New audio setup

FeFiDoh · 26 May 2018 at 21:26

Hi all,
I have almost no idea when it comes to audio equipment as it's not an area I've ever looked into in great deal. After a previous post where I asked about gaming headsets I've looked a bit more into headsets as a whole and am looking at the AKG712 Pros.

From my research it appears these things need a good amp to get the best out of them and this is where my knowledge is weak. I've seen the E10k mentioned quite a few times as well as the schiit stack.

The question I have is, with the 712s and schiit stack on my pc. Currently I just use the onboard sound on my Asus Maximus VIII Hero. How do these all hook up? It seems is use the optical from pc to the DAC and connect amp to DAC also?

The other thing is, how would the fulla 2 compare against this? It's quite a bit cheaper than buying separate components.

nicknack35 · 27 May 2018 at 11:43

It all varies on a lot of things really what you want to spend exc. i have the Audeze LCD2-C. Which i use the Schiit Magni 3 which is connected to my Musical Fidelity v90 dac which sounds great to my ears but im looking at changing it at some point the Audio GD Dac Amp combo. You wont go wrong with Schiit Stack like Multibit and the Magni 3 there regarded very highly on this forum for the money and performance only problem you may have is stock there pretty sort after and have to be quick of the mark when stock is available. You wont have so much of an issue ordering from Schiit USA but if anything goes wrong you have to send it back to the USA. If you get off Schiit EU then you be fine but stock is always quite low

FeFiDoh · 27 May 2018 at 17:01

I can see the Magni 3 is out of stock but the Modi 2 uber is in stock. Not sure if I should just get the headphones and modi 2 and wait for the Magni to come in stock, or wait until Magni is in stock and get all at same time. Sound is always something I have overlooked and made do with semi okay headphones but I know how a good audio setup can make such a huge difference.

EsaT · 27 May 2018 at 17:06

What's the use?
Plain stereo music, gaming, movies?
K712 is certainly very good all arounder, if wanting more fun above neutral bass punch without it greatly hindering details.
(so would do very well in competitive gaming when fed proper binaural sound signal)

When it comes to digital to analog conversion (what that fashion term DAC means) performance that motherboard certainly has decent capability in there.
(if implementation avoids interference from other stuff in motherboard)
While despite of ESS Sabre this and that hype that ES9023P isn't highest end part human hearing's accuracy doesn't need the most expensive stuff:
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/high-end-pc-audio,3733-19.html
That ALC889 is at budget Audigy Fx/Xonar DGX sound card level and ES9023P is used by that ODAC whose design goal was transparent for human hearing DAC.

Though despite of hype motherboard's headphone amplifier isn't really different from standard output in its capabilities.
And is far cry from good sound cards.
Separate "DACs" don't have access to any special parts better than sound cards.
In fact sound cards often use very good DAC chips and better cards top level DACs.

And unlike dumb single purpose DACs they have features good for gaming and movie watching with headphones.
Standard stereo mix for speakers is simply poor excuse of what good headphones are capable to in gaming.
And Sound BlasterX AE-5 is more than capable to driving AKGs loud enough for your hearing to start taking damage in minutes.
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/crea...aming-sound-card-70sb174000000-sc-104-cl.html

FeFiDoh · 27 May 2018 at 18:24

The primary use will be for gaming, with a bit of music and occasional movie.

EsaT · 27 May 2018 at 19:10

FeFiDoh said:
The primary use will be for gaming, with a bit of music and occasional movie.

Then sound card is better and also more simpler than starting to chain external devices.
AE-5 would actually output more power than AKGs are specified to tolerate. (max input 200mW)

And while gaming trinkets just don't give any immersion improvement with binaural sound AKGs work extremely well with it.
(as long as game itself has good sound engine to produce good source data for sound card's algorithms)
Also AE-5 has single click mode for disabling processing and switching to pure stereo mode if ever wanting that for music.
Or some VR game actually has proper binaural sound mode...