theCanadian
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2010
- Posts
- 78
- Likes
- 10
Ok, so I used to have a Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 4, which was okay at best. It was very bright. Sharply so. This combined with AD700's guaranteed that snare drums and such would absolutely destroy my ears. Like popping an innocent soap bubble with a bullet. And the bass was pretty boomy as well.
But then I managed to get a hold of a Xonar D1 for less than $30. The difference was night and day. All of a sudden, the high end was under control and a lot less fatiguing and was much more pleasant to listen to. Pleasantly warm across the mid-range. I'm not quite sure how to describe the bass as I don't have much experience with audio comparisons and a lack of experience with higher end equipment. The best I can figure is that the bass may have extended a little lower, but I can't say for sure. In addition, a lot of the boomyness is gone, the bass is much more punchy and precise.
Overall, I'm a happy camper. And I'm a little surprised at how much of an impact this tiny upgrade had.
Edit: Still need an amp though. Hopefully I can switch to optical. Perhaps a HiFiMan EF2.
First audio review, be kind, I just caught the bug a couple months ago.
But then I managed to get a hold of a Xonar D1 for less than $30. The difference was night and day. All of a sudden, the high end was under control and a lot less fatiguing and was much more pleasant to listen to. Pleasantly warm across the mid-range. I'm not quite sure how to describe the bass as I don't have much experience with audio comparisons and a lack of experience with higher end equipment. The best I can figure is that the bass may have extended a little lower, but I can't say for sure. In addition, a lot of the boomyness is gone, the bass is much more punchy and precise.
Overall, I'm a happy camper. And I'm a little surprised at how much of an impact this tiny upgrade had.
Edit: Still need an amp though. Hopefully I can switch to optical. Perhaps a HiFiMan EF2.
First audio review, be kind, I just caught the bug a couple months ago.
