HI again!
So that time has come where me and the better half have come to realise that living with a Thermaltake X9 is fantastic if you live in a mansion!. However, living in a normal home it really is annoying. As much as I love the build, the case, the looks and the time I put into it, I just get annoyed at the fact I can't sit against my desk properly, can't get my knees beneath it either. It also restricts what desk we buy so to that end its gonna be getting stripped out and one of the loops is going into my new build!
Step aside Thermaltake X9:
and into the ring the INWIN 303!
I've been thinking of doing this for a while now and I was going to use the Thermaltake View 21, but they aren't planning a white edition and I really don't want to spray another PC case in November/December (in the house, white speckles everywhere!). The case is obviously much much smaller than the X9 so I will be dropping down to one loop for the GPU, CPU and Mobo VRMS. The basic stuff in the PC is getting transferred over, however I can only fit one of the Mayhems Havocs in the case, which will be in the bottom (very snug!). So my new shopping list (all ordered tonight) is:
INWIN 303 White Edition - https://www.scan.co.uk/products/in-win-303-mid-tower-computer-chassis-tempered-glass-window-mitx-matx-atx-usb-30-white
Crucial MX300 525GB - https://www.scan.co.uk/products/525gb-crucial-mx300-25-ssd-sata-iii-6gb-s-read-530mb-s-write-510mb-s-92k-83k-iops-retail
Alphacool XT45 360mm Crossflow (cosmetic reasons) - https://www.scan.co.uk/products/alphacool-nexxxos-xt45-full-copper-x-flow-360mm-copper-chambers-brass-threads-m3-thread-black
Braided Sata Cable - https://www.scan.co.uk/products/cablemod-sata-3-cable-30cm-red
EKWB 204mm Res tube - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/ek-water-blocks-ek-res-x3-tube-250-204mm-wc-9am-ek.html
EKWB White res cap - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/ek-water-blocks-ek-res-x3-top-white-wc-835-ek.html
So that lot will be added to the current:
Intel i7 4790k
32gb Kingston Hyper Fury X
Asus RoG Z97 Ranger
Samsung 256GB XP941 m.2 SSD
Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD
Palit 1080 Gamerock Premium with EK Block and Backplate
Fractal Design Newton R3 1000w (overkill, but it was white for the X9 build and I had SLI)
EK Supremecy
1x Mayhems 360mm Havoc (the other + the Alphacool UT 60 240mm will remain in the X9)
1x EK DDC 140 X-res/pump combo - will spray the bottom housing white
Now my last point to ponder is whether to go white or red coolant for the loop.....
How to Allocate a Budget
Under $200: Get the headphone you want.
Under $1000: Get the headphone you want and an amp.
$1000 and up: Get the headphone you want and split the difference between an amp and DAC.
If on a tight budget: only buy a DAC if your onboard has issues; only buy a soundcard if you want the software features.
Make Any Headphone Into a Headset
Over-Ear Headphones
$50 or less
$50 - $100
$100 - $300
$300 - $500
$500 - $1000
In-Ear Monitors (thanks to @KaminKevCrew)
$100 or less
$100 - $300
$300 - $500
$500 - $1000
IEM Cables
Headphone Amplifiers and DACs
Suggestions and Stuff Not on the List
This list is not exhaustive. It is intended as a good starting point for someone with limited knowledge of the personal audio space. I highly recommend doing research, including reading this thread for additional ideas. This also means that I may decline to add some headphones that I deem to be too expensive, too niche, or too unfriendly to the inexperienced.
If you have additional suggestions, post them below. Unless your suggestion is monumentally off-base, we'll try to work it in. This list is not exhaustive and will change over time. It is not intended as an official endorsement of any product or company and does not reflect the views of official LTT staff.