Xonar DG - ultimate budget headphone card?
- Thread starter Uriel
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Just ordered this, some Goldring NS1000's and a mini ampCan't wait
Anyone know how long the Goldring's for £49.99 take to come normally?
What amp did you order? I'm interested to hear opinions whether Xonar DG plus E5 is better than Xonar DG on its own with Goldrings NC on/off.
Painful wait
Oh well! Should have made up my mind earlier and I could have had them this week!Yeah I ordered the E5 mini amp from the bay.
I'll let you know what I think when I get all my bits
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You can use em with NC off witht he DG without a problem.
Just like using it with/without NC on their own
Just like using it with/without NC on their own
My last post wasn't particularly clear, as it could be interpreted that the NS1000's wont work with the NC off. Should have said the DG's amp isn't beefy enough to drive the NS1000's effectively with the NC off.
Should there be any difference in sound quality or loudness on a proper sound card (say Xonar D2) with a proper amp (say E5)? I'm just wondering what would happen if I bought E5 to cope with my DG. Hopefully I'll found out soon when Aedus gets his stuff home
Divine Wind, have you got both Xonar DG and NS1000s?
EDIT: still waiting for my extension cable but I just did a quick test and surprisingly enough, NS1000 work amazingly well in passive mode. The only difference between on and off is the low frequency drone sound that appears when NC is not working. I dunno how to interpret it, when you turn Noise Cancelling on it just disappears and there's an artificial silence along with the music. It sounds clearer, dunno if better yet.
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That's interesting. Quite a few people say the bass is muddy, IIRC, and uncontrolled with the NC off. With a good amp it tightens up. Someone else with the DG and NS1000's didn't think the DG's amp drove them that well with the NC off. Hmm, might be down to the individual's tastes, as to how good they sound with the NC off and no amplifier.
It would seem the NS1000's like 300 ohm amplifiers best, which the E5 is, and the Essence amp, even though they are rated at 100 ohm with the NC off. Makes some sense I guess, given that they are 300 ohm with the NC on. Unless of course, using a 300 ohm amp, brings the sound closer to having the NC on, which some people want or are looking for. With the NC off and no amp, although they work fine, it's a different sound, which is to some people's liking, not to others.
Edit: I tell a lie, the Essence amp is 600 ohm.
It would seem the NS1000's like 300 ohm amplifiers best, which the E5 is, and the Essence amp, even though they are rated at 100 ohm with the NC off. Makes some sense I guess, given that they are 300 ohm with the NC on. Unless of course, using a 300 ohm amp, brings the sound closer to having the NC on, which some people want or are looking for. With the NC off and no amp, although they work fine, it's a different sound, which is to some people's liking, not to others.
Edit: I tell a lie, the Essence amp is 600 ohm.
Ahh, thanks. Still not sure what settings suit me best
Yes. 2 channels changes Windows speaker settings to stereo. If you have 2 channel and Pro Logic enabled, you are upmixing from stereo to 5.1. Fine for TV shows and films in stereo, not the best for games really, unless the game has no 5.1 settings.
6 channels for gaming, although I think Asus suggest 8 channel for gaming. Can't see the point of 8 channel being used with DH, as DH is 5.1.
I'm hoping the E5 is good enough then.
Gotcha, thanks Marsman
Had a blast on BC2 just now. Awesome difference with the DG from my onboard. Almost like a new game! I have to say I am somewhat exhausted after it though, the sound of choppers, tanks, explosions and gunfire is a whole lot more intense!
Yep, the sound is definitely different. What are the disadvantages of having NS1000 in active NC mode over passive? Not really sure about it. Also, should we assume that both would sound very similar with a right amp? What's the difference between E5 in passive and no amp with NC on?
no
Caporegime
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Which version do you have? The later version with optical out? Does your front case panel work and auto-switch? I have an Xtreme Music and the reasons I'm considering one of these are:
- Front panel auto-switching. It's annoying having to constantly swap round headphones and speakers.
- Dedicated headphone amp, as I mostly listen to music through my headphones.
I.e. sound quality improvements are not something I'm necessarily expecting (though I hope it won't be any worse).
Is that from experience? Are you talking about it in sound quality terms? Surely it depends what your requirements are.
Got my soundcard and ns1000. Both work great!
Problem is with the e5. For some reason it's not working and yes, it's usb charged. I don't have a clue what's going. Tried out all the wires and cabling, put them in different slots e.t.c no sound coming thru. Ofc followed the instructions. What could be the culprit?
Problem is with the e5. For some reason it's not working and yes, it's usb charged. I don't have a clue what's going. Tried out all the wires and cabling, put them in different slots e.t.c no sound coming thru. Ofc followed the instructions. What could be the culprit?
