Gamers, What's Your Audio Set Up?

I've seen the volume control be grey in Windows with a NAD amp before when connected via USB as well as that TEAC I bought ages ago. Seems fairly random what does it and what doesn't and when. No biggie though as above, OS volume should always be maxed anyway, if it's greyed out it will be maxed.
 
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Just bumped into this video from Jushua Valour about the Fosi Audio K7. I pretty much agree with everything he said here having owned one since April. You can tell he's talking sense when he talks about the PC38X, but he also makes the point that the Fosi K7 is excellent, competes with anything around it's price point and for a lot of people is a 'one-and-done' purchase.

I did think his suggestion on a potential 'K7 Pro' were interesting. So a more expesive product with XLR headphone, outputs and microsphone input and it becoming more of an interface. I'm not sure there's need for that as much as there is the base K7, but intriguing nonetheless.

 
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mrk said:
As in equally impressive in its own right, especially with the power supply upgrade considering it has a base cost under 150.
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I don't ever see it mentioned here, but do you use a USB ground isolator from the PC to the DAC.

The issue are PC's are very noisy and RFI travels from the PC back into the DAC. On a highly resolving system you will notice this noise. Even on my Yamaha CD-S2100's with Yamaha's claims of noise free isolated circuits the RFI still gets in via the USB!

I use an IFI iDefender+ with it's own external PSU to bypass the computers 5v, then use a braided Kimber CU USB cable as the counter geometry of that cable helps reduce RFI more. This worked so well for me, both my office PC and HTPC run the same.
 
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The only time I experienced noise was with the Creek 4040 A and it was such that it felt more like a design flaw than an issue with USB noise, plus the fact that the noise was there when nothing was connected to it other than just headphones lol. Everything else is as quiet as black hole otherwise. What benefit would a USB isolator give me when there is no noise that can be heard?
 
mrk said:
What benefit would a USB isolator give me when there is no noise that can be heard?
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There is RFI / noise that can't be heard in the audible range, however it's can still have an effect on audio performance or effect clock timings.

For example some of the improvement you gained from the better PSU will likely be reduced noise / RFI.

I use to think that noise was just hums or buzz's and if they can't be heard there is no issue, but then I realised I was very wrong thinking this.
 
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Clock timings I'm not too worried about as the X9 has dual clocks to eliminate any issues on that front, for the USB noise though, do you mean something like this?

KGUSS Topping HS02 USB2.0 Audio Isolator withstands up to 1500VDC, USB-B and Type-C input, USB-A and Type-C output, Compatible with PCM32bit 768kHz DSD512: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy KGUSS Topping HS02 USB2.0 Audio Isolator withstands up to 1500VDC, USB-B and Type-C input, USB-A and Type-C output, Compatible with PCM32bit 768kHz DSD512 at Amazon UK.
www.amazon.co.uk
 
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mrk said:
Clock timings I'm not too worried about as the X9 has dual clocks to eliminate any issues on that front, for the USB noise though, do you mean something like this?

KGUSS Topping HS02 USB2.0 Audio Isolator withstands up to 1500VDC, USB-B and Type-C input, USB-A and Type-C output, Compatible with PCM32bit 768kHz DSD512: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy KGUSS Topping HS02 USB2.0 Audio Isolator withstands up to 1500VDC, USB-B and Type-C input, USB-A and Type-C output, Compatible with PCM32bit 768kHz DSD512 at Amazon UK.
www.amazon.co.uk
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That's the same sort of thing, trying to break the ground loop and provide isolation from the computer.

I have a couple of these, I then use a Kimber Kable CU USB cable and an iFi iPower2 PSU to isolate the computers 5v.


I also have the computer on it's own mains filter away from the HiFi power block, as noise comes back from the PC into the mains. Everyone aiming for high end PC audio should use 2 mains blocks, one for audio side for DAC's amps etc, and another for PC side for computer and computer screens.

And this should go without saying. If your using LED lighting, such as an BenQ light bar, you want those away from the audio mains block also.
 
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mrk said:
The only time I experienced noise was with the Creek 4040 A and it was such that it felt more like a design flaw than an issue with USB noise, plus the fact that the noise was there when nothing was connected to it other than just headphones lol. Everything else is as quiet as black hole otherwise. What benefit would a USB isolator give me when there is no noise that can be heard?
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I wouldn't necessarily say that this is as quiet as a "black hole", ;)

"Found an odd quirk with the PA7 this evening, I thought initially it was my XLR cable as it was only with the left channel. There is a very very very faint high frequency noise coming from the left speaker when nothing is playing."

Which required you to disable bypass mode to fix the 'issue'.
 
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Again the PA7 noise has nothing to do with ground loop or computer noise etc, it is explicitly to do with internal design of the PA7 in that enabling bypass mode introduces the noise only on one channel - So a circuitry flaw, disabling bypass and manually bypassing via the volume knob eliminates that noise, which is exactly what I said in that post.

An isolator (or quieter DC PSU) would not have resolved the PA7 issue in this context, otherwise the same noise would have existed in manual bypass mode. It's just something Topping missed, or maybe ignored as it's so faint that you literally have to have your ear to the speaker to hear it when nothing is playing, which is how I heard it. I suspect most people would never have heard it regardless though.
 
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I didn't say it was anything to do with ground loop and neither am I suggesting that as a solution, I was just referring to your "Everything else is as quiet as black hole otherwise." Which wasn't entirely correct based off your experience with the PA7 which required you to circumvent the bypass mode to remedy the issue.
 
But it';s 100% accurate, I said everything "is" a black hole for noise, which it is.
 
mrk said:
But it';s 100% accurate, I said everything "is" a black hole for noise, which it is.
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sigh, ok, even though in your own words your PA7 has a noise floor issue that requires you to work around it.

Your words,

"The only time I experienced noise was with the Creek 4040 A"

Which is categorically false, this is what I mean when you don't even give an inch, it's there in black and white, your own words!!
 
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It's not a noise floor issue, it's just some electrical whine that's so faint you have to have your ear to the woofer to hear it. Unless you are lumping noise floor hiss with electrical high frequency whine, which is a bit odd.

And yes the Creek was the only time within the context of what we are on about in the last few pages where noise floor hiss was heard, nothing else since I moved over to class D has had noise floor, which is why I questioned the validity of Creek 4040 A reviews, did they even listen for this or not, I guess not.
 
mrk said:
It's not a noise floor issue, it's just some electrical whine that's so faint you have to have your ear to the woofer to hear it.
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If that's only happening with everything disconnected from the amp, then it's probably internal to the amp. Only thing worth doing is turning everything else off around the house, such as fridge, also trying the amp on another ring main.
 
It's nothing to do with the electrics as already tested it during my diagnostics to find the cause, and it turns out the cause is the amp's internal circuitry, as mentioned, manually bypassing the volume fixes it, using the bypass switch causes it.
 
mrk said:
It's nothing to do with the electrics as already tested it during my diagnostics to find the cause, and it turns out the cause is the amp's internal circuitry, as mentioned, manually bypassing the volume fixes it, using the bypass switch causes it.
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I'm in agreement with you. If you said it's happening with a DAC connected then it could be a ground loop, my experience faint audible noise from an amp (or active speaker) it's an issue internal to the amp.
 
£184? Nice, the white keycaps that come with it are very nice quality but i wanted darker caps so got the official Keychron hacker mint caps which are only in Cherry profile, the stock caps are ISO shaped and feel really nice, slightl compromise to have nicer themed caps I guess but otherwise same quality and PBT too.

Clearer pic:
LKaYSEG.jpeg



Edit* not watched yet but will do later, career sound engineer of the old skool chats audiophile faff with current age sound engineer and producer:

 
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mrk said:
£184? Nice, the white keycaps that come with it are very nice quality but i wanted darker caps so got the official Keychron hacker mint caps which are only in Cherry profile, the stock caps are ISO shaped and feel really nice, slightl compromise to have nicer themed caps I guess but otherwise same quality and PBT too.

Clearer pic:
LKaYSEG.jpeg



Edit* not watched yet but will do later, career sound engineer of the old skool chats audiophile faff with current age sound engineer and producer:

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Yea got it for £184. I think i heard that it takes a week or two to deliver as it comes from overseas.

I already ahve dark PBT keycaps that are also see through letters so the RGB lights shine through it and i will be using my old Momoka Frogs switches.

Im actually thinking of getting a second keyboard for gaming, a 75% one. maybe the Q2 Max, Q2 HE or K2 HE
 
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