People using Headphones for PC Music?

keogh · 13 Apr 2007 at 14:31

Howdy,

Is it just me, but setting your Soundcard to headphones setting makes the sound complete pony!

When I set the sound to Headphones on my Audigy 2 and my current x-fi the sound is awful, its sounds like the music is in a box? Why is this? I have to set it to 2/2.1 speakers for it to sound good?

And its not my headphones, I have Sennheiser HD590's and they set me back £150 notes when I bought them a few years back!

I just don't know what creative do with the headphone setting, but its really poor!

Is this just me?

Count_Zero99uk · 13 Apr 2007 at 14:39

I could be completely wrong here.

But I belive that it harks back to the days of naff headphones where the multiple layers of sound would get drowned out so it limits what can get through.

Like I said i could be wrong.

I personaly have a set of surround sound headphones and have them and 5.1 setting and they are the dogs doodads

Regards
Zero

keogh · 13 Apr 2007 at 14:43

Count_Zero99uk said:
I personaly have a set of surround sound headphones and have them and 5.1 setting and they are the dogs doodads

What cans have you got? And if you don;t mind me asking, how much they set you back?

csmager · 13 Apr 2007 at 14:46

With headphones like those Senns, you really want a decent stereo sound card and headphone amp.

keogh · 13 Apr 2007 at 17:20

csmager said:
With headphones like those Senns, you really want a decent stereo sound card and headphone amp.

Whats wrong with the x-fi... thought they where pretty much the best you can get?

And I didn't know there was such thing as a headphone amp... does it just improve the sound to your headphones? Or have I got that all wrong?

csmager · 13 Apr 2007 at 17:59

keogh said:
Whats wrong with the x-fi... thought they where pretty much the best you can get?

They're the best for gaming, as they have all the whizz-bang EAX soundeffects and suchlike. Something like an EMU or M-Audio card will have a higher sound quality output, though.

And I didn't know there was such thing as a headphone amp... does it just improve the sound to your headphones? Or have I got that all wrong?

It would improve the sound - the card usually won't deliver the kind of power needed to control the headphones with accurately at all frequencies. That said, Sennheisers are known for being releatively easy to drive.

Lots of info on Google - and particularly www.head-fi.org - Computer as Source section:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=59

e.g. this thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=232251