My Plans for my PC audio system
Jun 23, 2018 at 11:41 AM Post #16 of 32
Yea that one I can afford and it seems to be all I would need for listening to music and gaming with headphones right? The only reason I'm asking all this is i've been getting conflicting advice on what I should do. Some people are telling me I need an external sound card, some I need a DAC and AMP some a Integrated AMP. While some are saying none of those , some are saying all of them.

I honestly don;t know what to do here.

I have had a bunch of computer gaming experience but it was with the early games in 1998 like Hexen and Quake and the likes. So even though I was playing Unreal Tournament in 2003......I have no idea about games now and how you do the best sound for them. Though if you want to stick with Head-Fi....we have gaming threads. You could find a memeber into modern games and PM them. You may even be better not using a home theater 7.1 amp at all?

I’m a 2 channel audio guy.

I’m not sure about trying to get complete soundsound with headphones and an amp. Though the Z review guy is into gaming and may have some product reviews to study. You may be able to PM him or contact him on Reddit too.
 
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Jun 23, 2018 at 11:46 AM Post #17 of 32
I have had a bunch of computer gaming experience but it was with the early games in 1998 like Hexen and Quake and the likes. So even though I was playing Unreal Tournament in 2003......I have no idea about games now and how you do the best sound for them. Though if you want to stick with Head-Fi....we have gaming threads. You could find a memeber into modern games and PM them. You may even be better not using a home theater 7.1 amp at all?

I’m a 2 channel audio guy.

I’m not sure about trying to get complete soundsound with headphones and an amp. Though the Z review guy is into gaming and may have some product reviews to study. You may be able to PM him or contact him on Redit too.

The gaming thing isn't as a deal for me as the music is honestly, in terms of the size of the thing , thats not an issue for me I have a really big desk because I plan on doing a three monitor setup and I was going to put the monitors on the AMP anyway.

So you think I should get the Modi/Magni along with the Onyko and forgo the external sound card ?
 
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Jun 23, 2018 at 11:49 AM Post #18 of 32
I have no experience with the Schiit DACs. Normally here your going to find people who are super critical about tone. So they are never going to suggest a DAC they have not heard.
 
Jun 23, 2018 at 11:51 AM Post #19 of 32
I do have the Asgard One. I would have no problem suggesting that Schiit product, and yes, it smokes the A-9010 for a headphone amp!

Though the A-9010 is nice if that’s all you had for awhile.
 
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Jun 23, 2018 at 11:57 AM Post #20 of 32
From what the guy said on the review it sounds like I don't really need a DAC because the A-9010 already has one included then I may just go ahead and get the headphone amp.

What does a DAC do exactly ? I know it means Digital to Analog Converter but what does that mean exactly? does it change the sound of the music , open it up for more detail ?
 
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Jun 23, 2018 at 11:59 AM Post #21 of 32
If you watch the video review notice how he talks about amp power. That’s true with the A-9010.
 
Jun 23, 2018 at 12:03 PM Post #22 of 32
Actually the DAC on the A-9010 is super nice. It’s a pair of great sounding Wolfsons which are warm an musical. I would go line out of the A-9010 and get an more powerful amp like the Asgard 2 straight from Schiit. It will power a ton of headphones well. The Asgard’s are a little tiny bit cold and the Wolfson DACs do them a nice complement.

The DAC takes the digital information and changes it to analog.
 
Jun 23, 2018 at 12:05 PM Post #23 of 32
The Asgard2 is the amp that Schiit has the least profit margin but also never comes back for warranty claims.

It’s a serious amp.

Also put both amps next to each other as they both get warm, with the Asgard closer to very warm. Don’t stack them in any way.
 
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Jun 23, 2018 at 12:10 PM Post #24 of 32
But remember all this combined equipment is all about tone. Every time you change equipment you can change a change in tone. And unless manufacturers are sending someone box’s of free equipment to listen to very few of use know everything.

It’s best to go to a show and listen to a bunch of other systems. Let someone else spend the money and do the trial and error for you.

Though I could live with the Asgard one and A-9010 for years with the right headphones.
 
Jun 23, 2018 at 12:16 PM Post #25 of 32
Jun 23, 2018 at 2:40 PM Post #27 of 32
I have a Pair of Sennheiser HD 380 Pros and I plan on getting either a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770 80 or 250 0hms or a pair of Meze 99 Classics.

Typically we never recommend headphones around here we have not heard. Though at times if there is some expensive flagship with a bunch of stellar reviews we may recommend someone hear it. I have no experience with those headphones.
 
Jun 23, 2018 at 9:24 PM Post #28 of 32
I got the HD 380 Pros because people on here recommended them and they sound great, in terms of the other two I mentioned all of the reviews I've read on them both on here and from other sources have all been good.

But I think you've convinced me and I'm gonna buy the A-9010 and an Asgard 1. But just out of curiosity and I know it's a stupid question but what will having the two of them give me in terms of benefits for my system? I just want to make sure i'm not spending money on stuff I don't really need.
 
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Jun 23, 2018 at 11:25 PM Post #29 of 32
Well you can read lots of reviews, part of finding reviews is locking on to another piece of equipment which can do close to the same thing.


Keep in mind, most of us here have taken purchasing chances and took risks. At times it’s instinct that tells you what to buy. I have read thousands of product reviews. Some reviews are good and some not so good.






Check out the Schiit Jotunheim; go to the Jotunheim thread and read about it as another alternative to your needs.


Not exactly the same thing, but because you don’t have speakers you could go ahead and also get something like this!

http://www.schiit.com/products/jotunheim

You would get the newest version, as I think there is a DAC card upgrade. Then you could buy powered speakers. This way in the future you could even try balanced headphones. But be warned nothing is perfect.....like I think reading there was something like the balanced line out to the powered speakers that stayed on even after you simply plug your headphones in. So you had to turn off your powered speakers every time you wanted to listen to headphones.

Take note I have never heard the Jotunheim at all. So I have no idea if it will be a better headphone amp than the Asgard one or two? I’m simply showing you that there are other routes to go if all you need is an amp for headphones and an amp for speakers.

You simply get powered speakers.

Most people’s questions are not as tough as they already have multi pieces of equipment and just needed one thing to put it all together and make it sound good.

That’s why going to shows let’s you hear other people’s work. You let them spend the research money and hear a complete system. They are proud of their accomplishments and want to show off. You will want to make a detailed list of each equipment they use, the cables, the price of everything and list small notes if there was something you especially liked or did not like.


Remember too that many are going on a search for a specific tone. Some systems do everything right, and some systems are either too bright or two dark. If it’s a person who centers on a specific music sub genre they may both have a sound signature they are into as well as a system that excels at a form of music. I’m into lower midrange response and have a like of EDM and Metal, so my main rig uses the Sony Z1R powered by the Sony TA headphone amplifier which is fed by the 1Z or 1A Walkman. That’s my main headphone rig. I don’t use the Asgard one so much as I’m using 4.4mm TRRRS balanced Pentaconn connection to the Sony Z1R.



But you really also have to look at your DAC goals. Each DAC is a little different at times. Some DACs are over sampling...some don’t. Some DACs have the ability of playing DSD files, though most Schiit entry ones do not. You may want to concentrate on 16 bit-44.1....,normal CD files and some DACs are simply good with that. The way to save money is buy only what you need and try to make it future proof. It never really is but you can try......to make it work for years and years with no upgrade. Some DAC players only have USB, some take coaxial RCA, some are optical?

But before that I used the Asgard one. Also the A-9010 was a perfect DAC due to it being a little warm. But you have to realize that even though I have had great stereos and headphone systems really starting around 1982, I have not heard it all. Also my systems and choice of sound signature has changed many times.


Here at Head-Fi you have bass heads, treble heads...and the really old school and great flat heads. The last group likes stuff which is detailed but would have a flat response curve with nothing out of place. The Asgard and A-9010 has a pretty good flat response with a hint of warmth. There are more detailed rigs out there but it is one that you can listen to for hours. Again it also depends which headphones you use if you ever choose to get different headphones.

In reality I’m not suggesting you get anything. But you will notice that both Amazon and Schiit Audio have a great return plan. It will cost you maybe some postage or restocking fees but you don’t even have to look for a system to try. You simply order it, live with it and send it back if you don’t like it.

But remember you will need to get your speakers and any other headphones to try at the same time. You want to hear and demo it all at once.


In some ways this is not easy as we all have different sound signatures we like as well as your going to see people selling stuff after 30-90 days. Those guys demoed stuff and owned it but then sold it used because it took them 90 days to figure they didn’t like it.


But everyone is different. I had an old HH Scott tube amp and some old Sony $200 headphones which I used from 1996 to 2006. I never looked for anything new. Then maybe I was a person who wanted to start to explore and find out how I could improve personal audio?

What happens is good audio gives a good life experience so some think better equipment gets to you a better life experience.

But if you get a system to sound right for you it really depends on a ton of factors. Especially if your going speakers you will need to think about room size and placement. Room reflections play a big part in how your over all sound is going to end up. And each room is different. I have purchased full systems for people and they had a wood floor and a big room so the bass had to be tuned due to the house being like one giant guitar body. One of my best speaker set-ups was on a cement floor with bi-amped speakers and a 15 inch sub. I could use a full power class A amp just to run the tweeters, so I could EQ the room with just adjusting the volume levels between the sub, the midrange, and the tweeters.

If you go to a stereo shop and hear speakers there may be a sound you lock into. So question why that would be? Is it the amp? Is it the bass, is it the soundstage? Everyone has different ideas of what is good, it may depend on what sound you have heard in the past, if you went to rock concerts and key in to that sound. Or if your into classical and play an instrument and need your home system to be faithful at reproduction of a wind instrument or piano. I have heard 100K systems that only did one genre well. I heard 80K systems I hated. It all depends what you like.

Basicly each room is different and you have to keep in mind what sound your looking to achieve in the end. Most of this buying is goal oriented. You research what you need...or think your going to need then attempt to arrive at your dreams.

Right now I have a multitude of different systems. I have giant cheap speakers I can take outside for parties. I have super tiny speakers I use in the bedroom, and some cheap but flat sounding speakers which are midsize. I mostly listen to headphones though.

The benifit of headphones is you don’t have to worry about room reflections or color intruding in and messing everything up.

And remember there is right and wrong with speaker size, but if you research here you will see a whole range of people which are happy.

Some have near field setups and some have floor standers. It’s a subject that fills pages and pages in the internet. Because just like headphones people have different goals in mind with their speaker set-ups. Most of us simply try to make something as passive as music listening and make it active. Thus many people have so much equipment that they have not even tried all the combinations of equipment they own. The more you mix and match the more you learn what goes together and what can be achieved in home speaker set-ups.


You can learn the most by meeting people which have already achieved the sound your looking for at the money you want to spend. If that is a complete system you like then just copy it part for part. Because your getting a whole system there are a lot of choices. That or just expect this process to be a long slow learning experiences. That is what it has been like for most of us. At times we win and at times we lose but learn along the way.


Look and read about another, who has been questioning for a year!
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/amplifier-or-portable-dac-do-i-need-one.882167/



Good luck!
 
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Jun 24, 2018 at 12:11 AM Post #30 of 32
I got the HD 380 Pros because people on here recommended them and they sound great, in terms of the other two I mentioned all of the reviews I've read on them both on here and from other sources have all been good.

But I think you've convinced me and I'm gonna buy the A-9010 and an Asgard 1. But just out of curiosity and I know it's a stupid question but what will having the two of them give me in terms of benefits for my system? I just want to make sure i'm not spending money on stuff I don't really need.

To answer this question, the A-9010 gives you a great DAC as well as a powerful speaker amp. This would also be a great situation if you already had non-self powered speakers. At times people already have speakers which they are trying to get the most out of. As spoke of in the Z review......... power rating of amps don’t really mean much in real life. Basicly some companies make their amps appear more powerful, in fact they are not.

The A-9010 is rated at 40 WPC but in truth it’s way louder than you will ever need. If you had a family member with some old 1980s giant speakers around it may floor you how loud it gets powering them. But remember we are looking for a solution to a sound reinforcement problem. You may be better with smaller brand new 10 inch tall desk speakers, because it’s all about matching the space your listening in.

The A-9010 has a nice headphone amp, and you could simply use that, but adding the Asgard one or two to the line level DAC output takes some headphone to the next level.

It really depends on the headphones. With some headphones the A-9010 will sound the same as it would with the Asgard headphone amp.


My k701 headphones by AKG sound amazing from the Asgard and A-9010 combination. They are a little hard to drive so they sound great with the A-9010 alone but go to the next level with the Asgard.


There are ways to maximize the headphones you own. Some need extra power and some don’t need as much. But with my rig now, I own some of the most powerful portable DAPs out there. The 1Z and 1A put out a ton of power. Still when using the super efficient Z1R..the experience is nice using the balanced out of one of the DAPs. Still hooking the Z1R up to the desktop amp (The TA amp) gets better low end detail and a more speedy response. Most amps and headphones benefit from getting a matching impedance. Thus you can have an amp which is actually not right for a headphone. Most of the time though people will find a headphone does not sound right because the amp is not powerful enough.

Damping factor. The more powerful amps have a greater Damping Factor. So some headphones need the juice. Think of it as a reserve of power that takes better control of the headphone diaphragm. The power holds it in place, or pushes it out, or pulls the headphone diaphragm back. This effect makes better speedy response and can increase bass detail. What happens when you hear more detail in the bass department is it actually seems like more bass is present. There is normally about 1kHz more bass but it’s the detail that will surprise sounding like more bass.


In 2006 I purchased the AKG k701 headphones and the Woo 3 tube headphone amp. The two pieces of equipment did not go together because the AKGs were super hard to drive! I had other gear so I used both new pieces of equipment......but used the equipment separate from each-other. The Woo3 would be best with a Sennheiser HD600 or HD650. So I ended up buying the powerful Woo 5LE just so I could hear what the k701s sounded like from a powerful amp. The results were amazing. I then purchased the Denon AHD 7000 headphones to go with the Woo5LE and that became my reference system. So what happens is, you truly never know at times what you will end up owning. Just better to get a fully educated information base and start swimming!
 
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