Headphone and scound card combo query

TeraTelnet

TeraTelnet

TeraTelnet

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26 Dec 2014
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Headphone and sound card combo query

Hello all! I've been thinking about upgrading my sound setup for a while now; currently I have a Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty Platinum (which I think was in the first lineup of the X-Fis), through which I use Creative Inspire T7700 7.1 speakers. The current headphones I use are wireless USB, namely the Logitech G930s.

I listen to a lot of music (iTunes, ripped from CD, or Spotify) as well as playing games and watching some movies on my PC. I was thinking about upgrading to something like the Sound Blaster ZxR or Xonar Essence STX II 7.1, paired with Sennheiser HD598s. Speakers would be sorted out later as I don't use them much at the moment. Does that sound like a reasonable mid-to-high-range setup?
 
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I think the ZxR is not a good purchase at all. Same goes for a Xonar Essence STX II. For people wanting good quality audio, sound cards are too prone to issues, especially if you're spending £200 on one.

Any PC surround speakers do not need such a sound card, so spending £200 is a waste of money. I understand the sound card may be used with good quality headphones as well, but one would be far better off spending that money on a decent external DAC/amp (as suggested above), then buying a cheaper sound card for surround speakers if need be.

If you end up getting rid of the T7700's, and replace them with stereo or 2.1 speakers, then surely paying extra on an expensive sound card because it has 5.1/7.1 output, would be a waste of time.
 
I see! I've heard of DACs but don't really know a huge amount about them. The Fiio E10k seems to be mentioned a lot in threads here about them though, and the price is very attractive. Would a DAC cause problems with sound in games though, particularly older games that I often still play?

Thanks very much for the advice so far, all!
 
Not at all. A DAC (digital to analogue converter) is essentially an external sound card, but with stereo output and minus all the extra stuff a sound card has.

The beauty of DACs is that because they are external, they are away from the electrical noise, components within the PC case put out (GPU being a prime example). Secondly, they do not need software, unlike a sound card. Over the years a fair number of people have had trouble with drivers/software and EMI (electromagnetic interference) problems.

A sound card is a perfectly fine choice as long as it's working, but for some people who get EMI problems, sometimes there isn't anything that can be done. That isn't to say the majority of people will encounter that, they won't; but why I am hesitant to recommend someone spend £150+ on a sound card, is should that person encounter EMI problems that cannot be sorted out, that nice expensive sound card will end up being rather useless.

A sound card is only as good as the system it sits in will allow. Someone might say that they have no trouble with their £150+ Xonar Essence or SB ZxR. It's not a question of whether the product itself works or not, it's a question of; will it work in my system without any issues?

It's not so bad if you get problems at any point with a budget or midrange card, but with an expensive one, that's going to be very frustrating.

I don't use a sound card anymore. Since my last one developed a problem, I decided to buy a DAC/amp, rather than buy another sound card. I'm glad I did, and wouldn't buy another sound card unless it was a cheap to midrange one to use the gaming effect features, etc.

Personally, I really do not see the point of expensive sound cards anymore. As I said previously, 5.1/7.1 PC speakers do not need such a sound card. A budget or midrange card is more than good enough. To that you can connect a DAC with SPDIF optical input, that will allow any gaming sound effects to be passed on to the DAC.

Fiio E17 would be a better choice as it has optical input. The E10K is USB only.
 
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All good points Marsman.

I use my DAC more than my soundcard these days took a bit of getting used to losing the surround but you make a valid point on the Digital input I hadn't thought of that.


That said at 149.99 the ZXR is a good purchase :p goes back to normal price on wednesday ;)
 
Thanks for all your suggestions; I ended up going with the ZxR deal over Christmas as it had some other things that I was keen on having, plus the Sennheisers. I plan now to go for the Edifier RT1600T IIIs in the near future as my speakers.

Thanks very much again, it was all greatly appreciated!
 
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