[Badfish5446]

 
 
Here's my PC audio specs.  Would you recommend getting a sound card over a dac/amp on a budget of up to $300?

 
 
I think it depends on whether or not you are into the simulated effects/surround dsp that many higher end sound cards offer. I personally find a high fidelity two-channel output to a DAC or DAC/AMP combo creates more reliable imaging for gaming and movies than the processor based approach.  For $300 you have a lot of options... unfortunately I don't have direct experience with the combinations below but I do own products from many of these manufacturers:
 
Schiit Magni 2 Uber + Modi 2 uber = $300 + shipping - max bang but I'm a fan of separate components, not really portable if that matters
 
JDS Labs O2/ODAC combo = $270 - customizable and an all in one desktop solution
 
FiiO E17K  Alpen 2 + (future desktop amp, E09K amp dock not compatible) = $130 (ish) + ??? - portable all in one, built in battery
 
LH Labs Geek Out (450/100)  <$300 - dongle type, can power seriously hungry cans with the 1000 model, can get some good deals as the second gen is upon us.
 
If music fidelity is a high priority it's a no-brainer IMO, an internal option is exposed to so much more potential interference than an external option.  Computers are seriously noisy environments for audio reproduction. As always... different strokes for different folks!

 

[Uberclocked]

 
 
Here's my PC audio specs.  Would you recommend getting a sound card over a dac/amp on a budget of up to $300?

I meant mobo model (e.g. Asus Z170-A, etc)/soundcard model (if applicable, e.g. Creative Sound Blaster ZxR).
However, I have never seen a SigmaTel CODEC on a non-OEM mobo before, so the sound quality coming from your PC probably isn't going to be that great.
 
Anyways, getting a Soundcard vs. external DAC/amp really depends on your needs and such.  If you play a lot of games on your PC or watch a lot of movies, you're going to be better served by a soundcard due to its DSP capabilities.
However, you have to make sure you have a free PCI/PCIe slot and the upgradability of your computer (if OEM, i.e. Dell, HP, nothing custom or boutique).  My computer currently has all slots either full or blocked, so I can't use a soundcard  

.
 
If you don't play a lot of games or any of that stuff, you probably should get an external DAC/amp.  They can be used by multiple computers and you have a lot more choices to choose from.  I recommend checking out the Head-fi classifieds for great deals.

 

[obsidyen]

 
 
Here's my PC audio specs.  Would you recommend getting a sound card over a dac/amp on a budget of up to $300?

 
I think you should get a portable amp/dac like Oppo HA-2. That way you can use it with your PC or your smartphone. And it's more than powerful enough for X2.

 

[Uberclocked]

   
I think you should get a portable amp/dac like Oppo HA-2. That way you can use it with your PC or your smartphone. And it's more than powerful enough for X2.

His iPhone 6 should be able to handle any portable device.  I'm thinking he should get a separate desktop DAC/amp in case he needs to upgrade either component further down the road.

 

[The Lamonster]

I'm not crazy about surround sound, especially with open headphones like X2, so maybe a sound card isn't the best route for me.  Music and games already sound pretty amazing through my M-Audio AV40 and through the X2, it's just a little quiet though the X2 for my taste, and I feel like the soundstage is wider and separation is better when using X2 through my iPhone 6 or (6th gen) iPod.  Would a dac/amp improve those issues when connected to a PC? If I got a desktop solution like the JDS Labs O2/ODAC combo or the Magni/Modi should I even bother using them with my iDevices or just keep it connected to the PC?
 
I'm interested in a desktop dac/amp because portability is not a priority.  I guess I'm just looking for something that pairs well with the X2s.  Seems like recommendations are all over the place when it comes to these headphones and the low impedance stuff confuses me...  I just want to be able to crank these things up to a high volume because it seems like they really shine that way in terms of soundstage and separation.

 

[obsidyen]

I'm not crazy about surround sound, especially with open headphones like X2, so maybe a sound card isn't the best route for me.  Music and games already sound pretty amazing through my M-Audio AV40 and through the X2, it's just a little quiet though the X2 for my taste, and I feel like the soundstage is wider and separation is better when using X2 through my iPhone 6 or (6th gen) iPod.  Would a dac/amp improve those issues when connected to a PC? If I got a desktop solution like the JDS Labs O2/ODAC combo or the Magni/Modi should I even bother using them with my iDevices or just keep it connected to the PC?

I'm interested in a desktop dac/amp because portability is not a priority.  I guess I'm just looking for something that pairs well with the X2s.  Seems like recommendations are all over the place when it comes to these headphones and the low impedance stuff confuses me...  I just want to be able to crank these things up to a high volume because it seems like they really shine that way in terms of soundstage and separation.

Well I have IDSD Micro and it's an amazing device but it's a couple of hundred more expensive than your budget.

 

[Uberclocked]

  I'm not crazy about surround sound, especially with open headphones like X2, so maybe a sound card isn't the best route for me.  Music and games already sound pretty amazing through my M-Audio AV40 and through the X2, it's just a little quiet though the X2 for my taste, and I feel like the soundstage is wider and separation is better when using X2 through my iPhone 6 or (6th gen) iPod.  Would a dac/amp improve those issues when connected to a PC? If I got a desktop solution like the JDS Labs O2/ODAC combo or the Magni/Modi should I even bother using them with my iDevices or just keep it connected to the PC?
 
I'm interested in a desktop dac/amp because portability is not a priority.  I guess I'm just looking for something that pairs well with the X2s.  Seems like recommendations are all over the place when it comes to these headphones and the low impedance stuff confuses me...  I just want to be able to crank these things up to a high volume because it seems like they really shine that way in terms of soundstage and separation.

Try the Schiit Modi 2 (no uber unless you need the extra input options or can't power it via usb for some reason) + Vali or Magni 2 (depends on if you want tube sound or not; you could also try some other amps, but there are so many options out there I'm not going to start).

 

[Hapster]

His iPhone 6 should be able to handle any portable device.  I'm thinking he should get a separate desktop DAC/amp in case he needs to upgrade either component further down the road.

I'd have to go with the portable dac suggestion too, I use my v-moda vamp verza on my desk, plugged into the back of my desktop and with my phone because it's so convenient to swap from speakers to headphones and it does improve the sound over the iphone 6 as well.

That being said, I do have a sound card, but only because I have my headset plugged into it. Some cheaper Asus ($60) sound card, but it gets the job done and is a huge improvement over the mobo sound card.

 

[nicolo]

There's a review for the new Aune X1S DAC.Amp at the link below.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/aune-x1s-32bit-384khz-dsd-dac-headphone-amplifier-black/reviews/13898
 
It's less than $300, seems to have a very neutral tonality which should suit most headphones.

 

[The Lamonster]

  There's a review for the new Aune X1S DAC.Amp at the link below.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/aune-x1s-32bit-384khz-dsd-dac-headphone-amplifier-black/reviews/13898
 
It's less than $300, seems to have a very neutral tonality which should suit most headphones.

hmm looks nice but I can't find any specific impressions for it being used with the Fidelio X2s.  Do the ohm numbers work out, ie something about the 1/8?  (I'm still learning haha)
 
random question - would I be better off feeding the sound through optical or USB on something like this?
 
edit: also, if I were going to hook this up to my a/v receiver (Sony STRDH550), would I connect it to the headphone out port with a Y adapter or something?  Or should I not bother because the a/v receiver not require a dac/amp?

 

[nicolo]

The X2 sounds good out of anything, and pretty good with some. It sounds pretty good with my iBasso D7, and it sounds great with my iBasso DX100 player (both discontinued). The iBasso DX100 is neutral and resolving which tightens up the X2's bass response and also makes it sound clearer. That's why i suggested the Aune XS1 link. It's neutrality should in theory not influence the X2's tonality at all, which means that you will hear only the X2's tonality. As long the output impedance is less than 1/8th of the X2's impedance you should be fine.
 
Optical vs. USB:
 
Can't say if one is better than the other. Earlier DACs mostly had a much better sounding Optical input than USB. Since USB implementations have matured, the difference is no longer that great. In fact modern USB implementations may even sound better than other inputs and in many cases may be the only input available. I would suggest going for a USB DAC/Amp as there are a lot of choices available and you can now get very good ones for a fairly decent price. USB has now basically become the standard input for music now.

 

[Uberclocked]

  The X2 sounds good out of anything, and pretty good with some. It sounds pretty good with my iBasso D7, and it sounds great with my iBasso DX100 player (both discontinued). The iBasso DX100 is neutral and resolving which tightens up the X2's bass response and also makes it sound clearer. That's why i suggested the Aune XS1 link. It's neutrality should in theory not influence the X2's tonality at all, which means that you will hear only the X2's tonality. As long the output impedance is less than 1/8th of the X2's impedance you should be fine.
 
Optical vs. USB:
 
Can't say if one is better than the other. Earlier DACs mostly had a much better sounding Optical input than USB. Since USB implementations have matured, the difference is no longer that great. In fact modern USB implementations may even sound better than other inputs and in many cases may be the only input available. I would suggest going for a USB DAC/Amp as there are a lot of choices available and you can now get very good ones for a fairly decent price. USB has now basically become the standard input for music now.

However, if you ever want to hook it up to a console or something, you'll have to get an optical DAC.

 

[The Lamonster]

  The X2 sounds good out of anything, and pretty good with some. It sounds pretty good with my iBasso D7, and it sounds great with my iBasso DX100 player (both discontinued). The iBasso DX100 is neutral and resolving which tightens up the X2's bass response and also makes it sound clearer. That's why i suggested the Aune XS1 link. It's neutrality should in theory not influence the X2's tonality at all, which means that you will hear only the X2's tonality. As long the output impedance is less than 1/8th of the X2's impedance you should be fine.

The Amazon listing says this about the output: Amp output: 300 ohms / 80MW 
 
Isn't Fidelio X2 35ohms?  So wouldn't this be way off?
 

  Optical vs. USB:
 
Can't say if one is better than the other. Earlier DACs mostly had a much better sounding Optical input than USB. Since USB implementations have matured, the difference is no longer that great. In fact modern USB implementations may even sound better than other inputs and in many cases may be the only input available. I would suggest going for a USB DAC/Amp as there are a lot of choices available and you can now get very good ones for a fairly decent price. USB has now basically become the standard input for music now.
 

 
Also on the Amazon listing, there are curiously different numbers for the different inputs, and yeah USB looks the best:
 
USB Decoding: highest 32BIT / 384K.DSD128 
Coaxial Optical Decoding: highest 24BIT / 192K 
Digital coaxial output: up 24BIT / 192K 
 
 

  However, if you ever want to hook it up to a console or something, you'll have to get an optical DAC.
 

I noticed the Aune X1S does have optical in, so I could connect it to my PS4

 

[Uberclocked]

  The Amazon listing says this about the output: Amp output: 300 ohms / 80MW 
 
Isn't Fidelio X2 35ohms?  So wouldn't this be way off?
 
 
Also on the Amazon listing, there are curiously different numbers for the different inputs, and yeah USB looks the best:
 
USB Decoding: highest 32BIT / 384K.DSD128 
Coaxial Optical Decoding: highest 24BIT / 192K 
Digital coaxial output: up 24BIT / 192K 
 
 
I noticed the Aune X1S does have optical in, so I could connect it to my PS4

That's how much power it outputs (80mW) to a headphone with an impedance of 300 ohms.
Anyways, the reviewer used it with the HE-400S (22 ohm impedance, even more sensitive than the X2), so it should work fine with the X2.
It does seem to be a solid choice, but you might also want to take a look at the head-fi classifieds (amazing deals there).

 

[nicolo]

  The Amazon listing says this about the output: Amp output: 300 ohms / 80MW 
 
Isn't Fidelio X2 35ohms?  So wouldn't this be way off?
 
 
Also on the Amazon listing, there are curiously different numbers for the different inputs, and yeah USB looks the best:
 
USB Decoding: highest 32BIT / 384K.DSD128 
Coaxial Optical Decoding: highest 24BIT / 192K 
Digital coaxial output: up 24BIT / 192K 
 
 
I noticed the Aune X1S does have optical in, so I could connect it to my PS4

 
 
80mW@300 ohms is actually quite a bit of power. The X2 can be easily driven by the XS1.
Coaxial and SP/DIF specifications can support a maximum of 24bit 192K. Just because USB can support higher bit rates doesn't make it any better. Almost all of the music in the world is Redbook standard, that is 16bit 44.1K/48K. Most 24bit 192K recordings are Redbook upmixes. Basically they're the same as Redbook audio. To my knowledge there isn't any 32bit music in the world. At least anything which people would normally listen to. There are very few true 24bit 192k music, almost all which happen to be classical music. By true 24bit, i mean where the original recording master files were 24bit. Putting it another way, true 24bit refers to music which was recorded and mixed in 24bit audio files and then sold as is.
 
By the way 1bit corresponds to 6Db dynamic range. Which means that 24bit = 144db and 32bit = 192db!, which is way beyond insane!! If you have normal hearing, anything beyond 80-90db will sound incredibly loud and cause hearing damage. All the USB decoding rates of 24/32bit, 192/384/768Khz PCM is just marketing fluff.