[Eightythree]

Will the Amp in the card be enough to power the 650s?

 

[AdamClim]

Quote:

Will the Amp in the card be enough to power the 650s?

Well it does power 600 ohm cans. From just reading here on Head-Fi, several people have that combo and seems to like it. I have no personal experience with the setup though. 

 

[soymilkftw]

Quote:

After reading this thread here is what I am thinking :
 
Speakers :
 

1. Audioengine P5 Speakers : : $399
2. Audioengine A8 Subwoofer : $350
3. Audioengine N22 Amp : $200
4. External DAC ?

 
Headphones :
 

1. Sennheiser 650 (Wondering how good their surround sound is for gaming, which is what they will be almost exclusively used for.) ~ $360
2. Headphone Amp?

 
Microphone :
 

1. Logitech C910 Microphone (Already own.)

 
Soundcard :
 

1. Don't even know what I need to power the above set-up.

 
My only concern about the speaker set-up is, since they will all be pretty much in my face (speakers on desk) or directly under my feet (subwoofer under my desk) how much overkill is it?

There's an Audioengine P4 which is passive and requires a separate amp, and theres a A5/A5+ which has a built in amp.  The A5 is suppose to be pretty decent and doesn't really require a subwoofer.  If its just for the computer and you won't even move them, then consider getting just the A5.  That way you save on the sub and amp, which gives you more to play with.  
 
Maybe its just me, but I would not use a sen 650 for gaming.  Consider getting a cheaper decent headphone for gaming and a nicer one for music.  Currently I've been using my old grado 80i for gaming.  They're light, sound good, decent soundstage.  I am considering getting an AKG K701 to replace it for gaming.  To be honest, I haven't heard a sennheiser 650 but from what i've read it could be a pita to power correctly.  It usually takes a pretty expensive amp to lift its "veil".  Instead consider getting a sen 600 or 595/598.
 
If i had 2k to burn, it would be this
 
Music (heaphone)
Hifiman HE-500 - 700
Schiit asgard headphone amp - 250
hrt music streamer - 150
 
Gaming
AKG k701 - 250
 
Desktop audio
Audioengine A5+ - 400
 
Use the leftover for a sub if required.  
 

 

[NamelessPFG]

 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Eightythree /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Wow, thank you guys for all the detailed advice.
 
When I meant unlimited, under $2000 is cool as long as it fits on my desk. I now think I am going to just use the microphone on my Logitech C910 (It's just for Skype mostly and some online games) and focus on a high end headphone set. Do you need a headphone amp to power these higher nice headsets? The Omega Claro Halo advertises a built in headphone amp.
 
Now since these headphones are mostly for gaming usage, not music, are they surround sound? I play a lot of FPS titles and knowing where shots are coming from is obviously important.

 
$2,000 is still a lot of money. I don't think you'll have to worry about affording anything short of the highest-end gear.
 
Headphone amps are generally used to drive dynamic/ortho headphones optimally. It's not about volume, but about control over the drivers. In the case of electrostatics, the amp is NOT an option, but a requirement due to how radically different the drivers function; this adds quite a bit to the cost, since the 'stat amps cost as much or more than the headphones and aren't nearly as common.
 
In terms of surround sound, that's what binaural filters like CMSS-3D Headphone and Dolby Headphone are for. Using one of those with an audiophile-grade headphone should yield much better results than a typical "gaming" headset.
 
As for what I could recommend you...if you're willing to use up the whole budget, you could easily get a cheap X-Fi (with an EMU20k1 or EMU20k2) for a gaming DSP, use its S/PDIF output to feed a DAC like a PS Audio Digital Link III or Rega DAC, and then top it all off with a Koss ESP/950 or a Stax Lambda system of some sort (perhaps SR-202 or SR-303 + SRM-252S). Of course, that leaves no room in the budget for loudspeakers in addition to all of that...

 

[soymilkftw]

Another suggestion -
 
Peachtree decco2 stereo amp with a pair of peachtree ps4.5 desktop speakers - $850
This covers your desktop audio setup as well as a dac for your headphones. 
 
So $1150 left on headphones of choice.  Perhaps a separate headphone amp for more impact.

 

[Eightythree]

Quote:

Another suggestion -
 
Peachtree decco2 stereo amp with a pair of peachtree ps4.5 desktop speakers - $850
This covers your desktop audio setup as well as a dac for your headphones. 
 
So $1150 left on headphones of choice.  Perhaps a separate headphone amp for more impact.

Do you mean the Peachtree Audio DS4.5?

 

[Eightythree]

So my new HP ZR30W came in and I drastically underestimated how big it is, so I was pretty limited with how much room it gave me on my desk. I ended up with this set-up :
 
Audioengine A2 w/ Stands
Sennheiser HD650 Headphones
Asus Essence STX Soundcard
 
Finall got it all hooked up and ready to rock, here is a picture to give you how much room I ended up having for my audio equip. Thank you for everyone that helped me!
 

 
 
 
 

 

[khaos974]

At $2000 dollars, you have a lot of very nice gear
 
Let's start with a pair of near field monitor speakers, which, as their name indicate are designed to be listened at a close distance. Besides, the value of pro gear is often very good and you don't need a dedicated amp for them which could help you desk space problems.
 
Mackie HR824 Mk2
 

 
Or Neuman KH 120
 

 
Or Adam A7X
 

 
All of them at $1300/1400 per pair at any pro audio dealer.
 
Added to that, an HD 650 + Asus STX should be under $2000 with a hundred or two to spare.

 

[Edoardo]

Pro speakers for gaming? I don't agree 

 
I don't agree also on the HD650 + Asus soundcard, without adding another amplifier they will not put out all the bass they could.
 
 
I'd go on: Asus soundcard, BeyerDynamic DT990 ( Impedance = or < 250 Ohm) and a pair of consumer active speakers with a built-in volume control.
 
it should be below 1000$.
 
With this system you can stay happy if you are not seeking for absolute excellence.
 
If you will not be happy with that, and that may be for reasons you still don't know, you will have more 1000$ of the previous budget to spend in upgrades.
 
But I would never spend 2000$ before having made some kind of experience.
 
My advice is to spend 1000$ now, and then, after having experienced a little your 1000$ rig, which is a great rig already, you will decide by yourself what to upgrade or change and why (a better headphone amplifier, different speakers, different headphones, whatever), but I would never spend 2000$ if you are completely new to Hi-Fi.
You may not like the way a pair of 1000$-headphone or a pair of professional speakers sound or for a thousand reasons, so... My suggestion is to give mid-range stuff a try, and then clear out the doubts, and then "complete" your perfect rig thanks to your experiences also. 
 
 

 

[Eightythree]

The Asus built-in seems to be pretty capable of driving the 300 ohm 650s. I plugged the 650s into my Pioneer Elite SC-57 as comparison and theu sounded pretty similar. I am just starting out my audio journey so my ears might be missing something. 
 
What amp would you suggest for the 650s then? It isn't a big deal to have 2 amps for the headset? It would go Soundcard -> 2nd Amp -> 650s right?

 

[khaos974]

The headphone out of the STX lacks "musicality" and "refinement" according to some subjective povs, I disagree with this, from an engineering pov the output of the STX lacks nothing, my personal subjective experience also is that the AKG K701 sounded really nifty directly with the STX, I expect the Hd 650 to perform just as well.
 
All you need to know is that the STX measurably performs better than a lot of boutique headphone amplifiers, and from an engineering pov, there's nothing wrong and plenty of right with it; from a subjective point of view, some will tell you it performs superbly, other that the treble isn't quite refined enough, that the bass isn't well controlled enough, but as all of them are subjective opinions, none of them can be construed as truth (remember: subjective!!! )
 
As for pro monitors for gaming, I don't see why not, anyways you can probably audition them in you local Guitar Center.

 

[AdamClim]

Although I agree with your assessment of the STX khaos, Eduardo gives some very sage advice on not blowing the whole budget if this is your first dance. I would do what Eduardo said and spend half the budget. You are still getting really good gear and you have an experience and starting point to come from.

 

[khaos974]

Quote:

Although I agree with your assessment of the STX khaos, Eduardo gives some very sage advice on not blowing the whole budget if this is your first dance. I would do what Eduardo said and spend half the budget. You are still getting really good gear and you have an experience and starting point to come from.

On the other hand the headphones I recommended, HD 650/600 + STX is rather midpoint, ~$400/500.
I think that $1300 for a pair of active speakers is a rather good investment.
 
 

 

[Edoardo]

Quote:

The Asus built-in seems to be pretty capable of driving the 300 ohm 650s. I plugged the 650s into my Pioneer Elite SC-57 as comparison and theu sounded pretty similar. I am just starting out my audio journey so my ears might be missing something. 
 
What amp would you suggest for the 650s then? It isn't a big deal to have 2 amps for the headset? It would go Soundcard -> 2nd Amp -> 650s right?

 
I just think that even though the Asus soundcard has a great dac section and a good headphone out, it's too little for the HD650s.
 
Therefore I suggested the Beyerdynamic DT990, it's another great headphone with a sound signature that can match the needs of a gamer, and a less demanding one.
 
IMHO, the magic word here is sound signature: every audio firm has its own one. 
It's almost impossible for your first rig to be the first one, even with an unlimited budget.
 
There are people who like bass-heavy headphones, people who fall in love with the sound of certain tubes, people who want very neutral or very revealing gear, and people who can't stand it. You need to try it yourself, see and understand what matches your needs at first, that's why I suggested not to spend such a budget as a first try 

 . (Same thing for the speakers)
 
 

 

[Head Injury]

Quote:

I just think that even though the Asus soundcard has a great dac section and a good headphone out, it's too little for the HD650s.

And why do you think that?