for both of the computers and Xbox connected by HDMI. I enjoyed the effect the 1 time I got to use it, and I look forward to setting up my Yamaha receiver perminantly.

If your gaming PC is not connected to the Yamaha, your best option is an internal Gaming sound card from Creative (Sound Blaster X-Fi) or Asus (Xonar), as they create virtual 3D sound (that potentially works better than Dolby Headphone because it is not limited to Dolby 5.1 or 7.1 directions) and unlock special environment effects sounds for extra realism. NamelessPFG has a pc gaming guide here on head-Fi you should check out.

If you want to upgrade your headphones from the Behringers, the CAL! (Creative Aurvana Live!) is recommended instead of the Astro A40 or Mad Catz Tritton ax720 for the price.

I hope you understood my post (I try to write clearly), and that this helps you. Also, welcome to Head-Fi, sorry about your wallet!

 

[NamelessPFG]

Quote:

Tru-dat. Borderlands would be a great game to play cross-platform. Also buy a 7970. They can OC higher than a 670 and cost a CRAP load less. I take it you don't WC so I recommend one of these regardless. http://tinyurl.com/8nums7j
I have a XFX 7970 BE and now it's underwater. I plan to buy a few more too.
 
I'd say if your on a budget then the EVGA 2GB 670. If you play with multi monitors (3+) EVGA 4GB 670. But if you play multi monitors at high resolutions 4k+, then the XFX BE 3GB 7970 is the way to go. I included the GHz edition just to show how far $10 more gets you. A whole lot more!
 
Now my only concern is whether I should spend the 10 bucks for the GHz edition or just buy normal Black Edition cards. I feel I would be tempted to OC the GHz Ed. more than the regular which would offset the crossfire.

 
Well, the thing that concerns me about ATI/AMD cards these days happens to be the drivers.
 
Things weren't so bad when I was using a Radeon 9600 XT under Windows XP, but when I tried a notebook with a Mobility Radeon X2300 (which is actually a DX9.0c part, so it got shunted onto the "legacy" driver structure), the experience was pretty bad.
 
I also tested out an HD 4850 in my desktop before shipping it to a friend. It performed WORSE than my 8800 GT, contrary to most of the statements I've read. Maybe it improved after Catalyst 8.10 or 8.11, can't remember which of those two I used.
 
The one advantage I see with going ATI these days, if I really wanted to get into it, is bitcoin mining. Well, that and Eyefinity, but I'm only using a single monitor right now and don't see that changing for a while.

 

[LelouchLeonhart]

Hi guys! I posted a couple weeks ago asking for help regarding a few headphones I was trying to decide between! Namely the PC360, the Q701s and the DT990s pros/premiums. WELL I'd just like to leave some feedback as a newbie to the audiophile world!
 
First and foremost, I opted for the DT990 Pros (250 Ohm) as I got a fairly good deal paying about 110€ for practically new headphones. They've been used less than 50 hours according to the original owner and, from the looks of things, seems quite believable. Only one SLIGHT mark on the edge of the metal clamp. I presume it came against some metal or was dropped once D:
 
WELL! Just to be super redundant ^_^ Used for gaming at home! Have got an astro mixamp to hook up to my laptop (gaming qosmio x500) and my ps3. Will also be using the headphones underway from my phone (currently HTC Desire) These sound spectactular coming from everything I've tried thus far, especially connected with the Mixamp. Connecting these to my phone I got a pretty decent level of loudness. However I felt like I could sense some distortion, however slight when at max volume. (It needs to be at max volume on my phone to be at a comfortable level of loudness where I can enjoy the music)

So basically, I need an amplifier and I'd like to buy one within the next couple months. I'm thinking between 50-175€ for an amplifier. It would be sexy if it was portable and I could lug it around with either my phone in my jeans pocket or stuff it in my backpack next to my phone and have it connected to my phones from there. I have a pair of Bose in-ears that are quite sensational imho that could benefit from some amping I bet (despite bose being looked down upon in these forums (the bass is redic. on these)).
 
I'd like for there to be a substantial increase in sound quality and as little distortion as possible. Apparently EQs bring down the quality of amplifiers (true/false?) so I DON'T KNOW? But frankly it would be nice to have an equalizer to tone down the DT990 treble a slight bit. Though if I'm sacrificing massive amounts of sound quality I'll learn to live without it. I'll adapt to the V shape sound spectrum my DT990s offer!
 
I'd be ordering from Germany btw.
 
Amplifiers that have come up are: Fiio E17 or the other Fiios, JDS Labs cmoy, O2, or C421  off the top of my head. Here are two links containing many other portable amps.
 
http://www.headfonia.com/music-on-a-budget-sub-100-portable-amps-shootout/
 
http://www.headfonia.com/the-usual-suspects-12-portable-amps-compared/
 
Should I look into tube amplifiers at all? My music is pretty widespread genre-wise, I listen to a lot of Kpop, Jrock, Metal, occasionally Punk, RnB lots, Rap/HipHop, the occasional classical song. Really just a bit of anything including SOME techno/trance. 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The only one I know of that can reduce treble is the E17. You can pair it up with the E9/E09K for more power if you want.

In any case, substantial boost in quality is stretching it. Amps won't transform a headphone. It will improve it, but may not be substantial.

I'm not a fan of tubes personally, but if any headphone could use tubes, it'd be the DT990.

 

[LelouchLeonhart]

I've read lots of mixed reviews about Fiio amplifiers despite actually being attracted to what's being offered. The E17 looks quite nifty and nice. I remember you recommended I check out JDS Labs and what they've got to offer which I have, but, what would you recommend out of the E17/cmoy/02/C421?
 
Substantial was stretching it, haha, my bad, I guess I just meant I didn't want any hissing/distortion/background noise if possible. That alone would be substantial for me
 
Unfortunately I have NO IDEA where to look for tube amps or which. Most of what I read/learned was about Solid State amplification. Tips/links?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

None of the Fiio stuff I've owned had any background noise. They're dead silent AFAIK.

As for tube amps, I dunno what's out there in your price range.

The O2 is amp only and won't reduce the treble. I dunno about the others. The O2 would be the best power wise.

I'd probably start with the E17 for the bass/treble balance controls, and save up for like the E09K for more power later on, while still being able to use the E17's controls with it.

 

[LelouchLeonhart]

Hmmm I believe you used to own a Matrix M-stage before your NFB. Recommend I save for that maybe?

 

[ruuku]

Quote:

Hmmm I believe you used to own a Matrix M-stage before your NFB. Recommend I save for that maybe?

The M-Stage is a home/desktop amp though, I thought you were looking for a portable?
 
What MLE is suggesting is to get the E17 for now, and then if you needed more power, you can pair it with the E9. Keep in mind that the E17 will also be your DAC in the chain, meaning that you'll should see an increase in SQ over an amp by itself (in stereo), as well as being able to use the EQ in the E17 both at home and on the go. 
 
If you do decide to get the m stage, you might want to look at something a little cheaper in the meantime. An E11 will surely have enough power for the 990Pro, and its less than half the price of the E17. The E11 also has limited EQ functions but these are mainly for boosting bass, and may not be suitable for your application.

 

[draliko]

Quote:

Hello from America! Your English is much better than my Italian

First, you say all your devices are connected to a Yamaha Ampli. Which model is it? You might want to find out if your integrated amp/receiver has Yamaha's Silent Cinema feature, as this is a pretty decent virtual surround for headphones. On my Yamaha RX-V367, which was a low-price beginner model from 3 years ago, I have Silent Cinema as long as I turn on a DSP mode like Action Game and plug in my headphones. This may be the simplest connection for you at night, and you already paid for it. It would work for both of the computers and Xbox connected by HDMI. I enjoyed the effect the 1 time I got to use it, and I look forward to setting up my Yamaha receiver perminantly.
If your gaming PC is not connected to the Yamaha, your best option is an internal Gaming sound card from Creative (Sound Blaster X-Fi) or Asus (Xonar), as they create virtual 3D sound (that potentially works better than Dolby Headphone because it is not limited to Dolby 5.1 or 7.1 directions) and unlock special environment effects sounds for extra realism. NamelessPFG has a pc gaming guide here on head-Fi you should check out.
If you want to upgrade your headphones from the Behringers, the CAL! (Creative Aurvana Live!) is recommended instead of the Astro A40 or Mad Catz Tritton ax720 for the price.
I hope you understood my post (I try to write clearly), and that this helps you. Also, welcome to Head-Fi, sorry about your wallet!

 
Thanks for the reply, things are getting clearer
The ampli is a yamaha rx-v367 a bit old but it does have silent cinema (i wasn't aware of this feature, yamaha does need to promote it better), so probably the best solutions is to go with a decent headset and a dedicated audio card for the gaming rig. (if i understand, sc should provide surrond virtualization for everything i connect to the ampli, even tho i'll have to configure it a bit based on the headset too).
I will surely need to upgrade the behringer (they're really cheap, but sound decently compared to other set i've had) and will need a good cord extension too (sofa not so close to tv ), so you think the CAL! can be ok (found them a 55€ shipped new)? I like sets that are classified as "fun", i'm not really in the competitive side of gaming and need something that can isolate me well from outside noise (since i'll be using it also with the gaming rig that's a bit noisier). For the internal audio card some suggestion? I'm reading the nameless topic too in the meantime
Thanks again, i think i've really found the solution for all my problems! btw any way to directly control the volume of a headset if it doesn't have controls on cable? i hate audio controls on keyboards and when gaming i can't go back and forth to desktop to adjust volumes
Thanks again!

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The CAL surely does not isolate well. The only thing I can think of that does, is the HM5 or FA-003, and I dunno their price over there.

 

[NinjaSushi2]

Quote:

Double tru!
Sushi, u crazy. *goes back to playing with his iPad 2*

LMAO!!! I actually laughed at loud... lol
 
Jk.. JK...
 
You know I actually think this is one internet forum that I've been on for over 3 months and haven't pissed anyone off yet. *The world will end in 7 days...*

 

[NinjaSushi2]

Quote:

Ohhh.. I thought Nameless abandoned ship. 
 
 
I dunno about that... still haven't gotten accustomed to the Win7OS and I keep switching between comps so....yea. A free upgrade to Professional is very enticing, plus the offer is valid till March of 2013 *hopefully* most of the bug/driver issues/general "burn in

" will take place with the first few months. Maybe, if the surface really takes off, I'd truly convert to a total Win8 environment... but it has to be reeealllly good in order to convince me not to wait for a Haswell refreshed MBP (whenever that is). 
 
Quote:
The problem, I believe, is that the retailer (Overstock.com) relies on drop shipping, just like your experience with Amazon's external sales. No, I didn't keep the 900s... was tempted though. In this case I contacted Overstock and let them know about the error. If this were the pre-digital days then I probably could have gotten away with a free pair of HPs... but I figured it was only a matter of time before I got charged the full amount for a floor model/return. That and I do believe that Karma is a...well you know. I gotta give their sales recovery people credit though... I mentioned the condition of the packaging etc. in my email to them, and when taking care of the return, he offered me a $50 discount on the AD900s if I wanted to keep them. Granted it would have eliminated the return shipping cost to them, and it was open-box condition, but that's still a pretty good discount. Mine was a breeze compared to yours though geez... I would have given up altogether and ordered it from another company. Its a curse of open back Audio Technica's! Everyone buy local! LOL.  

So what is better in a since. AKG x70x or AD900s? Both priced the same on amazon. (20 buck difference maybe)

 

[ruuku]

I'll let you know once I receive the Q701, but I can only honestly compare with the Q, and not the K series because I've never heard them... should be early next week. I can only compare the AD900s to my DT990Pros, and honestly I think those two are too different in character to give a  fair comparison. I can tell you this though, the fit on the AD900 is love it or hate it, and I hated it. The wing design isn't so bad on paper, but the drivers/driver housing is so big that the lower end of the pads rested on my lower jaw, and it was so uncomfortable that I couldn't stand it for longer than half an hour. Comfort (or lack thereof) definitely added to not wanting to keep it. OTOH the even with the increased clamp on the Pros, they are superb in terms of comfort. I honestly could wear these for hours.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I'll let you know once I receive the Q701, but I can only honestly compare with the Q, and not the K series because I've never heard them... should be early next week. I can only compare the AD900s to my DT990Pros, and honestly I think those two are too different in character to give a  fair comparison. I can tell you this though, the fit on the AD900 is love it or hate it, and I hated it. The wing design isn't so bad on paper, but the drivers/driver housing is so big that the lower end of the pads rested on my lower jaw, and it was so uncomfortable that I couldn't stand it for longer than half an hour. Comfort (or lack thereof) definitely added to not wanting to keep it. OTOH the even with the increased clamp on the Pros, they are superb in terms of comfort. I honestly could wear these for hours.

Pretty much how I felt. Despite my absolute hate for the wing design on the technicas, the jaw discomfort is damn high as well. I didn't address that on my listing here, which I should. To be fair the DT990s also gave me that problem, but not nearly as bad.

 

[genclaymore]

Yea my DT880 pro-250 I had after awhile the earpads would hurt my ears because the tip of them would hit the top insides of the headphone. Other then the clamp force, even with it loosen up.