Need help upgrading sound!

Angerer · 30 Mar 2017 at 12:02

Hi all I'm looking at upgrading my sound for gaming fps/mmo.

Current setup

Xonar D2X > O2 amp > HD555

Worth looking at a STX/STX II or maybe getting a dac? Or set pair of headphone?

Had DacMagic plus in past which was great for music but didn't seem to get the positioning correct for gaming.

Don't have a great deal to spend £200 max

Appreciate any info

Cheers

rids57 · 30 Mar 2017 at 13:10

as it's for positional audio then you're probably best off getting a Sennheiser GSX1000 DAC/Amp/DSP as it provides the best virtual surround available - sadly this will use your whole budget but at least your headphones will work fine with it.

Angerer · 30 Mar 2017 at 13:16

Cheers Rids, worth upgrading my cans as well?

I loved my old HD600s but want something with wider soundstage, maybe k701/k702 or if I can find them a pair of ad700s.

rids57 · 30 Mar 2017 at 17:36

if you want AKG K7xx or Sennheiser HD6xx you can forget about the GSX1000 as it isn't powerful enough to drive them.

The GSX1000 should work well with the AD700(X) but personally I couldn't live with the total lack of bass.

The perfect pairing would probably be the GSX1000 + Sennheiser HD599

Angerer · 30 Mar 2017 at 17:49

Thanks Rids appreciate your time and info will have alook about in hope a deal pops up on the amp.

Quite like the look of the 599 wonder how close they are to the 600s.

Ryanr1987 · 31 Mar 2017 at 17:08

You are not going to get a wider soundstage than the HD600 without recessing the upper mids and

Angerer said:
Cheers Rids, worth upgrading my cans as well?

I loved my old HD600s but want something with wider soundstage, maybe k701/k702 or if I can find them a pair of ad700s.

Soundstage with headphones is more of a trick. Recess the upper mids, lean the sound out - usually by having less mid bass presence and a few airy boost in the treble and you will have the perception of a wider stage but the reality is you are losing out on a more natural sound. Some headphones like the HD800 do have angled drivers, deep cups but also have the same characteristics I mentioned to add to that stage effect.

I tend to go for AKG, HD800 for gaming but too be honest most games sound best on a HD600 or HD650 with fleshed out voices, rounded sound.

rids57 · 31 Mar 2017 at 18:14

Problem is though Ryan, the GSX1000 has too weak an amp to drive HD6xx, AKG K7xx or HD800 headphones sufficiently, so there are limitations to what can be used.

Ryanr1987 · 31 Mar 2017 at 18:25

Sennheiser are silly for not making it versatile with their higher end phones.

rids57 · 31 Mar 2017 at 19:36

I know, it's the only real weakness - apart from the price that is

Marsman · 31 Mar 2017 at 22:21

I thought they missed a trick at first, but looking at it from their point of view, it would make no sense for them to make the GSX work well with their premium headphones. Those headphones are marketed and aimed at audiophile use. They've already got gaming headsets to sell and this is the perfect product to help sell them further. I imagine they'd like to keep gaming and audiophile separate. Potentially more profitable for someone to have a set up for gaming and a set up for audiophile use.

Sucks for the consumer who would like to use audiophile product with gaming product, but a company such as Sennsheiser isn't likely going to sacrifice profit to please a few audiophiles.