[Fiskus]

Hi Head-fi:ers,
 
A while back I came across a pair of Sennheiser hd800s. Before them, i used HD650 with lyr 2 + Asus essential STX combo. As this is still a jorney for me I'm at a cross-road. I'm thinking of either upgrade to a diffrent (external DAC) and have been looking at Schiit bitfrost. I have also started to read up at tube-rolling for the Lyr 2. 
 
What whould you think should be my next step? What whould make the biggest impact? Also, have any of you tried the lyr2 + Bitfrost combo together with a pair of HD800? Is it a working combo or am I on the wrong path all together?
Thanks in advance.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  A while back I came across a pair of Sennheiser hd800s. Before them, i used HD650 with lyr 2 + Asus essential STX combo. As this is still a jorney for me I'm at a cross-road. I'm thinking of either upgrade to a diffrent (external DAC) and have been looking at Schiit bitfrost. I have also started to read up at tube-rolling for the Lyr 2. 
What whould you think should be my next step? What whould make the biggest impact? Also, have any of you tried the lyr2 + Bitfrost combo together with a pair of HD800? Is it a working combo or am I on the wrong path all together?
Thanks in advance.

Did you disable the motherboard's on-board audio, in the BIOS, when you installed the STX card?
Have you tried the Unified Xonar Drivers?
http://maxedtech.com/asus-xonar-unified-drivers/
 
Assume you have the Lyr 2 connected to the RCA line-outputs on the STX card?
(for the best signal to the lyr 2)
 
Have you looked into replacing the three op-amps (operational amplifiers) in the STX card?
(I installed three AD797BR op-amps, about $17 per op-amps)
http://www.head-fi.org/t/421890/the-xonar-essence-stx-q-a-tweaking-impressions-thread

 

[Fiskus]

  Did you disable the motherboard's on-board audio, in the BIOS, when you installed the STX card?
Have you tried the Unified Xonar Drivers?
http://maxedtech.com/asus-xonar-unified-drivers/
 
Assume you have the Lyr 2 connected to the RCA line-outputs on the STX card?
(for the best signal to the lyr 2)
 
Have you looked into replacing the three op-amps (operational amplifiers) in the STX card?
(I installed three AD797BR op-amps, about $17 per op-amps)
http://www.head-fi.org/t/421890/the-xonar-essence-stx-q-a-tweaking-impressions-thread

 
I'm going to look into the Unified Xonar Driver.
Have read some about replacing the op-amps on STX. Do you think that is enough? This is maybe bulls*it but I read somewhere on Head Fi that replacing the amps will only help you a thiny bit with HD800 and that the STX will still hold you back. In the same thread they recommended an external DAC. 

 

[PurpleAngel]

   
I'm going to look into the Unified Xonar Driver.
Have read some about replacing the op-amps on STX. Do you think that is enough? This is maybe bulls*it but I read somewhere on Head Fi that replacing the amps will only help you a thiny bit with HD800 and that the STX will still hold you back. In the same thread they recommended an external DAC. 

 
Not against you getting an external DAC (hey great if you have the cash to spare).
I replaced my ($150) Essence STX,with AD797BR op-amps($60) with a ($305) Audio-GD NFB-15 DAC (DAC/amp).
But I'm just trying to point out lower costing options ($60 for op-amps), before you spend ($400-$600) for an external DAC (Bifrost).