audiophile Quality setup

[MrEleven1181]

Hello everyone.

I'm basically looking for some advice on a good audiophile sound setup for PC. I'm just about to build my 1st gaming PC and don't know how the sound setups work, I've always been a console gamer in the past.

My current setup for console is astro mixamp pro as my DAC then schiit vali for my tube amp then Akg q701 for my headphones. So I'm looking for a good sound setup for PC now.

I also want to switch from Dolby surround sound to sbx true surround sound so looking at sound blaster products. Can I get a few opinions from use guys please ?

[xtroria]

Get syba dac and you're done

[MrEleven1181]

Does the Syba DAC output sbx surround sound and do I plug this into my mobo and forget about a sound card ?

[Oktyabr]

Surround software is really only useful for movies or to improve games that do not already have a solid sound system coded in.  For games that do, forget about surround.  Your Q701 and even something like the Syba DAC that @xtroria recommended will serve you quite well.  No sound card required.

[MrEleven1181]

I like surround sound for competitive fps it gives you an unbelievable edge. Just going to go with the x7.

[xtroria]

I like surround sound for competitive fps it gives you an unbelievable edge. Just going to go with the x7.

 

Again, surround sound is software side, not hardware. If you want to "waste" $400 on a probably mediocore amp/dac made by a company who makes mediocore audio products in the first place, sure.

 

I could get asgard 2 / modi 2 uber for that price and that's already "enough" for ToTL $2000-3000 orthodynamic headphone

 

Edit:

 

Forgot to add, for $400, you can just grab a better headphone in the first place

[TumbleButt]

Again, surround sound is software side, not hardware. If you want to "waste" $400 on a probably mediocore amp/dac made by a company who makes mediocore audio products in the first place, sure.

 

I could get asgard 2 / modi 2 uber for that price and that's already "enough" for ToTL $2000-3000 orthodynamic headphone

Uhm, I haven't heard of any music thats produced to be 7.1 (I'm told there are, I did my research but somewhat ends up in a dud) and to a degree, even if there are, I don't really see the point. But yes, you said it perfectly.

 

 

Plus OP, you really need to reconsider what you're really after.

-Edit-

Sure, audiophile grade headphones have made their way into the gaming market to certain extents, but either you go with a pair of tons of 7.1s, 5.1s, or 2.1s and give up on audiophile-grade audio quality, or go with audiophile-grade cans, have a significantly better audio quality, but give up the surround setup.

[MrEleven1181]

Again, surround sound is software side, not hardware. If you want to "waste" $400 on a probably mediocore amp/dac made by a company who makes mediocore audio products in the first place, sure.

 

I could get asgard 2 / modi 2 uber for that price and that's already "enough" for ToTL $2000-3000 orthodynamic headphone

 

Edit:

 

Forgot to add, for $400, you can just grab a better headphone in the first place

Akg q701 is arguably the best set of cans you can get for competitive gaming

[TumbleButt]

Akg q701 is arguably the best set of cans you can get for competitive gaming

-Edit-

Damnit, I read it as something else, my bad.

[spwath]

Akg q701 is arguably the best set of cans you can get for competitive gaming

Not really, there are alot of headphones out their.

 

Either way, you are pretty well set up now.

If you are happy with it, keep it as it is.

 

Maby like the others recomended, the different dac, as Astro isnt really a great audio company.

 

But yeah, dont spend any money on any "Surround" thing. If the game has surround, you will get it. If it doesnt, simulated surround wont really help, because whatever isnt integrated in the game, and therefore does not know where things are.

[creatip123]

Uhm, I haven't heard of any music thats produced to be 7.1 (I'm told there are, I did my research but somewhat ends up in a dud) and to a degree, even if there are, I don't really see the point. But yes, you said it perfectly.

 

 

Dunno about 7.1, but there are musics/albums encoded in 5.1 (I have them in my HD). It's for the 'real' 5.1, not those virtual thingamajig. Tiesto's 5.1 album is awesome. The music comes mainly from front and side, cheering and clapping comes from side and back. Puts you in the audience position. 

[xtroria]

Akg q701 is arguably the best set of cans you can get for competitive gaming

 

HD800, AD900X, AD1000X

[TumbleButt]

Dunno about 7.1, but there are musics/albums encoded in 5.1 (I have them in my HD). It's for the 'real' 5.1, not those virtual thingamajig. Tiesto's 5.1 album is awesome. The music comes mainly from front and side, cheering and clapping comes from side and back. Puts you in the audience position. 

I should try that out. I'm curious to hear one in person, so I may invest in a 5.1 headset or a speaker system.

[Mistersprinkles]

Ok, surround sound and "audiophile" don't belong together. NO audiophile uses surround sound. There are a lot of reasons for that, and if you want to know what they are I suggest you join the forums at computer audiophile or canuck audio mart and ask.

 

You will get very good 3D stereo imaging from proper 2.0 speakers. You are better off, and wiser, to buy a 2 channel integrated amplifier and a high quality pair of speakers. The amp, with only 2 channels, will be higher "quality per channel" than an equally priced 5.1 amp, and the speakers will be better quality too. $1000 buys much better 2.0 speakers than it does 5.1 speakers. 

 

I suggest you look at a Naim M2 ($1000), a pair of KEF LS50 ($1600) satellites, and a subwoofer that you feel fits your room acoustics satisfactorily ($350-1000). I suggest getting a couple, auditioning them at home, and returning the one you don't like. 

A very good USB DAC for about $400-500 is the TEAC UD 301. For $750 the UD 501 is miles ahead. They are dual mono DACs meaning that the L/R channels have their own independant circuitry, DAC chips, and outputs for better stereo separation. I have the UD 301 powering about $2300 of HIFI gear and I'm very happy with it. 

[MrEleven1181]

HD800, AD900X, AD1000X

They are no better than q701 for competitive gaming the only headphones in 200-400 price range I would say maybe beats them is ad700 but they have zero base so it's a trade off. I used to own the hd800 and ad900x

[BoredErica]

I think tube amps are dumb and it's best to get a transparent amp and dac. If you have the disposable income for it, that is. Then, you might also have the disposable income to purchase a SBX card just to see if you like it over Razer Surround or nothing at all, bypassing whatever dac/amp is on the card. It's not going to transform the game but it might do something to the audio in the game in a way that you might prefer.

 

But, if you're expecting miracles or for miracles to occur simply cuz' you spent a lot of money, you're in the wrong place.