Is ROG SupremeFX S1220A onboard audio codec good enough for sennheiser hd 600?

[rippy4500]

I dont want to have to get a new amp and dac to run sennheiser hd 600 because its expensive, but is this audio chipset good enough for high impedance headphones? I wanted to upgrade to the rog strix b550-f gaming motherboard because of better memory/cpu oc and also more m.2 slots and fan headers, but it also happens to have a better sound processor than the one on my current motherboard(mine is gigabyte b450m ds3h with realtek alc887).

 

the ROG SupremeFX S1220A seems to be alot better than what im currently running, would it be good for when i buy the hd600? I understand a seperate amp/dac would still be better, but would this be a good upgrade to my sound setup for now?

 

i believe the supremefx is based of a realtek alc1220 or something similar, but just with better components and other things.

 

this is the specs page, if you scroll down to the audio section it gives more info there.

https://rog.asus.com/us/motherboards/rog-strix/rog-strix-b550-f-gaming-wi-fi-model/spec

[Shimejii]

Can you use them? Yes, Do i  recomend it? No high impedence headphones require the amp and dac to actually get the full benefit from them.

[rippy4500]

1 minute ago, Shimejii said:

Can you use them? Yes, Do i  recomend it? No high impedence headphones require the amp and dac to actually get the full benefit from them.

Are you really sure? a high quality dac and amp would push my budget too far.

 

the supremefx shows "impedance sense" and "dual OP amplifiers" in the specs, which sounds like it would help with higher impedance headphones.

im going to buy the board anyway just because of better vrms and other features i want, but would a seperate dac and amp really help that much? since people said the hd600 is not that hard to drive despite being 300ohms.

 

I think i should just test if it sounds how i like, and then ill get a dac and amp if im not satisfied with the sound.

[Entropy.]

4 hours ago, rippy4500 said:

Are you really sure? a high quality dac and amp would push my budget too far.

 

the supremefx shows "impedance sense" and "dual OP amplifiers" in the specs, which sounds like it would help with higher impedance headphones.

Total marketing gimmicks. Unless proven otherwise (power figures, anybody?), assume it's going to be mediocre. 

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 would a seperate dac and amp really help that much? since people said the hd600 is not that hard to drive despite being 300ohms.

It'll depend on listening volume and your exact computer, it definitely has the potential to. hd600 isn't extremely hard to drive, but most devices will still struggle to drive it if you're not a quiet listener. However, you're really only going to be concerned about volume rather than quality for the amplifier, at least for the most part. 

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I think i should just test if it sounds how i like, and then ill get a dac and amp if im not satisfied with the sound.

Not a bad plan, however, a dac/amp that you'd be looking at wouldn't really change the sound, by much if at all (provided that your onboard isn't screwed up). Just clean it up and amplify it. 

There are other options out there that are available. The drop x sennheiser Hd6xx isn't far off from the sound of the hd600 while possessing a significantly lower price, and the Sennheiser hd560 is also an excellent option (especially for sound work), and although it sounds somewhat different than its 600 series brethren, It's easy to drive, and good in its own right.