what xonar to get
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Wow at all the STX/ST recommendations. Is it really that much better than a D2X? Would there be a noticeable difference in sound quality on a pair of Aego M speakers? I feel like "upgrading" after reading all this =\
It is better than the D2X, but, I don't think you would notice any difference. If you decide get a good pair of headphones and better speakers then you can can consider upgrading your sound card.
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I thought Aego Ms were pretty high up there in 2.1s.
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Ironic how sound cards which are built for PCs aren't best paired with PC speakers then lol.
because PC speakers are rubbish
Would be an interesting test to see if I notice the difference between the d2x and essence on my setup playing Flac/uncompressed music
Nad c352, B&W 603
Just for info, my Megaworks 550 cost about £240 and was EASILY outdone by some Mission M71 bookshelf speakers and a Marantz amp (which cost about £200 for both)
This!!
If you were buying speakers and a receiver for a home cinema system there is a general guideline for how to split your budget, it's usually 80/20 or 70/30. What that means is if you have £1000 to spend, you should spend around £200 on the receiver and £800 on the speakers.
Buying a sound card and speakers is not exactly the same, but, usually better speakers offer a bigger upgrade to sound than a better sound card.
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If PC speakers are rubbish then I'm really curious to know what I'm missing out on as they already sound amazing.
That's a fair point, but the Xonar Essence was created so people could get so called 'audiophile' sound quality at what is a reasonable price, whilst still using their PC. Primarily, it's a card designed with high end headphones in mind. £300 will buy an Essence and some great headphones. Speakers have to cost a lot more than headphones in order to achieve a similar quality of sound. If you're looking at £100+ headphones to get the best out of an Essence, then there is no chance similar priced speakers are going to.
^ that.
Go to a proper audio shop (like Linn or Quad, not Currys) and ask to demo some of their stuff.
You will notice a difference
Go to a proper audio shop (like Linn or Quad, not Currys) and ask to demo some of their stuff.
You will notice a difference
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Hmm interesting, I do notice the PC350 headset sounding much sharper than the Aego Ms although they aren't built for music. They are also worn out and on the verge of not working..I think I'll get a HD 598 or whatever since they seem to be well regarded and give it a spin before dropping on a new sound card.
AD700's lack bass, just so you know. That's part of their appeal for many serious gamers that use them. They want positional accuracy and sound stage above all else. Too much bass can reduce the clarity needed for positional sound. For anyone wanting to feel the and weight and intensity of explosions, best look for something a bit more fun.
A couple of Cerwin Vega 215s should make you feel the intensity
http://www.cerwinvega.com/home-audio/floorstanding-speakers/xls-215.html
Or maybe a PA setup. I would love to have a sound setup in a detached house in the country side similar to Amnesia or Cocoon where you actually feel the music in your stomach but leave without ears ringing. How good would FPS gaming be on that!
If I win the lottery that's what I am doing. Buying a average detached house miles from anywhere and spending 500k-1mil on the best system ever
Current speakers. Its not possible to get big and weighty sound from small speakers
Size 9 trainers for scale - 34" tall, 9.5" width, 11" depth. By comparison the Cerwins above are 49.7" x 17" x 21.1"
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Indeed.
I was talking about headphones though, because the AD700's and HD598's were mentioned as possibilities. I think headphones are being considered, as it's much cheaper to get great sound than it is with speakers.