New sound setup's

[OddsCrazyStuff]

I'm looking at 2 setups for sound. The first is a headphone+dac setup and the other is an active speaker+bass combo.

 

What I'm looking for is a headphone that sound okay/good in game when streaming and works excellent with video editing. Kind of hard to describe, but basicly they need to have a somewhat neutral sound stage, so my mix dont get coloured by the headphone.

 

I also want to upgrade my current cheap 5.1 system, with something that gives more volume yet still has the clarity you expect from a proper speaker. As 5.1 is not as common yet, so will 2.1 be enough for this upgrade. I also went with active speakers, as they require less space and should be easier to move around, if I want to switch them from my TV to my PC.

 

Amp: https://www.asus.com/Essence-Hi-Fi-Audio/Xonar_Essence_STU/

Headphone: http://en-us.sennheiser.com/audiophile-headphones-high-end-around-ear-hd-700 or http://en-us.sennheiser.com/high-quality-headphones-around-ear-audio-surround-hd-650

 

Speakers: http://www.klipsch.com/products/r-15pm-powered-monitors

Sub: http://www.klipsch.com/products/reference-subwoofers#r-10sw

 

Do I waist my money or have I not spent enough for what I'm looking for?

 

Also, as a note: There is a limit to what the shops in Norway has (warranty is a pain when dealing with international shipping), so not all suggestions can be followed, but the most popular once should be available.

[spwath]

Great choice on speakers, headphones and such not so much

[OddsCrazyStuff]

2 minutes ago, spwath said:

Great choice on speakers, headphones and such not so much

Its hard to find headphones with a neutral sound stage, hence this post.

[spwath]

18 minutes ago, OddsCrazyStuff said:

Its hard to find headphones with a neutral sound stage, hence this post.

I would get the 650, not the 700, and not an Asus amp/DAC, probably no amp or dac at all

[OddsCrazyStuff]

1 minute ago, spwath said:

I would get the 650, not the 700, and not an Asus amp/DAC, probably no amp or dac at all

The 650 is a 300 Ω headset. I dont think my motherboard that handle that.

[spwath]

3 minutes ago, OddsCrazyStuff said:

The 650 is a 300 Ω headset. I dont think my motherboard that handle that.

Impedance isn't the main factor, sensitivity is. Try it with your motherboard, if it's not loud enough, get a schitt amp.

[Dackzy]

1 minute ago, OddsCrazyStuff said:

The 650 is a 300 Ω headset. I dont think my motherboard that handle that.

Ohm is one of the last things you should look at because it does not matter that much, you can have 32 Ohm headphones that are harder to drive than 600 Ohm headphones. Try with onboard, if you need a amp then you can give the pinned post a look about amps and dacs, there are a lot of recommendations there

[OddsCrazyStuff]

3 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

Ohm is one of the last things you should look at because it does not matter that much, you can have 32 Ohm headphones that are harder to drive than 600 Ohm headphones. Try with onboard, if you need a amp then you can give the pinned post a look about amps and dacs, there are a lot of recommendations there

Just about every single device uses Ohm in the description. So it must have some importance.

 

Also, none of the shops has the amps you recommend.

[Dackzy]

14 minutes ago, OddsCrazyStuff said:

Just about every single device uses Ohm in the description. So it must have some importance.

 

Also, none of the shops has the amps you recommend.

Yeah it says something, but it is such a little part of the equation that you can just ignore it. what about using www.amazon.de ??

[OddsCrazyStuff]

9 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

Yeah it says something, but it is such a little part of the equation that you can just ignore it. what about using www.amazon.de ??

I think this one should work with the HD 650: http://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-digital-music-premium-hd

And it looks like it can handle 2 sound sources at once, so I have both in game sound and stream notification, even when they are on 2 separate PCs.

[Dackzy]

17 minutes ago, OddsCrazyStuff said:

I think this one should work with the HD 650: http://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-digital-music-premium-hd

And it looks like it can handle 2 sound sources at once, so I have both in game sound and stream notification, even when they are on 2 separate PCs.

NO! Stay the F away from creative, they like to color the sound.

[OddsCrazyStuff]

49 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

NO! Stay the F away from creative, they like to color the sound.

Not that many options left then.

 

https://www.headphone.com/products/fiio-e10k-olympus-2

http://www.musicalfidelity.com/v90-hpa

Rega Ear MKII http://www.rega.co.uk/ear.html

 

[Dackzy]

4 minutes ago, OddsCrazyStuff said:

Not that many options left then.

 

https://www.headphone.com/products/fiio-e10k-olympus-2

http://www.musicalfidelity.com/v90-hpa

Rega Ear MKII http://www.rega.co.uk/ear.html

 

why can't you use amazon? The HD650 are pretty power hungry, but why not try with onboard before you buy a amp.

[OddsCrazyStuff]

8 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

why can't you use amazon? The HD650 are pretty power hungry, but why not try with onboard before you buy a amp.

Because warranty is a pain to deal with, when buying from outside Norway.

Also, this crap " This item does not ship to Norway."

 

[Dackzy]

2 minutes ago, OddsCrazyStuff said:

Because warranty is a pain to deal with, when buying from outside Norway.

Also, this crap " This item does not ship to Norway."

 

Try with onboard first and you can also buy a schiit amp here, IF you need one http://www.schiit-europe.com/

[OddsCrazyStuff]

59 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

Try with onboard first and you can also buy a schiit amp here, IF you need one http://www.schiit-europe.com/

I stack Schiit Modi 2 Uber and Schiit Magni 2 Uber, then add in Schiit PYST RCA to prevent 1 meter + cable mess.

That along with the Sennheiser HD 650, should give me a neutral sound stage?

[SleathX1]

11 minutes ago, OddsCrazyStuff said:

I stack Schiit Modi 2 Uber and Schiit Magni 2 Uber, then add in Schiit PYST RCA to prevent 1 meter + cable mess.

That along with the Sennheiser HD 650, should give me a neutral sound stage?

I think you'll like the Sennheisers, but first watch this so that you align your wants to the right model. Hope this helps!

[OddsCrazyStuff]

Also, does it matter that the speaker stand is smaller then the speaker?

Speaker is 178mm x 206mm and the stand is 125mm x 125mm.

[Dackzy]

19 minutes ago, SleathX1 said:

I think you'll like the Sennheisers, but first watch this so that you align your wants to the right model. Hope this helps!

LoL that reviewer is a joke among audiophiles and should stop making videos.

 

34 minutes ago, OddsCrazyStuff said:

I stack Schiit Modi 2 Uber and Schiit Magni 2 Uber, then add in Schiit PYST RCA to prevent 1 meter + cable mess.

That along with the Sennheiser HD 650, should give me a neutral sound stage?

what do you mean by neutral sound stage? Do you mean neutral sound signature? If yes then look at the HD600, since the HD650 has a more warm sound signature. The modi and magni are great for their price.

[Dackzy]

12 minutes ago, OddsCrazyStuff said:

Also, does it matter that the speaker stand is smaller then the speaker?

Speaker is 178mm x 206mm and the stand is 125mm x 125mm.

no not really

[SleathX1]

2 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

LoL that reviewer is a joke among audiophiles and should stop making videos.

 

what do you mean by neutral sound stage? Do you mean neutral sound signature? If yes then look at the HD600, since the HD650 has a more warm sound signature. The modi and magni are great for their price.

You don't like Z? And who are these audiophiles that hate him? I know I've been away from LTT for a while but this is all news to me

[Dackzy]

2 minutes ago, SleathX1 said:

You don't like Z? And who are these audiophiles that hate him? I know I've been away from LTT for a while but this is all news to me

let me introduce you to head-fi and a lot of the big audio member like @SSL. Z reviews is really sensitive to highs while still having a shitty hearing and his reviews are extremely opinionated, with no real information in them at all, ofc sometimes he is right about something that is kinda bound to happen. If things don't fit his preferences or close too, he will give the thing a extremely bad review.

[OddsCrazyStuff]

11 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

what do you mean by neutral sound stage? Do you mean neutral sound signature? If yes then look at the HD600, since the HD650 has a more warm sound signature. The modi and magni are great for their price.

Yeah, it seems most reviews agree that HD 600 is more neutral. I was comparing HD 650 vs HD 700, which I though the HD 650 was most neutral of those.

[Dackzy]

1 minute ago, OddsCrazyStuff said:

Yeah, it seems most reviews agree that HD 600 is more neutral. I was comparing HD 650 vs HD 700, which I though the HD 650 was most neutral of those.

Yeah the HD 600 is the most neutral, but remember that is called sound signature and not soundstage, that mixup can confuse people. The HD700 are a very weird beast and are hate them or love them and most people hate them...

[Guest]

What kind of room are we talking about for the sub? Size/dimensions?

 

For headphones I would suggest HD 650 if you don't mind a warm sound, HD 600 otherwise. Motherboard with Realtek should be fine; avoid anything Creative. If you find that you need an amp to reach a desired listening volume, add Schiit Magni 2.