Help with sound (external dac/amp or soundcard)

[fireblade77]

hi all I have a creative soundblaster zx with some Logitech z500 5.1 speakers and a pair of sennheiser pc360 headset and a pair of beyerdynamic DT770 pro 80hm headphones.
I'm reading things that say I should ditch the sound card and use external dac/amp via usb so is this right ?
I use my pc mostly for gaming like Battlefield 3 and 4 and project cars and I usually listen to music via youtube so what is the best solution without spending a fortune. I have a friend in the same position but his sound card has gone and now using onboard sound and he doesn't want to spend more than about £70 but I don't mind going upto about £150 maybe £200 (we both need to use the mic).
any help please would be great.

 

[droopyRO]

For stereo yes but for 5.1 you need to see what DACs can do that. In games there is a difference between an Xfi and a cheap Fiio E10k DAC with headphones(AT AD 400 and Sony XB500) but not something worth the price. I got this setup a year ago and i would not do it again for gaming. Also you need a modmic/ USB microphone because you cant use your DAC for that like a soundcard.

 

[WhiteNoise]

I agree with droopy. For stereo yes but for 5.1 I'd stick with what you have. Another option strictly for music listening in stereo is to run a toslink cable from that sound card to a dac and amp and then run your headphones off that. I own that sound card and that is what I do. That way you have the option of 5.1 from your card for your 5.1 speakers as well as dac + amp for your headphones in stereo.

 

[fireblade77]

thanks guys I think I will stick with what I have then and tell my friend to buy the same sound card as I have.

 

[RejZoR]

Stick with SB Z. These are pretty damn good soundcards.

 

[fireblade77]

one thing I have noticed is that if I plug my headphones into the external volume controller that has the built in mic I lose bass in my headphones compared to plugging them into the back of the soundcard ????

 

[remixedcat]

go to the communications tab in the sound card manager, disable all volume limiting

 

[OneMoar]

Op needs a amp the zx can't drive 80ohm cans
and there is no reasion he can't have both a usb DAC and the sound card windows has supported multiple audio devices for ages
the reason it sounds better from the rear is 1. lower resistance and 2. its likely the rears are the only ports driven from the power-amp
as for what amp personally I use a CMOY type Altoids amp,

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007PYKBYE/?tag=tec06d-20
cheaper option near-identical signal performance (doesn't come with a/c power standard but you can easily retrofit it)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GPV7AH4/?tag=tec06d-20
The Beauty of these simply CMOY's is they will operate on pretty much any DC power supply 5 to 20v and the ability to swap the OP-AMP chip

 

[Kursah]

+1 to a dediated HP amp option. Drive those headphones like they were meant to be. There's a lot of ways to go about it and achieve awesome sound. Also agreed on multiple audio devices...When my Aune is turned off my onboard soundcard takes over again. I never use it...but setup if I need it. Was my mic input until the Samson Go.

You could get a better DAC/AMP solution like an Aune T1 that has RCA outputs for a speaker amp, swappable tubes to adjust audio, SolidState AMP that can put out plenty of power most headphones out there. I've driven planar headphones with the T1 and had more volume than I could stand. Features an adjustable gain too so you can easily amp earbuds and lower-power headphones and have good volume management/control. Good quality POTS volume, smooth.

The RCA output for a speaker amp/PC speakers is great as well. No drivers needed for Windows, good quality DAC for the price. I've ran mine for years without a single issue. It'll cost more than other options here, but it'll be worthy of driving those Beyers fully and then some. I can't recommend the T1 enough with my experiences it has been great. If you want to tune the sound with an EQ, that's easy enough to do with EqualizierAPO and either editing the EQ text file, using an interface like PeaceUI or something else. I've used EQAPO+PeaceUI for some time and love it. Been an excellent audio combo.

If you need a mic, get a USB mic and you're set. I used a Samson GO I got for dirt cheap...great Mic...worth every penny.

I'm not sure the availability of the Aune T1 I have anymore, I believe is the Mk1, but the Mk2 has been out for a while now and is a good choice that offers some minor improvements on design. If you can find one in your budget, I'd say snag it. But research too...a CMOY might be better for you, plus opamp swapping can get entertaining..albeit expensive quickly...I had an Auzen X-Fi Forte one could swap opamps on...never did because I felt the $$$ was ridiculous (that was for the opamps for that specific device...CMOYs can take a wider variety). Either option will be more powerful than your current choices, and there's more out there as well. Depends on a lot of variables...but do take the time to research what is suggested.

 

[OneMoar]

personally I am not a fan of USB audio generally they are nosier and prone to interference
if you want a real audio card with real quality
screw creative grab a HT Omega

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005R5NJCY/?tag=tec06d-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006U9OML8/?tag=tec06d-20
you can not do better then HT Omega
its a simple no nonsense sound card

 

[remixedcat]

Ummm USB has LESS noise since it's further from the mobo, hence the appeal of external DAC


Oh and here's the option you're looking for

 

[OneMoar]

Ummm USB has LESS noise since it's further from the mobo, hence the appeal of external DAC


Oh and here's the option you're looking for
View attachment 74146

nope not how it works a lot of usb ports are common ground, and common ground = ground loops

 

[Kursah]

Never had a single issue with noise or interference on any USB DAC I've used in the past 5 years.

I should add that I've had all sorts of noise and interference issues with cheap and expensive and even shielded sound cards and onboard audio solutions alike.

YMMV.

 

[OneMoar]

Never had an issue with noise or interference on any USB DAC I've used in the past 5 years. YMMV.

depends entirely on the case/motherboard/psu being used
a lot of cases with front panel usb suffers from ground loop issues

 

[remixedcat]

@BumbleBee summoning you

 

[Ferrum Master]

OneMoar is right. A shitty USB causes many weird things due to multiple devices using it. On shitty motherboards, yes. Seen some... even used few... mouse irq interrupts usually is the worst thing.

Obviously PC and audio always have their drawbacks, there is no other way around it.

I tend to use toslink, albeit it also may have sync issues and crackling when switching modes on some codecs. Currenly I am feeding my amp via old analg way via onboard PCM1794A on my fully recapped X-Fi HD. And i like it.

So the moral - you have to cherry pick what fits you the best. It is often so subjective and only a matter of taste not fidelity.

 

[OneMoar]

EMI is usually the last thing you are worried about when it comes to noise in a audio system
usually its power,ground,crosstalk

 

[Beastie]

If you are keen on sound quality and only want stereo I'd recommend an external usb dac. If you want 5.1 or similar then I'd recommend onboard unless you have money to burn.

 

[Aquinus]

one thing I have noticed is that if I plug my headphones into the external volume controller that has the built in mic I lose bass in my headphones compared to plugging them into the back of the soundcard ????

...and that's what I would call needing an amp. The OP might not need a DAC but, if there is a good DAC/AMP combo I would go for it. I've been debating getting one myself for my Sennheiser HD 380 Pros but, I haven't decided on anything quite yet. I've been using a stereo amp with them but, the noise is amped off the onboard but, the amp very clearly improves clarity of the sound including low end if the headphones aren't the limitation but, it makes the noise that much more noticeable.

I would suggest a USB device if and only if you're going to be traveling with it. I'm considering something like a Fiio E17 ALPEN or E17K ALPEN 2 because I want it to come to work with me on the days that I don't work from home but, I haven't done enough research to know if that's the best option for the price.

 

[Jetster]

When it comes to sound, there are so many options and only money can hold you back. But with gaming its really is a waste to spend more. A descent sound card and a nice set of cans and that's it. I use a ATH-M50 and a ASUS Xonar DGX card for gaming. For music I have a over $1200 set up on my HTPC with a AVR and with 5.1 it works great. But with gaming sound the other works as good