Everything sorted but sound

michael oakes

michael oakes

michael oakes

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Joined
31 Mar 2020
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23
Hi all,

just built my new rig in my sig, just need to sort sound... no sound card at present, just the on-board audio on my MSI b450 pro carbon. I’ve been out of it a long time so not sure how good on-board sound is and best options.

All I have at the moment is my Lucidsound LS35x xbox headset which I assume I can do far better than for pC gaming use.
80% of my gaming will be with headphones so thats where I want the money spending, speakers will be used more for music while working etc...

I’m thinking some stereo monitors as they will be used more for music than gaming. Then the best headset Incan get assuming I can do better than my xbox headset. I’m fine with wired.

budget-wise I’m after value, can push it a bit of theres significant quality benefit. I was thinking around £200-250 or so assuming I sell the xbox headset afterwards.
 
For just getting stereo sound out human hearing actually doesn't have technically high demands for todays tech level:
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/high-end-pc-audio,3733-19.html
And ALC1220 should be certainly capable for that.

But for gaming with headphones you don't want stereo signal.
Pure speaker stereo mix simply sucks with headphones, because sound of left channel can't reach also right ear and vice versa like happens with speakers.
Hence it doesn't give even proper left-right immersion.
And headphones are capable to lot better than left-right directionality:
When fed signal correctly calculated from surround sound source to mimic positional cues of real world good headphones can give good directionality and even feel of distance.
Algorithm for that has been feature of most sound cards for like dozen years.
That processing can be done by software, which installs itself as "virtual sound card" in between sound source and actual sound card.

Though bad/inaccurate headphones can collapse that immersion to "head in bucket under water" level.
And wouldn't trust much of gaming stuff to be good.
Because those are designed for making very high profits with cheap production trinkets.
Neither is closed ear cup design best starting point for necessary accuracy of sound.

But good headphones from actual audio makers can be fotten for around £100.
And unlike in gaming stuff there's also choise of open design headphone if having quiet environment and not needing sound isolation.
So there's good choise for such budget.


"Monitor" speakers are definitely better for sound quality over anything gaming branded or PC/multimedia speakers.
 
Monitor speakers have their own built in amplifier.
So that would go to waste and it also lacks headphone output.
And even if it had headphone output it would lack HRTF for binaural sound simulation.
 
Those should certainly be solid speakers for listening music.
Though headphone output is likely taken from speaker amplifier's output using resistors to lower voltage to safe level for headphones.
(actual proper headphone amplifier costs)

And you would be missing binaural sound simulation for headphone gaming without getting software for it.
Also sound card like SB Z could have both headphones and speakers connected simultaneous with switching between them done on software without need to plug/unplug things.
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/crea...ound-card-retail-70sb150000001-sc-087-cl.html
 
EsaT said:
Those should certainly be solid speakers for listening music.
Though headphone output is likely taken from speaker amplifier's output using resistors to lower voltage to safe level for headphones.
(actual proper headphone amplifier costs)

And you would be missing binaural sound simulation for headphone gaming without getting software for it.
Also sound card like SB Z could have both headphones and speakers connected simultaneous with switching between them done on software without need to plug/unplug things.
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/crea...ound-card-retail-70sb150000001-sc-087-cl.html
Click to expand...

thanks.

I got the presonus 3.5’s and got a good deal on a new but open box sound blaster x g6, so hoping that will play nice together.
I see what they are like with my lucidsound ls35 headset before buying better headphones.

hopefully will all work well.
 
michael oakes said:
and got a good deal on a new but open box sound blaster x g6, so hoping that will play nice together.
Click to expand...
SBX G6 is very good with high end D/A converter and headphone output capable to driving most headphones you could find from shops.
Also being external sound card it has own direct volume control, if your keyboard lacks it.
 
EsaT said:
SBX G6 is very good with high end D/A converter and headphone output capable to driving most headphones you could find from shops.
Also being external sound card it has own direct volume control, if your keyboard lacks it.
Click to expand...

Awesome, glad it was a good choice, jumped on it as it was cheap and list on bidding site spelt wrong!
I assume some proper headphones will be a big jump from the lucidsound ls35’s next payday.

thanks for the help!
 
Got the soundblaster G6 and the presonus 3.5’s - sounds pretty Good!

I’ve also managed to get some 600ohm dt990’s “refurbished” for a good price so we’ll see How much better than my gaming headset when they arrive! :-)
 
How big if any difference do you notice with your current headphones with onboard vs the G6 is there? with/without the software.
 
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