How does on-board audio on a premium $400 - $600 motherboard compare to the SoundBlaster X7?

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Three years ago I saw a movie at my local cinema. I had never been to one before and I was completely  blown away by the quality of its audio. I was so impressed that I began asking questions on audiophile forums about how to replicate this in my home. I ended up purchasing AKG 701q headphones and a Sound Blaster X7 AMP/DAC at the recommendation of many. I did notice an improvement in the quality of my audio, but it did not come near to replicating my movie experience. Worse, the improvement I heard did not seem worth the $600 I spent on my hardware when my MAXIMUS VII HERO motherboard, a then-$350 board, had, at least according to Asus marketing, an "audiophile grade suite that exceeds the human ear's ability to hear," already. 

 

Now I am rebuilding my computer from the ground up and will buy all-new components and peripherals. Except one, the aforementioned Sound Blaster X7. I am unsure of this piece and was hoping to hear some thoughts and experiences on this. I am certainly not an "audiophile". I enjoy crisp sound design and hate $10 headphones that sound like four ameba having an orgy in a bowl of soup. However, its finer points are lost upon me.

 

Will the audio quality of a $400 - $600 motherboard, such as, but never limited to, Maximums XI Hero, Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME, and MSI MEG Z390 GODLIKE EATX be around the same level as my Sound Blaster X7?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edit: I forgot to clarify. I was considering the more expensive boards only if I decided to sell my X7. I was considering selling it should the audio on a high-end board be competitive with the X7. I was thinking the more expansion options and wireless connectivity with the on board audio might be worth covering the difference in cost. The X7 is Bluetooth enabled, but only for a phone. They can't play wireless headphones, which is what set me down considering trading it in for something. 

 

 

[Jumballi]

Onboard audio is roughly the same. Get a cheaper motherboard and dac & amp for actual improvements.

i should mention that there are also no real benefits in everything else with a $600 motherboard

[Metallus97]

For those headphones you wont notice and are fine with onboard sound. The super high end boards can be compared with a Z. But all of this is pretty trash in comparission to a about 200$ external setup. However with youre headphones you will be fine either way  

Idd sell the Z or keep and later upgrade the HPs

[Metallus97]

Just now, Jumballi said:

Onboard audio is roughly the same. Get a cheaper motherboard and dac & amp for actual improvements.

i should mention that there are also no real benefits in everything else with a $600 motherboard

...besides REAL hardcore LN2 OCing lol

 

[rice guru]

never buy a more expensive motherboard for audio. motherboards are expensive because of specs for things like OC'ng and features that arent audio pretty much all motherboards in the same era all sound basically the same. If you want a real improvement in audio gettuing a good headphone goes the longest way

 

[Metallus97]

14 minutes ago, rice guru said:

never buy a more expensive motherboard for audio. motherboards are expensive because of specs for things like OC'ng and features that arent audio pretty much all motherboards in the same era all sound basically the same. If you want a real improvement in audio gettuing a good headphone goes the longest way

 

Importance for decent audio

1. not shiitty YouTube ripped 128kbit music Or crap like that. For most users/setups normal Spotify/Apple  music is okay.

2. headphones/speakers 

3. amp

4. dac

agree?

[rice guru]

10 minutes ago, Metallus97 said:

Importance for decent audio

1. not shiitty YouTube ripped 128kbit music Or crap like that. For most users/setups normal Spotify/Apple  music is okay.

2. headphones/speakers 

3. amp

4. dac

agree?

I would put recording quality over source of music. but I find source for the music less of a concern as it's harder to find bad bitrates. and youtube isn't even taht bad these days as long as your listening to and official upload that is more recent not something a random guy uploaded 10 years ago which has several sources of

 

1. headphones/speakers / recording quality of the music I put these 2 pretty evenly. 

2.not shiitty YouTube ripped 128kbit music Or crap like that. .For most users/setups normal Spotify/Apple  music is okay. compression

3. amp

4. dac

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14 hours ago, rice guru said:

never buy a more expensive motherboard for audio. motherboards are expensive because of specs for things like OC'ng and features that arent audio pretty much all motherboards in the same era all sound basically the same. If you want a real improvement in audio gettuing a good headphone goes the longest way

 

Oh, I agree. I was considering selling my X7 AMP/DAC and reinvesting that money into a better motherboard. That was only if the audio found on the board would be competitive with the X7. Without that, the coolers, expansion options, and the cool ascetics wouldn't be worth it. I just do not know much about audio and do not know how on board suites compare to what I currently have.