[Porter1]

Quote:

Also Creative Labs just came out with a new computer sound card (Z-series) which has optical input. So you might be able to run optical from the xBox to the Creative Labs Z series sound card.

 
FYI, the Titanium HD also has an optical input.  just another option if you decide not to go with a receiver OP.

 

[Thilly]

Quote:

 
Yes.
 
Best bang for the buck receiver. (based on cost)
 
Very best,

thanks man, but im in canada. wouldve bought it if i could
Quote:

 
FYI, the Titanium HD also has an optical input.  just another option if you decide not to go with a receiver OP.

thats true. it would fit in my budget. i think im set on buying a receiver though. mainly because itll allow me to use my headphones while i play console games
 
out of curiosity, would it be possible to connect my receiver to my computer while game to record gameplay? or will i need something else to make that happen?

 

[Porter1]

Quote:

thats true. it would fit in my budget. i think im set on buying a receiver though. mainly because itll allow me to use my headphones while i play console games

i run PS3 to Titanium HD via optical and use my O2 and headphones.  however, there's a slight audio delay in the one game i've tried (Uncharted 3) which i haven't bothered to hunt down yet. no idea if you'd run into the same issue with your games. i'm not trying to sway you away from a receiver, just making you aware of this option.  what's tempting for me are some of the vintage receivers that pop up on craigslist and ebay.  i dig the brushed aluminum look of vintage 70's receivers (pioneer, kenwood, sansui etc.)

 

[Thilly]

Quote:

i run PS3 to Titanium HD via optical and use my O2 and headphones.  however, there's a slight audio delay in the one game i've tried (Uncharted 3) which i haven't bothered to hunt down yet. no idea if you'd run into the same issue with your games. i'm not trying to sway you away from a receiver, just making you aware of this option.  what's tempting for me are some of the vintage receivers that pop up on craigslist and ebay.  i dig the brushed aluminum look of vintage 70's receivers (pioneer, kenwood, sansui etc.)

 
very cool. i hope it doesnt happen to me. yeah i understand. i didnt think of upgrading to a pci-e sound card and connecting the audio directly to the computer. im gonna have to sleep on it. ya the brushed aluminum really draws me to the receivers. imo, it looks really attractive and looks good on just about anything

 

[Thilly]

Went out shopping and found two Yamaha receivers that look interesting. Rxv371 for $199 open box and a new rxv373 for $269. Is the only difference the features that are available? will i get different sound quality?

 

[markm1]

Quote:

Heya,
 
Yes, it works fine. It's what we had before "headphone amps" existed.
 
I've used Pioneer, Denon, Onyko and Yamaha and they're all great. Vintage ones are great too.
 
A lot of the newer AVR's have nice surround effects they can apply to headphones too. Great for gamers. Great for movies. Great for music too. Yamaha has a nice thing with silent cinema.
 
Examples:
 
  
 
  
 
 
Very best,

 
I just came across this thread and I had a similar question. I've got an Onkyo streaming receiver that I've been using to to listen to streaming services w/ my HPs. I don't have a dedicated DAC yet and I'm wondering if I streamed directly from my PC using a dedicated DAC (Bifrost, Modi, Hrt streamer, etc.) if I would likely get a significant improvement in SQ to say, Rhapsody vs straight from my Onkyo receiver?
 
If you all have any thoughts, I'd be most appreciative!
 
Mark

 

[inasafeplace]

I'm a bit lost in the world of receivers. We recently got a brand new Plasma TV and a Panasonic BD player (DMP-BD89). Would like to watch using headphones but don't want to spend too much money and have a good sound coming from headphones. What are the possibilities? Do I have to spend 500 dollars? Having the possibility to plug 2 or 3 headphones at the same time without ruining the signal would be great too...

 

[haysonics]

Hi,
 
I listen to music on a HD598 through the headphone jack of a Marantz PM15S1 integrated and am happy with the sound (the headphone jack is resistored off the amp).
 
The impedance of the headphone jack is likely to be 120 Ohm. I interested in buying a DT880 so as to checkout the supposed detail of its treble and know that the drivers in the 250 Ohm version will be better for this than the 32 Ohm version but which is more suitable for the 120 Ohm output of the integrated? Why?
 
Regards,
 
dean

 

[StudioSound]

If you main goal is to use it with headphones, I would recommend a proper headphone amplifier/DAC.
Most receivers have very high impedance headphone outputs, which are especially bad with low impedance headphones, but just bad for headphones in general.
 
Ideally the headphone output should be 1/8th the impedance of your headphones or less for proper damping:
http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/discuss/feedback/newsletter/2011/12/2/0-ohm-headphone-amplifier-sonic-advantages-low-impedance-headphone-amp
 
Even 600 ohm headphones should be connected to something less than 75 ohms, and most receivers seem to be around 100-120 ohms, if they even specify what the output impedance of their headphone jack is in the manual.
 
Another problem is that many receivers will automatically mute the speakers when headphones are connected, rather than giving you the option to switch between the two, so you cannot leave them plugged in at all times.
 
Most receivers also have the headphone output on the front - or worse - under the front panel, which is not great if you plan on leaving them connected.
I liked having a headphone output at the back so I could run the wires around the TV cabinet rather than leave them trailing down the front. (I used a Grado extension)
Of course that's not convenient at all if you don't plan on leaving them connected all the time as I did.

 

[haysonics]

Thanks Studio Sound !  Wow, I had no idea that the ideal impedance of the headphone output should be close to 0. I looked up the wiki article "headphone amplifier" and found that 120 Ohm is an old standard that has been kept. A Stereophile article "Between the ears" says that the standard is to make it "less likely that users will inadvertently expose themselves to potentially damaging sound-pressure levels" if using low impedance heaphones (I am thinking 16 Ohm earbuds).
 
Can I get someone to change the resistors and take the impedance down to near 0 Ohm?
 
If I did that:
 
Would 16 Ohm earbuds explode if I turned up the volume too high on my integrated?
 
Would it make a 250 Ohm headphone too hard to drive for my integrated?

 

[TwelveTrains]

Is it ok to leave headphones plugged into a receiver when turning it on and off?

 

[joel96]

Right now, I own a Sony STR-DH520 (I haven't unboxed it yet). The impedance rating for the headphone output is not specified. 
http://store.sony.com/sony-str-dh520-3d-surround-sound-av-receiver-zid27-STRDH520/cat-27-catid-EOL-Home-Theater-Speakers-Components
The other receivers I'm looking at are the Yamaha RX-V773WA
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/av-receivers-amps/rx/rx-v773_black_u/
and the Marantz SR5005. 
http://us.marantz.com/us/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?CatId=AVReceivers&ProductId=SR5005
In this thread, Yamaha receivers have mixed recommendation in terms of audio quality. The 773 has Silent Cinema. No impedance rating for the HP output on the 773 or the Marantz SR5005. All three receivers say the headphones can operate in direct mode; I'm going to assume they also mean that the headphones are powered by the same amps as the other speakers. 
 
For speaker amps, I'm looking at an Emotiva UPA-200. 
 
My budget for headphones is in the $100 entry level range. I am going to be using Polk 6750s for music, movies, and most gaming, and closed circumaurals when I am streaming game play to avoid sound leakage and feedback spikes from open sets. Since the application will be limited to games and not music, I'm looking for a solution that has above average bass prominence, and overall neutrality otherwise. I'm also looking for higher power in the phones than average, since there will be less subtlety (and honestly, fidelity is a low priority for games in my experience). The genre of games I play are generally warfare titles, although there are games I play that do feature quieter audio, but aren't ones I'd stream (e.g. MO:UL), so I'd be listening on the 6750s. My budget for headphone amps if I actually need an amp outside of an HTR hasn't been set yet--I'm trying to get an idea of what it will take to get decent audio that meets the above quality guidelines. 
 
Half of the headphones recommended in entry-level lists recommend headphone amps. One such set in consideration is the Fostex T50RP, for at least $104.88. As far as headphone modding, let's say I've been less than successful in that arena. The closest I've ever come to repairing a headset was resoldering a mic while leaving the headphones nonoperational. My hobbies are more in the software and content creation side, so I'd rather spend $150 on a set of headphones that are ready for use rather than $100 on a set that need another $50 to improve their quality, even if it means the $150 pair are inferior to the $100 with $50 of modifications. I'm trying to shop with a whole budget in mind, and get an idea for a minimum budget that will serve the application decently. 
 
EDIT: A day after I posted this, I tore the wires out of my KOSS supra-aurals. An hour and a half later, they're back to their normal rattling selves.