New sound card or stick with D2X

[shankly1985]

Hello guys does having a onboard headphone amp make enough difference for you to change sound card?

I use D2X with Philips X1 and the main use for Sound card is its home cinema features DTS and Dolby etc

So new sound card must have them two.

Is it worth buying a new sound card just for the headphone amp?

Thanks

 

[rids57]

Not for the Philips X1, it doesn't really need one

 

[TwsT]

i still think you'd get a benefit but not sure if it's worth the financial investment.

 

[shankly1985]

Not for the Philips X1, it doesn't really need one

i still think you'd get a benefit but not sure if it's worth the financial investment.

Thanks guys, I do have an upgrade bug thinking to change the sound card money not the issue.

If they is a benefit i'll do just that. TwsT you not the first person I have seen thats said they noticed an improvement.

 

[TwsT]

well volume will instantly appear like a benifit but the x1's are held back by there cable so a higher impedance amp will help them. if you have changed the cable maybe not so much

 

[rids57]

Well the STX / STX II does have the edge on the D2X in the sound quality stakes as the DAC is even better and of course the Headphone amp makes a huge difference when powering more difficult to drive cans. However, whether this difference is noticeable on your hearing, how well trained your ears are and whether it's even audible.

If you are determined to upgrade anyway, then the STX II is the card to get for the simple reason it's the best card on the market.

Another option would be to get a headphone amp with a very low output impedance that you would feed from the D2X. The benefit this would have is to provide a much better impedance match with the 32 ohm X1s - which "may" tighten up the bass.

The O2 (not O2D) from OcUK would work nicely, as would the Schiit Magni.

 

[shankly1985]

well volume will instantly appear like a benifit but the x1's are held back by there cable so a higher impedance amp will help them. if you have changed the cable maybe not so much

Yeah I changed the cable and didn't even use the stock one. I have no idea why to be honest only because everyone was saying to do so

Well the STX / STX II does have the edge on the D2X in the sound quality stakes as the DAC is even better and of course the Headphone amp makes a huge difference when powering more difficult to drive cans. However, whether this difference is noticeable on your hearing, how well trained your ears are and whether it's even audible.

If you are determined to upgrade anyway, then the STX II is the card to get for the simple reason it's the best card on the market.

Another option would be to get a headphone amp with a very low output impedance that you would feed from the D2X. The benefit this would have is to provide a much better impedance match with the 32 ohm X1s - which "may" tighten up the bass.

The O2 (not O2D) from OcUK would work nicely, as would the Schiit Magni.

Thanks
I going to get the headphone amp instead of sound card.

This one
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SC-002-EA

Couple questions, the features of my sound card like dolby headphone will pass over this amp?
I see its battery powered, but can it also be left plugged in?

 

[rids57]

You connect the amp to the same socket you use for your headphones, the Front/Headphone socket, so you'll have whatever you normally get - nothing has changed as far as the card is concerned.

Yes, you can leave it plugged in permanently.