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On April 16 2012 20:10 MoonfireSpam wrote:Show nested quote +On April 15 2012 22:35 Aphasie wrote:
Hey, my on the go earphones have broken again (Sennheisser CX-300, seeing how much cheaper they are on the net as compared to norwegian stores really lit a fire #%!%$!) and the warranty is void. I've been pleased with them but im thinking of upgrading. I know audiophiles sees earphones/IEMs as a consumer product but i cant really afford to spend big amounts ($200+) on something whose cord will break a year from now (as it always does). But both Shure SE315 and SE425 caught my eye, because you can change the cord.
Does anybody have any experience with these two models? And the difference in quality in upgrading to SE425. Unfortunately the store im likely to buy from only has SE425 as a test model (though they didnt have any replacement earbuds, so im going back on wednesday to test them). So i dont really get to test them against each other.
The prices for SE315 is ~$240 and ~$345 for SE425 (which is a $70 discount from their list price) in their store. It's expensive, i know. But buying on the web is kinda out of the question as i will get slapped with a 25% tax (again, norway - expensive) and end up with prices that are kinda the same but i have no retailer to go to (I think theres a 5 year warranty for these kind of products in norway). And from what i understand, the store im buying from will replace broken cords for free (as compared to $40 on the net).
So basically, does anybody have experience with these? Or have suggestions to earphones/IEMs that has longevity
comparable to these. I have to admit the se425's are a bit pricey, but i think i can manage it.
Peace out Might want to consider the SE215 if you're looking for value. They are almost half the price of the SE315s (£77.50 vs £130) and seem to get pretty good reviews on Head Fi. Pretty much buying for the same reasons - looking for good isolation that I can bring on a long commute with replaceable bits. At least I just ordered a pair to replace broken Shure 210s. The drivers still work fine after 4 years and almost daily use. The rubber casing unfortunately disintergrated over time. Cable is starting to go as well, but after 4 years I think thats fairly reasonable.
I ended up buying the 425's and im pretty pleased with them. They seem to center the sound "inside my brain" making for a better stereo effect than the CX300. The clarity is also better. I reasoned that if im gonna have these for 3-4 years, why not go the extra mile and get something decent. And replacing the cable of the 215s with $40 (after the warranty expires)
seems a bit stiff. The sound isolation is also incredibly good compared to the cx300. It seems like a shoot-out could happen and i wouldnt even notice it 
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Hi!
I wanna buy a new headphone, but i just cannot decide. I'm hesitating between philips shp2700 and shp5401.
Specs of the SHP2700:
Sound
• Acoustic system: Open
• Magnet type: Neodymium
• Frequency response: 18 - 28,000 Hz
• Impedance: 32 Ohm
• Maximum power input: 1500 mW
• Sensitivity: 104 dB
• Speaker diameter: 40 mm
Connectivity
• Cable Connection: One-sided
• Cable length: 3 m
• Finishing of connector: Chrome-plated
• Type of cable: OFC
Accessories
• Adapter plug: 3.5-6.3 mm
• price:6590HUF =>29USD
•IMG
Specs of the SHP5401:
Sound
• Acoustic system: Open
• Magnet type: Neodymium
• Frequency response: 15–28,000 Hz
• Impedance: 32 Ohm
Connectivity
• Cable Connection: One-sided
• Connector: 3.5 and 6.3 mm stereo
• Finishing of connector: Chrome-plated
• Type of cable: Oxygen-Free Copper
Accessories
• Adapter plug: 3.5-6.3 mm
• price: 4730HUF=> ~21USD
• IMG
The SHP2700 looks a bit more massive and it looks nice, but the other one has better specs and lower price.Unfortunately I dont know anything about how comfortable they are for playin like 6-7 hours. I need your advices, and thanks for the replies.
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You can't tell anything about the sound by reading those kinds of specs, except about how loud they will play. Where would you get the idea that the SHP2700 would have better specs? Even with real data, it can be a little hard to tell. Granted, often the larger headphones sound better at a particular price because there are less design constraints to work with.
In a lot of the world, Philips headphones seem to be mostly overlooked, though apparently they have greater mindshare in parts of Europe and many models may be good values. I've got no idea, but maybe somebody else knows these models.
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That's because Philips has offered terrible headphone, until now.
Their Fidelio L1 and Citiscape series isn't half bad and caters decently to the audiophile community.
Frequency graphs and specifications don't always tell the tale and sometimes the sound heard can be a stark difference.
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I was planning on buying Sennheiser HD650 and using the Asus Xonar STX as the DAC/Amplifier, would there be anything screamingly wrong with this set up/better alternatives?
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On April 21 2012 15:55 Pwnographics wrote:
I was planning on buying Sennheiser HD650 and using the Asus Xonar STX as the DAC/Amplifier, would there be anything screamingly wrong with this set up/better alternatives?
I have a AKG Q701 and the Asus Xonar STX is more then enough to power them. I dont dare to put them on the highest volume in fear of blowing up the drivers. I dont know about the HD650 but i doubt they require that much more then my AKGs.
From what i can hear (sound quality wise) the Asus Xonar STX is worth every penny. It's a bargain actually.
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On April 21 2012 16:10 Weson wrote:Show nested quote +On April 21 2012 15:55 Pwnographics wrote:
I was planning on buying Sennheiser HD650 and using the Asus Xonar STX as the DAC/Amplifier, would there be anything screamingly wrong with this set up/better alternatives? I have a AKG Q701 and the Asus Xonar STX is more then enough to power them. I dont dare to put them on the highest volume in fear of blowing up the drivers. I dont know about the HD650 but i doubt they require that much more then my AKGs. From what i can hear (sound quality wise) the Asus Xonar STX is worth every penny. It's a bargain actually.
Even though it can attain the same volume, honestly, running out of the sound card can leave the music feeling lacking, even though you feel its the same volume. The way I would describe it is that although you've reached the volume, it can sound strained and it leaves you with the feeling that it just wants a bit more power, even though you're at your desired volume. This is especially because the AKG's are hard to drive.
It's really quite subjective but running out of the soundcard alone gives me the feeling that the music is just not quite complete.
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On April 21 2012 16:20 iMYoonA wrote:Show nested quote +On April 21 2012 16:10 Weson wrote:On April 21 2012 15:55 Pwnographics wrote:
I was planning on buying Sennheiser HD650 and using the Asus Xonar STX as the DAC/Amplifier, would there be anything screamingly wrong with this set up/better alternatives? I have a AKG Q701 and the Asus Xonar STX is more then enough to power them. I dont dare to put them on the highest volume in fear of blowing up the drivers. I dont know about the HD650 but i doubt they require that much more then my AKGs. From what i can hear (sound quality wise) the Asus Xonar STX is worth every penny. It's a bargain actually. Even though it can attain the same volume, honestly, running out of the sound card can leave the music feeling lacking, even though you feel its the same volume. The way I would describe it is that although you've reached the volume, it can sound strained and it leaves you with the feeling that it just wants a bit more power, even though you're at your desired volume. This is especially because the AKG's are hard to drive. It's really quite subjective but running out of the soundcard alone gives me the feeling that the music is just not quite complete.
the soundcard has a headphone amp built in
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On April 21 2012 16:23 Bosu wrote:Show nested quote +On April 21 2012 16:20 iMYoonA wrote:On April 21 2012 16:10 Weson wrote:On April 21 2012 15:55 Pwnographics wrote:
I was planning on buying Sennheiser HD650 and using the Asus Xonar STX as the DAC/Amplifier, would there be anything screamingly wrong with this set up/better alternatives? I have a AKG Q701 and the Asus Xonar STX is more then enough to power them. I dont dare to put them on the highest volume in fear of blowing up the drivers. I dont know about the HD650 but i doubt they require that much more then my AKGs. From what i can hear (sound quality wise) the Asus Xonar STX is worth every penny. It's a bargain actually. Even though it can attain the same volume, honestly, running out of the sound card can leave the music feeling lacking, even though you feel its the same volume. The way I would describe it is that although you've reached the volume, it can sound strained and it leaves you with the feeling that it just wants a bit more power, even though you're at your desired volume. This is especially because the AKG's are hard to drive. It's really quite subjective but running out of the soundcard alone gives me the feeling that the music is just not quite complete. the soundcard has a headphone amp built in
i do know that, i know exactly what hes talking about, the Essence STX.
All those Fiio little portable amp's are still portable amp's, but a lot of people realise that they don't sound very good paired with the AKG's for exactly the reason I said.
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On April 21 2012 16:30 iMYoonA wrote:Show nested quote +On April 21 2012 16:23 Bosu wrote:On April 21 2012 16:20 iMYoonA wrote:On April 21 2012 16:10 Weson wrote:On April 21 2012 15:55 Pwnographics wrote:
I was planning on buying Sennheiser HD650 and using the Asus Xonar STX as the DAC/Amplifier, would there be anything screamingly wrong with this set up/better alternatives? I have a AKG Q701 and the Asus Xonar STX is more then enough to power them. I dont dare to put them on the highest volume in fear of blowing up the drivers. I dont know about the HD650 but i doubt they require that much more then my AKGs. From what i can hear (sound quality wise) the Asus Xonar STX is worth every penny. It's a bargain actually. Even though it can attain the same volume, honestly, running out of the sound card can leave the music feeling lacking, even though you feel its the same volume. The way I would describe it is that although you've reached the volume, it can sound strained and it leaves you with the feeling that it just wants a bit more power, even though you're at your desired volume. This is especially because the AKG's are hard to drive. It's really quite subjective but running out of the soundcard alone gives me the feeling that the music is just not quite complete. the soundcard has a headphone amp built in i do know that, i know exactly what hes talking about, the Essence STX. All those Fiio little portable amp's are still portable amp's, but a lot of people realise that they don't sound very good paired with the AKG's for exactly the reason I said.
My setup at the moment is Asus Xonar Essence STX -> Matrix M-Stage -> Q701. I bought the Matrix M-Stage because guys told me that the sound would be so much better then with my Asus Xonar Essence STX. TBH I can barely hear any difference. Maybe they sound a tad bit warmer and more relaxed with the M-Stage. It could also be placebo. I dont know. If i didn't have unlimited funds to spend on audio gear i would go for Asus Xonar Essence STX and the settle with that. The real lesson i learned is that you should always listen before you buy. I cant emphesize this enough.
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Wow thanks for all the advice, I'm pretty much set on the Asus Xonar STX because of the performance:value issue + it has a headphone amp.
I was also considering the HD600 vs the HD650, I pretty much have to stick with Sennheiser cause I get a 40% discount on their line. (Unless I get a full sound system 55% off Polks! Woohoo)
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On April 21 2012 16:20 iMYoonA wrote:Show nested quote +On April 21 2012 16:10 Weson wrote:On April 21 2012 15:55 Pwnographics wrote:
I was planning on buying Sennheiser HD650 and using the Asus Xonar STX as the DAC/Amplifier, would there be anything screamingly wrong with this set up/better alternatives? I have a AKG Q701 and the Asus Xonar STX is more then enough to power them. I dont dare to put them on the highest volume in fear of blowing up the drivers. I dont know about the HD650 but i doubt they require that much more then my AKGs. From what i can hear (sound quality wise) the Asus Xonar STX is worth every penny. It's a bargain actually. Even though it can attain the same volume, honestly, running out of the sound card can leave the music feeling lacking, even though you feel its the same volume. The way I would describe it is that although you've reached the volume, it can sound strained and it leaves you with the feeling that it just wants a bit more power, even though you're at your desired volume. This is especially because the AKG's are hard to drive. It's really quite subjective but running out of the soundcard alone gives me the feeling that the music is just not quite complete.
Yes, it's true that sound quality can degrade, particularly at higher volumes into more demanding headphones such as K701 / K702 / Q701 (HD 650 and HD 600 are easy loads aside from the volume requirement). It's not sufficient only to have enough volume, but for the equipment to still run well at those levels.
That said, there's a huge bias against sound cards in some circles, and that's mostly what a lot of people are hearing in many cases, not actually an issue with the sound cards themselves. It shouldn't sound good, so... Probably.
Most audiophile-favorite single-ended, vacuum-tube, and other amp designs, are going to sound more distorted (strained maybe?) running Q701, than a lot of sound cards.
As for STX, it shouldn't at all be straining, if the performance is anything like the E9 and other amps using the TPA6120 that have been demonstrated to have pretty good performance. That said, like any internal sound card especially, beware of graphics cards and other components causing audible interference under certain conditions, if you want to get an STX.
Also, note that the STX amp section is not well suited for certain IEMs—mostly high-end models and any headphones with wildly varying impedance over frequency. For most fullsize headphones and anything with relatively high impedance, it should be great though. Exceptions are not being able to drive some discontinued AKGs and HE-6 to really loud levels.
If you just want to use HD 650 or HD 600 and don't listen really loud, peaks above 110 dB SPL, you could just get a FiiO E10 instead. The D/A is not quite as good as on the STX, and the amplifier is not as powerful, but you probably won't need the extra power. The advantage of the E10 is being cheaper, less likelihood of issues from interference, and no issues with IEMs and other models due to high output impedance. [edit: I mean that the E10 has low output impedance and thus doesn't suffer from some issues that devices with high output impedance have in some circumstances]
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Does anyone have knowledge on this ODAC? http://nwavguy.blogspot.ca/2012/04/odac-released.html
I'm still confused on what a DAC actually is. Currently I just have a soundcard and my headphone. From what I've read so far, a DAC replaces a soundcard. Do I still need an amp?
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On April 22 2012 03:00 Chaoz wrote:Does anyone have knowledge on this ODAC? http://nwavguy.blogspot.ca/2012/04/odac-released.htmlI'm still confused on what a DAC actually is. Currently I just have a soundcard and my headphone. From what I've read so far, a DAC replaces a soundcard. Do I still need an amp?
It won't be available to anybody for several weeks.
A DAC is a digital-to-analog converter. In this context, we're talking about devices that convert the digitally-encoded audio data into an analog (voltage) signal, such that with the aid of speakers or headphones down the line, you can actually listen to something. You still need an amplifier after a DAC, to drive headphones. You also need an amplifier, of a different kind, for speakers, though active speakers include their own amplifiers internally. Some DACs (the products) include an integrated headphone amplifier, but that one does not. You're right that it essentially replaces a sound card, or rather that it's a separate audio device in the OS, so you'd be using one or the other.
A sound card includes a DAC and usually these days some kind of integrated headphone amplifier (yours does if you're using headphones on it), in addition to ADCs and other hardware to handle the inputs, and maybe some other features as well.
The only real advantage of that guy's DAC is that it might be the highest-fidelity DAC ever released, at that price point or less. Everything better is more expensive. However, the headphones or speakers matter a lot more for the sound quality, and you can get cheaper alternatives that are just fine except for a few minor compromises or issues. So thus this is kind of a niche market for people with high-end sound systems or headphones, who don't already have a good DAC, or who want something that doesn't have many features and is small, and that supports 24-bit / 96 kHz over USB on native OS drivers.
You might want to read this, from the same source:
http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/gain-and-headphone-ampsdacs.html
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Nothing wrong with the HD650+STX setup. It's fairly well-regarded and common for those who want to listen from a PC.
I mentioned it somewhere previously but on a crossfire graphics setup, the STX is dead silent on the low gain - dial turned to 5 o clock position, but higher gain it does hiss with the dial going past 12 (this is just on my setup ymmv).
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On April 19 2012 21:31 Aphasie wrote:Show nested quote +On April 16 2012 20:10 MoonfireSpam wrote:On April 15 2012 22:35 Aphasie wrote:
Hey, my on the go earphones have broken again (Sennheisser CX-300, seeing how much cheaper they are on the net as compared to norwegian stores really lit a fire #%!%$!) and the warranty is void. I've been pleased with them but im thinking of upgrading. I know audiophiles sees earphones/IEMs as a consumer product but i cant really afford to spend big amounts ($200+) on something whose cord will break a year from now (as it always does). But both Shure SE315 and SE425 caught my eye, because you can change the cord.
Does anybody have any experience with these two models? And the difference in quality in upgrading to SE425. Unfortunately the store im likely to buy from only has SE425 as a test model (though they didnt have any replacement earbuds, so im going back on wednesday to test them). So i dont really get to test them against each other.
The prices for SE315 is ~$240 and ~$345 for SE425 (which is a $70 discount from their list price) in their store. It's expensive, i know. But buying on the web is kinda out of the question as i will get slapped with a 25% tax (again, norway - expensive) and end up with prices that are kinda the same but i have no retailer to go to (I think theres a 5 year warranty for these kind of products in norway). And from what i understand, the store im buying from will replace broken cords for free (as compared to $40 on the net).
So basically, does anybody have experience with these? Or have suggestions to earphones/IEMs that has longevity
comparable to these. I have to admit the se425's are a bit pricey, but i think i can manage it.
Peace out Might want to consider the SE215 if you're looking for value. They are almost half the price of the SE315s (£77.50 vs £130) and seem to get pretty good reviews on Head Fi. Pretty much buying for the same reasons - looking for good isolation that I can bring on a long commute with replaceable bits. At least I just ordered a pair to replace broken Shure 210s. The drivers still work fine after 4 years and almost daily use. The rubber casing unfortunately disintergrated over time. Cable is starting to go as well, but after 4 years I think thats fairly reasonable. I ended up buying the 425's and im pretty pleased with them. They seem to center the sound "inside my brain" making for a better stereo effect than the CX300. The clarity is also better. I reasoned that if im gonna have these for 3-4 years, why not go the extra mile and get something decent. And replacing the cable of the 215s with $40 (after the warranty expires) seems a bit stiff. The sound isolation is also incredibly good compared to the cx300. It seems like a shoot-out could happen and i wouldnt even notice it
Did you get the clear ones or the silver ones?
Pretty cool to see another person enjoy the 425s lol most people don't like them as they are "bass-shy" =)
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On April 22 2012 01:57 Myrmidon wrote:Show nested quote +On April 21 2012 16:20 iMYoonA wrote:On April 21 2012 16:10 Weson wrote:On April 21 2012 15:55 Pwnographics wrote:
I was planning on buying Sennheiser HD650 and using the Asus Xonar STX as the DAC/Amplifier, would there be anything screamingly wrong with this set up/better alternatives? I have a AKG Q701 and the Asus Xonar STX is more then enough to power them. I dont dare to put them on the highest volume in fear of blowing up the drivers. I dont know about the HD650 but i doubt they require that much more then my AKGs. From what i can hear (sound quality wise) the Asus Xonar STX is worth every penny. It's a bargain actually. Even though it can attain the same volume, honestly, running out of the sound card can leave the music feeling lacking, even though you feel its the same volume. The way I would describe it is that although you've reached the volume, it can sound strained and it leaves you with the feeling that it just wants a bit more power, even though you're at your desired volume. This is especially because the AKG's are hard to drive. It's really quite subjective but running out of the soundcard alone gives me the feeling that the music is just not quite complete. Yes, it's true that sound quality can degrade, particularly at higher volumes into more demanding headphones such as K701 / K702 / Q701 (HD 650 and HD 600 are easy loads aside from the volume requirement). It's not sufficient only to have enough volume, but for the equipment to still run well at those levels. That said, there's a huge bias against sound cards in some circles, and that's mostly what a lot of people are hearing in many cases, not actually an issue with the sound cards themselves. It shouldn't sound good, so... Probably. Most audiophile-favorite single-ended, vacuum-tube, and other amp designs, are going to sound more distorted (strained maybe?) running Q701, than a lot of sound cards. As for STX, it shouldn't at all be straining, if the performance is anything like the E9 and other amps using the TPA6120 that have been demonstrated to have pretty good performance. That said, like any internal sound card especially, beware of graphics cards and other components causing audible interference under certain conditions, if you want to get an STX. Also, note that the STX amp section is not well suited for certain IEMs—mostly high-end models and any headphones with wildly varying impedance over frequency. For most fullsize headphones and anything with relatively high impedance, it should be great though. Exceptions are not being able to drive some discontinued AKGs and HE-6 to really loud levels. If you just want to use HD 650 or HD 600 and don't listen really loud, peaks above 110 dB SPL, you could just get a FiiO E10 instead. The D/A is not quite as good as on the STX, and the amplifier is not as powerful, but you probably won't need the extra power. The advantage of the E10 is being cheaper, less likelihood of issues from interference, and no issues with IEMs and other models due to high output impedance. [edit: I mean that the E10 has low output impedance and thus doesn't suffer from some issues that devices with high output impedance have in some circumstances]
I'm kind of stuck with the Asus Xonar STX I think due to where I live, New Zealand. Most of the more exotic brands are completely unobtainable here.
I do have a couple questions though:
I was planning to get a GPU, 7870-7950 or 660-670 ish power rating. There shouldn't be too much problem right? The games I play, SC2/Diablo III/GW2 shouldn't put too much strain on those GPUs at (1080p) 60Hz.
Would the STX be fine with CX980's?
What kind of polk speakers would be able to match the HD650? (Polk only because I get cost price on them, 50% retail o-e)
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On April 22 2012 04:46 ThePurist wrote:
Nothing wrong with the HD650+STX setup. It's fairly well-regarded and common for those who want to listen from a PC.
I mentioned it somewhere previously but on a crossfire graphics setup, the STX is dead silent on the low gain - dial turned to 5 o clock position, but higher gain it does hiss with the dial going past 12 (this is just on my setup ymmv).
I can second it being quiet on low gain. I never heard anything but what I wanted to hear and often I have the volume turned up due to movies being godawfully low at times. Used with D2000, D5000 and HD25-1 II, not sure how it would be with more sensitive IEM's.
It does have high output impedance (about 10Ohm or so if I recall correctly) which isn't ideal for low impedance phones. No idea how much difference it makes, only have low impedance headphones and don't really have anything to compare it to.
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On April 22 2012 11:27 Pwnographics wrote:Show nested quote +On April 22 2012 01:57 Myrmidon wrote:On April 21 2012 16:20 iMYoonA wrote:On April 21 2012 16:10 Weson wrote:On April 21 2012 15:55 Pwnographics wrote:
I was planning on buying Sennheiser HD650 and using the Asus Xonar STX as the DAC/Amplifier, would there be anything screamingly wrong with this set up/better alternatives? I have a AKG Q701 and the Asus Xonar STX is more then enough to power them. I dont dare to put them on the highest volume in fear of blowing up the drivers. I dont know about the HD650 but i doubt they require that much more then my AKGs. From what i can hear (sound quality wise) the Asus Xonar STX is worth every penny. It's a bargain actually. Even though it can attain the same volume, honestly, running out of the sound card can leave the music feeling lacking, even though you feel its the same volume. The way I would describe it is that although you've reached the volume, it can sound strained and it leaves you with the feeling that it just wants a bit more power, even though you're at your desired volume. This is especially because the AKG's are hard to drive. It's really quite subjective but running out of the soundcard alone gives me the feeling that the music is just not quite complete. Yes, it's true that sound quality can degrade, particularly at higher volumes into more demanding headphones such as K701 / K702 / Q701 (HD 650 and HD 600 are easy loads aside from the volume requirement). It's not sufficient only to have enough volume, but for the equipment to still run well at those levels. That said, there's a huge bias against sound cards in some circles, and that's mostly what a lot of people are hearing in many cases, not actually an issue with the sound cards themselves. It shouldn't sound good, so... Probably. Most audiophile-favorite single-ended, vacuum-tube, and other amp designs, are going to sound more distorted (strained maybe?) running Q701, than a lot of sound cards. As for STX, it shouldn't at all be straining, if the performance is anything like the E9 and other amps using the TPA6120 that have been demonstrated to have pretty good performance. That said, like any internal sound card especially, beware of graphics cards and other components causing audible interference under certain conditions, if you want to get an STX. Also, note that the STX amp section is not well suited for certain IEMs—mostly high-end models and any headphones with wildly varying impedance over frequency. For most fullsize headphones and anything with relatively high impedance, it should be great though. Exceptions are not being able to drive some discontinued AKGs and HE-6 to really loud levels. If you just want to use HD 650 or HD 600 and don't listen really loud, peaks above 110 dB SPL, you could just get a FiiO E10 instead. The D/A is not quite as good as on the STX, and the amplifier is not as powerful, but you probably won't need the extra power. The advantage of the E10 is being cheaper, less likelihood of issues from interference, and no issues with IEMs and other models due to high output impedance. [edit: I mean that the E10 has low output impedance and thus doesn't suffer from some issues that devices with high output impedance have in some circumstances] I'm kind of stuck with the Asus Xonar STX I think due to where I live, New Zealand. Most of the more exotic brands are completely unobtainable here. I do have a couple questions though: I was planning to get a GPU, 7870-7950 or 660-670 ish power rating. There shouldn't be too much problem right? The games I play, SC2/Diablo III/GW2 shouldn't put too much strain on those GPUs at (1080p) 60Hz. Would the STX be fine with CX980's? What kind of polk speakers would be able to match the HD650? (Polk only because I get cost price on them, 50% retail o-e)
As for the GPU, it really depends on the model and the system, and the GPU isn't the only possible source of issues anyway. It's hard to guess.
CX980 are 32 ohms but use dynamic drivers, so it's probably not a big deal at all. It's mostly the balanced-armature models, particularly those with multiple armatures and crossovers, that would have some real issues. Anyway, STX 10 ohms output impedance isn't ideal, but not that much out of the ordinary; some amps and particularly old receivers have like 100 ohms or more.
I have no idea about which Polk speakers.
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On April 22 2012 14:56 Myrmidon wrote:Show nested quote +On April 22 2012 11:27 Pwnographics wrote:On April 22 2012 01:57 Myrmidon wrote:On April 21 2012 16:20 iMYoonA wrote:On April 21 2012 16:10 Weson wrote:On April 21 2012 15:55 Pwnographics wrote:
I was planning on buying Sennheiser HD650 and using the Asus Xonar STX as the DAC/Amplifier, would there be anything screamingly wrong with this set up/better alternatives? I have a AKG Q701 and the Asus Xonar STX is more then enough to power them. I dont dare to put them on the highest volume in fear of blowing up the drivers. I dont know about the HD650 but i doubt they require that much more then my AKGs. From what i can hear (sound quality wise) the Asus Xonar STX is worth every penny. It's a bargain actually. Even though it can attain the same volume, honestly, running out of the sound card can leave the music feeling lacking, even though you feel its the same volume. The way I would describe it is that although you've reached the volume, it can sound strained and it leaves you with the feeling that it just wants a bit more power, even though you're at your desired volume. This is especially because the AKG's are hard to drive. It's really quite subjective but running out of the soundcard alone gives me the feeling that the music is just not quite complete. Yes, it's true that sound quality can degrade, particularly at higher volumes into more demanding headphones such as K701 / K702 / Q701 (HD 650 and HD 600 are easy loads aside from the volume requirement). It's not sufficient only to have enough volume, but for the equipment to still run well at those levels. That said, there's a huge bias against sound cards in some circles, and that's mostly what a lot of people are hearing in many cases, not actually an issue with the sound cards themselves. It shouldn't sound good, so... Probably. Most audiophile-favorite single-ended, vacuum-tube, and other amp designs, are going to sound more distorted (strained maybe?) running Q701, than a lot of sound cards. As for STX, it shouldn't at all be straining, if the performance is anything like the E9 and other amps using the TPA6120 that have been demonstrated to have pretty good performance. That said, like any internal sound card especially, beware of graphics cards and other components causing audible interference under certain conditions, if you want to get an STX. Also, note that the STX amp section is not well suited for certain IEMs—mostly high-end models and any headphones with wildly varying impedance over frequency. For most fullsize headphones and anything with relatively high impedance, it should be great though. Exceptions are not being able to drive some discontinued AKGs and HE-6 to really loud levels. If you just want to use HD 650 or HD 600 and don't listen really loud, peaks above 110 dB SPL, you could just get a FiiO E10 instead. The D/A is not quite as good as on the STX, and the amplifier is not as powerful, but you probably won't need the extra power. The advantage of the E10 is being cheaper, less likelihood of issues from interference, and no issues with IEMs and other models due to high output impedance. [edit: I mean that the E10 has low output impedance and thus doesn't suffer from some issues that devices with high output impedance have in some circumstances] I'm kind of stuck with the Asus Xonar STX I think due to where I live, New Zealand. Most of the more exotic brands are completely unobtainable here. I do have a couple questions though: I was planning to get a GPU, 7870-7950 or 660-670 ish power rating. There shouldn't be too much problem right? The games I play, SC2/Diablo III/GW2 shouldn't put too much strain on those GPUs at (1080p) 60Hz. Would the STX be fine with CX980's? What kind of polk speakers would be able to match the HD650? (Polk only because I get cost price on them, 50% retail o-e) As for the GPU, it really depends on the model and the system, and the GPU isn't the only possible source of issues anyway. It's hard to guess. CX980 are 32 ohms but use dynamic drivers, so it's probably not a big deal at all. It's mostly the balanced-armature models, particularly those with multiple armatures and crossovers, that would have some real issues. Anyway, STX 10 ohms output impedance isn't ideal, but not that much out of the ordinary; some amps and particularly old receivers have like 100 ohms or more. I have no idea about which Polk speakers.
Um, I was just wondering if you point out some Polk speakers that would be able to match/come close to the Senn 650, Polk speakers only sorry.
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