Looking for Audio Hardwares for Gaming

[bhoxbryan09]

So .... I'm nearly done planning out my PC build, but I'm stuck with the Audio Components. I have a Asus Rampage V Extreme Motherboard, and plan to use a soundcard instead of the onboard audio solution. Problem is, I don't know which of which is the best. I plan to use them purposely for gaming. 
p.s. I am looking for 7.1 channel audio hardwares, the only exception is the speakers

My current selections of Sound Cards:
-Asus ROG Xonar Phoebus vs Phoebus Solo (Really, what is the difference between the two?)
-Asus Xonar Essence STX II
-Creative Sound Blaster ZxR

My current selection for 3.5mm (Gaming) Headset Headphones:
-Gamdias Eros 7.1 Surround Sound (but then I learned that it is a USB Headset, a big no-no -- the 3.5mm one is a Stereo Headset)
-Currently looking for 7.1 Surround Sound 3.5mm (Gaming) Headphones (preferably, Black/Red or Black)

My current selection for Speakers
-Corsair SP2500  2.1 Gaming Audio Series Speakers
-Currently looking for more options

[killerdann12]

 

get your self a external amp/dac if you going to non onboard.

 

 

[Archangel1994]

1, There is NO such thing as a 3.5mm headphone with built in 7.1 since it's virtual. You need a sound card to emulate it for you for that

2. Don't get a gaming headset. Get headphones + modmic 4.0 like the HD518

[awesomes8wc3]

I would probably get the ZxR.

 

Also what Arch said.

 

@bhoxbryan09 Follow your threads or you won't be able to see us reply.

[bhoxbryan09]

1, There is NO such thing as a 3.5mm headphone with built in 7.1 since it's virtual. You need a sound card to emulate it for you for that

Yes, I will use a sound card as mentioned above.

 

2. Don't get a gaming headset. Get headphones + modmic 4.0 like the HD518

 

Currently, I use headphones (for my laptop). But for my PC, I want to use headsets. I don't really need any of those microphones since I would not be streaming/recording in any kind of way. The only reason I want to use headsets is for comfort and (possibly) better audio (since the earcup will swallow my whole ear)

[Archangel1994]

Currently, I use headphones (for my laptop). But for my PC, I want to use headsets. I don't really need any of those microphones since I would not be streaming/recording in any kind of way. The only reason I want to use headsets is for comfort and (possibly) better audio (since the earcup will swallow my whole ear)

- Headsets do not have better audio by a long shot

- Being a headset has NOTHING to do with comfort

- The modmic is not a condenser desk mic. It's a boom mic that you attach to your headphones

[bhoxbryan09]

 

get your self a external amp/dac if you going to non onboard.

But Linus himself uses a sound card. And if you recommend an external amp/dac, please tell me why is it better than the sound card and give any specific product recommendations

[bhoxbryan09]

- Headsets do not have better audio by a long shot

- Being a headset has NOTHING to do with comfort

- The modmic is not a condenser desk mic. It's a boom mic that you attach to your headphones

- I actually quite agree with this, that's why I put the "(possibly)" there. My headphones sounds a lot better than most headsets I've tried so far, with a few exceptions.

- Being a headset has EVERYTHING to do with comfort, especially when the earcups swallow your ear whole. Over an extensive use of headphones, I've noticed that using it causes a bump in my outer ear, and when I try to touch it, it hurts.... A LOT. This is probably due to the headphones being directly plugged into the opening of the ear canal (thus, outer ear) and its ergonomic factors (even though mine had soft plastic cups). I tried NOT using my headphones in a few weeks or so, and after that, the bump was gone. Then I returned to using the headphones again and then, the bump is back again. 

- Not to be mean or anything, but I do not care about microphones at all. All I want is a comfortable 7.1ch, 3.5mm Headset (with the included use of a sound card, or an external dac/amp) that will be used only for audio, nothing more

 

[Archangel1994]

- Being a headset has EVERYTHING to do with comfort, especially when the earcups swallow your ear whole. Over an extensive use of headphones, I've noticed that using it causes a bump in my outer ear, and when I try to touch it, it hurts.... A LOT. This is probably due to the headphones being directly plugged into the opening of the ear canal (thus, outer ear) and its ergonomic factors (even though mine had soft plastic cups). I tried NOT using my headphones in a few weeks or so, and after that, the bump was gone. Then I returned to using the headphones again and then, the bump is back again. 

Of course it has nothing to do with it. The headphones you have are just not ones that swallow your ear whole.

 

The HD518 for example is fully over-ear (for me anyway) and is super comfortable

[bhoxbryan09]

Of course it has nothing to do with it. The headphones you have are just not ones that swallow your ear whole.

Well, that makes absolute sense. LOL, I should laugh at myself right now. Anyways, now that that's solved, still need to look for a specific product

[bhoxbryan09]

I would probably get the ZxR.

 

Also what Arch said.

 

@bhoxbryan09 Follow your threads or you won't be able to see us reply.

Why ZxR ? I'm literally so confused right now. 

[pawan1993]

I think you're confusing earphones with headphones. Headphones go either on ear with the cushions being smaller and going on your ear (not inside like earphones do) or they completely surround your ears. As with what everyone else is saying, an external amp/DAC is preferable due to convenience, less electromagnetic interference (not too big a problem due to good quality shielding) and mostly due to sound cards just not being able to give you the same performance that external units do.

 

For the price of the Xonar Phoebus you could get the Schiit Modi + Magni. This combo are a fantastic option for the price and they are also powerful enough to run most heaphones easily in case you choose to upgrade your headphones later on.

[bhoxbryan09]

I think you're confusing earphones with headphones. Headphones go either on ear with the cushions being smaller and going on your ear (not inside like earphones do) or they completely surround your ears. As with what everyone else is saying, an external amp/DAC is preferable due to convenience, less electromagnetic interference (not too big a problem due to good quality shielding) and mostly due to sound cards just not being able to give you the same performance that external units do.

 

For the price of the Xonar Phoebus you could get the Schiit Modi + Magni. This combo are a fantastic option for the price and they are also powerful enough to run most heaphones easily in case you choose to upgrade your headphones later on.

My headphones have tiny little cups that occupy only the outer section of my ear, not the whole ear -- that's why it causes a painful bump. Also, I know the difference between headphones and earphones. I'm not dumb.

As for the Schiit Modi + Magni, how does this exactly work? After skimming through the product information, it's a headphones amplifier (Magni) and a USB DAC (Modi) that is supposed to make sound better. I don't get it. 

[pawan1993]

My headphones have tiny little cups that occupy only the outer section of my ear, not the whole ear -- that's why it causes a painful bump. Also, I know the difference between headphones and earphones. I'm not dumb.

As for the Schiit Modi + Magni, how does this exactly work? After skimming through the product information, it's a headphones amplifier (Magni) and a USB DAC (Modi) that is supposed to make sound better. I don't get it. 

I didn't mean to offend you... It's just a common misconception that quite a few people have. I've tried on-ears before (Sennheiser Momentums) and I thought they were quite comfortable! Having said that, Sennheiser do make some of the most comfortable headphones out there.

 

The Modi connects to your PC via USB, which then converts the digital audio signal into an analog signal outside of your PC which is then connected to the amplifier, and finally your headphones. The DAC and amplifier being outside your PC basically removes all possibility for any interference to occur. If you've got any specific questions I can try to help you out.

[EmeraldKiwi]

Not sure what the budget is, but I would say get the Audio technica Athm50x. It seems like everyone loves it. As for a microphone, the modmic is probably your best bet unless you want to go for a more professional grade microphone. I'm personally interested in the at2020, but its a bit expensive.

EDIT:

Not an Audio Technical fanboy. AT makes good products for good prices, but other companies can (and do) do the same. Any of the other suggestions are probably going to get you to a similar experience as my own suggestion, so the issue is always up to your personal preferences and whatnot.

[NannerBeans]

-snip-

That was a long time ago. He passed on from that a long time ago when he finally realized they were crap. He uses an o2/odac now. 

 

Basically every product you mentioned in your post is crap. Don't bother with the sound cards and for headphones depending on your budget and if you want I would say Beyerdynamic DT770 or DT990 if you want comfort. For speakers, a cheap option would be Micca MB42X speakers with a Lepai 2020A+ amp. 

[NannerBeans]

Not sure what the budget is, but I would say get the Audio technica Athm50x. It seems like everyone loves it. As for a microphone, the modmic is probably your best bet unless you want to go for a more professional grade microphone. I'm personally interested in the at2020, but its a bit expensive.

EDIT:

Not an Audio Technical fanboy. AT makes good products for good prices, but other companies can (and do) do the same. Any of the other suggestions are probably going to get you to a similar experience as my own suggestion, so the issue is always up to your personal preferences and whatnot.

Not really. The M50x is extremely overpriced since it sounds exactly the same as the M40x but at a much higher price. If his budget is in the $150-$200 range there are better options. If not, Sony MDR7506 and M40x are better options at around $100. 

[bhoxbryan09]

That was a long time ago. He passed on from that a long time ago when he finally realized they were crap. He uses an o2/odac now. 

 

Basically every product you mentioned in your post is crap. Don't bother with the sound cards and for headphones depending on your budget and if you want I would say Beyerdynamic DT770 or DT990 if you want comfort. For speakers, a cheap option would be Micca MB42X speakers with a Lepai 2020A+ amp. 

I plan to use the Schiit Modi 2 + Magni 2 for DAC/amp [and something for virtual surround sound because it does not support the virtual surround sound (I really want 7.1), ive seen some odacs with virtual surround sound but it costs way too much] .... is there any difference between this and the o2/odac?

For the budget, I don't really matter much ... as long as I get what's good and best for me. All I want for a headphones is a comfortable feel, good [7.1 virtual surround sound] audio, and black/red scheme. the DT990 manufaktur looks pretty good, although I am still exploring some other options.

After some research, the only way I can make a virtual surround sound possible for a dac/amp setup is to either buy a sound card (The only good 7.1 sound card that I found is an Asus Xonar DS, which is the cheapest I can get.... other option is the Asus Xonar DX which is slightly more expensive, Schiit Modi 2 Uber + Magni 2 + Xonar DX = $321.99 / Xonar DS = $289.49 w/o cables) and connect it via optical OR go get a software virtual surround sound emulator like Razer Surround, which is not something I'd recommend.

 

Not really. The M50x is extremely overpriced since it sounds exactly the same as the M40x but at a much higher price. If his budget is in the $150-$200 range there are better options. If not, Sony MDR7506 and M40x are better options at around $100. 

 

As I've said, the budget don't really matter much .... as long as it is not TOO overpriced. 

[killerdann12]

But Linus himself uses a sound card. And if you recommend an external amp/dac, please tell me why is it better than the sound card and give any specific product recommendations

external amp/dac are basically a sound card externally which is better because soundcards that you plug into your motherboard still  transfer a lot of noise, as mentioned in the video i posted.

 

o2 amp + odac is a good one for less then what your sound card that you posted in the OP

[Chucksta]

external amp/dac are basically a sound card externally which is better because soundcards that you plug into your motherboard still  transfer a lot of noise, as mentioned in the video i posted.

 

o2 amp + odac is a good one for less then what your sound card that you posted in the OP

Yea, getting a sound card would eventually lead up to static that you will hear through headphones or speakers but getting an amp/dac will completely elimininate that problem. Also, with an amp/dac, you will probably get better sound compared to a sound card.

[Timmy-P]

You're still looking for 7.1... This is for your headphones, correct? If so, that won't be necessary.

[NannerBeans]

I plan to use the Schiit Modi 2 + Magni 2 for DAC/amp [and something for virtual surround sound because it does not support the virtual surround sound (I really want 7.1), ive seen some odacs with virtual surround sound but it costs way too much] .... is there any difference between this and the o2/odac?

For the budget, I don't really matter much ... as long as I get what's good and best for me. All I want for a headphones is a comfortable feel, good [7.1 virtual surround sound] audio, and black/red scheme. the DT990 manufaktur looks pretty good, although I am still exploring some other options.

After some research, the only way I can make a virtual surround sound possible for a dac/amp setup is to either buy a sound card (The only good 7.1 sound card that I found is an Asus Xonar DS, which is the cheapest I can get.... other option is the Asus Xonar DX which is slightly more expensive, Schiit Modi 2 Uber + Magni 2 + Xonar DX = $321.99 / Xonar DS = $289.49 w/o cables) and connect it via optical OR go get a software virtual surround sound emulator like Razer Surround, which is not something I'd recommend.

 

As I've said, the budget don't really matter much .... as long as it is not TOO overpriced. 

If you want the best experience for the price, then I recommend skipping over the dac/amp or getting a cheaper one. If you do want one, a Monoprice dac/amp for $100 will be enough. As for headphones, I really recommend the AKG K7xx. They are no longer available through Massdrop but you can still find them lightly used on Head-Fi's classifieds. They will offer great surround because of their open design and sound amazing. This is a better option than the gimmick 7.1 virtual. Also Schiit is a terrible company so I would never buy anything from them. The HD600 sounds similar if you like that better but it also costs a bit more. 

[bhoxbryan09]

If you want the best experience for the price, then I recommend skipping over the dac/amp or getting a cheaper one. If you do want one, a Monoprice dac/amp for $100 will be enough. As for headphones, I really recommend the AKG K7xx. They are no longer available through Massdrop but you can still find them lightly used on Head-Fi's classifieds. They will offer great surround because of their open design and sound amazing. This is a better option than the gimmick 7.1 virtual. Also Schiit is a terrible company so I would never buy anything from them. The HD600 sounds similar if you like that better but it also costs a bit more. 

Ok, I have everything sorted now. I want an Audio-Technica ATH-PDG1 with an Objective2 + ODAC Combo with Rear Power, and I don't want any virtual surround anymore. The only thing I'm looking for right now is a good stereo speakers. 

Also, is there any difference between the O2/ODAC and the AMP/DAC in terms of audio quality? This is the only question left which hasn't been clearly answered yet.

[bhoxbryan09]

external amp/dac are basically a sound card externally which is better because soundcards that you plug into your motherboard still  transfer a lot of noise, as mentioned in the video i posted.

 

o2 amp + odac is a good one for less then what your sound card that you posted in the OP

 

 

Yea, getting a sound card would eventually lead up to static that you will hear through headphones or speakers but getting an amp/dac will completely elimininate that problem. Also, with an amp/dac, you will probably get better sound compared to a sound card.

 

 

I didn't mean to offend you... It's just a common misconception that quite a few people have. I've tried on-ears before (Sennheiser Momentums) and I thought they were quite comfortable! Having said that, Sennheiser do make some of the most comfortable headphones out there.

 

The Modi connects to your PC via USB, which then converts the digital audio signal into an analog signal outside of your PC which is then connected to the amplifier, and finally your headphones. The DAC and amplifier being outside your PC basically removes all possibility for any interference to occur. If you've got any specific questions I can try to help you out.

 

 

If you want the best experience for the price, then I recommend skipping over the dac/amp or getting a cheaper one. If you do want one, a Monoprice dac/amp for $100 will be enough. As for headphones, I really recommend the AKG K7xx. They are no longer available through Massdrop but you can still find them lightly used on Head-Fi's classifieds. They will offer great surround because of their open design and sound amazing. This is a better option than the gimmick 7.1 virtual. Also Schiit is a terrible company so I would never buy anything from them. The HD600 sounds similar if you like that better but it also costs a bit more. 

 

 

You're still looking for 7.1... This is for your headphones, correct? If so, that won't be necessary.

Ok, I got everything all sorted up now (well, most of it) ..... I want an Audio-Technica ATH-PDG1 and an Objective2 + ODAC Combo with Rear Power. I do no longer want virtual surround sound, or any sound card bull. The only thing left that I'm looking for is a good stereo speakers

There's one more question remaining: What is the difference between an O2/ODAC and an external AMP/DAC? Thanks, everyone, for your help.

[pas008]

from a gaming stand point, nothing competes with sbx studios from creative

 

from music stand point, monoprice or even the o2 combo if you want