[Thekarma]

Did some comparisons:
 

 

[pietcux]

So i would use an aux to 2x rca cable from the GSX to the back of my HDVA600 if i wanted to use that amplifier? Correct me if im wrong. :blink:

Exactly. This is practiced by many here on HeadFi. Don't say that that is what Sennheiser had in mind, but you will get a signal out of the GSX that can be further used in a second amp. From the headphone out you will have an algorithmed signal or plain stereo. From the line out only plain stereo. Again you might want to give it a try to reach the same quality of amplification than from your exquisite Asus Xonar setup. Only the DAC part is fixed to the GSX electronics. Only to further qualify the quality of Sennheisers algorithm. Btw, right now the Xonar STX feeds the Meier Jazz FF amp from the headphone out to have Dolby Headphone even better amped than from the STX itself.

p.s. sorry I mixed you up with @Thekarma

 

[shankly1985]

  Did some comparisons:
 

For me the GSX gives better surround sound, I dont like the echo effect the SBX gives Perfect example of this is the nade on Rainbow six.
Yeah on RB6 the nade on SBX sounds much further away than it really is, where the GSX plays the sound much closer. 
Even the first window breach you do, the GSX explosion sound and gun sounds have more of a punch to it. The SBX loose its punch effect.
 
Witcher 3 not sure if its just me but I hear the rear sound more clear and for longer? The man sawing is good part when you walk to the river. 
 
Thanks for taking the time to do this.

 

[shankly1985]

Just bought this from Amazon, i'll do a video also but I want to try and get rid of the Line-In noise. Hopefully this will do the trick
https://www.amazon.co.uk/YINGLUN-Digital-Converter-Convert-Coaxial/dp/B01L1P18WG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1481512272&sr=8-4&keywords=%22analog+to+digital+converter%22

 

[Thekarma]

Yeah nice the optical should be immune to feedback/interference

 

[EvenR]

So, i bought a few cables and received a 3.5mm to 2x RCA today. I hooked my GSX1000 up to my HDVA600, and the hiss from the GSX, which was there at all volume levels, is completely gone. If i turn my HDVA600 all the way up with my sensitive Sennheiser HD598CS, there's a slight hiss to be heard, but it's coming from the HDVA600 and not the GSX.
 
Beyond the hiss testing i did listen to a few tracks, and the difference is very noticeable. The whole presentation is better separated and everything is tighter and well-defined. The GSX sounds more up-front than the HDVA600, with slightly more emphasis on treble, both of which are great for gaming. Overall it sounds more digital and not as controlled.
 
I'm still waiting for another dac for my HD800S, as the one in the GSX works, but it's not optimal for such a resolving headphone, that will reveal a few peaks and edges in the GSX dac.

For every reasonably priced and good sounding headphones however, the GSX1000 does provide great surround sound and has a good performing dac, especially for gaming of course!
 
I will continue to use my GSX1000 and HD598CS for gaming, as it's such a great pairing when i pwn noobs in CS:GO. My HD800S setup for music.
 
... And once in a while i'll run the GSX1000 into the HDVA600 and put on my HD800S, for some hardcore sound whoring and misuse.
 
Adding a better amp to the GSX1000, did improve it's performance in music. However, if you want a better solution for music, i'd personally just go ahead and buy another amp/dac combination, that's intended for this purpose. It doesn't have to be expensive either. Just something which aims for a more laid back and flatter response.
 
The GSX1000 is in my opinion the best DSP unit available, and you won't be missing anything from it when gaming. It's a seriously fun unit, that'll give anyone using it a competitive edge.

 

[shankly1985]

  So, i bought a few cables and received a 3.5mm to 2x RCA today. I hooked my GSX1000 up to my HDVA600, and the hiss from the GSX, which was there at all volume levels, is completely gone. If i turn my HDVA600 all the way up with my sensitive Sennheiser HD598CS, there's a slight hiss to be heard, but it's coming from the HDVA600 and not the GSX.
 
Beyond the hiss testing i did listen to a few tracks, and the difference is very noticeable. The whole presentation is better separated and everything is tighter and well-defined. The GSX sounds more up-front than the HDVA600, with slightly more emphasis on treble, both of which are great for gaming. Overall it sounds more digital and not as controlled.
 
I'm still waiting for another dac for my HD800S, as the one in the GSX works, but it's not optimal for such a resolving headphone, that will reveal a few peaks and edges in the GSX dac.

For every reasonably priced and good sounding headphones however, the GSX1000 does provide great surround sound and has a good performing dac, especially for gaming of course!
 
I will continue to use my GSX1000 and HD598CS for gaming, as it's such a great pairing when i pwn noobs in CS:GO. My HD800S setup for music.
 
... And once in a while i'll run the GSX1000 into the HDVA600 and put on my HD800S, for some hardcore sound whoring and misuse.
 
Adding a better amp to the GSX1000, did improve it's performance in music. However, if you want a better solution for music, i'd personally just go ahead and buy another amp/dac combination, that's intended for this purpose. It doesn't have to be expensive either. Just something which aims for a more laid back and flatter response.
 
The GSX1000 is in my opinion the best DSP unit available, and you won't be missing anything from it when gaming. It's a seriously fun unit, that'll give anyone using it a competitive edge.

Nice Am waiting for a delivery for a Analog to Digital device and will take the 3.5 to optical cable into the Sound BlasterZ and see what it sounds like.
The main purpose here is to record the unit without the noise.

So if this works I guess using any AMP that supports Optical in and be Good? Then I could use higher end headphones if I wanted to with the GSX?

Thanks

 

[EvenR]

 

Nice Am waiting for a delivery for a Analog to Digital device and will take the 3.5 to optical cable into the Sound BlasterZ and see what it sounds like.
The main purpose here is to record the unit without the noise.

So if this works I guess using any AMP that supports Optical in and be Good? Then I could use higher end headphones if I wanted to with the GSX?

Thanks

Yeah my guess is that it will work with RCA, XLR and optical if you have such an amplifier. Just get a 3.5mm cable that converts into one of these formats.

 

[pietcux]

Nice Am waiting for a delivery for a Analog to Digital device and will take the 3.5 to optical cable into the Sound BlasterZ and see what it sounds like.

The main purpose here is to record the unit without the noise.


So if this works I guess using any AMP that supports Optical in and be Good? Then I could use higher end headphones if I wanted to with the GSX?


Thanks

But you can only output the dsp sound analog from the headphone out of the GSX into the analog in of an amp. No possibility to use optical.

 

[Thekarma]

I'm really annoyed with the GSX for being good but not amazing.  Although the surround is a little better than SBX, I've done blind tests with a few people and they can't really tell the difference. I've done accuracy tests in several games and have found no 'magic' ability of GSX to locate sounds in 3d space, no better than SBX or even the rubbish Razer Surround. The GSX is OK for music but not as good as a dedicated amp/dac, it also sounds pretty good if I run it through my secondary amp, but still not as good. The mic. input really affects the SQ on voice coms.. The EQ settings are OK but I, like a lot of my friends, have custom EQ settings for CSGO that I am used to, and the FPS setting on the GSX isn't good enough. The volume control I thought was going to be a nice analogue volume dial, is just using the digital windows volume control. So when I run the GSX through my amp it is always at '99' making the volume control pointless.
 
The GSX can't run my 5.1 speakers, I'm not going to use it for my mic. or associated settings. I'm not going to use the volume control. I'm not going to use the 'forward/rear' settings; they are completely pointless. I would never even need to wave my hand over the display (which is fun). I'd have to keep my SBZ for running my 5.1 speaker set-up. Have the GSX for eye candy and very marginally better surround simulation.
 
For nearly £200 it's just not worth it. I keep trying to justify it but it's just not much of an upgrade. If you have on-board sound or Razer/Dolby headphones maybe. But considering that HRTF is an evolving field with advances into vertical cues, something that the GSX will never be able to do, buying a sub-par amp that is hard coded to only convert 5.1/7.1 signals is not a good investment. 
 
I hadn't made my mind up until this rant. I am still considering writing a program that I can distribute, that plays a sound and asks the user to guess where it came from, just to get some empirical proof that the GSX really isn't that special.

 

[shankly1985]

But you can only output the dsp sound analog from the headphone out of the GSX into the analog in of an amp. No possibility to use optical.

I bought an Analog to digital unit from Amazon. not had it delivered yet but it says I can take a 3.5 jack into the unit and that will output to optical cable. Not sure if that will mess up with the GSX effect i'll soon find out

 

[EvenR]

I feel you. I do think it's the best surround sound i've tried by quite a bit and i've tried creative sbx, cmss3d, asus, razer and others. The amp and dac on their own, are nothing to write home about. It's definitely overpriced. Still undecided if i should keep it.

 

[shankly1985]

I think the only thing I do agree with is the price, should have been max £150 with the pro version £160/170
TBH I think its miles better than the SBx
For me the SBx sounds like Reverb is always on, the GSX does surround sound much more natural sounding.

 

[J4K5]

  Has anyone tried one of these with an audio technica ad900x? I'm thinking about getting the gsx 1000, and am wondering what it would sound like with my ad900x.
At the moment I just got a schiit magni 2(non-uber) and am using that for my hd600 and ad900x. I'm a pretty big pc gamer, and would love something like the gsx 1000 that supposedly offers exceptional positional surround sound accuracy. I will be using the gsx 1000 for my ad900x and keeping the schiit magni 2 for my hd600.

I have them and it sounds really good. I still have my Soundblaster Z installed and can say that the 7.1 from the GSX 1000 is magic. The SBZ has a crisper sound stage but the Extra 2 virtual speakers for games like BF1 or Overwatch sound amazing.
 
Can't decide if I'm gonna keep it or not based on sound quality but the ease of use compared to the constant tweaking I do with my EQ for music on the SBZ is nice.
Couple taps and music sounds great, another tap and I can here some noob trying to sneak up behind me

 

[shankly1985]

Analog to Digital I bought from Amazon just made it worst No sound at all just a hum