[HiFiGamer1995]

To be specific , you should get the Xonar DX, it's not exactly cheap though.

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

I just put in my order for the X1's. Hope they are everything the reviews have been saying they are.

Quote:

Now I need to find an alternative which is not what I wanted.
 
The X1s and He-400 are on my radar, for now...

 
For people who own the Anniversaries, keep in mind that they've already been well established as one of best overall gaming headphone options out there.  While they now have some serious competition in the X1, it's not like the X1 is "one another level".  It's better to think of them as alternative or compliment.  Like I said earlier "these are excellent, but not necessarily a replacement for the Anniversary.  This is because they have different signatures so personal preferences will come into play."  Regardless of your preferences though, the X1s are undeniably an impressive can.  The X1s deliver fun in a way that is less polarizing then a can like the DT990s.  The fact that a well known Q701/Anniversary fanboy like me enjoys them is a testament to that.  Of course I can't promise that others here will feel the same way though!
 
It's always easy to overhype a headphone, but honestly the X1s deserve some hype at this point seeing as they've been out since last fall and it still seems like so few people have heard them (of course the whole US availability issue has been been keeping them down).  The Anniversary didn't come out until a bit after 2013 and, thanks to the "MLE bump", they're already common place now.  So the X1s deserve to get some attention at this point IMO.
 
 
Lastly, I know X1 interest levels are high right now and people here are quite curious about them - especially people who own the Anniversary or Q701s and are wondering how the X1s compare to them.  For people with an itchy "buy it now" finger who are still waiting on more sound details before they make any decisions, please give me some more time as I've only had the X1s for 2.5 days now and I'm still working on their review (I know, I'm slow 

- but to be fair I think my reviews are pretty detailed 

).  In the meantime though, I stand by everything I've said about them up to this point, including my very first initial impressions, so go back and my read previous posts again in the meantime! 

 

[pervysage]

Can't wait till Tuesday when I get these babies in

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I'm considering my next youtube vid be a quick KSC75, KSC35, Sportapro, (Yuin G1A clips) comparison and how to swap them out, pros and cons, etc. Wish I had the Yuin G1A clips though.

Yay or nay?

 

[Happy Bullets]

Quote:

I'm considering my next youtube vid be a quick KSC75, KSC35, Sportapro, (Yuin G1A clips) comparison and how to swap them out, pros and cons, etc. Wish I had the Yuin G1A clips though.

Yay or nay?

I think your next youtube video should be a "How to mutilate Chicos Fidelio X1 headband to fit big headed people review."

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

I think your next youtube video should be a "How to mutilate Chicos Fidelio X1 headband to fit big headed people review."

 
 

 

[benbenkr]

Quote:

Hey Head-Fi audiophiles.
 
I'm about to step into the audiophile world, probably at an entry level but still. The main use that I will give the Headphones will be gaming and especially virtual surround gaming which if I understand correctly the best choice would be going with Dolby Headphone technology.
 
Now, the Headphone that I've set my eyes on right now is the Sennheiser HD598 followed closely by the Audio Technica ATH AD9000, the reasons behind these models is audio positioning, I want to be able to tell where the enemies are in my surrounding with just audio and these two paired up with Dolby Headphone seem to be fantastic at it without giving up much of the Bass, Mids, etc, which is good because I will also use them for music and movie playback. Any recommendation/advice regarding these Headphones or this setup is well appreciated.
 
Now this is were I start getting lost and could really use some help
 
I hear all this talk about DAC's, AMP's, Sound Cards, etc, and I'm not sure what I need exactly for what I primarly want to do which is audio positioning and great surround sound during games mainly, not just shooters or competitive but single player experiences as well.
 
I've read a bit and this is what I've found so far, please correct me if I'm wrong:
 
1) -DAC's: Mainly used to "clean up" the original signal, especially useful when there is noise, etc, during playback.
 
From the sound of it seems like I don't really need this to accomplish my goal, I have this motherboard and most modern motherboards already have a pretty decent DAC and with the optical output that has I shouldn't have any problems getting a "clean" signal output. Correct, yes, no?
 
2) -AMP's: Used to "amplify" the signal, also provides more voltage to be delivered to the Headphone for those that have high impediance (80 ohms+ ?). That's the main use from what I read but I'm confused as to If I need one or not, I see a lot of comments saying that most people won't even benefit at all, or that it doesn't change the sound but then I read others say that It really changes the sound of the headphone for the better especially the HD 598, again, really confused here and I don't know If I should get one or not.
 
3) -Sound Cards: I guess this is my main question since it seems to be the defining factor to my ultimate goal... virtual surround. From what I understand most DAC's or AMP's are useless for this since they do not have a DPS, which is the "processor" that handles the signal and has the ability to modify or change it's properties like transforming it into Dolby Headphone (assuming the sound card is certified). Now I've read that some AMP's do offer this "feature" like the Astro Mixamp or the JVC SU-DH1 (which doesn't seem to be in stock anywhere now), the great thing from these AMP's is that they are compatible with consoles which even though I'm a PC gamer would be a great benefit to have I must admit.
 
I'm not sure if I should get one of these (maybe you guys can recommend a better AMP with these features) or if I should get a soundcard. I saw a lot of people recommending the ASUS Xonar Essence STX which at $179.99 is over my budget for a soundcard/amp. I did notice that ASUS has other sound cards like the Xonar D1 or the Xonar DG which come at a lower price.
 
My question is... would I be sacrificing a lot by going with these lower tier cards or will it not make a difference since my only interest is getting a device that's Dobly Headphone compatible and these cards all have it? Will I have the same virtual surround experience regarding the device as long as it's Dolby Headphone certified?
 
I know it's a long read but I tried to make it as clear as possible, again I'm new at this and this is what I've come up with before asking for help.
 
Any help is greatly appreciated!

 
I think you're actually better off with a HD558 instead then. Which has most of the HD598s soundstage but do have at least a deeper bass extension. They're still both pretty much bass shy headphones though.
 
A Xonar DG/DGX would be your best option regardless of whether you decide with a HD558/598 or a AD9000. Neither of them requires too much amping other than the fact that the HD558/598 fluctuates quite a bit and can reach beyond 150ohms. An amp will benefit, but not crucial.
 
While a Xonar DX seems like a good choice, its output impedence on the line-out is stupidly high at 33ohms. You'd be better off paying extra $20 for a Soundblaster Z at that point.

 

[roguegeek]

Quote:

I'm considering my next youtube vid be a quick KSC75, KSC35, Sportapro, (Yuin G1A clips) comparison and how to swap them out, pros and cons, etc. Wish I had the Yuin G1A clips though.

Yay or nay?

 
Really liking this idea. You really can't give them enough attention.

 

[roguegeek]

Quote:

Hey Head-Fi audiophiles.
 
I'm about to step into the audiophile world, probably at an entry level but still. The main use that I will give the Headphones will be gaming and especially virtual surround gaming which if I understand correctly the best choice would be going with Dolby Headphone technology.
 
Now, the Headphone that I've set my eyes on right now is the Sennheiser HD598 followed closely by the Audio Technica ATH AD9000, the reasons behind these models is audio positioning, I want to be able to tell where the enemies are in my surrounding with just audio and these two paired up with Dolby Headphone seem to be fantastic at it without giving up much of the Bass, Mids, etc, which is good because I will also use them for music and movie playback. Any recommendation/advice regarding these Headphones or this setup is well appreciated.
 
Now this is were I start getting lost and could really use some help
 
I hear all this talk about DAC's, AMP's, Sound Cards, etc, and I'm not sure what I need exactly for what I primarly want to do which is audio positioning and great surround sound during games mainly, not just shooters or competitive but single player experiences as well.
 
I've read a bit and this is what I've found so far, please correct me if I'm wrong:
 
1) -DAC's: Mainly used to "clean up" the original signal, especially useful when there is noise, etc, during playback.
 
From the sound of it seems like I don't really need this to accomplish my goal, I have this motherboard and most modern motherboards already have a pretty decent DAC and with the optical output that has I shouldn't have any problems getting a "clean" signal output. Correct, yes, no?
 
2) -AMP's: Used to "amplify" the signal, also provides more voltage to be delivered to the Headphone for those that have high impediance (80 ohms+ ?). That's the main use from what I read but I'm confused as to If I need one or not, I see a lot of comments saying that most people won't even benefit at all, or that it doesn't change the sound but then I read others say that It really changes the sound of the headphone for the better especially the HD 598, again, really confused here and I don't know If I should get one or not.
 
3) -Sound Cards: I guess this is my main question since it seems to be the defining factor to my ultimate goal... virtual surround. From what I understand most DAC's or AMP's are useless for this since they do not have a DPS, which is the "processor" that handles the signal and has the ability to modify or change it's properties like transforming it into Dolby Headphone (assuming the sound card is certified). Now I've read that some AMP's do offer this "feature" like the Astro Mixamp or the JVC SU-DH1 (which doesn't seem to be in stock anywhere now), the great thing from these AMP's is that they are compatible with consoles which even though I'm a PC gamer would be a great benefit to have I must admit.
 
I'm not sure if I should get one of these (maybe you guys can recommend a better AMP with these features) or if I should get a soundcard. I saw a lot of people recommending the ASUS Xonar Essence STX which at $179.99 is over my budget for a soundcard/amp. I did notice that ASUS has other sound cards like the Xonar D1 or the Xonar DG which come at a lower price.
 
My question is... would I be sacrificing a lot by going with these lower tier cards or will it not make a difference since my only interest is getting a device that's Dobly Headphone compatible and these cards all have it? Will I have the same virtual surround experience regarding the device as long as it's Dolby Headphone certified?
 
I know it's a long read but I tried to make it as clear as possible, again I'm new at this and this is what I've come up with before asking for help.
 
Any help is greatly appreciated!

 
Just get an AD700 and X-Fi Titanium HD. You wont need an amp because the cans are extremely efficient. This is truly "end game" territory when talking about competitive gaming where positional audio is extremely important. Want something that's a better all arounder? Q701s can be found for less than $200 now and can be paired with something as cheap as the E09K.

 

[AxelCloris]

The Fiio HS2 has arrived! Time to play around with this little baby.
 

Spoiler: This%20thing%20is%20surprisingly%20tiny

 

[Change is Good]

Bad news: I decided to say goodbye to my Annies, today, for good. I didn't even want to hold on to them for 30 days knowing the rattle was there. I felt it was just best to move on with my life. It was still a very sad moment watching it depart in the UPS truck...

.
 
Good news: My X1s will get here on Wednesday. I know I'm diving into a different sound signature, so I know what I'm getting into. I just hope I end up absolutely loving them. It will make it easier to cope with the loss of my favorite headphone... so far...

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

Bad news: I decided to say goodbye to my Annies, today, for good. I didn't even want to hold on to them for 30 days knowing the rattle was there. I felt it was just best to move on with my life. It was still a very sad moment watching it depart in the UPS truck...

.
 
Good news: My X1s will get here on Wednesday. I know I'm diving into a different sound signature, so I know what I'm getting into. I just hope I end up absolutely loving them. It will make it easier to cope with the loss of my favorite headphone... so far...

 
 
I would have held onto them until the X1s got there, did a comparison, then shipped them back.  Might as well use the 30 days  :\

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

The Fiio HS2 has arrived! Time to play around with this little baby.
 

Spoiler: This%20thing%20is%20surprisingly%20tiny

 
 
No way - mine just arrived today too!
 
So tiny and cute, yet so useful.
 
 

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!

 

 

[HiFiGamer1995]

Just get an AD700 and X-Fi Titanium HD. You wont need an amp because the cans are extremely efficient. This is truly "end game" territory when talking about competitive gaming where positional audio is extremely important. Want something that's a better all arounder? Q701s can be found for less than $200 now and can be paired with something as cheap as the E09K.

The AD700 is one of the best cans for competitive, but it has virtually no sub-bass.

 

[Change is Good]

Quote:

 
 
I would have held onto them until the X1s got there, did a comparison, then shipped them back.  Might as well use the 30 days  :\

 
I avoided comparing them so I wouldn't want both headphones... and end up ordering another Annie!