Can we talk about the new LTT video for a second?

[KaminKevCrew]

To anyone who hasn't seen it yet, I'm talking about this one: 

 

First off, congrats to @SSL for getting a screencap of the Recommended gear thread in a video (To my knowledge, that thread hasn't been featured before.)

 

Linus talks about how the card includes RGB lighting on it, but doesn't seem to realize that the addition of the lighting actually adds interference to the sound card - there's a reason that the O2 amp was originally only allowed to be specced with a red LED. Having different colors LEDs, let alone a full RGB compliment will inevitably impact the sound. (Too bad they don't have any measuring rigs...) This is exacerbated, I'm sure, by the fact that there is an EMI shield around the sound card (not very effective I bet though, as it's not full cover) which would likely just bounce the interference around inside with all of the sensitive components. Insulation works both ways, creative!

 

He also talks about how Schiit has fewer film capacitors in their Magni/Modi 2 (Also, a big part of me feels like he just straight up isn't aware that the Magni 3 is out now.) but why does that matter? The Schiit stuff sounds good, and the aluminum used on the chassis isn't cheap. Costs have to go somewhere. Not to mention, Schiit doesn't have anywhere near the purchasing power for components that Creative does (I assume, anyway). Are electrolytics *actually* any worse, or are they just larger (I actually don't know. If someone does, please comment!)?

 

For the scout 2.0 thing, it might do Linus some good to mention that Asus has been doing this on some of their ROG boards for years. As I recollect on the PC I built for a friend, it works decently well (I assume something like that would work almost perfectly on an Atmos enabled game, as the sounds are actually programmed as objects, instead of just sounds.)

 

When it comes to talking about sound quality, The LCD 2 are not a very hard to drive headphone - not as far as planars go, anyway. Their sensitivity is over 1dB/mW, which is actually quite high. And Dennis clearly is listening with the headphones on the wrong way around. Why? That takes all of 3 seconds to do correctly.

 

Linus claims that the asus supremefX audio will drive these headphones to uncomfortable listening levels. I *highly* doubt that they will get anywhere near as loud as is portrayed in the video (ripping the headphones off in a hurry? I doubt it.) At least, if my experience with supremefX is representative of how powerful the Asus stuff is. Hell, not even my Xonar Essence could drive my HD650 to uncomfortable listening levels (oh, and I'm pretty sure they're harder to drive than either of the headphones in question.) Linus, if you want a planar that's hard to drive, go get an HE-6 from hifiman. If they get uncomfortably loud, that amp will be able to drive literally any headphones you throw at it with ease.

 

Oh, and at the end of the video, about the 7.1 surround support, that's really only a thing with speakers. Headphones cannot do 7.1, period. Even headphones with multiple drivers in the earcups. That should at least be amended to simulated 7.1, at the very least.

[Bananasplit_00]

il add in a comment i put on the video thread,

Scout non 2.0, the stuff one you get with the Soundblaster Z i have, is actiually not bad. its not perfect, but i use it and find it an improvement as long as im not also listening to music and it derps out really hard. i run the output of this card to my amp and then from there to my HD558s, the amp is really not needed becacuse these headphones can be powered just fine with my phone, but it probably impacts the quality in some way so i thought id mention it

[Damascus]

As soon as I saw this vid on FP I knew audiophiles would get

[SSL]

 

[heimdali]

This is just a commercial for yet another sound card.  Does it even work with Linux?

 

[Daniel644]

you could talk about it in the THREAD FOR THE VIDEO instead of starting a whole other thread in a whole other section.

[ShredBird]

LEDs themselves don't generate EMI (unless it's an avalanche diode), it's generally the circuitry used to drive them such as PWM controllers or switching regulators.  As long as the power planes are sufficiently separated you can ensure switching noise is reduced.  Lastly, gaps in the cover are wavelength specific and gaps that small will only allow higher frequencies, and then only variation in power in the audible frequency range will manifest as audible noise.  It may not be perfect shielding but that doesn't mean it's not functional.  Quality of the power coming from your PSU and Mobo are likely the largest sources of outside noise.