Opinions on Sound Card and AMP for AKG K7XX

[Timeless88]

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.

[xtroria]

If you don't need to crank your volume to 90 to 100% to get a listenable volume, you don't really need an amp.

 

I don't really think a $200 headphone is worth an amp investment unless you need it to get a decent volume.

[harrisonjr98]

1 hour ago, xtroria said:

If you don't need to crank your volume to 90 to 100% to get a listenable volume, you don't really need an amp.

 

I don't really think a $200 headphone is worth an amp investment unless you need it to get a decent volume.

The XX actually really likes an amp- I've run it direct out of mobo vs amped and it's quite a difference. I wouldn't however, invest in anything more than an o2/magni for it.

[Dackzy]

no need to spend anything more than 100$ on a fulla 2

[Dackzy]

57 minutes ago, lw88 said:

And if he eventually buys a pair of planars? $50 USD extra on the amp and he has an actaully futureproof setup.

where did planar headphones get into this topic? The fulla 2 has enough power to push planars like HE 400i and HE 560's to very loud listening levels, but it is not an optimal paring.

 

For 150$ he can get a monoprice desktop amp which really is a combo, he can't get a schiit stack unless he looks used and a uber stack doesn't really make much sense when you can pay a bit more and get a audio gd NFB11. One thing is for sure I wouldn't touch a O2/ODAC unless you can get it really cheap and even at that point I think it would be smarter to save up the cash to get something better, especially if you are going to do anything with planars, the paring is just bad at least with all the planars I have tried. Not that planars have anything to do with this topic.

[Dackzy]

54 minutes ago, lw88 said:

You aren't even listening mate.

I think you are the one that isn't listening.

[xtroria]

8 hours ago, lw88 said:

And if he eventually buys a pair of planars? $50 USD extra on the amp and he has an actaully futureproof setup.

He can just get amp when he gets a planar. Amp gets better and cheaper year by year

[Dackzy]

6 hours ago, lw88 said:

Yeah buy a whole new amp instead of just getting a slightly better one for less than the cost of a base level amp.

 

Again, not even listening.

 

Dude a Fulla 2 can with no problem drive planar headphones. I have tried it with my HE 560's and it gets plenty loud, actually too loud for me.

You don't have to buy a better amp, sure the quality would go up, but you can always say if I just spend 50$ more then the quality will go up. Plus who says he will upgrade to something that is harder to drive?

[xtroria]

1 hour ago, Dackzy said:

Dude a Fulla 2 can with no problem drive planar headphones. I have tried it with my HE 560's and it gets plenty loud, actually too loud for me.

You don't have to buy a better amp, sure the quality would go up, but you can always say if I just spend 50$ more then the quality will go up. Plus who says he will upgrade to something that is harder to drive?

He's just a spastic who thinks he's always right and tell people they didn't listen to him when his statement was denied. 

[SSL]

20 hours ago, lw88 said:

Yeah buy a whole new amp instead of just getting a slightly better one for less than the cost of a base level amp.

 

Again, not even listening.

 

Once you get past the entry level, good gear pairings are as important as just good gear, if not moreso. Even if he gets a "better" amp now, he may still have to bet a different amp when he upgrades headphones later. Better to minimize cost in the present then try to "future proof".

[SSL]

7 hours ago, lw88 said:

It has basically 0 noise and enough power for a planar. There is no theoretical or practical upgrade from that.

 

And you know this because you've tried a variety of gear costing more than $100.

[spwath]

52 minutes ago, SSL said:

 

And you know this because you've tried a variety of gear costing more than $100.

he knows because "science" explains it all.

[Timeless88]

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

[SSL]

1 hour ago, Timeless88 said:

But aren't there plenty of sound cards that don't have an AMP, and are purely just a DAC with software control?

 

Absolutely. Any decent soundcard should provide a line-out and in fact many provide ONLY line-level output. lw88 should be ignored; he has no real experience and reads too much on the internet.

[Godlygamer23]

On 5/1/2017 at 11:26 AM, spwath said:

he knows because "science" explains it all.

Why the quotes around "science"?

[spwath]

2 hours ago, Godlygamer23 said:

Why the quotes around "science"?

because I'm mocking him. What he was saying was the typical nwavguy objectivist, and frankly wrong. Source- my ears, along with many others.