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1/11/2013 12:44:00 AM
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Now that we have that huge paragraph out of the way, we can move on to another important component; the soundcard. Onboard audio has gotten a ton better over the years, but soundcards will give you a huge boost in sound quality, which extends to games obviously as well. First, you want to choose if you want a soundcard or would rather purchace a DAC. A soundcard will be either PCI or PCI-E (check your slots and wattage), and will generally perform better for a lower price. Examples of good soundcards include: [b]Soundcards:[/b] [quote][url=http://www.amazon.com/PCI-Express-XONAR-ESSENCE-STX-90-YAA0C0-0UAN00Z/dp/B001OV789U/]ASUS Xonar Essence STX[/url]. The best, bar none. Source: I own one. It has everything you need, two ports for a 2.0/2.1 speaker setup (more if you have a sub), a headphone jack, a mic jack, and you can change the amp. It only has one flaw; You'll never want to listen to your iPod ever again. Also, it doesn't cook you bacon in the morning. The drivers are a bit old, so pick up the [url=http://brainbit.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/asus-xonar-unified-drivers/]Unified[/url] drivers. I have had zero issues with them, but some people have had problems. My guess is that they used the disk instead of downloading them online. Just be sure to check the [u]Hi-Fi setting[/u] (HF button above DSP) to keep the quality from being altered. [url=http://www.amazon.com/Xonar-DGX-PCI-E-GX2-5-Engine/dp/B007TMZ1BK/]ASUS Xonar DGX 5.1[/url]. A much cheaper solution, but also with its obvious flaws. Not as high of a quality amp, meaning the sounds will not be as rich, but it's stil a MASSIVE improvement over onboard audio. It also only has 3.5mm jacks, as opposed to the 6.3mm that most high quality headphones use. The good news is that there are adapters, so you can still use the headphones, just not to their full potential. If you're not a serious audiophile, you should still pick this up if you have the money. Use the Unified drivers again. The [url=http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Channel-Sound-Card-XONAR_DG/dp/B0045JHJSS/]DG[/url] is PCI but has a better amp and does NOT require a molex plug to power it.[/quote] [b]Digital-to-Analog-Converters:[/b] [quote]If you want to go a different route, you need a DAC and amp. Basically, a DAC converts the audio from digital to analog, which is, in a nutshell, higher quality. The amp is used to bypass the resistivity of high-ohm headphones and bring out their frequency responsiveness. Basically, louder and more clear. [url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KW2YEI?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwpuresimula-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000KW2YEI]Example of a USB DAC.[/url] [url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004JK8BDK?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwpuresimula-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B004JK8BDK]Example of an amp.[/url] Other amps and DAC's include: [url=http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Audioengine-D1/D1-24-Bit-DAC]Audioengine D1 24-bit DAC[/url] [url=http://www.amazon.com/HRT-Music-Streamer-II-Resolution/dp/B0038O4UFQ]HRT Music Streamer II DAC[/url] [url=http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Digital-Analog-Audio-Converter/dp/B0053VKP8S]FiiO D3 DAC[/url] [url=http://www.mav-audio.com/base/product/tube_magic_d1]Tube Magic DAC[/url] [url=http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Desktop-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005C5IN98/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1329433484&sr=1-9]FiiO E7 (DAC) and E9 (Amp)[/url] [url=http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10-USB-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005VO7LG6/]FiiO E10 DAC and Amp[/url] [url=http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Headphone-Amplifier-Docking-Interface/dp/B0070UFMOW/ref=pd_cp_e_3]FiiO E17 DAC and Amp[/url] [url=http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=Cmoy&_sacat=See-All-Categories]Cmoy Amp[/url] [url=http://www.jdslabs.com/item.php?fetchitem=O2Full]Objective2 Amp[/url] [url=http://www.littledot.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=816&sid=f9f5aadf474de3eebc556ae5a67f2bbe]Little Dot Amp[/url] As you can see, these pieces of equipment are very diverse in quality and price. Now, the good thing is that you can use headphones without a soundcard, DAC, or amp. The 700's don't even need an amp (although they still benefit from a DAC/SC), so you wouldn't add those until later. In a nutshell, if you want to go cheap, just get the 700's and Zalman. If you want to go expensive, get the 900's, Logitech, and Xonar Essence. If you want something in between, get the 700's, either mic, and a DAC of your choosing (but only after researching it). This is a [b]huge[/b] field to get into, and extends well beyond headphones into speakers, and even the types of files and music players that you use. Never take anyone's word, even mine, just because they said so. Do your own research. Everyone has different ears, so what sounds good to me might not sound good to you. I can, however, objectively say that the 700's are best for gaming, but in the music realm, that's a different story. [b]You might not think that the price is justified, but going from onboard audio to dedicated equipment is like moving from a console to the PC, or upgrading your mouse and keyboard.[/b][/quote] [b]Speakers:[/b] [quote][url=http://www.amazon.com/Audioengine-Premium-Powered-Desktop-Speakers/dp/B000VKEFN2/]Audioengine A2[/url] ([url=http://www.amazon.com/Audioengine-DS1-Desktop-Stand-Pair/dp/B002ATK2OS/]DS1 stands[/url]) [url=http://www.amazon.com/Audioengine-A5-Black-Powered-Speaker/dp/B000OABTPQ/]Audioengine A5[/url] [url=http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Studiophile-Powered-Monitor-Speakers/dp/B0051WAM64/]M Audio AV40[/url][/quote]
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