Help in choosing Gamish sound system (DAC/AMP, Headphones & MIC)

[Crowncobra]

Hello Everyone,

 

I have decided to upgrade my sound system on my pc. I play games (not competative most of the time) such as World of Tanks, Total War titles and Hearts of Iron 4. Currently, i use cheap external sound card that came with logitech g430 headset. I did a bit of research as am really new in this subject and i have been thinking on the below:

 

Sound BlasterX G6 Hi-Res 130dB 32bit/384kHz Gaming DAC/AMP (600 ohms) that cost $150 (link)

Antlion Audio ModMic USB Attachable Noise-Cancelling Microphone that cost $80 (link)

 

Several headphones in my mind (less than $200 is my budget):

 

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm that cost $171 (link)

Drop + HIFIMAN HE4XX Planar Magnetic Over-Ear Open-Back Headphones that cost $180 (link)

Drop + HIFIMAN HE-35X Planar Magnetic Over-Ear Open-Back Headphones that cost $115 (link)

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro 250 ohm Headphones, Gray, (459038) that cost $130 (link)
 

 

I tried the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition as my friend owns them and they sound great, found it little high on the treble but i think it can be lowered a bit & I like the low end on it.

 

My questions:

 

Is there a different gaming DAC/Amp i should be looking at in similar price with gaming kind of features?

There are hundereds of open back headphones, which can suit me?

 

My plan:

I will buy each part in a month, so am thinking that i will buy DAC/AMP first and use it with my Sony MDR-950BT, then get the modmic and attach it to it to use it as a headset. Last, get the headphones.

 

Thank you in advance

 

 

[The Flying Sloth]

38 minutes ago, Crowncobra said:

My questions:

Is there a different gaming DAC/Amp i should be looking at in similar price with gaming kind of features?

The real question is, why the heck do you want a 'gaming DAC' ?
There is no physical (waveform) difference between 32bit 384khz and 24bit 44.1khz so don't get hung up on the big numbers.
If I were in your position I'd be buying a cheap audio interface (Behringer UM2 or UMC22) and a real microphone (MXL V67G or 3U CM1).

As for headphones, there are brilliant pinned threads in the audio subforum that could give you a good idea of the basic options but that really isn't my forte so I'll leave it for someone much better informed than I.

Sloth

[iBabySlapper]

I'm pretty sure the Soundblaster G6 is a complete waste of money. There's very little use for a 32bit dac anyway, when the majority of high res audio is 24bit 96khz at best (if this even matters to you at all). The G5 is a better deal, it has a older, but well regarded DAC and it does everything the G6 does as far as I can see.

But keep in mind, that the Soundblaster G1 (the little usb stick thing) is good enough to power 250ohm DT990s, and has most of the gamer gimmicks (like virtual 7.1) that you'll use twice and never use again.

 

If you want more of a desktop setup, and a DAC/AMP to suit that, you could also go for the Syba Sonic. It's not an amazing DAC or AMP by any stretch, but it's got a nice big volume knob for desktop use and it's good enough that most people won't complain about it's DAC/AMP quality.

[Crowncobra]

7 minutes ago, The Flying Sloth said:

The real question is, why the heck do you want a 'gaming DAC' ?
There is no physical (waveform) difference between 32bit 384khz and 24bit 44.1khz so don't get hung up on the big numbers.
If I were in your position I'd be buying a cheap audio interface (Behringer UM2 or UMC22) and a real microphone (MXL V67G or 3U CM1).

As for headphones, there are brilliant pinned threads in the audio subforum that could give you a good idea of the basic options but that really isn't my forte so I'll leave it for someone much better informed than I.

Sloth

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

Gaming DAC is mostly related to the software having some presets for games. True that I will never need 32 bit, as I never found 24bit in my music library. But isn't it more future proof? 

 

 

 

I opted for the Modmic as I don't live in a very quiet environment so I guess it helps in reducing noise in comparison to a condenser mic. and the ability to have it stick to the headphone is more convenient.

 

What DAC/AMP you recommend that can drive 600-ohm headphones?

[rice guru]

4 minutes ago, Crowncobra said:

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

Gaming DAC is mostly related to the software having some presets for games. True that I will never need 32 bit, as I never found 24bit in my music library. But isn't it more future proof? 

 

 

 

I opted for the Modmic as I don't live in a very quiet environment so I guess it helps in reducing noise in comparison to a condenser mic. and the ability to have it stick to the headphone is more convenient.

 

What DAC/AMP you recommend that can drive 600-ohm headphones?

Fiio k5 pro honestly the g6 can't reall drive 600 ohm headphones that well sound will definitely be produced but not that loud. For 80 you can get a USB desk mic and an arm that sounds much better than a modmic like a blue snowball or like you said just get a dynamic mic and put it close to your face like the Samson Q2u which sounds pretty great. 

Out of the 990 impedances the 600 ohm definitely sounds the best and the premium models are the most comfortable. The he 4xx while sounding great isn't as good for gaming as the 990 and lacks in the low end it has good extension but can sound rather flat

[The Flying Sloth]

1 minute ago, Crowncobra said:

 

Gaming DAC is mostly related to the software having some presets for games. True that I will never need 32 bit, as I never found 24bit in my music library. But isn't it more future proof? 

1. No, it's not more future-proof, there is literally no difference in the sound of 32bit 384khz audio and 24bit 44.1khz audio
2. What sort of presets are you talking about? And are you sure they actually mean anything to you?

3. Modmic is a condenser mic but being that it is so close to the users mouth it can pick up less background noise than a LDC,  you can use a dynamic mic with an interface that will likely sound far better than the modmic if you're in a noisy environment
5. Ohm ratings tell very little about how easy or difficult headphones are to drive (iirc, don't quote me here I'm no expert) but anything USB powered of any real quality is unlikely to be able to power extremely demanding headphones, it's just a limitation of the connector

I would still highly suggest using an audio interface if you're really looking to upgrade your audio as that mic upgrade path might be useful for you in future. (as well as being far cheaper than your original choice)
Given the amount of praise the K5pro gets here I'll have to assume it's a damn good DAC/AMP so that could be another option

Sloth

[Crowncobra]

9 minutes ago, ibabyslapper said:

I'm pretty sure the Soundblaster G6 is a complete waste of money. There's very little use for a 32bit dac anyway, when the majority of high res audio is 24bit 96khz at best (if this even matters to you at all). The G5 is a better deal, it has a older, but well regarded DAC and it does everything the G6 does as far as I can see.

But keep in mind, that the Soundblaster G1 (the little usb stick thing) is good enough to power 250ohm DT990s, and has most of the gamer gimmicks (like virtual 7.1) that you'll use twice and never use again.

 

If you want more of a desktop setup, and a DAC/AMP to suit that, you could also go for the Syba Sonic. It's not an amazing DAC or AMP by any stretch, but it's got a nice big volume knob for desktop use and it's good enough that most people won't complain about it's DAC/AMP quality.

 

Thank you for your reply.

You are right I don't think I will ever use the surround sound feature anyways.  

 

Should I Get the following:

• Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro 250 ohm Headphones
• FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black)
• ModMic USB

will this be more budget-friendly? without compromising on the quality? if it is compromising on the quality what can I improve?

[The Flying Sloth]

1 minute ago, Crowncobra said:

 

Frankly the Modmic just isn't a great microphone but if you don't mind that doesn't look too bad to me, just be warned that some have reported the E10K doesn't have as much gain as some might like though the reports seem few and far between.

Sloth

[Crowncobra]

Thank you guys for your replies,

 

I was typing the above reply and I didn't notice your reply.

 

FiiO K5 Pro feels a little bit more expensive but if it is worth it, I am willing to invest in it.

 

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm seems a better choice for gaming from what you say, guys.

 

The mic on the desk feels like a bit of a mess as my desk is kind small. is it really necessary to have a desk mic as I am only using discord and very little streaming on Twitch?

[Crowncobra]

Forgot to mention that the modmic is usb so it will not depend on the dac/amp

[rice guru]

1 minute ago, The Flying Sloth said:

Frankly the Modmic just isn't a great microphone but if you don't mind that doesn't look too bad to me, just be warned that some have reported the E10K doesn't have as much gain as some might like though the reports seem few and far between.

Sloth

I'm just gonna say it doesn't have enough gain but it can get loud the amp unit on it just kinda struggles and makes the already kinda loose driver sound way looser than it is with it turned up and listening to bass heavy tracks. It's also just generally not a good sounding amp. I would say spend more grab a liquid spark instead no dac and use your motherboard instead of a dedicated dac if money is an issue. 

[rice guru]

1 minute ago, Crowncobra said:

Forgot to mention that the modmic is usb so it will not depend on the dac/amp

In this case go for it

[The Flying Sloth]

9 minutes ago, Crowncobra said:

Thank you guys for your replies,

 

I was typing the above reply and I didn't notice your reply.

 

FiiO K5 Pro feels a little bit more expensive but if it is worth it, I am willing to invest in it.

 

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm seems a better choice for gaming from what you say, guys.

 

The mic on the desk feels like a bit of a mess as my desk is kind small. is it really necessary to have a desk mic as I am only using discord and very little streaming on Twitch?

YOu wouldn't need to have the mic on your desk persay, there are all kinds of stands and scissor arms designed to keep it off your desk.
But no, you certainly don't need one, it's just an upgrade over the Modmic that you could consider making at some point in the future.

I trust rice when it comes to DAC stuff and if they say the E10 doesn't have enough gain it probably doesn't, you might want to look into the K5 Pro

Sloth
 

[rice guru]

3 minutes ago, The Flying Sloth said:

YOu wouldn't need to have the mic on your desk persay, there are all kinds of stands and scissor arms designed to keep it off your desk.
But no, you certainly don't need one, it's just an upgrade over the Modmic that you could consider making at some point in the future.

I trust rice when it comes to DAC stuff and if they say the E10 doesn't have enough gain it probably doesn't, you might want to look into the K5

Sloth
 

make sure you get the k5 pro not the k5 

[Crowncobra]

thanks a lot, guys and sorry for my never-ending questions.

 

I think am gonna go with:

 

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm

Antlion Audio ModMic USB

 

But haven't really decided on the DAC/AMP

 

Should I just get  Creative Sound BlasterX G5 which is really discounted at the moment at $74

 

seems a good deal for this DAC/amp

 

Quote

 

The G5 is not just a 24-bit/192kHz, 120dB USB DAC. With a Texas Instruments TPA6120A2 headphone amplifier with a low output impedance of 2.2Ω, the G5 is capable of driving headphones of up to 600Ω impedance as well as sensitive in-ear monitors in the market today.

This pocket-sized external gaming sound card also supports high-resolution audio playback of up to 24-bit/192kHz, thanks to its Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC, which has a Signal-to-Noise Ratio of 120dB.

 

[The Flying Sloth]

1 minute ago, Crowncobra said:

Should I just get  Creative Sound BlasterX G5 which is really discounted at the moment at $74

I mean, you could get it but it wouldn't power those headphones very well at all, as I said previously bus power doesn't really cut it for high power headphones.

 

[rice guru]

Just now, Crowncobra said:

thanks a lot, guys and sorry for my never-ending questions.

 

I think am gonna go with:

 

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm

Antlion Audio ModMic USB

 

But haven't really decided on the DAC/AMP

 

Should I just get  Creative Sound BlasterX G5 which is really discounted at the moment at $74

 

seems a good deal for this DAC/amp

 

most likely not able to power the 600 ohm enough for the 250 but not the 600.  just grab a monoprice liquid spark for a $100 it pairs very well with the 990. you can just use your mother board audio as a dac for now and if you wish in the future to grab a dac  thats great. a good amp that pairs well in more neccessary

[Crowncobra]

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm $172

Antlion Audio ModMic USB $80

Creative Sound BlasterX G5 $74

 

Total: $326

 

maybe getting the Beyerdynamic DT 990 pro (250 ohm) for $130 will save me some money?

 

Am trying to reduce the costs a bit, that's why am asking a lot

[Crowncobra]

5 minutes ago, rice guru said:

most likely not able to power the 600 ohm enough for the 250 but not the 600.  just grab a monoprice liquid spark for a $100 it pairs very well with the 990. you can just use your mother board audio as a dac for now and if you wish in the future to grab a dac  thats great. a good amp that pairs well in more neccessary

  I don't trust my motherboard audio to be honest but it might work, I have no experience in these. my motherboard is a bit old I guess.

[rice guru]

4 minutes ago, Crowncobra said:

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm $172

Antlion Audio ModMic USB $80

Creative Sound BlasterX G5 $74

 

Total: $326

 

maybe getting the Beyerdynamic DT 990 pro (250 ohm) for $130 will save me some money?

 

Am trying to reduce the costs a bit, that's why am asking a lot

If you really want to save on the dac amp portion go with the 250 ohm then and it would work fine with the g5 the g5 isnt the best sounding but will work fine I guess

[Crowncobra]

1 minute ago, rice guru said:

If you really want to save on the dac amp portion go with the 250 ohm then and it would work fine with the g5 the g5 isnt the best sounding but will work fine I guess

In your opinion am I compromising sound quality a lot by doing that? if I am should I stick with:

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm $172

Antlion Audio ModMic USB $80

And DAC/amp that is able to drive 600 ohms?

 

Because my plan is over 3 months so am very flexible.

[rice guru]

Just now, Crowncobra said:

In your opinion am I compromising sound quality a lot by doing that? if I am should I stick with:

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm $172

Antlion Audio ModMic USB $80

And DAC/amp that is able to drive 600 ohms?

 

Because my plan is over 3 months so am very flexible.

Not a lot but a fair bit. The 600 ohm is just more refined sounding tighter bass and the treble not as sharp it's still sharp but not as sharp. In terms of parings the k5 pro is pretty good and should be able to power it it's $150 though and if you can stretch the dac amp budget  a bit more to $170 the monoprice liquid spark and topping d10 is a killer combo. The liquid spark gives you a warmer sounding headphone so noticable more bass and mid performance. And the treble is rolled off a little bit makes it sound smoother and less sharp again still kinda sharp but not as sharp.  But it's pretty pricey to do all this if your friend has the 250 ohm and you like the way it sounds go for it. The g5 should be fine with it. 

[Crowncobra]

1 minute ago, rice guru said:

Not a lot but a fair bit. The 600 ohm is just more refined sounding tighter bass and the treble not as sharp it's still sharp but not as sharp. In terms of parings the k5 pro is pretty good and should be able to power it it's $150 though and if you can stretch the dac amp budget  a bit more to $170 the monoprice liquid spark and topping d10 is a killer combo. The liquid spark gives you a warmer sounding headphone so noticable more bass and mid performance. And the treble is rolled off a little bit makes it sound smoother and less sharp again still kinda sharp but not as sharp.  But it's pretty pricey to do all this if your friend has the 250 ohm and you like the way it sounds go for it. The g5 should be fine with it. 

Thank you a lot.

 

what you say is totally right.

 

Can you please link me the monoprice liquid spark and topping d10 on Amazon?

 

I will extend my plan as following (one item per month):

 

1. Buy the Modmic usb (use it on my Sony MDR-950BT)
2. Buy monoprice liquid spark AMP (use it on my Sony MDR-950BT and modmic usb)
3. Buy Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm (use it with modmic usb and monoprice liquid spark AMP)
4. Buy Topping D10 DAC.

 

How will this sound once completed?

 

 

 

 

[Crowncobra]

Is there a better order of buying the items?

[CTR640]

Don't cheap out on the dac/amp, especially if you tend to use it for a very long time. Once you have it, there would be no point in "upgrading" the dac/amp unless you wanna go down the road of the real high-end audiophile stuff.