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I'm confused and need help.

EarlyChimp
By EarlyChimp
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Go to solution Solved by SirRoderick,

Does a dac just get rid of static or does it do other things as well and what is the difference between a dac and an amp?

 

A DAC is a digital to analog converter. Meaning it can translate computer signals (digital) to heaphone signals (analog). The hting that causes your static is the quality of the DAC built into your motherboard, as well as interference from other electrical components in your PC case. If you use a USB DAC, that interference is gone. A bad DAC will mean bad sound but these days most external DACs or soundcards will be just fine.

 

An amp stands for amplifier and amplifies the signal to a useable level. a USB DAC like the Fiio E10K has one built in so is technically an amp/DAC combo unit. Any soundcard or standalone USB DAC should have one and unless you use VERY high end headphones ou shoul never really see a problem with the amp that is used.

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So I am looking around for a new pair of headphones primarily for gaming and movies and a little bit of music, I am looking at the hd598's from senheiser and I have heard mixed reviews for them regarding gaming some people saying they're terrible and others saying they're good, one of the things I want in a pair of headphones is knowing where someone is shooting me from or being able to tell which direction their footsteps are coming from. I don't have a sound card in my pc and don't know if I need a dac or amp or how to set one up for that matter, I don't know how to get directional audio from 2 speakers as well.

sorry if these are stupid questions I'm just confused.

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The headphones are pretty universally good, should give you NO trouble at all for gaming.

 

You don't really need a soundcard, should work just fin by plugging the 3.5mm jack into your motherboard just like you would any other headset or speakers. If you have a lot of interference or static sound, you could consider getting a small USB sound card for easy use.

 

Directional sound with headphones is something most games do automatically, sometimes you select the headphones option in the soundmenu. Regardless, most games really are built with directional audio in mind and you don't have to do anything to make it work.

Case: Meatbag, humanoid - APU: Human Brain version 1.53 (stock clock) - Storage: 100TB SND (Squishy Neuron Drive) - PSU: a combined 500W of Mitochondrial cells - Optical Drives: 2 Oculi, with corrective lenses.

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So I am looking around for a new pair of headphones primarily for gaming and movies and a little bit of music, I am looking at the hd598's from senheiser and I have heard mixed reviews for them regarding gaming some people saying they're terrible and others saying they're good, one of the things I want in a pair of headphones is knowing where someone is shooting me from or being able to tell which direction their footsteps are coming from. I don't have a sound card in my pc and don't know if I need a dac or amp or how to set one up for that matter, I don't know how to get directional audio from 2 speakers as well.

sorry if these are stupid questions I'm just confused.

You should also follow your topics if you want a notification :)

Case: Meatbag, humanoid - APU: Human Brain version 1.53 (stock clock) - Storage: 100TB SND (Squishy Neuron Drive) - PSU: a combined 500W of Mitochondrial cells - Optical Drives: 2 Oculi, with corrective lenses.

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I do have quite a bit of static sound so which product would you recommend to fix that?

I would say a small USB DAC is the best choice since it is easy and effective. I personally use a Fiio E10 and I could recommend that http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-DAC/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441797392&sr=8-1&keywords=fiio+E10 if you can get something cheaper feel free to, just check reviews

Case: Meatbag, humanoid - APU: Human Brain version 1.53 (stock clock) - Storage: 100TB SND (Squishy Neuron Drive) - PSU: a combined 500W of Mitochondrial cells - Optical Drives: 2 Oculi, with corrective lenses.

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  • Solution

Does a dac just get rid of static or does it do other things as well and what is the difference between a dac and an amp?

 

A DAC is a digital to analog converter. Meaning it can translate computer signals (digital) to heaphone signals (analog). The hting that causes your static is the quality of the DAC built into your motherboard, as well as interference from other electrical components in your PC case. If you use a USB DAC, that interference is gone. A bad DAC will mean bad sound but these days most external DACs or soundcards will be just fine.

 

An amp stands for amplifier and amplifies the signal to a useable level. a USB DAC like the Fiio E10K has one built in so is technically an amp/DAC combo unit. Any soundcard or standalone USB DAC should have one and unless you use VERY high end headphones ou shoul never really see a problem with the amp that is used.

Case: Meatbag, humanoid - APU: Human Brain version 1.53 (stock clock) - Storage: 100TB SND (Squishy Neuron Drive) - PSU: a combined 500W of Mitochondrial cells - Optical Drives: 2 Oculi, with corrective lenses.

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my next question whould be i have heard the hd598's have little bass or something along the lines of that would that bass switch on the fiio e10k fix that problem?

The headphones are balanced in nature, they dont have a LOT of bass but it depends on your personal taste if you think this is a bad thing. The E10K DOEs have that bass boost to give a little extra, but it doesn't change the headphones themselve so if you DO like lots of bass you might want to consider different headphones. In that case I suggest the Beyerdynamic DT-990's

Case: Meatbag, humanoid - APU: Human Brain version 1.53 (stock clock) - Storage: 100TB SND (Squishy Neuron Drive) - PSU: a combined 500W of Mitochondrial cells - Optical Drives: 2 Oculi, with corrective lenses.

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Ok cool and one more question, you said that games have directional sound but what about with movies or netflix?

Most movies are recorded with support for surround sound, at the very least stereo which is what headphones need. You also don't have to do anything to enjoy that.

Case: Meatbag, humanoid - APU: Human Brain version 1.53 (stock clock) - Storage: 100TB SND (Squishy Neuron Drive) - PSU: a combined 500W of Mitochondrial cells - Optical Drives: 2 Oculi, with corrective lenses.

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Ok thanks a lot, you've been very helpful

No problem :)

Case: Meatbag, humanoid - APU: Human Brain version 1.53 (stock clock) - Storage: 100TB SND (Squishy Neuron Drive) - PSU: a combined 500W of Mitochondrial cells - Optical Drives: 2 Oculi, with corrective lenses.

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