h264

you could if youtube videos had 5 channel audio. They don't yet, unfortunately.

You're thinking way too hard about this. Also I would take ALL reviews you read with a grain of salt.

Well, someone told me I didn't need a sound card years ago, and then I went and got an Essence STX later anyways. I had to learn the hard way, and so will a good number of people. I just hope to change the minds of a few, and I won't tell you to listen to me. It's like trying to convince Sanjay Gupta that Marijuana actually DOES have medical benefits: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/08/health/gupta-changed-mind-marijuana/index.html and he's a freaking doctor! Bias is everywhere. I just put my two cents in and see what happens.

Yeah, I said something like that when this forum just started a long time ago, and I got told quickly. I forgot that sane people still see audiophiles as people who want to get the most out of their music and not just buy lots of gear. So, I strive to be a music enthusiast that insists that you be happy with the audio you have and not jealous of the audio you COULD have. Obviously, people come to this board because they want to buy stuff, and definitely don't want to hear stuff like "you don't need a sound card", even if it's true. So I try to recommend them the cheapest thing that would fulfill their needs (and usually that's just a FiiO E10 or a nice pair of AKG K240s, HD558s, or DT990pros). I obviously have much more expensive stuff, so why wouldn't I push it on people? Pretty simple, they don't sound all that much better than those $100-$300 headphones that have very good sound signatures already. Some of them, like the AKG K702, are still amazing even compared to some of the most expensive stuff in some ways. Even worse, hi-end amps can even be detrimental instead of an "upgrade". I think you have the moniker all wrong, btw. It's not "trust/use your ears". Humans are inherently bad at being unintentionally biased in what they hear, see, smell, touch, and taste (seen Food Network lately?). It should be "enjoy your music", because that's what REALLY matters.

No problems man, this was definately the right board. I was pretty interested in this as well, although I'd rather compare this onboard to a FiiO E10 or an O2+ODAC. A few questions: -Did you volume match the outputs on each device? It didn't have to be exact, just within about 3db or so, by ear, before doing a comparison. -Did you notice any high frequency, uhhhh, "wisping" I guess you'd call it. It's usually something that sticks out when a singer is a bit too close to the microphone and hits a high note that enunciates an "S". It's a VERY pronounced thing when you plug something like the AKG K702 into the STX. -Did you ever try either with those HD650s in your picture (EDIT: clearly those are beats pro, I'm tired) some high impedance headphones? I've got a feeling you might be able to help me confirm something if my theory is right...

oh yeah Now that you got it working, any first impressions? Besides the volume knob, of course?

I had a pair of mm gears (the original version of that zalman) that I got on a clearance sale for $20. They didn't sound bad back then, but I know better now. For $20, I didn't lose much, and they did last a very long time.

Read the FAQ.

They've been working on those a couple of years now. I'm not quite sure what the benefit of a closed planar magnetic would be. Certainly too nice to use in a studio. Too wooden too.

>Banana plug/terminal output Those are for speakers. It's just a speaker amp/preamp that happens to be Class D.

sometimes the sucker comes off in shipping. There is an allen wrench hole on the side of the knob. If you pull it off and look at it close, you'll see it. Just stick on it on the POT and use a (very tiny) allen wrench in that hole to tighten it down. DON'T get the knob too close to the front panel or it'll scratch the front panel and not turn freely.

you got an allen wrench kit handy? lol EDIT: Oh I should mention the 1x gain will be the gain switch (the one on the right) pushed in. You'll know you have the right one since the music will get quieter, either way he set it up.

The desktop version doesn't have batteries. Is the LED light on in the front? And you've got it plugged into the headphone jack on the left? the big one? Next, you'll need to make sure the ODAC is your default audio output and that your application is set to the default audio output.

clearly supports outputs for a set of stereo speakers. Also it's Class D. Very interesting design. FiiO sure is an eclectic audio company.

yeah, I think you'll just be sweating at that point. period.

Maybe, It depends on how loud you like it. You're right on the borderline of the E10's power limits.

That's not a headphone amp

Who says this? where? Velor pads don't make you sweat. That's a plether thing.

You could get an E10 or just use your onboard. The HD558s don't need a lot of power.

T1 "blows" as in "chunks" or "diamonds"?

I'm sure it wouldn't even sweat.

IKR? MEGA? seriously?

Well, yes, speakers have many imperfections. Not as many as the room you listen to them in. I'd imagine if you set up your living room like a recording booth, this might matter a lot more. The wife would be PISSED though. I'd rather not delve into every bitty detail of audio just the ones that a forum user might be able to do something about.

True, there are so many options with high impedance headphones. Even the Essence STX is a good option for the 600s. *gasp* yeah, I said it. All are $$, though.

really? guess my onboard is already old. It's certainly true some of the new onboard chips (for Z87) could possibly handle 300 Ohms.