[MajorLiability]

Hello everybody, I have some rather specific questions I didn't see answers to elsewhere on the board, so here I am.
 
After a trip to the ear doctor that resulted in the revelation that I've got off-the-charts hearing capacity, I'm in a rush to purchase some HE-400 headphones in time for Christmas for the purposes of listening to lossless format music of all genres and playing competitive FPS games on a desktop PC. I'm not overly concerned with virtual surround or positional audio in games, though I may look into them later. I've gathered that the Magni + Modi combo seems to be the way to go for a desktop DAC + amp, so my question is about sound cards: which one to buy to get the most out of the setup.
 
Until now I've been using the integrated audio on my ASRock Z77 Extreme 4 mobo with various cheap headsets. It's 7.1, and has the Realtek HD Audio brand with the ALC898 audio codec. The highest default format I can select in the Audio Manager is 24 bit, 192000hz. If this is good enough, I'll stick with this sound device, otherwise I'd like some advice on what sound card to buy, as well as any cables I might overlook.
 
Additionally, if you think that portable DAC/amps in the same price range as the Magni + Modi are good enough, I'd be interested to hear input on that component as well.

 

[gahung]

I don't think you need a good sound card since you are gonna get a DAC. However, if you are asking portable amps, Magni and Modi is not what you want, go to the Fiio threads, they may have some suggestions for you. In terms of cable, well, I would rather save the money and buy something for the family instead.

 

[billybob_jcv]

In order to take advantage of 24 bit/192KHz files, the music files you are listening to must have been encoded at 24 bit/192KHz. Just being "lossless" is not the same thing. CD files are encoded at 16 bit/44KHz, so that's the highest you can get from a CD. To get higher, you need to obtain HD music from places like http://www.hdtracks.com/ or from sources like SACD or DVD-A. However, before rushing out to spend the money, you might want to research some of the science involved. Here's just a taste of what you might find:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Audio_CD#Comparison_with_CD
http://www.head-fi.org/t/415361/24bit-vs-16bit-the-myth-exploded

 

[MajorLiability]

Thanks for the quick replies. I suppose then, after looking at some of those comparisons, that the bitrate of my music is more important?
 
I opted to go with the HE-400s and the velour pads recommended on these boards. Unfortunately, the Modi Optical went out of stock the day I was going to order and isn't expected back until January.
 
This does give me some time to hear how the headphones sound connecting directly to my onboard sound, and time to decide whether I want to run the Magni 2 + Modi Optical from my onboard sound or just go for an Asus Xonar, which some say is powerful enough to get everything out of the HE-400 without an external amp and might be nice for positional audio in games (I'm not sure my version of Realtek device has the Dolby licenses). What do you think?

 

[jodgey4]

The Xonar DGX, for one, will let you run Dolby out via optical, so you could always upgrade to an external DAC/amp with Dolby later, or double amp the Xonar (using it like a DAC).
 
Also, don't worry about bit rate/sample rate unless you have hi-res files. CD quality (16 bit, 44.1 kHz sample rate) in lossless (FLAC, WAV) or full 320 kbps MP3 should all be indistinguishable from each other. You can check out the sound science section for more info on hi-res... but it's not worth it from what I understand. Sample rate changes what the highest frequency stored is (1/2 the rate a la Nyquist sample theorem - so 22.05kHz for CD - above what 99% of humans can hear), and the bit count sets dynamics at 6db per bit. Humans can't hear below a 80db noise floor, so 16 bit covers everything at 16*6=96 db range (with overhead). The 16/44.1 RedBook standard was well thought out (one of the few in the industry)!

 

[Roy Munson]

I wouldn't recommend the Magni with HE400. I own both. In my opinion the HE400 has quite a bit of sparkle in the highs and the Magni is a touch brighter than neutral that can exacerbate it to very unenjoyable levels. In the same price range I'd go with the Vali over the Magni. 

 

[Za Warudo]

If you are looking for a headphone for listening to all genres, then the HE400 isn't what you want.  It's only really good for electronic music.

 

[superjawes]

If you are looking for a headphone for listening to all genres, then the HE400 isn't what you want.  It's only really good for electronic music.

I keep seeing this, but it isn't true...at all. Sure, it might not be the most neutral model out there, but I listen to a pretty wide range of music, and the HE-400 has done well with all of them.

 

[Za Warudo]

I keep seeing this, but it isn't true...at all. Sure, it might not be the most neutral model out there, but I listen to a pretty wide range of music, and the HE-400 has done well with all of them.

Well then, which genres do you prefer the HE400 over the HD600?  Is the HE400 a more versatile all-rounder than the HD600?

 

[jodgey4]

One of the most notoriously wonky cans vs. the timeless industry standard for a natural/neutral sound... hmmm...

 

[superjawes]

Well then, which genres do you prefer the HE400 over the HD600?  Is the HE400 a more versatile all-rounder than the HD600?

The HD600 is a bit more neutral, but the HE-400 has a better soundstage and is more detailed. It's not a matter of "which genres are better." Both models perform very well while having their own signature.

 

[Roy Munson]

  If you are looking for a headphone for listening to all genres, then the HE400 isn't what you want.  It's only really good for electronic music.

That's completely inaccurate. 
 
 

  Well then, which genres do you prefer the HE400 over the HD600?  Is the HE400 a more versatile all-rounder than the HD600?

... This thread has nothing to do with the HD600.

 

[Za Warudo]

The HD600 is a bit more neutral, but the HE-400 has a better soundstage and is more detailed. It's not a matter of "which genres are better." Both models perform very well while having their own signature.

I only have a HD650 to compare but the HE400 is not more detailed (unless you count boosted/hot treble as artificially more detailed) nor has better soundstage than the Senn.  If anything the recessed upper mids of the HE400 make vocals sound veiled and distant.  The HD6x0 is also far more natural sounding than the HE400.

  That's completely inaccurate.
 
 
... This thread has nothing to do with the HD600.

I brought up the HD600 because superjawes owns it, plus it's a classic standard for neutral/natural sound in that price range, like jodgey4 says.