Overclock.net › Forums › Consumer Electronics › Home Audio › Headphone amp or sound card
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Headphone amp or sound card

post #1 of 11
10/2/12 at 7:08pm
Thread Starter 
I currently am using onboard Realtek ALC887 with my Corsair Vengeance 1300 headset and I was wondering if I would benefit more by getting a dedicated sound card or a headphone amp. Budget is $100, but if it is truly worth it I will go to $150.

Thanks
Reply
Reply

Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #2 of 11
10/2/12 at 7:15pm
Card.

Unless you absolutely can never have anyone else other than yourself even potentially hearing what you're listening to. In that case headphone amp.

Actually no, amp useless. Go card absolutely. Amplifying bad sound will be bad more.
Edited by This Guy - 10/2/12 at 7:19pm
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 11
10/2/12 at 7:18pm
Thread Starter 
What card would you recommend?
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 11
10/2/12 at 7:23pm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132020

There is DS 7.1 if you really want 7.1 as well its only $40.

This has built-in headphone amp.

You don't need to spend a gratuitous amount of money on a creative labs to get great sound.

This card is PCI so make sure you have an open slot of it.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 11
10/2/12 at 7:39pm
your headset is only 32ohms so I don't see much of a reason for an amp, unless for some odd reason your not getting enough volume.

Despite what people say around here, the onboard DAC on most modern motherboards is fine, and you'll only hear a difference with higher end headphones.

I'd say spend your money somewhere else.
Fluid
(17 items)
  		  
CPUMotherboardGraphicsRAM
i5 2500k -- 4.8Ghz @ 1.34V Asrock p67 extreme4 Gen3 SLI GTX 580's Corsair Vengeance 1600Mhz 7-8-8-24 
Hard DriveHard DriveCoolingCooling
120GB Intel 330 500GB Caviar Blue Koolance CPU360 Block EX240 Radiator 
CoolingOSMonitorPower
Koolance RP-1005 Res/Pump Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Asus VG236HE 120hz NZXT HALE90 850W 
CaseMouseAudioAudio
White Corsair 600T Logitech M500 Klipsch Promedia 2.1 Beyerdynamics DT990 Pro 
Audio
Yamaha RX-V1065 
View all
  hide details  
Reply
Fluid
(17 items)
  		  
CPUMotherboardGraphicsRAM
i5 2500k -- 4.8Ghz @ 1.34V Asrock p67 extreme4 Gen3 SLI GTX 580's Corsair Vengeance 1600Mhz 7-8-8-24 
Hard DriveHard DriveCoolingCooling
120GB Intel 330 500GB Caviar Blue Koolance CPU360 Block EX240 Radiator 
CoolingOSMonitorPower
Koolance RP-1005 Res/Pump Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Asus VG236HE 120hz NZXT HALE90 850W 
CaseMouseAudioAudio
White Corsair 600T Logitech M500 Klipsch Promedia 2.1 Beyerdynamics DT990 Pro 
Audio
Yamaha RX-V1065 
View all
  hide details  
Reply
post #6 of 11
10/9/12 at 6:32am
Asus dgx or dg. depending on what slozts u got available
Furia
(15 items)
  		  
CPUMotherboardGraphicsRAM
Quadzilla 6600 *G0* Asus P5Q Pro Turbo MSI 560 Ti Twn Frzr II 4x2GB Corsair 
Hard DriveOptical DriveCoolingOS
Seagate 320GB, WD Black 640GB LG SATA CD-DVDRW Antec Kuhler 620/ Ultra Kaze 3k Win 7 x64 Ultimate 
MonitorKeyboardPowerCase
Samsung 2494SW Logitech G11 OCZGXS600 Corsair 600T SE 
MouseMouse PadAudio
Logitech G9 Ratpadz GS Asus Xonar DX --Dayton BR-1S Monitors--ATH M50  
View all
  hide details  
Reply
Furia
(15 items)
  		  
CPUMotherboardGraphicsRAM
Quadzilla 6600 *G0* Asus P5Q Pro Turbo MSI 560 Ti Twn Frzr II 4x2GB Corsair 
Hard DriveOptical DriveCoolingOS
Seagate 320GB, WD Black 640GB LG SATA CD-DVDRW Antec Kuhler 620/ Ultra Kaze 3k Win 7 x64 Ultimate 
MonitorKeyboardPowerCase
Samsung 2494SW Logitech G11 OCZGXS600 Corsair 600T SE 
MouseMouse PadAudio
Logitech G9 Ratpadz GS Asus Xonar DX --Dayton BR-1S Monitors--ATH M50  
View all
  hide details  
Reply
post #7 of 11
10/9/12 at 7:41pm
I would say some $100-$150 headphones such as the JVC FXD80's. Between the sound coming out of my laptop with these headphones to them plugged into a amplifier hooked to the digital output on my desktop I hear no difference in sound quality. IMO sound cards are only good for multiple channel computer speaker setups.

If you are interested in upgrading check out head-fi.org's latest buyer guide http://ec.libsyn.com/p/9/f/f/9ffab659c693aad6/headfi-summerguide-2012.pdf?d13a76d516d9dec20c3d276ce028ed5089ab1ce3dae902ea1d01cc8e3fd2c0583a59&c_id=4695668
Edited by rindoze - 10/9/12 at 8:02pm
The HotBox
(16 items)
  		  
CPUMotherboardGraphicsRAM
phenom II 550 MSI 890GXM-G65 MSI 5830 4GB 1600 ECO 
Hard DriveHard DriveOptical DriveCooling
1Tb samsung hd103sj Vertex 3 Samsung DVD-RW BitFenix Spectre Pro 120mm x4 
OSMonitorKeyboardPower
windows 7 ULTIMATE!!! 42" LG tv Logitech k750 Silent Pro 700 
CaseMouseMouse PadAudio
SilverStone GD08B Logitech M705 something with bubbles Marantz SR5006 
View all
  hide details  
Reply
The HotBox
(16 items)
  		  
CPUMotherboardGraphicsRAM
phenom II 550 MSI 890GXM-G65 MSI 5830 4GB 1600 ECO 
Hard DriveHard DriveOptical DriveCooling
1Tb samsung hd103sj Vertex 3 Samsung DVD-RW BitFenix Spectre Pro 120mm x4 
OSMonitorKeyboardPower
windows 7 ULTIMATE!!! 42" LG tv Logitech k750 Silent Pro 700 
CaseMouseMouse PadAudio
SilverStone GD08B Logitech M705 something with bubbles Marantz SR5006 
View all
  hide details  
Reply
post #8 of 11
10/11/12 at 8:43am
Start with a good card IMO. Something like the Asus Xonar DG has a built in amp that will drive low impedance headphones fine, and does it for $26.
http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Channel-Sound-Card-XONAR_DG/dp/B0045JHJSS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1345092026&sr=1-1&keywords=Asus+Xonar+DG

Onboard audio is there to produce sound that'll please the average consumer and give out of the box functionality, but for those more discerning listeners, it simply doesn't cut it. Onboard audio is getting much better these days, but it still isn't up to par IMO. Headphones really bring to light the shortcomings of onboard audio.
Wattser93's Gaming Rig
(15 items)
  		  
CPUMotherboardGraphicsRAM
i5 2500K @ 4.6GHz ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Sapphire 7970 OC @ 1225/1750 G-SKILL Value Series 8GB 1333 @ 1600 MHz 
Hard DriveHard DriveOptical DriveCooling
Crucial M4 128GB Seagate Go Flex 3TB External LiteON DVD Burner Cooler Master 212+ 
OSMonitorKeyboardPower
Windows 7 Ultimate Asus VE248H Logitech G110 Rosewill HIVE 750W 
CaseMouseAudio
NZXT Switch 810 Gun Metal Logitech G9x Logitech Z623 
View all
  hide details  
Reply
Wattser93's Gaming Rig
(15 items)
  		  
CPUMotherboardGraphicsRAM
i5 2500K @ 4.6GHz ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Sapphire 7970 OC @ 1225/1750 G-SKILL Value Series 8GB 1333 @ 1600 MHz 
Hard DriveHard DriveOptical DriveCooling
Crucial M4 128GB Seagate Go Flex 3TB External LiteON DVD Burner Cooler Master 212+ 
OSMonitorKeyboardPower
Windows 7 Ultimate Asus VE248H Logitech G110 Rosewill HIVE 750W 
CaseMouseAudio
NZXT Switch 810 Gun Metal Logitech G9x Logitech Z623 
View all
  hide details  
Reply
post #9 of 11
10/13/12 at 4:18am
  • Joined: Oct 2012
  • Location: London
  • Posts: 4,129
  • Rep: 192 (Unique: 120)
  • Reviews: 28
  • Folding Team Rank: 898
  •  
    Name Team Rank Points / May Work Units / May
    Totallydubbed 898 2,228,208 / 625,271 369 / 99
     
  • Select All Posts By This User
If you were truly going to compare - my EPH-O2D puts my DX/D1 to shame - and I don't care about the "amping" qualities, just pure sound.
For you however - I would suggest a low cost sound card.
On-board is great, especially nowadays, but anything dedicated is better.
As others suggested, take a look at the xonar range DG, DX etc. You'll be cheap and cheerful with that smile.gif

Speaking of which:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1313987/asus-xonar-dg-5-1-sound-card-with-built-in-headphone-amp-lnib

I would buy that with no hesitations, and have already shared it on facebook in case any of my mates were interested in a soundcard.
$20....disgustingly cheap.
Edited by Totally Dubbed - 10/13/12 at 4:21am
My Silent Beauty
(22 items)
 
Byte Sized
(15 items)
  		 
CPUMotherboardGraphicsRAM
Intel Core i7 3770K Ass-us Z77 Noobtooth NVIDIA MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti Power Edition OC Corsair Vengeance 9-9-9-24 
Hard DriveHard DriveHard DriveOptical Drive
Corsair Force GT SSD Samsung SpinPoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB Hard Drive SAT... Samsung HD103SJ Spinpoint F3 1TB Hard Drive SAT... Samsung SH-S222B 
CoolingCoolingCoolingOS
Antec KÜHLER H2O 920 Liquid Cooling Corsair AF140 Silent Fans Corsair SP120 Quiet edition Windows 7 Home Premium 
MonitorKeyboardPowerCase
LG IPS234V - 1080p - 23" Monitor @ 5ms Logitech G710+ Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Corsair AX750 Fractal Design Define R4 Midi Tower Case - Tita... 
MouseMouse PadAudioAudio
Anker High Precision Laser Gaming Mouse OcUK Mega Mat Medium Elite Tactical Gaming Surface Asus Xonar DX Logitech Z-5500 - 505 Watt Sound System 
AudioOther
Epiphany Acoustics EPH-02D - USB DAC 140mm DEMCiflex Dust Filter - For Side Intake 
View all
CPUMotherboardRAMHard Drive
I3-3225 Gigabyte Z77M-D3H Corsair Vengeance 9-9-9-24 Western Digital Black Caviar 
Optical DriveCoolingOSMonitor
LG GH24NS90.AUAA50B Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 Windows 7 Professional LG IPS234V 
KeyboardPowerCaseMouse
Logitech K350 Wave Corsair Builder Series CX 430W V2 Fractal Design Core 1000 Series Micro ATX Case Logitech MX Revolution 
AudioAudioOther
Asus Xonar D1 Soundcard Logitech X-540 Sound System Logitech C270 HD Webcam 
View all
  hide details  
Reply
My Silent Beauty
(22 items)
 
Byte Sized
(15 items)
  		 
CPUMotherboardGraphicsRAM
Intel Core i7 3770K Ass-us Z77 Noobtooth NVIDIA MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti Power Edition OC Corsair Vengeance 9-9-9-24 
Hard DriveHard DriveHard DriveOptical Drive
Corsair Force GT SSD Samsung SpinPoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB Hard Drive SAT... Samsung HD103SJ Spinpoint F3 1TB Hard Drive SAT... Samsung SH-S222B 
CoolingCoolingCoolingOS
Antec KÜHLER H2O 920 Liquid Cooling Corsair AF140 Silent Fans Corsair SP120 Quiet edition Windows 7 Home Premium 
MonitorKeyboardPowerCase
LG IPS234V - 1080p - 23" Monitor @ 5ms Logitech G710+ Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Corsair AX750 Fractal Design Define R4 Midi Tower Case - Tita... 
MouseMouse PadAudioAudio
Anker High Precision Laser Gaming Mouse OcUK Mega Mat Medium Elite Tactical Gaming Surface Asus Xonar DX Logitech Z-5500 - 505 Watt Sound System 
AudioOther
Epiphany Acoustics EPH-02D - USB DAC 140mm DEMCiflex Dust Filter - For Side Intake 
View all
CPUMotherboardRAMHard Drive
I3-3225 Gigabyte Z77M-D3H Corsair Vengeance 9-9-9-24 Western Digital Black Caviar 
Optical DriveCoolingOSMonitor
LG GH24NS90.AUAA50B Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 Windows 7 Professional LG IPS234V 
KeyboardPowerCaseMouse
Logitech K350 Wave Corsair Builder Series CX 430W V2 Fractal Design Core 1000 Series Micro ATX Case Logitech MX Revolution 
AudioAudioOther
Asus Xonar D1 Soundcard Logitech X-540 Sound System Logitech C270 HD Webcam 
View all
  hide details  
Reply
post #10 of 11
10/13/12 at 10:09am
You can do much better with an external DAC. Most sound cards are placebos. Onboard audio is much better now.
Oxmodius
(14 items)
  		  
CPUMotherboardGraphicsRAM
i5 2500k Asus z68 MSI GTX 570 twinfrozrIII G Skill Ripjaw 8gb 1600mhz 
Hard DriveCoolingOSMonitor
750gb caviar black  cm hyper 212+ windows 7 ultimate 23inch asus 1080p 
KeyboardPowerCaseMouse
cherry mechanical mx browns antec earthwatts 600w Newgrounds razer deathadder 
Mouse PadAudio
yugioh 75th shonen jump championship prize mat sennheiser HD 600 + bravo audio v2 
View all
  hide details  
Reply
Oxmodius
(14 items)
  		  
CPUMotherboardGraphicsRAM
i5 2500k Asus z68 MSI GTX 570 twinfrozrIII G Skill Ripjaw 8gb 1600mhz 
Hard DriveCoolingOSMonitor
750gb caviar black  cm hyper 212+ windows 7 ultimate 23inch asus 1080p 
KeyboardPowerCaseMouse
cherry mechanical mx browns antec earthwatts 600w Newgrounds razer deathadder 
Mouse PadAudio
yugioh 75th shonen jump championship prize mat sennheiser HD 600 + bravo audio v2 
View all
  hide details  
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Home Audio

Gear mentioned in this thread:

Overclock.net › Forums › Consumer Electronics › Home Audio › Headphone amp or sound card