Timeless88

I had considered this, though I was kind of hoping there would be a more "elegant" solution.

Hello all, Had a quick question about arranging my setup in order to hear my microphone through my headset. I have a Rode NT-USB mic with a pair of DT 770's and a Schiit stack (just the basic one). I know that there is an aux plug on the mic for exactly this reason, but is there a way of setting it up so that my headphones can stay plugged in to the stack that doesn't require the microphone input to be mixed with the desktop audio? Thanks in advance for any and all help!

Hello All, i7-6700k (currently no OC) GTX 1070 8GB 32MB of RAM I do a bit of streaming on Twitch and I recently upped my stream FPS from 30 to 60. What I noticed when I did this is that most of the time while I am actually playing games my FPS in OBS Studio is fluctuating wildly, usually between 30-45 FPS. Sparing you all the boring details, I finally narrowed down the issue to my graphics card. Specifically, whenever my GPU usage goes over 90%, my FPS starts to decline. I normally game at 1440p 144Hz/144fps with low-medium graphical settings, and normally play Overwatch/Darwin Project/Fortnite. Basically, I'm trying to figure out why even when my GPU is not maxed out do I start to get less FPS in OBS and if I can fix it in some way. If that is enough for you to give me any useful information or make suggestions then don't worry about the below part. Below you will find some specific scenarios I tested that reveal some strange behavior. I have tested this with my graphical settings at 1080p and 1440p, with my StreamElements overlay both on and off. Even having a static overlay dramatically lowers the FPS I get even though it doesn't seem to change my GPU usage that much. For instance; gaming at 1440p 144Hz with medium settings and overlay turned on my FPS averages about 35. However, if I turn the overlay off (with the exception of my web cam) I can be pushing my GPU regularly up to 98-99% usage and still only get FPS drops down to 57-58. This FPS drop is basically exactly the same no matter how many elements I have in my overlay (I tested with a single webcam border, still dropped my FPS down). Since StreamElements hosts your overlays via a web page, I tried using local graphics and still got the same declines in FPS, though slightly less. I can accept that my system may simply not be able to handle gaming at 1440p 144fps at the same time as streaming at 720p 60fps, if thats the case. And indeed I have verified that if I lower my gaming resolution to 1080p, I can stream with no FPS throttling even at full medium settings. But this is also because at these settings, my GPU usage is maxing out at about 93% and averaging more in the 70-80% range. My real concern beyond simply "Am I pushing my system too hard?" is "Why does my FPS throttling increase due to overlay graphics that don't seem to affect my GPU usage (or very slightly affect)?" As I said before, any information, insight, and/or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

LOL. Love the passionate discussion. Thank you all for your input. Quick question for LW88... You said not to get a sound card and AMP because I shouldn't double up on the amp? But aren't there plenty of sound cards that don't have an AMP, and are purely just a DAC with software control? So if I planned to get a sound card without an AMP, would you still recommend a DAC/AMP combo over a Sound Card / AMP combo? Also, if you guys are worried about future proofing (which I appreciate), I can tell you that the only headphones I may potentially buy to use instead of my K7XX's in the foreseeable future would be DT 990 250ohm or a pair of Sennheisers (not sure which model). That way we don't have to argue over the planar's anymore =P

I decided to go ahead and upgrade my audio setup to bring it in line with my current daily driver, the AKG K7XX's. Just wanted to get some opinions on a good sound card / AMP combo for these cans. I was thinking either an O2 or Magni 2 for the AMP (though still open to suggestion for others), but the sound card is a bit more difficult to nail down. I have seen a lot of good stuff related to the ASUS Xonar sound cards which run between $30-$70 depending on which version I get. But then I've also been looking at ones like the ASUS Essence STX II and the HT Omega Claro II which are $165-$200. I'm still willing to pay this much for a sound card, but only if it is worth the more than 200% increase in price over something like the Xonar series. Im not a huge audiophile and just want a setup that will make my headset sound AMAZING in any setting (videos, music, games). Bells and whistles in terms of connections, audio channels, mixers, and the like are not a big concern for me. Just overall sound quality and accuracy, and surround sound for gaming. So, again.... Thoughts? Opinions? Suggestions? Thank you in advance.

I got a set of HyperX Clouds when Warlords of Draenor started, so about 3-4 years ago. Used them as my daily driver at my PC for about 2 years before switching to the Astro A40 headset. Currently using the AKG K7XX off Massdrop. I have used my Clouds a couple times since I switched to the A40, mostly after my A40's right speaker started to go out (after about a year of use). So they definitely more durable than Astros I would highly recommend these headphones if this is the price point you are aiming for. They have lasted me years and I notice no loss in quality, comfort, or fit. In terms of gaming headphones, they are probably the best value out there. However, we should have a quick discussion about what you are actually looking for and what you are looking to spend. You mentioned "7.1 headset". There are very few (if any) true 7.1 headsets. I think the best you can find is 5.1, and most people say the sound from headsets like those are terrible. Surround sound is achieved by having multiple speakers located around you. With headsets, you mostly just have the two (one for each ear) which means that any surround sound you generally get is virtually created via software. A headset like the Clouds only "include 7.1 sound" because they come with an inline "high quality USB sound card" which is packaged with software that virtually simulates surround sound. This same effect can usually be achieved using your onboard audio and included audio software (though its usually crap), or by buying a cheap $30-$50 sound card to plug your headset into. In terms of getting high quality gaming sound, a nice stereo headset with a sound card is always gonna be your best option. So again, how much are you willing to spend? Anything more than $125-$150 for gaming headsets is NOT worth it (unless you're paying extra $$ because you care about the attached mic). However, if you are interested in jumping up to around $200, I would look into Audio-Technica, Sennheiser, or Beyerdynamic headsets with a sound card. The only problem with this route is that you will need an external AMP for some of the headsets in this quality/price range which will then increase the overall price even more.

Checked all my audio settings. Everything seems fine, but in the audio software that came installed, there are different options for output, one being 5.1 surround sound. I tried turning this on and it made my headphones sound like absolute garbage. Probably because that output corresponds to having speakers plugged in to each of the 5 connectors in the back I/O. But with my headphones, I am only using one jack. There is an S/PDIF output as well, but as I understand it, I would need a dac/amp to plug into that. Would that help with quality at all when set to output at 5.1 surround? Bottom line I guess is, I'm trying to get the best quality virtual surround sound I can via a pair of headphones, and I'm just not sure where the point of failure in my setup is =X

I think I understand what you're saying about the speakers and headphones. But, as I referenced above, the fact is that your system has an internal priority list of which devices are set to default by default based on whether they are plugged in or not. Your old computer obviously had this feature connected with the audio jack. I'm sure if you plugged a pair of speakers into that same jack on your old setup it would auto-detect those too. Don't pay so much attention to what the "playback" device is called. Its just a name for the output it is detecting. Also, quick question... was your last computer a laptop with built in speakers by chance? If not, what audio output did you're old setup switch FROM when you plugged in the headphones?

First thing I would do is double and triple check that your front I/O connectors are plugged into the right header and oriented correctly. I dont know about your case, but when I built my PC I initially had an issue with my power button because I got confused by the manual and plugged it in upside down. Make sure you consult both your MoBo manual and the manual that came with your tower to make absolutely sure those are connected properly. After that, the only other thing I would think about checking before assuming the connector is defective is your audio "playback" device. I don't know why it would, but it might be that the front connector is recognized separately from the back I/O - i.e. one might be listed under "Speakers" while the other is listed under "Headphones". A lot of times, windows assumes which device you want as default and you have to manually change it. For instance, if I were to disconnect and reconnect my main monitor, my system automatically makes the monitor audio output my default as soon as it recognizes it again. Even if my headphones are plugged in the entire time and set to default, it still switches the output and I have to manually change it to get audio back to my headphones.

Thanks for the reply SSL. I will double check all my audio settings when I get home. Pretty sure all my in-game ones are good, but admittedly haven't touched my PC's audio since this is the first game I've perceived an issue.

Interesting, because I've definitely been reading that a lot of gamers use these. One guy even said that these were his current favorite gaming headphones, and the soundstage/directional audio was great in CS:GO. Any suggestions for a different pair then, Himommies?

Hello all, I bought a pair of AKG K7XX off Massdrop about 6 months ago. At the time I was playing Heroes of the Storm and Overwatch. I love and had zero issues with these headphones while playing these games and listening to music. I recently started playing PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUND, and this is where I started to notice some issues. Let it be known I am not an audiophile, I'm not great with A/V setups, and I don't have a great ear for sound quality. I just know what I experience while playing. Now, I know there are still some audio bugs/issues with this game, but when I'm watching streams of this game the streamers are still pretty good at figuring out which direction shots came from or where car engines/footsteps are. It might just be me and the fact that I've never played a game of this genre, but with my AKG K7XX headphones I get really confused as to where sounds are coming from very frequently. At one point in the first couple days of playing this game, I actually started to question whether i was wearing my headphones backwards because of how directionally off the sound seemed. I also frequently notice that environmental sounds (rain, wind, etc) do not have a consistent volume for me. I routinely think there is a car near to me when there isnt because the wind will randomly kick up or get louder for a second or two and makes it sound like an engine as compared to the normal sound of the environment. I tried downloading Razer Surround to see if that helped, but honestly it just muddied up the sound, made the inconsistency of the volume worse, and didnt seem to improve my experience much. I have tried plugging the headphones into both the front I/O connector on my case as well as directly into the back of the MoBo and both sound about the same to me. Despite these headphones being apparently difficult to drive, they are plenty loud with my PC volume at 30% even without the gain boost on the MoBo turned on. I have a Gigabyte G1 Gaming 7 MoBo, and currently no other hardware or software where my audio setup is concerned. Its just my AKG K7XX's and the onboard sound of my mobo. My price budget for improvements to the setup (if needed) is $300-$500, but im not above getting a $30 sound card if it will help and thats all I need. Questions: 1. Does it seem like I have an audio or audio quality issue, or is this just me being a noob (and possibly a nit-picky one) when it comes to audio and these types of games? 2. Within the realm of soundstage and directional awareness, would my setup noticeably benefit from the addition of a sound card and/or DAC/AMP combo? 3. If my setup would be improved with a sound card or dac/AMP, which one(s) would you recommend and why? 4. If you think that there is a significantly better option in terms of headphones for gaming that would NOT require any extra sound card or dac/amp in my current setup, what would it be? Thank you all very much in advance for taking the time to help me out!

Well, based on these responses, I guess this was a dumber question than I realized. Lol. I was more looking for something along the lines of using the dimensions of the case plus the location and size of both the power supply and motherboard in order to figure out the lengths. I was trying to make it so I could order everything at once. I will just go ahead and order my case ahead of time and do it old school with some string or something, as Katsunaka suggested.

Hello LTT community. I am building a custom PC for myself for the holidays, and while this is not my first PC build, this is the first time I will be doing custom work on the components and case. I have been doing a lot of research in to pc modding, and the only thing I haven't been able to find is a guide to determining cable length for custom sleeved cables. I'm going with an ATX build. My case is going to be an S340 Elite and my MOBO is a Gigabyte Z-170 Gaming 7. I was wondering if there was any standardized way of determining what cable lengths I'm going to need if I order my custom sleeved cables from a site such as CableMod. If there is no standardized way of figuring this out, would anyone out there be able to give me a rough estimate of the lengths I will need given my case and MOBO. And, just to clarify, I want full cables not just extensions. Thank you all in advance for your help, and may your K/D ratio be ever positive!

Honestly, that PCPartPickerList you linked looks pretty good. I don't know what your budget is, but the only quality of life changes I might make are to go with an AIO Liquid Cooler like the H100i if you are planning on doing video editing/rendering. You will get extra overclock from your CPU with something like that versus a normal air cooler. Also, the MOBO you selected has a PCI-e x4 M.2 slot which is the connecting port for some of the fastest SSDs on the market. An M.2 SSD will run about 5 times faster than the Avexir SATA based SSD you have on the list now, but again, it will cost a significant amount extra. The RAM doesnt make much difference in terms of performance once you get beyond 2133, so the DDR4-2400 you have is completely fine and G.Skill is a reputable manufacturer. As for the HDD, I'd probably go with something like a WesterDigital Black drive. There are more ratings to HDDs than just their RPM speed and I'll bet that Hitachi 2tb you have in there now is not very fast or reliable. My suggestion would be to sacrifice the extra storage now, go with a 1tb WD Black, and get more drives later. Also, go with a power supply from EVGA or Corsair rather than Cooler Master. CM is great, but EVGA and Corsair make better and cheaper products when it comes to PSUs. Gigabyte makes great MOBOs, so as long as you like the color, I'd say just stick with that one. Good luck, and may your K:D ratio be ever positive!