New headphones and soundcard

TheStig

TheStig

TheStig

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Joined
5 Nov 2005
Posts
43
Location
Kettering, UK
I've decided I want some good headphones and a good soundcard to go with them. I've decided the max I want to spend on both is about £80.

I've heard that these (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SP-026-SL&groupid=702&catid=1058&subcat=) headphones are good, but that only leaves me with £40 for a sound card.

I'd like a decent soundcard that works well with Vista (that basically limits it to Creative X-Fi doesn't it?). However here I also have a 360, which does surround sound only through an optical TOSLINK connection, it seems a shame to have 5.1 headphones and still have to have my 360 in stereo so are there any soundcards that would take the optical signal and output it through the analogue output (obviously I'd have to have my PC on)?

I have seen this (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SC-052-CL&groupid=701&catid=11&subcat=) soundcard that appears to fit those needs, but is it really any good?

Thanks!
 
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Goldring DR50 headphones £25
X-fi xtreme music £50
probably your best bet for both but why not get the xfi music now for £50 save a bit longer and get more decent headphones ?
I'd steer clear of gaming headphones if i were you and get quality dedicated stereo phones 5.1 headphones are a bit of a gimmick.
I think you should save an extra £30 and get yourself some sennheiser hd555 headphones.
 
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I could probably stretch a bit further; I have heard that some good soundcards can recreate a fairly decent surround effect from stereo anyway, and I'm not surprised to hear that they are a bit of a gimmick (I had already been told this by someone on a different forum).

Thanks for the reply!
 
As C64 said, I would suggest saving up for some Sennheisser HD555. I've recently bought them, and have to say they sound great!
 
Do they keep your ears too tight?

I think I'll probably go for the headpohones first actually, since I think my onboard sound is already fairly good...
 
Sennheiser HD555 are brilliant. I got mine at Christmas along with a second hand Audigy 2 card and they are leagues ahead of my onboard sound setup.
 
Yea It's well worth investing in some decent phones and remember the parts on decent cans can be replaced and have a good warranty not to mention hold a good resale value.
 
Is there any way the X-Fi ExtremeMusic card would support DDLive? I've seen some modified drivers over on the creative site that might work....unfortunately Creative don't seem to sell the Digital I/O Module over here in the UK; this isn't a problem straight away (I'll only need it to output to my 5.1 setup which is at home, whereas I'm at University until mid-March) but would ordering one from the US work?

I'm unsure whether to get the sound card or the headphones first too....
 
i brought a x-fi sound card expecting it to be able to connect to my logitech surround sound over optical, so i brought a optical lead mini jack optical>normal optical expecting it to output 5.1 but it wudnt recognize my speakers so i brought 3 mini jack leads instaed.
 
Bradley8988 said:
i brought a x-fi sound card expecting it to be able to connect to my logitech surround sound over optical, so i brought a optical lead mini jack optical>normal optical expecting it to output 5.1 but it wudnt recognize my speakers so i brought 3 mini jack leads instaed.
Click to expand...

I'd be using the Digital I/O thing anyway, which should work ok....

EDIT: Also, I can't believe how fragmented the PC Audio market seems to be. Total mess, as far as I can see. In console land I plug my optical out into my amp and off we go; not in PC land (and it seems I have to pay through the nose for the privelege of the same convenience).
 
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You can find X-Fi Fatal1ty + headphones for £80 ;)

Got the 595 headphone myself for £80, but the 555s get rave reviews from whereever I read. The X-Fi music one is prob the card to get.
 
InkZ said:
You can find X-Fi Fatal1ty + headphones for £80 ;)
Click to expand...

Yeah I think I just found it fella, about £10 more than that (£89.99) :D.

Think I might end up going for that. I'll just have to work something else out for the DDLive functionality (Creative actually sell an encoder for about $100 over in the US).
 
Right I'm getting the XtremeMusic at least, only "issue" to clear up now is that I heard for OEM cards it's more difficult to find drivers? (ie, I can't just get them off the Creative site)

Thanks!
 
No there's no problem with drivers and the oem cards come with the disc they just dont come in the shiny retail box.
 
Right well all the stuff arrived today and it's working great so far:D, which is actually a bit of a surprise considering I'm using Vista and have an nForce 4 southbridge!

So thanks for all the help!
 
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