[jms007bnd007]

I have a Soundblaster Platinum sound card, and I was wondering if anybody knew if the headphone amp on the live drive was any good. I am getting some Sennheiser HD 280's, and I just want to make sure I get good sound out of them.

Thanks,
Shaun Londahl

 

[markjia]

The Creative line of cards are pretty poor in terms of sound quality (including their headphone output). But the HD 280s are not as demanding, so you might be able to get away with using your sound card.

 

[JaZZ]

Hi jms007bnd007

Yes, I must say the headphone output isn't bad at all, although it's hard to say how it compares to ordinary stereo equipment with corresponding program sources, thus good ADC/DACs – to which the one in the live drive doesn't count.

The bandwidth is pleasantly large, the bass goes deep. But there's no high-end flair in its sound... probably mainly due to the digital section's limitations.

JaZZ

 

[Calanctus]

I've done a lot of listening to my Soundblaster Platinum headphone out...a lot too much, since I've discovered that even a Sony boombox is less harsh in the top end. I'm now looking for a really good source for my CDs. MP3s: if you are serious, I've heard that the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz is a better consumer-level card for music.

 

[jms007bnd007]

Yeah, I just got my headphones, and I have noticed that the highs are a little harsh, I wasn't sure if that was because of the lack of burn in, or if that was because of the output. Maybe a combination of both