[johnnycr]

This is my first post at Head-Fi.  I've browsed the forums before looking for some helpful information on audio equipment in the past but this time I have a specific question that I hope you all can answer.
 
I have Sennheiser HD 280 headphones that I use for watching movies, listening to music, and occasionally playing a PC game or two.  I've recently been reading that I need a headphone amp to really get the best sound out of these headphones.  I was looking at the Fiio E11 as a reasonably priced headphone amp, but then I saw that I could get an Asus Xonar DG sound card with a built in amp for $27 on Amazon, which is half the price of the E11.  This seems like a better deal to me since 90% of the time I'm listening to music I'm at my PC anyways.  So then I did some research on my motherboard (Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3) which has Realtek ALC889 onboard audio.  A lot of people are saying that the ALC889 is actually pretty good and discrete sound cards like the Xonar don't offer much improvement.  
 
So... my question is this:  If I were to get the Xonar DG sound card would that produce better sound through my Sennheiser HD 280's than what my onboard Realtek audio is able to do?  Or, would there be no noticeable difference?  I understand that it all depends on the quality of sound files and headphones/speakers that you have, but it seems like the HD 280's are pretty good and the built in amp on the Xonar DG would give me better sound in at least some circumstances.  Any advice for me?  Thanks!

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

This is my first post at Head-Fi.  I've browsed the forums before looking for some helpful information on audio equipment in the past but this time I have a specific question that I hope you all can answer.
 
I have Sennheiser HD 280 headphones that I use for watching movies, listening to music, and occasionally playing a PC game or two.  I've recently been reading that I need a headphone amp to really get the best sound out of these headphones.  I was looking at the Fiio E11 as a reasonably priced headphone amp, but then I saw that I could get an Asus Xonar DG sound card with a built in amp for $27 on Amazon, which is half the price of the E11.  This seems like a better deal to me since 90% of the time I'm listening to music I'm at my PC anyways.  So then I did some research on my motherboard (Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3) which has Realtek ALC889 onboard audio.  A lot of people are saying that the ALC889 is actually pretty good and discrete sound cards like the Xonar don't offer much improvement.  
 
So... my question is this:  If I were to get the Xonar DG sound card would that produce better sound through my Sennheiser HD 280's than what my onboard Realtek audio is able to do?  Or, would there be no noticeable difference?  I understand that it all depends on the quality of sound files and headphones/speakers that you have, but it seems like the HD 280's are pretty good and the built in amp on the Xonar DG would give me better sound in at least some circumstances.  Any advice for me?  Thanks!

Chances are the DAC function on the DG is better then whatever your motherboard came built in with.
The DG comes with a true headphone amplifier, the motherboard came with a 3.5mm line-out jack that is more like a line-out jack (high impedance), then a headphone jack.
I believe the DG headphone jack is much lower impedance then your motherboard's "line-out" jack.
So I would think for $27, you will get improved audio quality.

 

[johnnycr]

Thanks for the reply.  If I were to connect my front panel headphone jack to the Xonar DG would the impedance be the same as just plugging the headphones directly into the sound card, or does the extra cable connecting the sound card to the front panel create more impedance?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Thanks for the reply.  If I were to connect my front panel headphone jack to the Xonar DG would the impedance be the same as just plugging the headphones directly into the sound card, or does the extra cable connecting the sound card to the front panel create more impedance?

Headphone feature with the back panel and front panel jack will be the same.
The front panel headphone jack might(?) pick up more electrical noise from inside the computer case.
I wonder if anyone make a thick shielded cable for connecting a sound card's internal front panel jack to the front panel on the computer case?

 

[johnnycr]

Quote:

Headphone feature with the back panel and front panel jack will be the same.
The front panel headphone jack might(?) pick up more electrical noise from inside the computer case.
I wonder if anyone make a thick shielded cable for connecting a sound card's internal front panel jack to the front panel on the computer case?

That's a good question...  I'll have to look into it.  Other than the built in amp and the improved DAC, are there any other features or specifications of a sound card that would add any sound quality to my HD 280's? 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

That's a good question...  I'll have to look into it.  Other than the built in amp and the improved DAC, are there any other features or specifications of a sound card that would add any sound quality to my HD 280's? 

The DG does come with Dolby Headphone surround sound.
Otherwise can't think of anything else.

 

[liquidzoo]

Quote:

Headphone feature with the back panel and front panel jack will be the same.
The front panel headphone jack might(?) pick up more electrical noise from inside the computer case.
I wonder if anyone make a thick shielded cable for connecting a sound card's internal front panel jack to the front panel on the computer case?

I can confirm this.  I was very careful routing my front panel cables back to my DG and there's still an unbearable whine through them on my headphones.  I'm not sure what else I could do, aside from wrapping them in foil tape or re-doing them with a cable that has some shielding built in.
 
I just use the back connection, since I don't use speakers.  Eventually I may, and if that happens I have a custom A/B switch that I made to switch between headphones and another output (like a line to my old, cheap receiver).

 

[kymira]

You may want to look into this review,
 
http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/asus_xonar_dg/4.html
 
they compare the Xonar DG with the  Realtek ALC889. Interestingly enough they are even using the headphones (Senn HD280) for the review.