[Newtothis142]

I have a Hifiman HE-400i and want to get some better music out of it. I am currently using an Asus Xonar DGX(30$) and want a better dac/amp. The Schiit Stack will almost certainly have better sound quality, but the GSX has nice features and especially the 7.1 surround, which I hear is amazing. Both are around the 200$ range. Thanks for the help.

 

[RRod]

I have a Hifiman HE-400i and want to get some better music out of it. I am currently using an Asus Xonar DGX(30$) and want a better dac/amp. The Schiit Stack will almost certainly have better sound quality, but the GSX has nice features and especially the 7.1 surround, which I hear is amazing. Both are around the 200$ range. Thanks for the help.

Haven't tried each with that headphone, but with the HD580 there was no tangible quality difference in stereo performance. The 7.1 is decent but I didn't find it wholly convincing: more a fuller sound than true surround positioning. But YMMV with any of these generic HRTF devices. With the PM-3, I found the 7.1 way too bright in the 1-3kHz range, which is just due to the specific combination of the surround filters and the headphone frequency response. For your situation, with easy-to-drive cans, there's nothing the Schiit will do the GSX1000 can't, and you might like the surround a lot.

 

[PurpleAngel]

I have a Hifiman HE-400i and want to get some better music out of it. I am currently using an Asus Xonar DGX(30$) and want a better dac/amp. The Schiit Stack will almost certainly have better sound quality, but the GSX has nice features and especially the 7.1 surround, which I hear is amazing. Both are around the 200$ range. Thanks for the help.

A Creative Labs Sound Blaster Z sound card or Asus Strix sound card would be good lowering costing upgrade options, unless your fine spending the $200?
Fulla 2 also seems like a good value.

 

[onevstheworld]

I have a Hifiman HE-400i and want to get some better music out of it. I am currently using an Asus Xonar DGX(30$) and want a better dac/amp. The Schiit Stack will almost certainly have better sound quality, but the GSX has nice features and especially the 7.1 surround, which I hear is amazing. Both are around the 200$ range. Thanks for the help.

If you're buying it for music, 7.1 surround is not required... music is in stereo, and trying to add fake 7.1 effects to it will likely make it sound worse. That feature is more aimed at gamers.

 

[RRod]

If you're buying it for music, 7.1 surround is not required... music is in stereo, and trying to add fake 7.1 effects to it will likely make it sound worse. That feature is more aimed at gamers.

There are many music albums in surround sound…

 

[Newtothis142]

I heard that even though it is virtual 7.1, it is better than most or all other virtual 7.1 software.

 

[RRod]

I heard that even though it is virtual 7.1, it is better than most or all other virtual 7.1 software.

I liked it better than Dolby Headphone®☭™ from my MixAmp Pro, just due to the lower (perhaps just different) reverb, but I didn't do a really proper test.