Recommendations for an Audio Set Up

[Server_42]

Hi, I am looking for help picking out things for my first audio set up since I don't know a lot about this kind of thing.

 

I am looking for:

• Headphones
• Microphone
• Other things for a better experience

What I will use it for:

• Gaming/chat
• School (as my college is half virtual and half in person)
• listening to music

I might use it for causal live streaming and recording vocals as well.

I don't really know what the types of sound signature are so I can't comment on what I would prefer.

 

Budget: unsure at the moment but less than $600 USD

 

Thanks in advance for recommendations, suggestions, and responses.

Edited March 29, 2021 by Server_42
More information

[weez]

More info needed please. What are you using these for? What type of sound signature do you prefer? What do you prioritize more? Gaming, music, movies? How about the microphone. What are you using that for? Basic game chat? Casual live streaming? Give as much info as you can about the needs you want. Max $600 is a lot to work with

[The Flying Sloth]

For input and microphones the best place to start is the link in my signature, that will run you through all you need to know to make an informed decision on microphones.

[Server_42]

On 3/20/2021 at 11:49 PM, weez said:

More info needed please. What are you using these for? What type of sound signature do you prefer? What do you prioritize more? Gaming, music, movies? How about the microphone. What are you using that for? Basic game chat? Casual live streaming? Give as much info as you can about the needs you want. Max $600 is a lot to work with

Okay, I updated the original post with more information. Please let me know if it is enough to work with. Sorry for delayed response.

[H713]

You could ask 10 people this very same question, and get 10 correct answers. Here are my preferences:

 

For headphones, I really prefer open-back. I really like the Grado SR225. I've heard a reasonable number of headphones, but by no means have I heard all of them. To me, the SR225s sound the least like headphones. They've got a very big sound stage, and they don't close out the outside world.

 

I really do recommend a headphone amp and a DAC even with easy-to-drive headphones like the Grados. At 32 ohms, the output impedance of the headphone amp does matter more than it would with higher impedance loads. More importantly, a dedicated headphone amp has a volume control on it. The Schiit Magni 3+ is a good option at a reasonable price. If you're willing to swing the extra $100 for the Asgard, I consider that to be worth it for the better volume pot. More on the DAC later.

 

For microphones, I really do think that the move to a professional microphone with an XLR output is worth the extra cost. There are a lot of good options for this. The link in Sloth's signature is a good place to start, but by no means are those the only good options. There are a lot of great microphones, and getting placement right matters a whole lot more than the specific microphone choice. At the lower end of the budget, I recommend a Shure SM57 with a windscreen. It's been an industry standard for 40 years for a reason. There are countless other options that can work extremely well. I currently use an AKG SE300B and get excellent results. In the past, I've used an old EV RE15.

 

Now, a little personal thing: There are going to be people who tell you that someone sells an SM57 clone that is "just as good". I won't touch them. I'm an engineer, and I have a huge amount of respect for the work of other engineers, especially those who have worked hard to bring technology forward. For this reason, I don't support purchasing offshore clones of equipment that remains in production.

 

To use a microphone like this, you'll need an audio interface. On the lower end of the price range, the Behringer UMC202HD does the job well and is very economical. If you want slightly better converters and preamps (though you really won't notice a huge difference) and a nicer looking product with better build quality, the MOTU M2 is a good option. In the past, I've complained about the quality of Focusrite Scarlett interfaces. Having recently used a Gen 3 2i2, I feel comfortable recommending it as well.

 

Your audio interface is a perfectly good DAC. You'll need some 1/4" TRS to RCA cables for that. The headphone amp in most audio interfaces is OK, and for the Grados will probably suffice. The main downside to the headphone amp in an audio interface is the limited power output, but I've never been able to notice it. I've done a blind AB comparison between the headphone amp in my 2i2, the headphone amp in my MXP-2900 console and one of my power amp circuits modified for low gain. At the levels I listen at, the only clear loser was the MXP2900, which had some audible crossover distortion. I'll blame that on the 1980s power op-amp it uses for the headphone driver.

 

 

Edited March 29, 2021 by H713
Additional information added.

[The Flying Sloth]

54 minutes ago, H713 said:

Now, a little personal thing: There are going to be people who tell you that someone sells an SM57 clone that is "just as good". I won't touch them. I'm an engineer, and I have a huge amount of respect for the work of other engineers, especially those who have worked hard to bring technology forward. For this reason, I don't support purchasing offshore clones of equipment that remains in production.

I tend to disagree on this point, so many newer mics are trying to be versions of or copies of older / more expensive mics so I make no distinction between the clones from Dave Thomas (Advanced Audio), Golden Age Project reimaginings, Telefunken reissues and house brands like Tbone making genuine alternatives for an attractive price. For sure I have a greater respect for brands like 3U and ADK who make mics that fill similar roles but stand on their own merits but there's nothing wrong with selling a mic like the MB75 that is clearly an alternative to the SM57. 

I suppose this leads to an interesting question, the Tbone SCT2000 is a Feilo design where the design was originally released as the SE Z-5600 by ex-Neumann engineers, does this then make the SCT2000 one of the undesirable cheaper clones or is it fine since it's the same manufacturer for both??? I don't know, that's too complicated for me so I vote they're all fine.

 

Also consider that the simplest mod to improve sound quality on the 57 is to remove the transformer..... If your mic becomes more usable in a studio setting by undoing the engineering you did you may not have designed the best mic for the job (yes I know that the 57 is most often a live mic but that's my point, you don't need to rip the transformer out of the MB75).

[H713]

I don't have a problem with clones of old gear that's discontinued. That's fine. For example, I'm incredibly grateful that there are good Neve, API and Trident A-Range clones on the market for a reasonable price. They haven't stopped it, but they've helped to reduce the number of consoles getting parted out, and I really hate to see people destroying old consoles simply because the mic preamps are worth more than the console itself.

 

I also don't have a problem with people taking old designs and coming up with something new based on them. That's fine as well, and I think it's cool.

 

Furthermore, there are a lot of old designs that are "in production", but not by the original company, and not to the original specifications. The "Telefunken" U47 is a good example. It's not the original Telefunken company- just someone who bought the Telefunken name (I don't blame them- it's a frickin' cool name and logo). Furthermore, they did not start building new VF14s to the original specification- they found another tube that is "kinda similar" and stuffed it in a steel envelope to make it look like a VF14.

What I'm not fine with is when someone blatantly copies a well-known and desirable product, has it manufactured in China (likely with poor working conditions, etc) and undercuts the price of the original. I really try to avoid supporting companies that do this. Obviously there are a lot of gray areas, and I take those on a case-by-case basis.

 

As for me, I've never been a fan of removing the transformer in the SM57, at least in most circumstances. I know others feel differently, and purchasing the MB75 may be worthwhile in that case. Especially for live use, I feel that the 57 is better, but YMMV. One thing that would be interesting to try is to put a better transformer in the 57.

 

The main point I'm trying to make is that I'm not alright with companies who let someone else (like Shure or Lab Gruppen) do the engineering, and then they undercut the price of the original.

 

[weez]

On 3/20/2021 at 5:51 PM, Server_42 said:

Hi, I am looking for help picking out things for my first audio set up since I don't know a lot about this kind of thing.

 

I am looking for:

• Headphones
• Microphone
• Other things for a better experience

What I will use it for:

• Gaming/chat
• School (as my college is half virtual and half in person)
• listening to music

I might use it for causal live streaming and recording vocals as well.

I don't really know what the types of sound signature are so I can't comment on what I would prefer.

 

Budget: unsure at the moment but less than $600 USD

 

Thanks in advance for recommendations, suggestions, and responses.

Honestly I would just get the PC 38x and that's it. Headphones will have a good sound signature for gaming and most likely have a sound signature that most will like for music so I can recommend them to you for a great all rounder. Also the mic on the PC 38x is damn good for a headset mic. It will work great for game chat and online schooling. It's also good enough for casual streaming. I can't recommend spending on a separate mic setup for you're use case. I have the PC 37x and they sound the same using my onboard as they do using my Schiit Fulla 3 so you'll most likely not need an amp/dac for the PC 38x unless you're PC is f'ing up bad. Get the PC 38x and use the money saved for games or food or whatever

[Ahoy Hoy]

$600 hefty bit of change to spend on something being used casually.

Id go a USB mic dont need to piss about wasting money to get something professional just to use it casually for games. Shure MV5 $100
Beyerdynamic DT770. Very good headphones no need to spend money on more. $160
Shiit Fulla. DAC AMP do you need it probably not but since we got money to burn and you get a volume knob. $99


$350 all in could even save money not buying the shiit. 

[Psittac]

I haven't read anyone else comment's except @Ahoy Hoy who is right, you could get away with a much cheaper solution than $600.

 

My recommendation would be this $85 shp9500 combo and pocket yourself $500 and run it onboard, MAYBE it would be useful to get some cable extensions depending on how far your computer is

 

Or you could add the fulla like ahoy mentioned to get a knob and mildly better sound

 

But if you're hell bent on having a large budget there is A LOT you can do with $600

 

I'd get a dac and amp for $200+ and an antlion modmic for $50-100 then have up to $350 for a pair of headphones or just move the slider on any of those items except the dac, $100-150 and your good to go for a dac.

 

There are many good headphones in the $100-250 range in fact all but one of mine are in that price range.

 

*If I had it all to do over again and had $600 that NEEDED to be spent it would be this

 

amp schiit magni heresy

dac schiit modi

antlion modmic uni

headphone Harmonicdyne Zeus

 

Everything listed there I have or did have in the past and that's where my money would go.  The Harmonicdyne Zeus is everything in one package, imaging soundstage separation detail and it's very easy to drive, I would probably just save $200 and not get a dac or amp but this is pretending that I need to spend it all.  The Zeus is open enough that you get good natural feedback by hearing your voice when you speak from being just open enough.

 

Honestly there are many ways to do this as @H713 said, but that's what I would do with $600

 

*I didn't see the part about recording vocals, the uni will do that poorly

[H713]

My feeling is that a $75 - $150 audio interface combines a lot of things into one- it's got a DAC and a usable headphone amp, plus usable mic preamps and an ADC. Then it's just a matter of buying an analog microphone to go with it. It's a good deal cheaper than the Schiit, and in my eyes you get a lot more for your money. IMO, if you're using easy to drive headphones, there's no real advantage to something like the Magni over what is built into the Behringer / Focusrite / MOTU interfaces.

 

The headphones themselves are such a personal thing that I'd really recommend trying to find a way to try some out (keeping in mind that we are in the midst of a pandemic- be safe about it). For example, a lot of people like Sennheiser HD280s. I can't stand them. What works for one person does not necessarily work for another. For me, what worked were the Grados. Some of it depends on what you want, some of it depends on your chosen content, and some of it depends on the physical shape of your head and your ears.

 

I've spent way too many hours trying to figure out bizarre software issues with USB microphones to even consider recommending them. It's gotten to the point where professional (or semi-professional) equipment isn't all that much more expensive than consumer equipment, so that continues to be my recommendation.