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Reddit mentions of FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black)

Sentiment score: 253
Reddit mentions: 387

We found 387 Reddit mentions of FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black). Here are the top ones.

FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black) #2
    Features:
  • Easy to Operate Design: The refined E10K-TC is tiny enough to carry with you wherever you go but is also right at home on your desk to make your music sound great anywhere, the small yet easy-to-operate design makes it a perfect companion for listening
  • Impeccable XMOS Decoding: The E10K-TC comes with the flagship XMOS XUF208 for better USB decoding. Compared to the original E10K, the USB Audio class has been upgraded to 2.0, and PCM is now supported up to 32 bit/384kHz sampling rates to better capture the details in your music
  • Quality Chips to Delight your Ears: The DAC is the PCM5102, with improvements to the flatness and delays of the internal digital filter meaning better sound quality and less audio delay. A high current amp circuit ensures good output power with great transient response
  • 2 Gain Levels and BASS Boost: The E10K-TC comes with high/low gain adjustment as well as a bass boost. High gain is for higher impedance headphones that may need the extra volume, while the bass boost satisfies different listener's preferences when listening to various types of music
  • Low Noise Floor: Optimized active low pass and BASS circuit design ensure low noise floor in any situation, so your music is truly played back faithfully
Specs:
ColorBlack
Height3.11023 inches
Length0.82677 inches
Number of items1
Sizeregular
Weight0.16975594174 Pounds
Width1.92913 inches
#1 of 15,404

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Found 387 comments on FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black):

u/Spynde · 62 pointsr/buildapc

I would recommend this: DAC/AMP in one unit for under $100.

Flio E10K

u/KoreaKoreaKoreaKorea · 16 pointsr/buildapc

$30 DAC - Link - Please know these aren't game changers, it's only offering better quality sound than your motherboard. If your headphones or speakers aren't that great, it's not doing to do much. Weakest link type of thing. If your headphones suck, these wont help. But if you have a decent set of phones, many people have sworn by these.

$75 DAC - Link - More expensive, better sound output. Again, should be paired with even higher quality sound gear. $100+ speakers/headphones.

$115 DAC - My Dac - Link - I needed a dac with a little power. I use speakers with my setup instead of headphones. This one is 2x25. It's honestly the most anyone should need for a 2.0 system.

$80 Speakers - Link - These are mine. I love them. Best combined $200 I've spent. Instead of a CPU that will need to be replaced in two years, these will out last many builds if I take care of them. The reviews are through the roof compared to the price. And I'd have to agree.

There are a million reviews about the topping DAC + Micca speakers. Things feel more immersive. I think that's the simplest way to put it.

u/Flannel_Condom · 11 pointsr/Metal

I'm sporting the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x and a FiiO E10K. I also use the Fidelia music player on a mac. It's definitely an upgrade from standard audio equipment but still under $250. You can easily go nuts and drop $1,000+.

FLACCs are still difficult to find from digital sources for lesser known bands. Not everyone's on bandcamp. I buy the physical CD then rip it to FLACC. 320kb/s MP3s are ok but if you opt for a higher fidelity setup I'd stick to FLACC, ALAC, WAV, or AIFF.

u/Du6e · 9 pointsr/buildapcforme
Based on all the research you put in, i don't think that you really need our help :p

But just in case you just need some re-assurance, the R7 series is definitely going to get you the best bang / buck, although it'll be interesting to see how Intel prices SkyLake X / KabyLake X.

You'll also have to look into if their block supports AM4 since they only say that they support AMD.

Why even bother with your SoundBlaster if it's going to complicate the build. I'd just sell it an get an external solution like a FiiO E10K or a Scarlet Solo (Although i guess that depends on what headphone you have).


Even with something like this, you still have quiet a bit leftover for some sleeved cables and a keyboard / headphone upgrade.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD RYZEN 7 1700 3.0GHz 8-Core Processor | $319.75 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | MSI X370 GAMING PRO CARBON ATX AM4 Motherboard | $178.98 @ SuperBiiz
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $119.88 @ OutletPC
Storage | Samsung 960 Evo 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $129.99 @ B&H
Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | Purchased For $0.00
Storage | Crucial MX300 750GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | Purchased For $0.00
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Superclocked Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card | Purchased For $0.00
Power Supply | SeaSonic 520W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular Fanless ATX Power Supply | $126.50 @ Jet
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $875.10
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-04-10 14:41 EDT-0400 |
u/vsTerminus · 9 pointsr/headphones

FiiO E10K Olympus DAC / Amp on Amazon

I am using it to drive a pair of Sennheiser HD 598 SE headphones at work.

Before you chastise me for open back in an office space, I listen at a relatively low volume, the ambient noise here is pretty loud, and I've okayed it with my cube neighbor who is rarely even at his desk.

Some initial thoughts:

  • The Bass switch is subtle enough (depending on the music) that I actually find it pleasant. Edit: Probably won't use it much long term, but it's nice for some kinds of music.
  • Size is smaller than I expected. Pencil for scale. (Sorry, no banana available)
  • Sound quality is quite nice for this purpose. You'll hear from others that this is basically an entry level DAC and they're not wrong. It works for me because I'm just using it to listen to lossy music (320mp3) at work and wanted something a little nicer than this old laptop's onboard DAC.
  • I have Gain on Low and wouldn't dream of raising it. OS volume sits around 70-80% and the physical knob on the amp doesn't rise above 3 most of the time.
  • Installation was dead simple, but I'm running Arch Linux (ALSA + Pulseaudio) so there is no driver installation. I just plug it in and tell the media player which device to use.

    The biggest issue I've been having so far is not the DAC's fault, but the fact that my laptop is quite old and has a weak CPU. This led to some crackling when the CPU was under heavy load, so I've had to tweak a number of things (process priorities, disable "smooth scrolling" in my browser, etc) to eliminate it.

    Otherwise it seems like a solid purchase.
u/koopai · 7 pointsr/buildapcsales

I have 598s and use this. I've never used the Schiit stack but used my FiiO E10k every day for two years and love it.

u/LRed · 7 pointsr/headphones

It has an optical out so if you want a cheap dac/amp combo you could use the SMSL SD 793II and if your PC has an optical out you can use it with that too.

http://www.amazon.com/SMSL-SD793-II-PCM1793-DIR9001-Amplifier/dp/B00A2QLPJM

Also according to this thread on gamefaqs

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/691087-playstation-4/69310423

It does support USB dacs but I have no experience with this so you should do more research.

As for the 'flat' sounding of headphones I'm fairly certain the 598's are fairly efficient though I think an amp could possibly help tighten the bass region due to the 300ohm peak at 100hz IIRC.

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SennheiserHD598.pdf

Something like E10k also has a bass boost which may be helpful if you find them too bass light. But that's usb so you should do research on that.

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

u/Evexium · 7 pointsr/gaming

Setup Specs:

u/SergeantStuck · 7 pointsr/Tipper

I've been using Beyerdynamics DT 770 Pro 80 ohm paired with a Fiio E10k DAC and the sound quality is incredible. You'd be under budget with this setup too and the E10k also has a bass boost switch if that's your thing ;)

That's more of a desktop setup, though my phone does drive the 770s pretty well. If you're looking for headphones for on the go listening, I'd recommend Sony's WH1000XM3, they're the best noise cancelling headphones I've ever owned.

u/metafizikal · 6 pointsr/audiophile

Best answer is probably/maybe. Here are some options at different price points:

$30 UCA202

$76 FiiO E10K

$100 Modi 2

$150 ODAC

u/DZCreeper · 6 pointsr/buildapc

Gaming headsets suck, period.

https://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-770-PRO-Studio-Headphone/dp/B0016MNAAI

Get yourself a nice pair of well reviewed closed back headphones. Open back leaks more noise and tends to have a little less bass.

Then you need a mic you can attach to the side like a regular 'gaming' headset, only except now your audio is high quality.

https://www.amazon.com/d/Computer-Microphones/Antlion-Audio-ModMic-Attachable-Microphone/B00R98JVVU

Then if you want to improve the experience a little more, grab an external DAC and headphone amp.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2

u/Dae314 · 6 pointsr/WorldofTanks

In my opinion, you should only do that if you already have a good set of headphones/speakers that can actually take advantage of the increased sound quality from a card. If you're running WoT with a $20 set of stereo speakers, you'd get more "sound-quality-per-dollar" by getting a better set of headphones than you would with a sound card.

The other reason I came here is to recommend that you get a DAC that's external to the computer. They're undoubtedly more convenient for headphones (who's going to run their headphone cable to the back of the PC?), and arguably you reduce the amount of EM noise by taking the DAC outside of your computer rather than have it sit next to all of the computer's electronics on the PCI-E slot.

The last time I looked, the FiiO E10K was highly recommended for entry level price-to-performance.

u/rabidfurby · 6 pointsr/Seattle

Bose isn't bad, but it's very overpriced for the quality you get.

I swear by the Sennheiser HD 380s that I keep at work. The ear cups go around your ear rather than on top of it, which means they do a better job of blocking out sound and are much more comfortable for long periods of time. Even though it's pricey ($150), it's still half the price of Bose.

The Beyerdynamic DT770 is also a good option. I have DT990s at home but you wouldn't want open headphones in an office environment - it'd let too much office noise in, and your coworkers will hate you because your music will leak out. You want the 32 ohm version of these unless you also want to buy a headphone amp like this one.

u/king_of_the_ayleids · 5 pointsr/audio

Game engines use their own 3d stereo sound processing so virtual 7.1 isn't really worth much. I would recommend getting an external sound card (DAC/AMP). I would recommend this http://www.amazon.com/AUDIOQUEST-DRAGONFLY-V1-2-USB-DAC/dp/B00H00VLZQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1426275640&sr=1-1&keywords=audioquest+dragonfly or this http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1426275640&sr=1-6&keywords=audioquest+dragonfly

You could also peak around /r/headphones. There's a ton of discussion there about these things. There's no upper limit to quality or what you can spend on Digital to Analog Converters and Amplifiers.

You could also just search amazon for sound cards, but if you're only using it for headphones make sure you're not wasting money on cards that have speaker outputs. The one's I recommended aren't cheap, but you will appreciate the quality.

u/c_galaxy · 5 pointsr/pcmasterrace

I had the same problem. Best way to get ride of this static would be to remove your analog audio from the inside of your computer.

I would get an external DAC/AMP or DAC/AMP combo. I use the FiiO e10k. $75 on Amazon It's a pretty good little DAC/Amp.

u/xodakahn · 5 pointsr/headphones

The HD598 were my first 'real' headphones. I did like them. But I felt they needed more. These have been my favorite auxiliary equipment. Before you completely give up on the HD598s give a DAC/AMP or even just an AMP at try. (unless you are using one already)

u/verifitting · 5 pointsr/headphones

https://blog.jdslabs.com/2018/11/jds-labs-atom-amp-official-release-benchmarks/#comment-23006

they say "this year". If you can wait, you could wait for sure yeah :) you could just get the affordable Fiio E10k for now. It has line out which you can connect to Atom https://www.amazon.de/FiiO-E10K-Olympus-Digital-Kopfhörerverstärker-schwarz/dp/B00LP3AMC2

A good enough temporary solution for sure, there's plenty of people on /r/headphones still using one!

u/SilknSkies · 5 pointsr/buildapc

Why not get an external DAC/AC like this?

u/beefqeef · 5 pointsr/WorldofTanks

If you're willing to spend a decent chunk of money on a sound card, don't. Get an external DAC- it does the same as a sound card but is further isolated from interference in your computer. Some also have built in volume controls and mute buttons.

I use a Scarlett Solo with audiotechnica M50X headphones.

This is a good small DAC.
FiiO E10K Headphone Amplifier and DAC https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_Sh8FxbGKRG5TQ

And this is one which I use.
Focusrite Scarlett Solo 2nd Gen 2 in 2 Out USB Audio Interface https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01E6T56CM/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_Xi8Fxb55YAY5D


Edit: It's not worth it unless you have a good quality headphone set. I would recommend the audiotechnica M40 or M50 headphones for very good quality at low prices compared to other brands.

u/jas0nb · 5 pointsr/battlestations

Are they 32/80/250 ohms? I'm guessing they're not 32 considering the amp in the back. What amp is that, also? Looks like this guy https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ but it's hard to tell for sure.

u/Brostradamus_ · 5 pointsr/buildapc

Then just get a good set of regular headphones + a DAC. Head to r/headphones and get a good recommendation at your price point + Buy this DAC. Sennheiser HD 598's are a very popular "budget" option.

audio technica m40x/m50x's are also very good.

u/Reanimations · 5 pointsr/buildapc

If you want a recommendation, I have the FiiO E10K DAC, and it's great. The bass boost switch on the front is a nice touch.

u/Tardsmat · 4 pointsr/oblivion

That is static noise from your PC. It happens because you propably have an onboard sound card. Your other PC parts interfere with it and disrupt your sound. The only way to fix this is to get an external sound card. Something like this. I had the same Problem after i got New speakers.

u/scalablecory · 4 pointsr/HeadphoneAdvice

Properly powered, the 770-80 can deliver very deep, textured, powerful bass when the music calls for it. So, something is very wrong here :), but, it's an easy fix.

Low volume and poor bass response are the first indicators that headphones are being underpowered. You need an amp. Might I suggest a FiiO E10K? It has excellent quality and is cheap.

u/prms · 4 pointsr/BudgetAudiophile

I want to point out that you don't necessarily need a RCA out. A standard 1/8" is fine as you can use a 1/8" to rca cable. My previous setup was Fiio e10k as a DAC into Topping TP22 into those micca speakers.

u/UKFAN3108 · 4 pointsr/headphones

I have a modest mid/hi fi collection going with my Shiit stack, THX-00, HD6xx, and HD598 (used with a mod mic as a headset for gaming). I told myself I was at my end game for a few years as I had a nice variation, but couldn't pass on a planar headphone for 300. The M1060 should be a nice addition to my collection.

The M1060 has a 50ohm impedance, so it isn't entirely possible that these don't need a robust DAC/AMP to drive them, but I'm sure a modest DAC/AMP would improve the sound quality of the headphones over your Macbook. I sometimes use my Macbook to drive my 6XX's (300ohm impedance) at work and it does alright, but the 6XX's do sound a bit better on my home setup.

I think a $100-200 investment in a DAC/AMP is worth while for a $300 headphone. Fiio E10k or the Shiit Fulla 2 would be good entry level options in the 100 or less catagory with numerous options in the 100-200 catagory. I'm sure you can get another 100 recommendations on other DAC/AMP combos, but I do feel you will notice an improvement over any phone or laptop.

u/Starionn · 4 pointsr/headphones

Do you have problems with any other headphones?

I haven't used the M40X's myself, but "headphones not getting loud enough" is generally one of the few, reliable, markers that you would benefit from upgrading to an amp.

The JDS Labs Atom is pretty much the gold standard for cost/performance at $100. You would probably want a dac too, or at least someway of switching from speakers to the amp without having to reach around your computer to the back to swap.

The FiiO E10K works pretty well, and is a dac/amp combo at $75 if you want an affordable all-in-one.

u/QuipA · 4 pointsr/headphones

> 50 ohm impedance would be hard for my motherboard to push

50 Ohm is not a high impedance, your motherboard should be able to drive the HD598 with ease.

A problem that does occur with motherboards is inadequate damping. If your mobo's output impedance is higher than ~5 Ohm you will decrease the sound quality and fidelity of the HD598. Unfortunately soundcard and mobo manufacturers know their products are mostly shit and therefore they do not even provide these specs at all.

If you want to make sure to get the most out of the HD598 invest in an entry level desktop DAC/AMP like the FiiO E10K or Micca Origen+

u/TogShark · 4 pointsr/pcmasterrace

Hey there! A few bits of advice from someone who's had M50x's for a while now.

  • The ear pads that they come with are uncomfortable after extended use. I suggest purchasing these.

  • If you haven't got one already, I highly recommend picking yourself up a DAC. Maybe this one.

  • They should have come with three cables. One straight short, one straight long and one coiled cable. Use the coiled cable, because it's extremely durable. You can't accidentally tug it at an awkward angle and potentially damage something because it's like a damn spring.

  • You can also purchase additional cables, even braided ones if that's your preference.

  • Don't be a scrub and carry it around in the leather bag it comes with. Buy a hard case.
u/explosivo563 · 3 pointsr/audiophile

Depends on your price range. Check out fiio dacs for entry level. Schiit modi and magni for mid/higher level. There are many options for dacs and amp/dac combos. I use the e10k which is an entry level amp/dac.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LP3AMC2?pc_redir=1413260811&robot_redir=1

u/japaul32 · 3 pointsr/buildapc

I would recommend a pair of HD 598's and a headphone amp. Or the AKG k701/q701.

I own the HD558, and Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro, and I use them in conjuction with a Schiit Magni. My favourite for comfort and overall audio quality is the HD558. If I want some more bass in my music I switch to the DT770 Pro.

Take a look at this

Edit: I'm assuming you're using onboard audio. If so, take a look at a amp/dac combo like this

Edit2: You guys in the UK get some great prices. Here's the DT990 Pro. Definitely want to get a headphone amp with this guy.

u/ggibby · 3 pointsr/headphones

Welcome the the Grado club - three actual Grados have passed through my collection, and three hybrids as well.
For tinkering and modding, there's nothing better, IMO.

I found several reasonable DAC/amp units that improved the ride, as it were.
My early favorite being the Fiio E10K - compact, USB-powered, not hard on the budget.
If you can leave it on the desk, the Massdrop O2 + SDAC DAC/Amp is a winner,
but beware of Massdrop - their temptation fu is strong. :-)

To do both DAC and DAP, lurk eBay for an iBasso DX90 - I never go anywhere without mine.


Agreed that they really shine with 'classic' production - late 60s to mid 80s analog path,
but also considerate modern artists like Spoon and Andrew Duhon,
maybe Isis and Animals as Leaders on the heavier side.

The folks at Head-fi.org have a couple opinions about the Brooklyn Sound, too.

u/Itsthejoker · 3 pointsr/cscareerquestions

I can't wear earbuds for more than a few hours at a time, so I have Koss Porta Pros. Unbelievable sound in a very portable package, and I have them paired with a Fiio E10K that filters out any line weirdness. I used to have a shitty work laptop that had awful grounding, so the amp was super useful. Now I just use it because it sounds good :)

u/miraculous- · 3 pointsr/diysound

I believe this satisfies your criteria.

This was my first dac/amp.
https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

I still keep it for travel.
Will drive up to 250Ω.
Sounds fantastic too. Would recommend.

u/Jimmy0517 · 3 pointsr/Zeos

I finally got my X2's and wowow for gaming these are a must. Thank you for the recommend and videos. Wanted to follow up woth a questing regarding an AMP for my PC. The PC can drive the headphones with my onboard but for music via itunes or movies I can't get the level in volume i like which is generally loud. I know you mad an AMP video, but I was wondering if i get a USB amp like a AMP
There wouldn't be a problem using an AMP with a headset that also is using a mic? Would the microphone function still work if I have the headset plugged into an AMP?

u/ShiftyAsylum · 3 pointsr/BudgetAudiophile

I'm guessing the output from this (16-bit, 44.1k) isn't as good as your on-board sound. If you're serious about getting a nice pair of headphones, I would at least look into something like this or this. There's no point in spending cash on a good pair of cans when you're going to be putting a less than optimal signal through them.

>Edit: Updated SMSL link.

>Edit 2: Third option.

u/auralucario2 · 3 pointsr/headphones

If you want something inexpensive but powerful, look no further than the FiiO E10K. Especially since you have the 250 ohm edition, a decent amp is pretty much necessary.

As an aside, the DT990 are the complete opposite of flat. They are very v-shaped, with boosted bass and treble. Especially treble.

u/Pat-Roner · 3 pointsr/audiophile

you could get a fiio e10k.

u/kronbison · 3 pointsr/headphones

This may be due to your on-board sound. Before spending, I would test out the headphones on a different PC/source. Make sure it isn't just the headphones themselves.

Then, when you are ready to buy, get an external dac/amp, basically an external sound card. Check out the Micca Origen($100), Fiio E10k($76), Monoprice Dac/Amp($80), and SMSL SD793-II($63).

u/Erosis · 3 pointsr/buildapcsales

Yeah, I have a fancy motherboard too (MSI Z170 Gaming M7) and it doesn't do it justice, but you're right. The DAC is usually the last thing you get to finish your setup and untrained ears might not notice anything. Headphone > Amp > DAC. If you get any hissing or electronic interference, then you especially might want to invest. Entry level DACs and Amps go for a minimum of $50 each and I would at minimum recommend this DAC/Amp combo.
I should also mention that headphones can have high impedance and you would need an amp to provide the gain necessary to reach your desired volumes. However, all of the headphones I've listed (and the 700X) have a low impedance and do not need the amp for volume. I regard anything lower than 40 ohms as low impedance.


Regarding virtualization, I typically avoid sound enhancements and spatial sound on Windows and let the applications speak for themselves. You're correct that the quality will depend on the game, but overall you don't have to worry with modern titles. The only game that I actually enjoy virtualization with is in Overwatch where Blizzard integrated Dolby Atmos. It lowers the quality of the sound, but does make spatial cues more discernible.

u/ttelbarto · 3 pointsr/buildapcsalesuk

I feel like you could just run it from your motherboard but I'm not 100%. I bought one of these because I read the sound quality would be better and I didn't want to waste the headphones.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-Olympus-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

u/TrueJudoka · 3 pointsr/buildapc

I bought the Fiio E10k a little while back. I love it, definite upgrade from the onboard audio. It's not too expensive and it suits it's purpose.

I don't have any experience with them, but I've seen a lot of Schiit set ups. There's a Schiit DAC on Amazon US right now for about $85. Definitely check out /r/audiophile and /r/headphones as well, utilise the resources they provide and you'll more than likely find what you're looking for.

u/ppooiiuuyyttrreewwqq · 3 pointsr/buildapcsales

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417173201&sr=8-2&keywords=fiio

Or if you're more on a budget, this will do but the quality will reflect the price. I'd go with he first one if at all possible.

u/TR00Z3D · 3 pointsr/headphones

Get these, now.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=26-138-190

The SHP9500 are open, neutral, sharp and precise.

They are very, very comfortable and if need be, you can replace the pads.

Just search the subreddit and you will see people drooling about these cans.

They do not NEED amplification but greatly benefit from it. I recommend the FiiO E10k: http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

P.S. They also have a removable cable, which is always nice to see.

Edit: While they are not wireless, they are the best bang-for-the-buck cans, at this very time in the 0 - 100 range. And for the time being, wireless is just a gimmick.

u/Teerhand · 3 pointsr/audio

Hey mate, i hope this isn´t too late for some advice.

​

So first and foremost, congrats on a nice pair of cans. your motherboard has a dedicated audio solution, which shouldn´t be to bad in the first place, but to improve upon that i would recommend the fiio 10k

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543003652&sr=8-1&keywords=fiio+10k

it´s a pretty nice headphone amp/dac combo, which competes with a lot of pricier solutions, and for listening to music and gaming, you won´t find anything better under 200 bucks.

​

while the guy at the music store is technically correct, the sterling is of course a headphone amp as well, but as soon as he heard the words gaming and pc, he should have known this ain´t what you´re looking for...so return it, thats the wrong kind of device...you need a digital analogue converter, that has an amp integrated.

u/spicedpumpkins · 3 pointsr/buildapcsales

> is a sound card worth it in today's age?

NO.

Most games don't support Creative's proprietary sound like they used to in the old days.

Most modern mobo's have the basics to get you buy.

If you absolutely think you would benefit from external sound then at least get a portable DAC that you can use for other things/take with you.

My goto suggestion is usually Fiio E17K ALPEN 2 USB DAC Headphone Amplifier which when plugged in via USB will be recognized as a windows sound card, provides excellent sound for the price, has an electronic 3 band EQ and you have the benefit of unplugging it and taking it with you to power your cans on the go.

If you're stuck at 75 bucks then FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier

Also, Creative software to this very day SUCKS. It is very rarely updated and sometimes does not play nice with when you try to use proprietary creative sound profiles within specific games.

I forgot what the specific profile was for "enhanced enemy footstep" detection but it muffled other game sounds that were really needed in Overwatch and in TF2.

Bottom line. Pass on this shit. There are better alternatives in the same price range.

u/CAvalanche11 · 3 pointsr/battlestations

Am a good friend, helped him pick out about 90% of this stuff.

Headphones are Sennheiser HD 598 special edition (the amazon exclusove ones), but those are discontinued, newest version are the HD 599

https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-599-Open-Headphone/dp/B01L1IICR2

Mic is Blue Snowball USB
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-Microphone-Gloss-Black/dp/B002OO18NS

He also uses a FiiO e10k DAC for headphones also
https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

u/the_blue_wizard · 3 pointsr/audiophile

These are powered speakers with USB inputs - $350/Pr Retail -

https://www.klipsch.com/products/r-15pm-powered-monitors

How important is USB to you? That's a nice feature, but only if you need it.

I think these might be the latest version (R-51PM - $500/pr) -

https://www.klipsch.com/products/r-51pm-powered-speakers

If there is a replacement model that means there are probably very good deals on the Older Version.

These are 5" speaker, and to make a determination, you have to consider what else you can get for a similar price.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LSR305MK2--jbl-305p-mkii-5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MR524--mackie-mr524-5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

Edifier S2000-Pro, DAC, Remote Control, Bluetooth 4.0, etc... - £399/pr -

https://www.amazon.com/Edifier-S2000pro-Bluetooth-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B0725GZQFZ/

https://www.edifier.com/us/en/speakers/s2000pro-bookshelf-speakers-studio-monitors

There is nothing wrong with the Edifier, assuming they do what you need done.

The one advantage the Klipsch do have is that they have a USB input for direct connect to a computer. That is probably the feature that is the deciding factor. However, if you computer has an Optical or Coaxial Output, then something like the Edifiers 2000 might be a good choice.

Or, if you are not connecting to a computer, then USB becomes less valuable. In the case, the Edifier with Optical/Coaxial/AUX and Bluetooth is a better choice, simply because it has a Remote Control.

The various Mackie and JBL in 5", 6.5", and 8" could be a good choice as they are highly rated and are less money, but they would require you to buy a USB DAC. Though these can be had in the range of $100.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_703DGNFLYB/AudioQuest-DragonFly-Black-v1-5.html

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_772D3DAC/Audioengine-D3.html?tp=59309

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/

https://www.amazon.com/Q1-Mark-II-Native-Amplifier/dp/B0757MH46M/

https://www.amazon.com/CREATIVE-LABS-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/

https://www.amazon.com/FX-Audio-Optical-Coaxial-Amplifier/dp/B01HERNVQQ/

Some of these are USB DACs and Headphone Amps.

The JBL 306 and the Mackie MR624 are both 6.5" speakers, which are TWICE as big as a 5" bass driver. They are about $200 each, which with a DAC would run in the neighborhood of $500/set.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LSR306MK2--jbl-306p-mkii-6.5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MR624--mackie-mr624-6.5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

You can check reviews on line and you will find nothing but positive for both the JBL and the Mackie MR Series.

All that said, nothing wrong with the Klipsch, just make sure they do what you want, suit your application, and fit your budget.

Just a range of possibilities

u/kare_kano · 3 pointsr/androidapps

If you want to do WiFi streaming, install $3.50 BubbleUPnP on the phone and use the Windows 10 built-in DLNA streaming. If you're on Ubuntu you can install pulseaudio-dlna and use it as output from sound settings. I'm sure there's something for Mac as well.

For USB, what you're looking for is called a USB DAC. If you're really strapped for cash and don't have fancy tastes in sound quality, or quality headphones, then one of these $5-7 puppies will take care of it. Quality is touch and go, some may be DOA and need replacing, but they'll get the job done. You can also go for a $20 Signstek (PCM2704), but I wouldn't recommend more expensive ones without knowing what headphones you're using and what you want from them.

If you do, I can recommend the $40 FiiO K1, $65 SMSL SD793-II or $75 FiiO E10K, but if you do that you should also look into putting $50-200 into decent headphones and you're probably not looking for that.

Whatever you do DO NOT get USB headphones. Decent ones are expensive, cheap ones are absolute crap. A $5 DAC like above and a $25 pair of Sennheiser HD202 will be better and can be replaced separately or even taken apart and repaired if they break.

u/shadyinternets · 3 pointsr/audiophile

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1416507419&sr=1-3&keywords=fiio

like justanotherdickweed mentioned, just get yourself a little USB/DAC and that should help.

the one i linked is a bit more than his link, but is more powerful/better in my opinion.

ive had a similar Fiio dac/amp for about 3 years, use it almost 7 hours a day 5 days a week at work and it has been worth every penny. they also have more portable versions like the e07 if you care to take it with you at any point.

u/Plyphon · 3 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-Olympus-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

These are highly regarded by /r/headphones as a industry standard in budget headphone amping for any listening types (home, studio, etc)

u/Impressive_Username · 3 pointsr/MSI_Gaming

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=fiio&qid=1563565779&s=gateway&sprefix=fiio&sr=8-3

Its 70, but worth every penny. I used it with my AKG k712 pros for about a year before upgrading to a soundblaster g6.

u/Pomnom · 3 pointsr/reactiongifs

>It achieves making the phone water resistant, allowing for a digital audio connection, giving built in stereo speakers, not having to deal with a wire that gets snagged on things and leaving room in the phone for better laid out internals.

Links added. The last point is completely conjecture and they managed almost a decade without it. Also the lack of option. Every single smartphone can use bluetooth headset. Only iphone 7 cannot use wire headset.

u/keeif · 3 pointsr/sffpc

Likely picking up interference from your graphics card. If you can, route the audio cable over the top of the motherboard and then down to the HD audio pins.

Though it might not be avoidable with how compact the case is and how close the ports are to the graphics card.

I think this gets worse with more power hungry cards. I've had the cable sitting right on the back of a 960 and never heard any interference but when I upgraded to a 970 I had to reroute the cable as I was hearing the same thing.

Only other option is buying a USB DAC and Amp like this.

u/ineedawindose · 3 pointsr/buildapc

you can also consider investing in a usb dac & an amp or a dac/amp like a fiio e10 and forgo the onboard audio completely. a bonus is that you can reuse this for future systems without worrying about onboard audio chipsets.

u/jakethepassion · 3 pointsr/Amd

So from my limited understanding of audio equipment I know that a DAC simply converts the digital signal from the computer to an analog signal for the headphones (a separate DAC helps the most with isolating the signal from interference from the computer). If you think the sound coming from your headphones is too quiet or lackluster what you really need is an amplifier to make the signal stronger, or a DAC/amp combo.

Two DAC/amp combos I see recommended often are the


Fiio E10K
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_8bEeAb0CH5BW4


SMSL SD793-II
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A2QLPJM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_ldEeAbHJ9PS48

Both have a DAC to isolate the signal and an amplifier to power higher end headphones.

u/Blais_Of_Glory · 3 pointsr/BudgetAudiophile

What's your budget? Where do you live? What type of music do you listen to? Are you looking for headphones that can be used for gaming? Do you need a mic with the headphones? What is the music coming from? For example, if you're listening to music through your computer and your headphones are connected to the computer, you would be better off getting a DAC and amp combo (something like the Schiit Fulla/Schiit Fulla on Amazon or FiiO E10K or Audioengine D1 or AudioQuest DragonFly) and then getting better headphones. I personally have tried several different brands and Sennheiser are my favorites. I currently have Sennheiser PC 363D (on Amazon) for gaming, movies, and TV and have the Sennheiser HD 598 SE (on Amazon) for music.

u/TheMuffinsPie · 3 pointsr/audiophile

If your current audio DAC is fine, there may not be a reason to buy a seperate DAC, but that purchase will completely depend on your current setup.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Amazon says the impedance of your headphones is 50 Ohms. This is an impedance spec that definitely will work fine without an AMP. However, should you decide to purchase an AMP (like the budget-oriented ones I'll post here), such as the 02 from Mayflower, the FiiO E10k or one of the Schiit AMPs like the Magni, you would find that the audio quality of your headphones would increase, since their full potential will be unlocked.

The Schiit combo is very high quality for the money, and I believe you'd be pretty happy with it.

u/undead_drop_bear · 3 pointsr/Games

>I never spring for fancy headsets, let alone custom sound cards.

you don't even need that. A decent USB amp/dac like the fiio E10K and some panasonic rp-ht21 will go a long way.

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004T8R2/

You'll notice a huge difference with those two alone.

edit: extra info: If you got a little bit more money, go for Grado sr80e or Sennheiser HD 598's. Again, with that amp/dac, killer sound.

Headphones make a difference, but what they're plugged into make an even bigger difference.

Note: this setup is for PC. The amp/dac will work on the PS4, but will switch left and right for some reason, unless Sony fixed that.


u/njules · 3 pointsr/pcmasterrace

I don't know much about DACs but I have seen this one and this one recommended multiple times.

They are a bit pricey compared the one you sent though. And the second one can't work on your motherboard since the mobo doesn't have an s/pdif output.

u/xmagusx · 3 pointsr/buildapcsales

> FiiO E10K

Not saying it's not, but why would you say it's worth 15 bucks more than this one?

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

u/xFrostbite13x · 2 pointsr/buildapc
This external DAC&Amp is much better than that sound card.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $319.99 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler | Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler | $79.95 @ Amazon
Motherboard | MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $91.45 @ OutletPC
Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory | $72.99 @ NCIX US
Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory | $72.99 @ NCIX US
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card | $0.00
Case | Fractal Design Define R4 Blackout ATX Mid Tower Case | $66.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply | EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $39.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $744.35
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-05 12:43 EST-0500 |
your build didn't include the GPU's price so i didn't include it in mine too.
EDIT: why do you need a network adapter? the mobo already has an ethernet port...
u/Harry101UK · 2 pointsr/thedivision

I'm using the same headphones as the other 2 guys (HD 650's) and a DAC made a huge difference. I've got a little FiiO and it really added clarity, and punchier bass. Also prevents motherboard noise which I heard occasionally.

u/joshmac007 · 2 pointsr/headphones

Hey /r/headphones,

I've been looking for a nice pair of headphones to dive into recently for my first REAL pair of headphones and I've been eyeballing one in particular.

The HE400i. I've read up on reviews on how it has fantastic sound quality and is well worth it but I just wanted a second opinion from users on here. I found them new for $210 on ritzcamera and it looks like a steal. I was also planning on pairing them with the FiiO E10K to power these bad boys.

So should I pull the trigger and buy these?

u/LeopardTurret · 2 pointsr/buildapc

I personally use this. It sounds great:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2?keywords=e10k&qid=1452138892&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Plus it's an external DAC/Amp, so no risk of electrical interference from an internal soundcard. (not that interference is even that common, but still...)

u/headphones_SS · 2 pointsr/SubredditSimulator

[Ive been looking at the FiiO E10K but was also looking at open back headphones of the same OEM unit under a different brand. Perhaps consider a pair of Panasonic IEM's right now that they're dropping due to discontinuation. I mean I'd be able to hear a difference because the output impedance was that high it would be best to pair with a budget of around $100.

u/micahz3 · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

A similar thread showed up around summer this year that prompted me to up my audio game. At the time I had a Logitech G630 headset and the mic boom stopped staying up so I needed a replacement. It was good luck that I saw that thread! I bought Tascam TH02-B with these replacement pads. Also got Blue Snowball and FiiO E10K DAC. I love my audio setup now!

u/FallenAdvocate · 2 pointsr/buildapc

I bought a DAC, I had some case noise before and wanted something to get rid of that and something I could use with my laptop when needed. So I ended up getting this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LP3AMC2/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1421341470&sr=8-2&dpPl=1&dpID=41HlW-hm0WL&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SY200_QL40. I really like it, and sorry for any formatting problems I'm on my phone.

u/Freezerburn · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

Quality won't drop, should be fine. "Gaming" headsets aren't generally quality sounding headsets. The 598 is a good headphone, what matters more is if it's getting good power, most recent motherboards of quality have ok soundcards. If you want the best quality then hook up the headphones to a DAC AMP combo (Digital Analog Converter aka sound card) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2/

If you want to learn about getting the most out of your headphones go to /r/headphones and /r/audiophile

u/taylortaudio · 2 pointsr/MatebookXPro

Yep, you can get a small sound card just for a better sound through headphones. Check out this one:


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2?pf_rd_p=d1f45e03-8b73-4c9a-9beb-4819111bef9a&pf_rd_r=BCTQ6D7TP8C4V7D3YD8J

u/IBEPROfen · 2 pointsr/headphones

I bought this one. I tried a few times switching between the FiiO and just the normal headphone jack on my pc and couldn't tell to much of a difference. But this is the first decent pair of headphones that I've had. Also I'm not that much of an audiophile yet so I'm not 100% sure what to be listening to in order to tell what good quality is.

u/Lyzerfex · 2 pointsr/ZReviews

Well. That's a good question. If you are in a budget then pretty much 60-70% who read this will agree. The Fiio E10K. It will set you back less than $100. It is brushed aluminium. Includes a bass gain switch, if you need some additional drive or jaw shocking bass. It's nice and small. And a good DAC/amp.

Mayflower objective 2. This DAC/amp is for more audiophiles with a higher budget. It can drive high impedance headphones and people's listening experience on the Objective 2 was superb on multiple headphone types, that were geared towards different ways of listening. It has superb clean sound.

Sound blaster E5 by creative. It is capable to drive up to 24 bit/192 khz audio files. It is capable to drive headphones up to 600 ohms or 2 300 ohm impedance sets of headphones. It has very good quality sound for what it is.

That'll be that.

Links:

Fiio E10K: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LP3AMC2/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1523895090&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=fiio+e10k

Mayflower objective 2:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00TQ2JDAG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523895186&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=mayflower+objective+2&dpPl=1&dpID=31qJvgmNIwL&ref=plSrch

Sound blaster E5:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MXJYDUO/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523895254&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=sound%2Bblaster%2Be5&th=1&psc=1

u/risingremains · 2 pointsr/headphones

Complete noob here looking to move away from the typical "gaming" headsets. I play games and listen to a lot of music. I've done a bit of research and was thinking about the following items:

Audio-Technica ATH-M50x

FiiO E10K

I haven't yet decided on a mic. Just looking for some tips.

u/hwreilly · 2 pointsr/headphones

Not 200$ it's an old model so it's been discontinued it was only about 70$ when it was out. Here is the new version of it, it's pretty cheap. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LP3AMC2?pc_redir=1409578225&robot_redir=1

u/TakeCoverOrDie · 2 pointsr/headphones

So this does both?

u/D_VoN · 2 pointsr/buildapcsales

So something like the FiiO E10k would work?

u/gozit · 2 pointsr/techsupport

The better solution would have been a USB powered DAC/AMP combo. Basically usb-->3.5mm but with some nice tech behind it. Something like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LP3AMC2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474598942&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=fiio+e10k&dpPl=1&dpID=41Taa5DTsKL&ref=plSrch

Just plugs into your USB port, plug and play and you are good to go

u/rmw156 · 2 pointsr/headphones

I use the M40x at my office and they are a really great closed back pair of headphones. If you decide to go with them, I would also pick up a pair of HM5 Pads (idk why they are rated 3-star, they are 4.5-star with 500 reviews on the American amazon), as the pads included with the M40x are trash.

Now, when it comes to DACs/Amps you should know that in general the biggest change in sound signature that you're going to hear is going to come from the headphones you choose. The next in line would be the Amp and then in last place would be the DAC (this is a generalization). That being said and without knowing what your price range is I'll make a few suggestions:

Headphone DAC/Amp combos

  • FiiO E10K = €80
  • Audioengine D1 = €160
  • Aune x1s = €280

    If you're serious about audio and want think you may start upgrading headphones in the near-ish future, I would stear you more toward the Aune x1s as it's a very good DAC and Amp. If you think you'll be content with your setup for a year or so, then I would say the FiiO is your best bet.
u/Jc36 · 2 pointsr/IndianGaming

How much are you willing to spend? The FiiO DAC Amps are very well built and work great. The E10K is 5k, and is great for medium to high quality headphones and is USB powered.

https://www.amazon.in/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-USB/dp/B00LP3AMC2

u/ChamuelSophia · 2 pointsr/buildapc

If you want to completely fix your issue at any volume get yourself a USB DAC like the FiiO e10k. Use the plug and play Windows drivers.

u/ThyGoonSmasher · 2 pointsr/starcitizen

I think there would be minimal benefits using an enthusiast grade DAC and amplifier on your model of headphones. You might like something like this though

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-Olympus-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1526665107&sr=1-3&keywords=fiio

It's the FIIO E10K which is a decent DAC+AMP combo, but it only has USB in so make sure your sound card supports that. It may be worthwhile googling around for reviews of the Sennheiser 598SR + FIIO E10K pair to get some other opinions as well.

u/applevinegar · 2 pointsr/BudgetAudiophile

That DAC has a dual purpose out, you can either connect an analog 3,5mm jack to it, or a mini toslink (which has identical physical dimensions but an optical end).

I had never heard of that DAC but it should be ok as it does have an headphone amp.

Some alternatives could be the evergreen Behringer:

http://www.amazon.de/Behringer-U-Control-UCA202-Interface-Soundkarte/dp/B000KW2YEI/

or this:

http://www.amazon.de/HifiMAN-tragbarer-Kopfh%C3%B6rerverst%C3%A4rker-Soundkarte-premium/dp/B0066AHES4/

or this if you prefer a volume pot:

http://www.amazon.de/FiiO-E10K-OLYMPUS-WANDLER-schwarz/dp/B00LP3AMC2/

(all should ship to the NL)

u/motodoto · 2 pointsr/audiophile

I'm the thrifty kinda guy.

Refurbished Denon receiver, 2 Micca bookshelves, a Micca center channel, and a Bic America subwoofer. About 700 bucks total. Sounds good enough for me. I know much better is out there but it's hard to justify the costs.

My Sennheiser HD598SE's are great ($150), and I have a FiiO E10K ($75) that they plug into at work, and at home I just plug them in directly since the onboard soundcard isn't too bad surprisingly on my motherboard. I have a Sony SRS-X5 bluetooth speaker plugged into the back of it as well. I have those cheap-ass sony ANC headphones (20 bucks at the time I bought them) and they get the job done at a cheap price for planes and for the AC unit blasting in my office (I know... killing me, 80db of white noise all day long).

I have a friend from work that spent 50,000 bucks on his setup. It sounds great, and it's worth it, but I couldn't spend that much on it.

I'm more of a headphone kinda guy. My next upgrade would probably be going all out on headphones. A pair of Sennheiser HD800's probably. That's in the far future, I got stuff I want to do around the house first.

These are my workout earbuds

They are a great value.

u/Trazac · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

Surround sound headsets are a joke, so don't worry about not using one. Doubtful you'll even notice a difference at all and any difference you perceive right now is likely placebo.

The AKG K7XX headphones are very good, but expensive. You'll need an amp to take advantage of their quality, and to that end you'll likely need a decent DAC as well. You could start out with somethin like the Fiio E10K
which is highly regarded for its price. It's very good for a device that costs less than $100.

On the flip side, there are the Sennheiser HD 598 headphones which aren't nearly as good, but also cost much less and don't require an amp to sound good. They don't benefit all that much from an amp anyway (although any headphones might benefit from a decent DAC.) They're pretty good for gaming, and very comfortable.

u/blopblip · 2 pointsr/BudgetAudiophile

I'd forgo an amp and spend your money on studio monitors + DAC.

Something like this plugs into your computer and outputs an analogue signal for either headphones or speakers.

Then, powered speakers like these. It will be a big upgrade from your logitech system, and fit your needs/budget. If you can find a used pair of M-audio AV-40's or bx5's, that would be ideal - this newer line seems to have poorer reviews.

u/Kerry56 · 2 pointsr/headphones

Lets try a less expensive route and actually include a mic this time.

Philips Fidelio X2 No amp necessary. £187.00

If you just want to include a DAC/amp: Fiio E10k £61.90

V Moda Boompro mic £25.00

£273.90

u/Archayor · 2 pointsr/HeadphoneAdvice

I wouldn't recommend 600 ohm headphones if you don't want to invest at least around €200 in a proper DAC/Amp. You'll have a better listening experience going for lower impedance headphones in that case.

You could for example get a Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee for €190, and add a FiiO E10K for €68 if you need a dedicated DAC/Amp as well. The 58X is easy enough to drive that a dedicated DAC/Amp isn't even a necessity though, so you might want to get the headphones first and decide later if you want to add a DAC/Amp to it as well.

I understood that the DT 990 Pro's lower impedance models are noticably inferior to the 600 ohm version, which is why I'd suggest the 58X instead.

Should you really want the 600 ohm DT 990 Pro's though, I'd suggest at least something like a Topping DX3 Pro.

u/mlicata8802 · 2 pointsr/AskTechnology

Is there a difference between the "FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier" and "FiiO E10K Olympus 2 USB DAC Headphone Amplifier". I don't see any change besides the price. If there is a difference is it worth it to get the Olympus 2?

Sources:
FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier: (http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2)

FiiO E10K Olympus 2 USB DAC Headphone Amplifier:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA36T22A2762

u/einulfr · 2 pointsr/buildapc

I've been pretty happy with the FiiO E10K paired up with my HD 598 SEs.

u/sk9592 · 2 pointsr/buildapc

Looks like the D1 shot up in price for some reason. A few months ago it was $120, now it's $170.

Another great USB DAC is the FiiO E10K. It's a bit cheaper, and is more oriented toward headphones, while the D1 is focused on bookshelf speakers.

Honestly, either option is great though.

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

u/MrEditor · 2 pointsr/GWABackstage

Why are there still fake-real knobs and such? Because.....

There was a long time where analog was it. It's all there was. 4, 8, 12, 16 track analog recorders. Behemoths of recording consoles. If GWA existed somehow in that day, we would all own little 2-track recorders, a small mic pre-amp unit, and a microphone. And you'd maybe have an analog EQ and compressor, big physical units that looked like this.

So when everything went digital, a decision was made. To preserve brand identity and user familiarity, they copied the physical unit into a digital VST application. Compare This real world Shadow Hills Compressor unit with The Shadow Hills Compressor Plug-in.

There isn't any reason beyond that. There is reasons to choose analog or digital, but not to have a UI reminiscent of analog units.


As far as heaphones go, I'll take you through what I own, and what I use most.

Sennheiser HD 650

Sennheiser HD6 MIX

These were gifts through a brief endorsement deal I had, and I run these through this headphone amplifier

For higer-end earbuds, I use Sennheiser IE 60's and Sennheiser IE 80's. These I primarily use for simple editing on the go, giving to performers to use on stage or using myself on stage, or for women tracking vocals or instruments who don't want to mess up their hair with big over-the-head headphones.

But, my most used setup, what has become my dream setup, and the one that I will always reach for first, is far from the priciest.

Sennheiser HD 280 Pro, run out of the computer through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2.

This is my favorite setup. The 280 Pro's are $100, the Scarlett is around $150. The headphones are crystal clear, have tight response all through the spectrum, are rugged enough to get chucked the fuck around, are comfy, and come with a great quality screw-on adapter so they able to be used into a 1/4" connection or a standard 1/8" headphone jack. Their impedance means they don't need an amp and can be used as normal headphones. They sound JUST as good as pairs ten times their price, and they have a certain special something to their super-low end and high-mids that I haven't found. Go get these today. Trust me.

The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 isn't used as an amplifier in this case, since the 280's don't need it. It serves as a USB feed out, with a nice little volume knob. USB out will always trump 1/8" headphone jack out audio. Plus, the 2 inputs are nice to have. I own two of these units, and one always travels with my laptop for an easy, portable solution for HQ audio monitoring, easy L-R in recording from a sound board, or easy audio out from my laptop.

Together, these things have a certain magic, and I don't have to break my bank or handle them like china dolls. They're both rugged and sound AMAZING.

EDIT: I forgot my in-ear molded earphones. I own a pair of Alclair Reference IEM's. They are a great price, sound incredible for stage or studio, and I got mine with wood backs and DAMN are they sexy.

u/andywizard1 · 2 pointsr/buildapcsales

Since there is a lot of processing of information going on around the motherboard there may be some kind of electrical interference affecting your audio output. In my case I would hear faint squeaking through my headphones when my GPU usage was high. Right now I have a FiiO E10K external Amp/DAC and it works great with my HD558's and HD598Cs, solved all my issues. I personally have not had any experience with Creative's solutions.

u/MixxiM · 2 pointsr/headphones

Budget - Around $150-200(minus the DAC/amplifier I plan on buying for $75unless I shouldn't) Flexible but obviously less is better.


Source - Not really sure if this is what I should be doing but I plan on buying this so I guess the budget is $75-150


Requirements for Isolation - Some would be ideal but they'll only be used in my room upstairs so nothing crazy, usually fairly quiet.


Preferred Type of Headphone - Full sized


Preferred tonal balance - Probably leaning slightly towards heavy bass but balanced is fine


Past headphones - Literally nothing worth mentioning. I use a shitty 1-ear $12 "headset" from office depot on my pc and apple headphones on my phone. Anything is an upgrade


Preferred Music - Mainly hip hop/rap, some rock. Decent bass is a must but I don't care about it too much. Going to be using it for gaming too.

u/Dallagen · 2 pointsr/headphones

The DAC and AMP are both two pieces of hardware that do different things, with some being combos.



Dac | Amp
---|---
The "DAC" or Digital Audio Converter, converts audio from your PC to an analogue format, it allows you to run at higher bitrates than stock windows and have higher quality audio overall. | The Amplifier is used to increase the volume, and occasionally color the sound in the case of tube amps, and is only needed if your onboard amp sucks and can't put out enough voltage.

You would benefit from an Amp/DAC combo with the DT880 250ohm, This would be plenty to drive your DT880's but you need a USB port to power it as well as take an input, then it outputs through the 3.5mm jack on the front of the E10K, the knob is used to control the gain, causing the headphones to be louder in the case that it is too quiet. You want to keep the gain wheel the lowest you can while still having windows volume in the low 50s usually but it's all subjective and you can tweak it yourself. The bass boost on the E10K is optional and raises the lower frequencies by 3 decibels, raising the volume of bass a decent amount, and is also much better than software equalizing.

u/Creamlium · 2 pointsr/headphones

Hi team,

I have the AKG 712 Pro with a FiiO E10K.

When I'm playing games (mostly PUBG), I'm not hearing directional sound well. I'm not sure if it's just my crappy hearing, my settings, or something else all together. When I hear gunfire, I always think it is behind me. Any suggested settings tweaks or anything else I could do/test?

u/SmonkWide · 2 pointsr/headphones

Hi hi hi friends,

I bought my Sennheiser HD 598 CS's during black friday and I cant help but feel like I'm not getting the most out of them. Right now I have them connected, along with a ModMic, to my mobo with this.

I had my eyes set on these;

FiiO E10K

Optomo NuForce

So, my question is, should I get either of these DACs or is it not really worth the price I'm intending to pay? If I should buy a DAC which one of these should I get? Or is there a better one around this price point?

Budget: $150cad

Location: Canada

Thanks for any help!

u/dr_torque · 2 pointsr/audiophile

The Schiit fulla is a d/a converter + amp, which means it'll apply gain to the signal after analogue conversion for it to be able to drive headphones. This isn't ideal for feeding into another gain stage (built into your powered speakers). I'd suggest something like this, in addition to a headphone output, it has a line-level output that you can use with your speakers.

u/not_a_throw_awya · 2 pointsr/GlobalOffensive

yeah amp/dac can be expensive. if you save up and drop down the money on the schiit modi/magni you should be really happy, but there are some more affordable options that are amp+dac combos like the fiio e10k ($75) which are also good, though I'm not sure I'd recommend going any cheaper than that with your headphones. realistically though, unless you're an audiophile you won't notice the difference between the amp+dac combo i linked or a schiit stack. you could also go a bit lower most likely but i don't know of what is good in the $50~ range.

from what i can tell a good stereo amp should work for headphones if you don't mind the annoyance, but i'm not an expert or anything, i just like headphones.

u/majinwar · 2 pointsr/headphones

Personally own the FiiO E10K and would highly recommend it.

Amazon ($75 USD)

u/swiftlysauce · 2 pointsr/buildapc

I don't recommend internal sound cards, you're better off getting an external DAC.

u/mannequinz · 2 pointsr/headphones

I have the Fiio E10K. It's a solid amp/dac combo that I use for gaming, movies, etc.

As for mics, I would suggest checking out /r/microphones.

u/mrjnox · 2 pointsr/AndroidQuestions

My Nexus 6P, Pixel C, and Pixel XL all support external USB sound cards with the port acting in host mode. That is to say, to make USB audio work, I need to use a USB-C to USB-A cable and a bus-powered USB sound adapter. It's unweildy, but it works (and and external DAC like the one I linked will actually usually give better quality than the one internal to the phone.

Although their is a USB-C audio standard, as /u/sorakiu pointed out, manufacturers have yet to all start fully implementing it. A passive adapter, like the one you purchased, relies on a standard like this to work.

u/archetype4 · 2 pointsr/BudgetAudiophile

Easiest thing would be to get a USB dac/headphone amp with a line out in case you add a nicer amp or speakers later.

https://www.amazon.com/Signstek-Coaxial-Converter-Decoder-Analogue/dp/B00FEDHHKE

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

Either of these will work, the e10k does up to 96khz 24 bit resolution, has a volume knob, looks nice, and has a good reputation with its measurements and many reviews.

the signstek only does 44.1khz/16bit accurately but that won't matter for most people. I have the signstek one and it works fine with my dt770s, no noise and seems clearer than my motherboard audio. Plenty loud enough at 20% windows volume too.

If your budget allows for the e10k, get it. The signstek amp is just really nice for the <$30 category, which is almost non-existent for usb dacs.

u/Explore-- · 2 pointsr/audiophile

I have a pair of 598's that I have had for a year. I want to make them a little louder so I am looking into getting an AMP/DAC. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2)

Also, I want to upgrade the cable to one that is a little bit shorter. I just don't know what size of this (https://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Sennheiser-Headphones/dp/B00KAKBHKM/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00KAKBHKM&pd_rd_r=SMADGB41HQ3CRAP4XV4C&pd_rd_w=QToiZ&pd_rd_wg=2mqQo&psc=1&refRID=SMADGB41HQ3CRAP4XV4C) to get.

Thanks for the help.

u/Silent331 · 2 pointsr/EscapefromTarkov

I use sennheiser 598 headphones with an external USB DAC AMP combo. Using an external dac removes virtually all computer noise and background hum

Sennheiser HD 598 SR Open-Back Headphone https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WRMZZ45/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_GhnUCb7CEE3KM

FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ajnUCbKMZNAK9

275 ish total

u/AndroidVageta · 2 pointsr/hardwareswap

What? An amp ALWAYS makes things better unless you're running some high-end sound card with it built in. If he doesn't have an amp I'm assuming he's using on-board...which no headphone should suffer to.

OP, how about something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1418233004&sr=1-1&keywords=USB+DAC

Do you need a DAC? Just an amp? Are you using analog (if you've got a equalizer)?

u/pheonix94 · 2 pointsr/buildapc

I would return or sell the soundcard for as much as you can get for it and pick up an external DAC/amp. I'm currently using a FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier with a pair of Audio Technica AUD ATHAD500X's and I couldn't be happier. The audio is super clean and the FiiO can drive the headphones way louder than I could ever want.

u/lightfork · 2 pointsr/buildapc

Can your headphones be driven louder on other devices? I'm wondering if you are limited by this.

The HD668 B has a peak SPL of 98 dB.

The most common choice is using a FiiO E10K DAC. As they are USB, they provide power isolation too. But since noise isn't really a big issue for you, the sound card option would be fine I think.

Feel free to ask in /r/headphones or /r/audio for a better informed answer than this sub.

u/demevalos · 2 pointsr/headphones

I think you might be looking for a DAC/AMP combo, rather than just a DAC. You can't plug your headphones into a DAC, that's the amplifier. A good place to start would be the fiio e10k.

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1538685530&sr=1-3&keywords=fiio+e10k

u/Shockwave0304 · 2 pointsr/audiophile

Getting a dedicated DAC and amp is the most recommended solution to increasing sound quality on here. And will allow for more upgrades in the future should you choose to do so. (Ex: Getting a turntable or dedicated CD player) The [Fiio E10K] (http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1412205822&sr=1-1&keywords=Fiio+dac%2Famp) is a common suggested DAC/Amp in your price range. You might be able to find an Audioquest Dragonfly in your price range too if you look around. Unfortunately it's rather difficult to find a DAC/Amp in your price range that is truly worth the money.

I'd look around on /r/audiophile at past posts and see what others have said. Also check in /r/headphones and see what they have suggested in the past.

EDIT: Read through this post that made on /r/headphones, I think it will help you. http://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/15wunp/guide_dacs_and_amps/

u/homeboi808 · 2 pointsr/hometheater

If you are doing music creation, get headphones. Get both the Superlux 668B's and Xiaomi Piston III's, they can't be beat for the price, check Rtings (the Xiaomi is the little brother of the 1More Tripple Driver, I have both and they sound identical, the 1More just has better tips/accessories and works with iOS' volume controls). Then, spend the rest on a DAC/AMP, such as the FiiO E10K.

u/TrappaTroopa · 2 pointsr/steelseries

Honestly dude just buy one of these. It's an amplifier and a DAC. I tested it with my Arctis 7 before I got my DT-770 Pro 250+OHMs and it makes things much louder

FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WUkZCb5T5PC8

It's very small and light. Fits in the palm of your hand

u/Stingray88 · 2 pointsr/hackintosh

You're going to face extreme difficulty getting a PCIe sound card made for gamers in Windows working in Mac OS without support from the manufacturer. Gamer hardware on Macs is niche, and PCIe hardware has become niche as well because of the change in the Mac Pro design. Creative definitely doesn't support Macs with that card, so I think you'll probably be out of luck. The audio codec is likely something uncommon.

Best advice I can give you is to transition away from PCIe sound cards in the future. An external USB DAC/AMP device is the way to go. Not only will you find better cross platform support from many manufacturers... But having your DAC be external and physically away from all other parts of your computer makes a massive difference in audio quality because there's less interference on the analog lines (which are extremely susceptible to interference).

I personally have been using this DAC/AMP for my speakers and headphones. The audio quality is incredible, and it works out of the box with no issues on Windows and Mac OS. However its stereo only, but you can find 5.1 USB devices as well if that's what you're looking for.

u/Digitalabia · 2 pointsr/AVexchange

I have one of these and I don't like it. I makes the sound too bright and tinny. I don't recommend it.

u/cjei21 · 2 pointsr/Philippines

May budget-range ka ba? O bottom-less wallet? haha.

Mukhang solid na yung suggestion ni /u/invaderxim. Pwede na yun for about 3k php. Not sure lang about sa warranty.

Otherwise 5k-7k++ pag titingin ka sa mall. I suggest that you visit Listening Room at Megamall, or ListenUp! at Glorietta.

Hanapin mo yung FiiO E10K (https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2)

Plan B, baka pwede sound-card upgrade?

u/KSledneck · 2 pointsr/software

You can find used speakers on craigslist. Look for a 2.1 system that include a sub and plug directly into the wall. You can also test them out with your phone if you got to check them out. Speakers that dont plug directly into the depend on the electrical current of the 3.5mm jack to drive them not making them loud enough. In terms of headphones you should save and get a nice pair with high impedance and a dac/amp. Audio Technicas m50x/m40x are great headphones and if your audio device cant drive them hard enough look into getting a dac/amp like this one https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_23_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=5FDQ5J5D3XQQ4E4TZC4P

u/StormKMD · 2 pointsr/audiophile

I would look into a DAC&AMP at this point. Couple options:
Fiio E10K
I have this one and it works great with my DT990s.

If you want to spend more, you can look into a Schitt stack. Magni - Amp + Modi - DAC

u/ThatNeonZebraAgain · 2 pointsr/PCSound

FiiO E10k is a little over your budget (could get one that's open box/used), but well worth the price.

u/FatS4cks · 2 pointsr/headphones

You can always try to look into what kind of chips manufacturers put in their audio interfaces and compare them to the internals of straight up dacs. I haven't done so myself, but I expect they mostly use realtek components, the same stuff that ends up on computer motherboards anyway, meanwhile dedicated audio gear typically uses in-house components, or chips designed by other audio companies. Again I'm basically guessing when it comes to what kind of components are found in mixers since I'm no expert in that field.

I'd say most modern middle ground motherboards are good enough for 75% of all headphones, but if you're looking into getting something like Beyerdynamics in the 250ohm flavor or
the Sennheiser HD600, which are generally hard to drive, I recommend Fiio E10k or the Dac-X6. Both are decently cheap and will drive 90% of all headphones. Someone mentioned the o2 sdac and that one is basically the sweet spot before the law of diminishing returns begins and it will drive 99% of everything out there.

tldr; get your headphones first before looking into external audio since it's likely your pc will run them just fine.

u/stevenwashere · 2 pointsr/oneplus

http://www.schiit.com/products/fulla-1

The schiit fulla works with my phone. You will need an otg cable though. I know the name is dumb cuz it shows up as fulla schiit but it's a solid brand and a solid entry level product for audiophiles.


FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_3MqUBbNZ8QXWX


And fiio makes tons of different ones. A co-worker has a battery powered one and my other coworker uses this one for power his Sennheiser 58x jubilee and his Sennheiser 6xx. Those are just a couple there are so many. Check out massdrop cuz cool audiophile stuff always shows up there for good prices.

u/zeagan · 2 pointsr/BudgetAudiophile

Not sure about just straight cables, but there are piles of usb powered DACs with RCA outputs. Really depends on your budget. uDAC3 is good, Audioengine D1 is good, Fiio E10K is good.

u/Zalbu · 2 pointsr/headphones

What's a good portable entry level amp and DAC for Europeans? The Schiit Fulla 2 seems to be getting the best recommendations but it's way harder to find in Europe. Is the Fiio E10K a good alternative? It's a lot cheaper than the Fulla 2 too.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-Olympus-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=lp_1640593031_1_2?srs=1640593031&ie=UTF8&qid=1487934952&sr=8-2

u/sleekskyline120 · 2 pointsr/headphones

I need a DAC & Amp to use with my Philips SHP9500s on my PC.

Budget: $50 - $100

Necessary Features: USB Input, External Power(non portable)

My onboard audio sounds pretty good (Asus Z97-AR motherboard), but it is very noisy. I also have this cheapo USB adapter which sounds awful, but it's quiet. I use the audio adapter for my V-Moda Mic and I plan to keep using it because the mic is very clear with it.

 

The most recommended products seem to be the Fiio E10k and the Micca Origen. I think the Micca is perfect, but it's over budget. The Fiio has all the features I need too, but reviews seem to be mixed about actual sound quality.

My biggest question is whether there is an appreciable difference between the 192kHz Micca and the 96kHz Fiio. Also, are there any other obvious contenders that I'm overlooking?

u/sodope89 · 2 pointsr/audiophile

So your sennhesier gsx 1200 is currently what is giving you the virtual surround sound. So if you get rid of that amp youll need another amp that offers virtual surround sound, which is pretty limited.

​

In other words if you just switched amps you may not have the ability to do that. unless you changed your headphones as well.

​

Arctis pro headset DTS virtual surround 32ohms

https://www.amazon.com/SteelSeries-Arctis-Fidelity-Gaming-Headset/dp/B07B32GY9Z/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1549572900&sr=1-3&keywords=arctis+pro

​

Audio Engine headphone amp/dac This unit sounds really good and fits perfectly on a desktop. With a 32ohm load it should go plenty loud for you.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IPH5H2/ref=sspa_dk_detail_3?psc=1&smid=A17IVE6SUAZA2P

​

This unit I've never used before but I've always read good reviews and im sure it could power a 32ohm load no problem. Great price point.

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1549573059&sr=1-3&keywords=headphone+amp

​

The Audio Engine D1 and the Arctis Pro should be a solid pairing.

​

​

​

u/rjmana · 2 pointsr/headphones

alternatively there are dac/amp combos that go for the same price as the magni (or less) that plug into the usb.

Monoprice Desktop Amp

Fiio e07k

Fiio e17

Fiio e10k

u/sn34k · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

Thanks! I used to always do a full tower, but with the way cases have changed the mid towers have so much more space now.

The headphone amp is awesome, though I want to get the DAC that goes with it. You can also get some really affordable 2 in 1 DAC+Amp combos like this:
https://smile.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1493067328&sr=1-6&keywords=fiio

A friend of mine uses that one with his phone and did with his PC before upgrading to ridiculous audiophile level gear.

The main reason I use the amp is I got the headphones off that same friend for a great deal but they are 250 Ohm so you have to have an amp to use them at all. They sound amazing though.

u/IsaacM42 · 2 pointsr/buildapc

They cost about the same as internal soundcards.

u/Gravityblasts · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

I have a few, but it depends on your budget. If you are looking for all in one DAC and Amp combos, the two I would suggest are:

BUDGET

FiiO E10K and the NuForce uDAC3

Both of those would be great options for a budget solution, and they are tiny so they double as a portable or mobile Dac/Amp. They get power from USB, but it should be enough to drive 50ohm headphones. The Fiio is going to be the cheaper of the two, around $75, and the Nuforce will be around $100. Sometimes the Nuforce uDac3 will be around $70-$80 on amazon, but it's usually around $100.

MORE EXPENSIVE

If you have between $200-$300 budget, then I would recommend the Modi 2 and Magni 2 by Schiit Audio. It is usually referred to as the 'Schiit Stack" (because you literally stack them on top of each other lol), but you don't have to stack them.

If you go to their site, it will lists all of their amps, and all of their Dacs. The Magni 2 is the Amp, and the Modi 2 is the Dac. There are the basic versions (which is what I have), and they run $99 each if you order directly through Schiit, which comes out to $200 for the set. They also make an "Uber" version of each, which runs about $150 bucks per unit, which is $300 total. The differences between the standard and Uber version or sort of minimal, but the Uber version of the Schiit stack is regarded by many audiophiles as the best "budget" audiophile Dac/Amp setup. For the price, it rivals many solid state and tube amp and dacs that cost $500+ dollars.



I have the Standard version, and it sounds great with my AKG K612's. There is a list somewhere of all of the headsets that sound great with the Schiit stack, and what kind of sound signature you get out of each. The best thing to do if you already know what kind of sound signature you like out of your headphones, is to find the Headphone + Dac/Amp combo that produces that type of sound, and pic that. But I would say that the HD598's + the Schiit stack will be perfectly fine for you, but of course that will be up for you to decide if you were to go this route.

MY SUGGESTION

I would recommend the budget route, at least until you know what kind of sound signature you like. Some people want flat sounding cans, others want bright highs (probably really good for hearing gunshots and footsteps), others want a more warm sound, where the mids really break through the track and the bass really kicks.

The budget option will be a cheap way for you to determine if the HD598's produce the type of sound you like. If they do, then you can upgrade your Dac and Amp in the future, OR just change to a different headset if you decide that you want more highs, or more low end.

u/Micotu · 2 pointsr/buildapc

Probably not the solution you are looking for, but just buy this usb amp/dac. It will make your sound better and give your headphones a volume knob, as well as extending the range on your headphone cord, as the amp/dac has a usb cord to your computer giving you extra range.

u/laydros · 2 pointsr/audiophile

I have a Fiio E10 that will output to the headphone jack and line out at the same time. If I want to use my speakers I turn down the Fiio volume control since it only controls the headphone output and turn up the speakers. If I want to use headphones I turn down or off my speakers.

The Fiio works as my soundcard and has a great quality DAC, and a very good headphone amp.

u/Flying_Spaghetti_ · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

I would just like to add that I have this DAC with these speakers and it has made a huge difference.

u/chouetteonair · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

Are there any problems with your mobo's sound quality? Just try headphones in green, microphone in pink.


After looking at some reviews online people are pretty consistently complaining about faulty USB dongles and microphones, so a sound card might not even solve your problem or improve your audio. If you want a sound quality upgrade then these are a pretty popular recommendation.

u/TristamIzumi · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

Do you mean the E10k for a DAC/AMP? It only has audio out, not audio in that is needed for a mic.

u/Jakomako · 2 pointsr/buildapc

I think the people that say that a 780 is overkill for 1080p just don't have very high standards. If you want to play the most demanding games on very high settings and maintain 60FPS, a 770 just isn't going to cut it.

Sounds like you know what you're doing with the RAM, but for the sound card, you should get an external DAC for your headphones. An internal sound card will be essentially the same as the onboard motherboard audio. If you really want to drive your headphones properly, get something like this: http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_10?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1408970537&sr=1-10#cm_cr_dpwidget

That website is terrible. Synthetic benchmarks like PassMark do not accurately represent real-world performance. www.anandtech.com/bench is much better because it tests using real-world performance in actual programs.

u/barelyincollege · 2 pointsr/headphones

https://www.amazon.co.jp/Fiio-E10K-【並行輸入品】FIiO-DAC搭載ヘッドホンアンプ/dp/B00LP3AMC2/

This would work -- theoretically it's a little underpowered for the DT-770-250, but in practice everyone says it drives the 770 with no problems.

The Magni 2 is the better choice between the two, but the E10K will work.

u/UnicornCrackFace · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

So after reading over a few times and looking at the linked wiki I feel a bit more confident when looking.

My desk is a standard height with a narrower shelf circa 30-40 cm higher. I have a desk mount clamped to the shelf for my monitor and keyboard and mouse on the lower section. My pc is set below the desk currently.

The main reason for separating the mic and headphones is that I found that "gaming headsets" are gimmicky and the sound quality from them doesn't compare to standalone headphones (with DAC/preAmp). So this is the route I'm taking- but this left me with the task of getting a desk mic.

My previous headset always left staticy sounds running through skype etc, so was looking to invest a bit more this time round. Now I didn't realise about the phantom power. Thanks for this.

I was looking at this https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2CIWW6MEVV8FK&coliid=ISASLKK24FDV4
as a DAC and PreAmp, but are there options to plug mic into a standalone unit alongside headphones? (That you're aware of)

I think a boom arm nearer my face is definitely the option that seems best for noise cancellation like you suggested.

u/Sen7ryGun · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

Gaming headsets are shit, over priced, sound bad and fall to bits on the inside of a couple of years.

You can get a kickass Hi-Fi headphone+DAC/amp solution and a clip in mic for less than the price of most gaming headsets that will last year's if not decades.

Gamers are the easiest market in the world to milk easy cash out of with shit products. All you need is RGB lighting and "vidyagaemz" written on the box.

You want a totally fuckin rad pair of bargain basement headphones and a dedicated external sound solution that gets your audio processing outside the EMI/RFI hell that is the inside of your PC case, sits on par with Beyer DT 990s, ATH-M50x and Sennheiser HD598s for sound quality, will live forever and comes in costing less than $120USD for the whole package, including a clip on mic? Take a look at the Superlux HD668b stereo headphones, the Fiio E10K USB DAC/amp and grab a Zalman ZM-mic1 to stick on the side.

Congratulations, you're now the owner of the best bang for your buck Hi-Fi headgear solution getting around and have just entered the world of high quality audio for gaming, music and movies. Time to leave gaming headsets behind.

u/stormbringer89 · 2 pointsr/headphones

Hey /r/Headphones! I just had the opportunity to pick up a pair of Sennheiser HD 598 Headphones for free, so I decided to go all out and finally join the audiophile realm. I bought the Moov Mic (which was also suggested here I believe) and attached it to the headphones to make a quasi-"gaming headset" for PC gaming. The FiiO E10k arrived today, and I was blown away by the difference between my motherboard's onboard sound and this little thing. Amazing stuff!

u/notR1CH · 2 pointsr/GlobalOffensive

If you have nice pair of analogue headphones, you should ideally get a nice DAC to go with them. Integrated motherboard audio is really not up to handling high end headphones as you've already noticed!

I personally use https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2 with a pair of Sennheiser HD595s and it sounds pretty great to my non-audiophile ears.

http://www.head-fi.org/products/category/amp-dacs has a list of plenty of others with reviews if you want to look around.

u/wolvesneednoarmor · 2 pointsr/headphones

You need a dac, if you're looking for a budget solution, look towards Fiio. Maybe the e10k, http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

u/Umlautica · 2 pointsr/audiophile

I wouldn't spend more than the $75 Fiio E10k. Any more than that and you're better off putting the money into a better set of headphones.

u/Vliger2002 · 2 pointsr/headphones
  • Headphones:
  • Sennheiser HD598 | Frequency Graph
  • Sennheiser HD558 | Frequency Graph
  • Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250 Ohms | Frequency Graph
  • DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter)/Amplifier Combo:
  • FiiO E10K
  • Creative Sound Blaster E3
  • Amplifier only:
  • FiiO E6
  • Creative Sound Blaster E1

    The Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros have great bass response, while the Sennheiser HD598's aren't as punchy in the bass. That being said, the DT770's present a bit more in the high-end frequencies, and some might find that unbalanced.

    The HD598's are certainly more balanced in their presentation. The HD558's are the cheapest option, but present great value for somebody looking for a bit more bass than the HD598's, but less than the DT770's.

    Any of these headphones paired with a proper headphone amplifier will provide a good listening experience, but different. While both Sennheiser's are open-back and will breath more to provide a wider sound stage, the Beyerdynamics are closed back and will provide a more narrow sound stage, but provide more bass response.
u/TheBreakRoom · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

I've been very happy with my FiiO E10K which is a 2-in-1 type deal. Budget friendly, and portable. About the size of a stack of credit cards. Currently $75.99.

Just having the DAC away from the PC and components gives such a cleaner signal I love it.

u/AtomicNC · 2 pointsr/headphones

Either way, youre gonna need a DAC, unless you plan to use an RCA to 3.5mm adapter which I wouldnt reccommend. You can get some fairly cheap DAC+Amp combos. Something like these two, both of which I recommend.

($76) https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

($100, currently on sale for $70!) https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=11567

Or, if you want to go the Schiit route, theres the ($100) Fulla 2, although ive heard of numerous issues people have had with that one

u/Flacid_Monkey · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

I have this and the sound quality is astonishing + it's an amp so some games where the sound level is low can be amped up.

u/TokyoRock · 2 pointsr/buildapc
CPU: The i3-6100 is a general improvement over the FX-8320E, performing 30-50% better in games and ±10% in multithreaded applications. Plus, changing processors let's you upgrade to DDR4 memory.

Motherboard: Even through the i3-6100 is a locked processor, it can be overclocked (as long as you have a good cooler on it). But even without overclocking, this is a better choice of processors.

GPU: Same choice as yours.

Case: I think you forgot a case, so I chose an affordable but cool case.

PSU: The Thermaltake Smart 550W is a bit higher quality than the EVGA 600B.

Sound Card: If your friend is serious about music, you need to get him/her an external DAC. I suggest the Fiio E10K.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor | $147.98 @ DirectCanada
Motherboard | ASRock Z170A-X1/3.1 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $89.98 @ NCIX
Memory | Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory | $69.99 @ NCIX
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $57.98 @ DirectCanada
Video Card | MSI Radeon R7 370 4GB Video Card | $194.99 @ DirectCanada
Case | BitFenix Nova ATX Mid Tower Case | $34.99 @ NCIX
Power Supply | Thermaltake SMART 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $64.99 @ NCIX
Optical Drive | Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer | $19.95 @ shopRBC
Wireless Network Adapter | TP-Link TL-WN722N USB 2.0 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter | $14.87 @ DirectCanada
Other| Fiio E10K| $109.99
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $805.71
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-24 16:19 EDT-0400 |
u/XenOmega · 2 pointsr/headphones

Canadian buyers seem to be limited in their option. If I want to deal in CAD $

For someone new, can I do better than this at 110$
FiiO - E10K Olympus USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier
[url]https://www.amazon.ca/FiiO-Olympus-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468637547&sr=8-1&keywords=FiiO[/url]

u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

DT 990 Just a reminder open will allow people around you to hear your music and outside noise in. However its better in everything else, most of the time. 250 ohms.

For anything above 62 ohms you need an amp/dac most of the time. I'll let you know when you need it. I'd get the FiiO e10k dac/amp for anything above 62. Here it is.. This adds a bit more bass but not a whole lot and also has a built in bass booster which you can turn on and off that really boosts the bass.

ATH AD900x. You will need an amp/dac as it is hard to power without it. The fiio e10k will do. This headphone is more balanced while its younger brother is more bassy.

AD700x. Need a dac/amp. It is more bassy then the 900x.

Sennheiser 558s. No dac/amp and they are basically the same as the 598s. These are neutral

Fostex t50RP mk3. No need for the dac/amp either. Now these are tiny tiny pads so you would need the Shure HPAEC1540 pads to replace it. Without it, there is almost zero padding and your ears hurt after a few minutes.

Takstar hi 2050s. They are very neutral and clear also very comfortable as they use DT pads from Beyerdyanmic. Need a dac/amp.


u/asdf767 · 2 pointsr/buildapc

this is the cheapest usb dac that i would use. Or an fiio e3 if you have optical or coax output on your pc.


For about $80 i would get a fiio e10k

u/SwimmingAshes · 2 pointsr/headphones

The 600ohm versions are kind of meant for expensive and "boutique" amps, just stick with the 250ohm.

They don't NEED an amp but they do improve considerably with one, I'd recommend the Fiio E10K they go very well with beyers.

u/ponyboy3 · 2 pointsr/mac

Ok, so I'm not allow you're just uninformed. I use bt in my car also, but i have a corolla so no way I'm upgrading the sound system in there.

It's a slippery slope when you get into hifi. If you want to experience it, get a dac like this FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hHd0xb76ZBHTW, a pair of decent quality headphones ie Audio-Technica ATH-M40x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HVLUR54/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yId0xb7WMCQB1 and then a lossless recording of your favorite song.

Remember, as soon as you get the starter pack you will have a hard time listening to it any other way.

Don't worry about why stuff costs more, monster used to sell a $200 hdmi cable.

u/cellard0or · 2 pointsr/progmetal

Using a FiiO-E10K as USB sound card. Over the time I have had these headphones to compare: ATH-M50-X, Beyerdynamic Custom One and DT 770 Pro, Shure SRH 840.
The SRH 840 are my absolute favourite, they sound perfect for everything guitar based. I use them on the road (e.g. public transport) and at work because they are foldable and fit nicely into my backpack. A friend of mine also bought these, loving them. At home I also still have the DT 770 which sound a bit more neutral (still very good) but are not as portable.

u/TanukiAccountant · 2 pointsr/bapcsalescanada

They're pretty good! The 598s were my first pair of "audiophile" headphones and to be honest I was pretty blown away when I first got them (not to hype up your expectations too much though so keep them tempered) I primarily use my 598 for gaming (Overwatch mostly) and listening to music @ my desk. Not a lot of bass (basically none) but the soundstage is still pretty impressive because there were a few times I've been fooled to think a roommate was knocking on my door when it's really coming from a video.

​

Listen to them for a while and if you ever feel like "upgrading", maybe look into a USB DAC like the [E10K]( https://www.amazon.ca/FiiO-Olympus-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=e10k&qid=1563292389&s=gateway&sr=8-1 ). I bought it a year into using my HD 598s and the sound improvement was marginal but very noticeable (on a laptop at least lol). I've had them for a while so I definitely want to upgrade with a shiny new toy, but can't ever justify it because they've held up so well.

u/y0y0ma · 2 pointsr/BudgetAudiophile

I've heard of their 3020, but supposedly the Concept 20 is the same driver in a different cabinet? The What HiFi review makes it sound like the cabinet alone is worth the price difference. That could be true, but I am not going to rely on their word for it. I think it would be best if you could arrange for an audition or, better still, buy them with a good return policy so you can send them back if you are not satisfied with them. This is the most reliable way you could test out 2 speakers because you know best what is important for you. As for bass, it is also part of the music and I feel a faithful reproduction is essential to the experience. I do not own a subwoofer myself because I am satisfied with my MB Quart 490 and their 7.5" woofer. The bass is present but not overpowering at all and it makes all the difference when listening to Pink Floyd or The Coup.

Anyway, what I meant was the audio files will be converted from digital to analog at one point. In your case, it would be the PC's onboard solution. Now, depending on your PC, your onboard solution could be great or it could suck (distortion/constant hum etc.) ! To get around this some people use the digital output on their PC (USB/HDMI/Optical) and the conversion is performed using another device. Since usually stereo amplifiers do not have any way of accepting digital input, the go-to choice is a separate DAC like Fiio D03K / Behringer UCA202. Some people also a get a headphone DAC like Fiio E10K because they need a portable amp for their headphone in addition to a DAC. Others may need more than just a DAC - for example there could be a need to take the HDMI input and send the video to a TV and the audio to speakers. This is where a receiver comes in. A receiver is basically an amp + many more options for inputs, but it could be overkill if you only need a DAC. Used receivers could be cheap, though, and they are quite popular because of the input options you get. Goes without saying that you may not need a separate DAC at all, but just something to consider.

Phew! Hope that helps! :)

u/Match-Sticks · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

I recommend the Beyerdynamic DT 770 + FiiO E10K if you have the coin.

u/Marlv95 · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

Some soundcards can still give you some static if it isn't of good quality. I would suggest investing in an external USB DAC. It may seem expensive but will give you superior sound quality. I have this USB DAC and never had static from it. There are also several other USB DAC's you can purchase that may be cheaper as well.

u/Deyoo · 1 pointr/Gaming_Headsets

So I was looking through options that you posted above, one being headphones + modmic + E10K and the other being Game One + E10K and the difference is around $100. My question is, is sound difference that big to be worth $100 or not? Option 1 being $316 and Option 2 $226. I keep reading that difference between 598s and GameOne is not that big, what's your opinion?

Option 1:

HD598 - $170

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WRMZZ45/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

modmic 5.0 - $70

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MCYRKY3/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A34JWT04R7KMFW&psc=1

E10K - $76

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A2IFYT7JVWTGRN&psc=1

Option 2:

Game One - $150

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KK8ZLEC/ref=s9_acsd_hps_bw_c_x_3_w

E10K - $76

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A2IFYT7JVWTGRN&psc=1

u/NihilisticPigeons · 1 pointr/audiophile

So atm, I have these speakers: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00OZ9NNCY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

with this DAC: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So my audio setup is currently about £160. I've recently come into some money from a relative's will, and I'm not using much money at the moment, so I was looking to see if I could upgrade my system by more than just a tier. My friend who likes to consider himself something of an audiophile (although to what extent that's true I have little clue) recommended that if I'm going to be upgrading something, I should probably wait until I have enough money to upgrade it by more than one tier, which sounds like intuitively sensible advice to me. If my budget is, say, around £2000, what sort of advice could you give me? Apologies if more detail is require, I can always edit more in later as required!

Thanks!

u/NorjackNC · 1 pointr/buildapc

yep, i went with a FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier and have been very happy. $75.99 at the moment on amazon and it's bang on your budget.



u/connere21 · 1 pointr/HeadphoneAdvice

I have considered it, but I heard that the 660s is slightly better. Thank you for responding.

Edit: I Also believe that my Dac/Amp can't power the 6XX ( FiiO E10K )

u/ufftatabummbumm · 1 pointr/audiophile

Hello I just got my FiiO E10K and my new headphones, sound is awesome. I'm not really sure how to handle the volume best. For example if I'm listening to a track, should I max the volume out (to 100%) in the player and only adjust volume via Fio or does it not matter which way I do it?

u/rybl · 1 pointr/headphones

I'm looking for a pair of headphones that allows me to hear what is going on around me, but doesn't drive my coworkers crazy. I'm not even sure if that's possible...

Budget: Between $100-150 USD

Source: Desktop PC. Will eventually upgrade to a DAC. May reuse this one from home:FiiO E10K USB DAC.

Requirements for Isolation: None - Minimal. I will be using these at work and need to be able to hear what is is going on around me.

Will you be using these Headphones in public?: Yes, at work in a shared office.

Preferred Type of Headphone: Over-ear or on ear. I'm flexible on this if something else better meets the other needs.

Preferred tonal balance: I listen to a variety of genres so something that's fairly versatile and balanced.

Past headphones: Cheap IEMs for music at work. Sennheiser GAME ONE's for gaming/music at home.

Preferred music: Eclectic... Hip Hop, Folk, Rock

What would you like to improve on from your set-up: I'm tired of replacing my $30 IEMs every six months and am looking for a sound quality upgrade. I also want something that I can wear for 3-4 hours at a time comfortably.

u/Zonarion · 1 pointr/headphones

I cant decide what I need, this FiiO E10K which from my knowledge is a DAC/AMP in one or just a soundcard, was thinking about this one Soundblaster. I dont know a whole lot about this so the best thing for me is what I want. I have a good gaming PC and a pair of Sennheiser 598's I dont like how they sound directly into my mobo so I want to try something else. What is the difference between those two products? Do they do the same thing? Thans in advance :)



EDIT: I have a msi gd65 gaming mobo

u/Zomb1eV1rus · 1 pointr/headphones

First I will start this out with: I have never bought headphones worthy of the name "audiophile". But im very interested in learning about different headphones and such.

Budget - $200 flexible budget

Source - computer motherboard connections or amp if needed

Isolation - none

Will you be using these Headphones in Public? - No

Preferred Type of Headphone - Around ear

Preferred tonal balance - balanced

Past headphones - Razer Kraken 7.1, I liked the leds ha nothing else.

Preferred Music - I listen to many types of rock. From Smashing Pumpkins to bands like Five Finger death Punch.

What would you like to improve on from your set-up - More comfort, better sound, better everything.

  • I will be using these headphones for hours nonstop each day so i would like them to be comfortable.
  • I play games on steam for many hours, listen to music and I watch you tube a lot.
  • I would like headphones that preferably have open back so I can hear myself talk in a game and also because I heard that a wide sound stage really helps in games that sound is vital (like csgo which I play a good amount).
  • If I would need a amp to run the headphones that would be fine also.

    Currently what Im thinking of getting is the
    Sennheiser HD 598 SE with the FiiO E10K amp/dac and a modmic 5.0.


    Basically what Im asking is for the much more experienced in sound to suggest what you think I should get headphone and amp wise (if needed). Thank you all that respond.
u/ThomasAger · 1 pointr/headphones

Thanks for the recommendation! Could you share how this compares to a much simpler, cheaper model, a-la [Fii-O E10K] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)?

u/MnMWiz · 1 pointr/audio

That USB will be my choice then in the $30-$40 range. I saw it outputs 125mw@32Ohms, and that my headphones can go you to 200mw. Do you know of the cheapest DAC that can do 200mw@32Ohms? Still not sure how much I want to spend on this, but now I'm thinking I might want to spend a little more so I can get the maximum sound quality, within reason.

I found this one, which does 200@32, and is $75. I assume that's probably the cheapest option?

Thanks again.

u/Kill_the_Acquitted · 1 pointr/buildapcsales

The amp is the Fiio.



Gaming and movies, yes, but their audio isn't as important to me.



I listen to a lot of different things. An assortment of metal (progressive, djent, etc), some orchestral/classical, prog rock... mostly everything but rap or country.



My experience with decent headphones is limited to the ATH-M50s. I found them to be good, but a little too muddled and bass-heavy. I'm not sure which kind of frequency response I prefer, which makes it hard.



Thanks for taking the time to respond.

u/democratsgotnoclue · 1 pointr/hiphopheads

I use a pair of M50X's, along with this DAC headphone amplifier when I'm using my computer. The M50X's already sound really great with a gloriously balanced sound signature (no overpowering highs or lows). The DAC is hard to describe, but it sounds like it separates the layers of audio better - even though my headphones sound fantastic by themselves, everything sounds even clearer and fuller with the DAC. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone - it's a bit of an investment - but if you have the money and listen to music on your computer a lot, I'd definitely recommend it.

u/xNaijs · 1 pointr/bapcsalesgermany

Without ref link

I bought that one 2 years ago and am very satisfied with the sound (using it in combination with an audio-technica M50x)

u/jbosse · 1 pointr/headphones

I see what you're saying, i think i want to go with the Beyerdynamics DT770. As for the Amp, what do you think of this? is it good for that price point? Would there be something better for a little more? I really don't want to spent a shit ton just to properly drive headphones.

u/ptlj0145 · 1 pointr/Headsets

Alrighty thanks so much for the help. Yeah I know but mic doesn't hurt if I choose to use it. I don't have much expenses yet so no worries. If I did want an amp just for the sound (ignore the mic). Do you have any suggestions? I was looking at something cheap on amazon for curiosity. Just clicked on it based on recommendation and reviews. Would this be okay? If you have any suggestions that will make the most out of these or are more compatible please feel free to suggest it!

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B00LP3AMC2/ref=pd_aw_sim_147_of_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VK4BQHRPYR7KYDHCS6JK

u/CreamSupreme · 1 pointr/headphones

First Timer here, looking for USB DAC/Headphone AMP for my newly purchased M50x

Budget - $100

Source -Asus Windows 7

Preferred Music - Alternative, Rock, Metal, Reggae

I have 3 options i can't decide between. Help!

  1. SMSL M2

  2. Fiio E10K

  3. Schiit Fulla
u/DrZdoc · 1 pointr/buildapc

Just bought one of these actually. Hasn't even come in the mail yet. Was recommended this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00LP3AMC2/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all

Don't have any personal experience, but in my research it seemed like most reviews were positive.

u/rap3 · 1 pointr/audio

Thanks for the suggestions. I have the 80 ohm model and i decided to give this a try https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

u/TheDukeDude · 1 pointr/headphones
  • Budget - Max around $240 - prefer to stick lower but if there are substantial gains from spending the full amount it's fine.
  • Source - 95% of the time these will be used at my computer.
  • Isolation - won't be a problem - maybe a fan in the background sometimes.
  • I'll very rarely use these in public.
  • Preferred Type of Headphones - I prefer full-sized/over ear headphones.
  • Tonal Balance - I like snappy bass but listen to a variety of music and also use headphones to watch movies.
  • Past Headphones - Using my garbage Corsair 1500 gaming headset. Even without the crappy quality of these headphones, they have serious compatibility problems with Windows 10. Comfortable volume level is at like 4%. Sucks. I've heard some old Bose headphones a long time ago and loved the punchy bass and felt like I could hear more of the music being played. Without a model I'm not sure how much that will help you.
  • Preferred Music - Like I said before, this really varies. Stuff like Daft Punk, Emancipator, Dire Straights, Rage Against the Machine, Ice Cube, MF Doom, Rx Bandits, Cage the Elephant, Streetlight Manifesto.
  • **I want to get some more bass and hear more of the mids in my music from a new set of headphones.

    The two set ups I've been looking at are:

  1. Beyerdynamic DT-990-Pro-250 as well as a FiiO E10k. - Since these need more than what my PC can give it I'll have to spend the extra money on an amp/DAC combo. Since they're open I'll occasionally have to switch to my old headphones if my music is bothering others in the room. I'm alone in my office 80% of the time so this wouldn't be the end of the world.

  2. AKG K550 - I'd be spending a little more on the headphones up front but wouldn't need to purchase an amp/DAC right away to use these.

    Thoughts?
u/FatFingerHelperBot · 1 pointr/headphones

It seems that your comment contains 1 or more links that are hard to tap for mobile users.
I will extend those so they're easier for our sausage fingers to click!


Here is link number 1 - Previous text "amp"



----
^Please ^PM ^/u/eganwall ^with ^issues ^or ^feedback! ^| ^Delete

u/infurno8 · 1 pointr/headphones

Hi everyone, my pair of 6xx's finally arrived (I know I'm a pleb haha) but I was wondering if this amp would be enough to power it?

u/Daynebutter · 1 pointr/audiophile

Here is the DAC I own: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

Man, this is going to sound dumb, but I didn't realize that I could connect my speakers and headphones to that little DAC at the same time.

u/Th3Komo12 · 1 pointr/headphones

Alright so I looked through the different recommendations and picked out a couple of different things but before I buy them I figured y'all should look at them to make sure they are good choices.

Here is what I have picked out

  • IEMs JVC HAFX40B

  • Over Ear Shure SRH440

  • DAC and AMP FiiO E10K

    Here is more information in case there is something that would work better for me

  • Budget - $200ish for everything

  • Source - Windows Computers and Android Phone (Nexus 6p)

  • Requirements for Isolation - A lot would be great trying to block out random noises to study better

  • Will you be using these Headphones in Public? I will be using the IEMs in public more than the Over Ears

  • Preferred Type of Headphone - Do you want IEMs, full-sized, or on-ear? IEMs and On-ear

  • Preferred tonal balance - I am not sure but probably balanced

  • Past headphones - Never really had a nice pair I usually just used crappy gaming headphones or earbuds

  • Preferred Music - Almost exclusively rap particularly trap

  • What would you like to improve on from your set-up - To actually have decent sound

u/Shimomura · 1 pointr/buildapc

what kind of amp should I be looking for? Does it matter? So many types on amazon.

edit: would this be ideal
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2/ref=crt_ewc_img_oth_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1UG27DD7KR2HI

u/AutoModerator · 1 pointr/HardwareSwapUK

Title: [PC] FiiO E10K Olympus USB DAC
Username: /u/FPJarva
Original Post:
I've just upgraded to an Audio Interface so I no longer need this DAC, no issues with it, bought in November last year.

This is the exact model


I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

u/ashleypenny · 1 pointr/headphones

Thanks, I live in England and we don't seem to have monoprice here. Well reviewed options include:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B017W13OR0/ref=pd_aw_sim_sbs_23_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=HSM382Q3VFBAH3E6B88E

&

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00LP3AMC2/ref=pd_aw_sim_sbs_23_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=HSM382Q3VFBAH3E6B88E

Will these do?

The amp isn't portable though - will the 250ohm versions sound alright in situations where I am not at my desktop?

u/BasedMessiahJJ · 1 pointr/headphones

I'm thinking, that to get a sense of what i'd want, i'd have to get the train up to Trafford center or something and hope they have a good selection of headphones to try out(It should since it's a huge shopping center). I doubt they'd have high end headphones on display for use, but i assume headphones by the same manufacturer would have similar qualities, and thus i could try a cheaper headphones by various companies and that'll give me an idea of what their higher end ones sound like.

Yeah, i just listened to the song on my speakers and it is much less annoying than i found it was through my headphones aha.

I'd happily spend money on a portable amp, is there any you'd recommend? Or does that not matter as much as the headphone itself? I found this amp which seems like a good choice according to most reviews.

I'm a pretty patient person tbh, but would you say it's worth waiting for them to become available again?

Nah, i think i understand it more now than i did before to be honest aha.

u/_shadow_banned_ · 1 pointr/BudgetAudiophile

I suggest going with a USB DAC. Using Windows, Xonar software is difficult to know if you are setting it right without any "effects". A Fiio E10k has a line out in the back and works great.

u/AspiringMountaineer · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

Quality post man. I did somewhat similar research (but definitely half assed compared to yours) and, I think, had similar conclusions, which was a couple years ago. How well did I do choosing the following when I primarily play Battlefield 4 all the time?

Sennheiser HD 650 Open Back Professional Headphone

FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier

If I wanted to upgrade from this setup what would I improve on?

u/DJBakenator · 1 pointr/audiophile

For a standard desktop PC setup, is this and this all I need to start using the headphones? In other words, are there any additional cables or components that I'll need to buy?

u/darklynx4 · 1 pointr/buildapc

i own the asus DGX (pci-e one), and its a nice sound card, i got it for like $14 new though.

But i found my onboard sound is identical though lol (look at your motherboard specs, if the motherboard is using the AC1150 codec dont bother with a sound card).

the AC1150 has all those features and the audio quality/power of any sound card you would actually buy.

If you really want the best possible (like 0.1%) quality audio, buy an external DAC. something like this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00LP3AMC2&linkCode=as2&tag=facebookc07d3-20&linkId=L33FDDPW6GXXOWOY is way better then both those sound cards.

BTW "stereo to surround" is nothing more then marketing. No such thing exists.
The software surround that most sound cards have, just widens the stereo sound. it doesnt actually make it surround. (its impossible to output true surround unless the source audio is surround to begin with).

stereo headphones (regardless of which ones) can already do positional audio.
google "virtual barber shop" with any pair of stereo headphones with no software turned on.

u/ToastyR6 · 1 pointr/audiophile

I just bought these ear pads for my m40x Audio Technicas (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00MFDT894/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) They don't sound close to as good but are damn comfortable, I just bought a new amp, will this help with audio quality. Also my sound card in my motherboard is really bad and can't power them to begin with so will it help with the volume as well? This is the Amp that I got. https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

u/Baseheaddredd · 1 pointr/Amd

I've always liked Fiio stuff, they're reasonably priced and give decent results, something like their E10k, K3 or q1ii would be somewhere to start.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00LP3AMC2/ref=psdcmw_1591692031_t1_B00GCDVNHI

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07KR3RF4H/ref=psdcmw_1591692031_t2_B00LP3AMC2

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0757MH46M/ref=psdcmw_1591692031_t3_B00LP3AMC2


They're a good brand for beginners and will give you better sound than any motherboard or internal soundcard.

Beware though, the audiophile world is a very deep rabbit hole that makes being a PC enthusiast look like pocket change.

u/Vyrnie · 1 pointr/headphones
  • Issues with current set-up
  • The cable on the K553s for ~1-2ft from the ears has been hard as a rock and annoying me with its scratching over my desk for a while now, and now I think some internal solder point finally gave a couple days ago too
  • I'm no audiophile but the sound output from my monitor (Philips 242G5) feels muddy, no noise but something feels off in terms of crispness relative to connecting directly to the mobo (may or may not simply be nocebo)

    _____

  • Budget - Ideally <$400CAD, flexible
  • Source - Now from a monitor (1080ti through HDMI into Philips 242G5, which has a 3.5mm port); previously directly through the 3.5mm port on my Gigabyte Z77X UD3H mobo (it was fine for years but I guess some filter caps failed or something because now I hear noise whenever my video card is really pulling juice)
  • Requirements for Isolation - For home use only, but its a tiny apartment and there's always some mildly annoying sound from some combination of the central air, the refrigerator compressor, or the HDD/fan noises from the PC right next to me
  • Using in public - No
  • Preferred type - I assume that full-sized over-ear headphones would be the best to block out outside noises and not disturb my neighbors
  • Preferred Balance - I guess something bassier might be nice, but I don't have any real issues with the balance on the K553s
  • Past headphones - AKG K553 for ~3yrs now
  • Preferred music - Metal, alternative, electronic, pop
  • Location - Toronto, Canada

    _____

  • What I'm currently considering - From looking through the resources provided here on this sub (well, the purchase assistants anyway) I think that buying the ATH-M50x to replace my K553 and the E10K Olympus to provide an output other than my borked motherboard or my shitty monitor would be reasonable.

    Is there a combination that'd be significantly better just a little higher (say, <$500CAD), or perhaps other options that I should consider? Would moving from the K553 to the M50x sound at least different enough to provide some novelty value to justify the move or should I just stop being a lazy fuck and instead open up my K553s to replace the shitty cable and resolder whatever shook loose?

    Any thoughts at all would be appreciated, even if you just want to reassure me that buying those two things would be a decent enough idea. Or if you think that me doing more research past just looking through the purchase assistants would be a good idea.
u/Faptain_Calcon_ · 1 pointr/buildapc
  • The sound blaster ZXR sound card comes with a desktop volume dial but the whole thing is pretty expensive.

  • The Microsoft surface dial works with any windows 10 device with a Bluetooth dongle but is expensive as well. You can configure it to control volume.

  • You could get a USB DAC amp with a volume dial such as the ones Fiio sells. The E10K is recommended by many folks. It's not cheap though and doesn't affect windows system volume, just its own volume. 😑

    Its a shame nobody make an affordable, premium volume dial. Id buy it in a heart beat....
u/baconboyloiter · 1 pointr/headphones

I noticed that this dac is fairly cheap and is commonly bought with the akg 702s on amazon. Would this do the job or even be better than my dragonfly black?

u/Jenslolxd · 1 pointr/headphones

so you mean the ad700x wont be better then the x2? the x2 is very bass heavy and thats why i wanted a pair strict for gaming.

btw the fulla 2 is available on http://www.schiit-europe.com/

but not on their offical site http://schiit.eu.com/

hmm

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A19NVE4G6SOT2C 75 $

compared to fulla 2 for 150$. still fulla 2 as im in EU?

u/TheJniac · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

As was said by others, lose the soundcard, but with the amendment that if you ARE an audiophile, get a E10 from Fiio, or if you want even better sound, get a O2 + Odac. Next, get an i5 with a decent motherboard, then get the fastest SINGLE GPU you can get.

u/SilentBobVG · 1 pointr/buildapc

Depends on your price range. A great starter DAC is the FiiO E10K which has a DAC and an amplifier built in, highly recommended

The next step up would be for the Schiit Modi although, it doesn't have a built in amp and requires the companion piece Schiit Magni

Those are the two I would recommend for sub $100 and $200

You could always try /r/audiophile and /r/headphones for more advice

u/ressis74 · 1 pointr/headphones

> need an amp for voice chat purposes

This is a strange statement. Voice chat is typically easier on headphones than music is.

But nevermind, let me answer your actual questions:

> I have heard good things about the Fiio E17

So have I, but I've never used it myself. It is battery powered, which may prove inconvenient. There are also cheaper options in the same price range: Monoprice has one (probably a white-labeled FiiO). The FiiO E10K is a USB AMP/DAC. Schiit also has one... but read on.

> would it be better for me just to buy a soundcard instead of the amp

A sound card is nothing more but a DAC/Amp. I prefer external DACs and Amps, as its easier to mix and match as I acquire more pieces. Sound cards tend not to be as high quality as external devices... but it really is just a matter of preference.

> Which amp would you recommend?

Don't get an amp right now. Get the Q701s, listen to them, then decide if you need an amp.

An amp is one of the most expensive ways to improve your sound, and the Q701s don't really need it. The dac/amp in your computer should be more than powerful enough for them. Heck, I just plugged my pair into my phone and it got ear-splittingly loud.

Instead of getting an amp, figure out if you need one:

Line noise: Turn the volume up to max, but don't play any music. Plug in your most sensitive headphones (in-ears, most likely). You should hear silence. If you don't hear silence, a good dac + amp will remove that line-noise.

Overall Power: Turn the volume all the way down. Plug in your listening headphones (Q701 in this case) and start up some music. Now turn it up until the music is playing at a conversational volume. This is the level at which you should be listening. If the volume dial is < 50%, then you don't need an amp. If it's between 50% and 80%, you may benefit from an amp. If it's past 80%, get an amp. (my rule of thumb)

The most important thing though, is that the headphone is the most cost effective way to improve your sound. The amp/dac is a supporting cast ONLY. Collect them if you want (it's fun after all), but don't expect the same level of improvement that you got by getting your first headphone. In fact, today's integrated dac/amps are so good, that any benefit you hear from an upgraded dac/amp may actually be the placebo effect.

In short:

  1. Get the Q701s
  2. Use them
  3. Figure out if you need a dac/amp. You probably don't.
  4. But if you want to get a dac/amp anyway, get one that looks awesome. The Magni/Modi from Schiit are good choices.
u/BMANN2 · 1 pointr/headphones

You sure? I checked amazon.ca before and the only one that comes up for me is this one which seems to be the first one.

u/Mark91193 · 1 pointr/headphones
I'm planning on getting this DAC soon once I save up a little more.<br />

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;psc=1&amp;amp;smid=A2RI9OCHT7SAAA
I'm trying to get the best sound possible with these because a lot of reviews say it has awesome soundstage for directional audio.

u/ubermonkey101 · 1 pointr/buildapc

Awesome thank you so much! so what would be the purpose of a soundcard in addition to an external DAC?
As for the amplifier itself, could I get away with something as cheap as this?
or would something like this be necessary?

u/AHerdOfDucks · 1 pointr/buildapc

You can spend anywhere from let's say $100 to $200 for some upper echelon level audio. https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ something as simple as this fio ek10 going through your usb is usually enough for most people, and headphones there are a gradient of choices you can make. https://www.reddit.com/r/Zeos/comments/97mi5s/zguides_headphones/ . This is a good place to start! Honestly I'm looking forward to speakers/new cans/new monitor more than a new gpu! If you can't see or hear the difference there is no difference.

u/conpron · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

Thanks for the input, FIIO was a brand that I saw pop up a lot specifically the E10K:

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1479168538&amp;amp;sr=8-4&amp;amp;keywords=fiio

However, I found that if I was going to purchase one I'd go for the cheapest I could find. Maybe I'll just purchase the headphones now and then a FIIO later.

u/bigporcupine · 1 pointr/bapcsalescanada

that's my exact setup. 598SE with modmic. I use this E10K

Works very well.

Edit: Just noticed you want mic input as well. The E10K doesn't 'have this, but never found that to be an issue going straight to my PC.

u/ocinn · 1 pointr/audiophile

&gt; https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014FASL1A?psc=1

has no DAC, OP is asking for an external DAC, not to look 'cool,' when actually, this fake tube amp (yes, they tubes are doing zero amplification) makes you look the opposite lmao

&gt; https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

has no line out, and we don't know if OP has a stereo, or a headphone setup, this only works for headphones (or active studio monitors)

u/MrBubles01 · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

Well first of all, wait for black friday. It is around the corner.

Second of all, I would recommend you the Sennheiser HD598s The Hd598s have an open design and therefore better soundstage. Add an Amp+DAC, Fiio E10k (has bass boost).

Although, I have no personal experience with AudioTechica, they are highly recommended.

u/doctorjohn666 · 1 pointr/buildapcsales

I'm trying to figure out how I can pair this with my computer. I wanted to get a dac/amp combo to power this thing but I'm unsure about what connections will work. I was looking into this thing but wasn't sure how it'd connect to the speakers. Could I use something like this?

u/Darkness12 · 1 pointr/techsupport

So the thing about headphones of this magnitude is that they require a larger amount of power than earbuds. This is due to the increased impedance. Your headphones happen to be 50 ohm impedance, which is not a HUGE amount but it is enough to cause a drop in volume &amp; frequency range when using a low-powered output.


The solution would be to get a simple external DAC. I used this FiiO E10K with my HD598s and the difference is night and day between this and that normal audio-out. There are a large range of options for a DAC / headphone amplifier, but this one is pretty solid for the price. Without it, you are really missing out on the full potential of the headphones you just invested in.


As for why the headphones seemed "really good" for one day? It could be that the port you are using is connected to a series of other ports which draw power. For instance, if you are using the headphone port on the front of your desktop they may share the power connection with the front USB ports. This means if you have something drawing power from USB, the volume on the headphone jack may be reduced. In some cases there can even be audio interference and a humming or hissing noise in the background. Using a DAC will keep your audio separate from such issues.


Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions.

u/nygio · 1 pointr/headphones

Hi!

Not too long ago I purchased the ATH-MSR7 Headphones, which definitely was a big step up from my previous Steelseries gaming headset. I noticed, however, that there seems to be some interference, which is especially the case when the Air Conditioner is turned on. It's some kind of high pitch noise with some occasional cracking. I have the headphones plugged into a AT2020USB+ microphone. Directly plugged into the computer is worse.

Would a AMP+DAC help against this kind of interference? And while the ATH-MSR7 is pretty easy to run, would they benefit from an AMP+DAC?

I'm not super knowledgeable about audio yet, so I could use some advice. I'm currently living in Japan, and found 2 that might be interesting:

  • Fiio E10K USB DAC and AMP (Amazon.jp / Amazon.com) for 8,980 yen (~80 US dollars)
  • Amulech AL-9628D USB DAC and AMP (Amazon.jp / Amazon.com) for 14,500 yen (~130 US Dollars)

    The Fiio E10K is of course pretty popular already. The Amulech AL-9628D doesn't seem to be well-known outside of Japan (it's a Japan based company), but it seems to be a bit more powerful, and is getting really good reviews inside of Japan. You can either run it through USB or the provided 100-240V AC Adapter. But honestly, DSD.. ASIO 2.1.. I don't know much about it all.

    Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
u/Draazith · 1 pointr/audiophile

Hi guys,

I just moved to a new studio flat and I'd like to update my current very basic setup: a Yamaha NX-U02 plugged into my laptop (Alienware R15 R3).

  • I'm looking for compact 2.0 speakers that will be sitting on my desk and used for music, gaming and movies; either from my desk or the couch which is 2 meters away. I might want to use headphones once in a while. The room is about 15 square meters so I don't need much power (I rarely use the Yamaha at full volume).

  • The budget I have in mind is roughly 200 EUR (pretty much the same in USD I suppose), but the lower the better.

  • I don't mind second hand but considering I don't know much about audio gear and I'm in France I'm planning to buy new.

    My first Idea was to get Audioengine A2+ but they're a bit pricey.

    What I have in mind now is a FiiO E10k with Roth Audio OLIRA1 speakers. I like the idea of having a separate DAC/Amp and the upgradability is a nice bonus, but I'm not sure it's actually ideal for my needs.

    I'm also looking at the cheaper EDIFIER Studio R1280T.

    Any thoughts?
u/MiraMain1998 · 1 pointr/discordapp

idk , what I have is a DAC/ Amp combo https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1506805954&amp;amp;sr=8-2&amp;amp;keywords=fiio+e10k
It works great, but I was recommended to leave the volume knob to the highest setting.

u/DragonFeatherz · 1 pointr/Amd
u/markymike111 · 1 pointr/nvidia

You don’t get that deep surround sound kinda feeling in the game with the fiio Dac amp but It’s super clear and I love it and I’m still a sound whore while playing as I’ve been told in the past lol here’s the model I have . I sent the link oh and yes the quality is very good . FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OPv0Db5PHN0J9

u/syneofeternity · 1 pointr/HeadphoneAdvice

Which Ohm would you recommend for the Beyerdynamic? Also they have the Beyerdynamic 990, Sennheiser HD 598 C for $171 and 599 SE for $100.

Also should I get an amplifier like this?

u/PriceKnight · 1 pointr/bapcsalescanada

Price History


  • FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black) &amp;nbsp; ^PureLink
    ReviewMeta: ★★★★☆ 4.1/5 from 929 valid reviews
    CamelCamelCamel - [Info]Keepa - [Info]

    _
    Price Chess &gt; Price Checkers
    ^(Info) ^| ^(Developer) ^| ^(Inquiries) ^| ^(Support Me!) ^| **[^(Report Bug)](/message/compose?to=The_White_Light&amp;subject=Bug+Report&amp;message=%2Fr%2Fbapcsalescanada%2Fcomments%2Fe41l7g%2Fheadset_sennheiser_game_one_330_180150%2Ff96wkaj%2F%0D%0A%0D%0A
    %0D%0A%0D%0APlease+explain+here+what+you+expected+to+happen%2Fwhat+went+wrong.)**
u/NoobGamerRN · 1 pointr/bapcsalescanada

Do we need this with game one and hd599? Thanks a lot!

u/truenicorn · 1 pointr/gigabytegaming

Yes, it is quieter on the non-staticky port for me as well.

If you're going to buy an external DAC, then the static or quietness will be a non-issue for you, as you will no longer be Z270X Gaming 7's built-in DAC for your audio (as far as I understand it).

If you do decide to go the external DAC/amp route, it might be a good idea to get a USB one.

u/howl_snowbane · 1 pointr/BudgetAudiophile

Thanks for the reply.

This gives me some peace of mind and i might as well start browsing ebay.

However, is using the audio interface a sensible idea in terms of cost/quality ?

What if i got a USB DAC instead? Presumably with analog sound control (I've googled around and people advise against using computer volume control with power amp+speaker setup).

Would this be a better option?

Most of the USB DACs with volume control i've seen so far are mega expensive, is there anything that would keep me happy under 100 Euros used?

What about a DAC like THIS ?

Has a volume knob, Line Out in the back which i presume bypasses the headphone amplifier (Correct me if i'm wrong) and a Headphone AMP too so i can use it with my headphones.

u/xPurplexAnarchyx · 1 pointr/headphones

If you don't mind not having a portable amp/DAC and don't mind waiting a bit for delivery the Fiio E10k is a good choice on sale at Massdrop.

u/Gargarlord · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

I actually just got the slightly better HD598, and I was wondering the same thing. I have the slightly inferior Pro Gaming edition, but if memory serves, we have the same sound card.

That being said, from what I've been able to gather, you should be looking into a DAC+AMP, not a dedicated sound card. The one I've been eyeballing if the onboard sound card doesn't pan out is the FiiO E10K.

Edit: Changed video card to sound card. Makes more sense that way.

u/jankenpwn · 1 pointr/headphones

Fiio E10k is another good option, or their portable E07K.

Coming up a little bit, you can get the Dragonfly also.

EDIT: Sorry, updated to amazon UK instead of US.

u/ColbyHep55 · 1 pointr/headphones

AMP requirement for the HD 560?

I currently own this DAC/AMP: FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_WYoywb713JVX2[1][1] AMP requirement for the HD 560?
Is this AMP enough to power these headphones?: HIFIMAN HE560 Over Ear Full-size Planar Magnetic Headphones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K6JEYD4/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_MZoywb5NZNH06[2][2] Would I be missing out on sound quality if I did use this cheap amp?

u/Legendhidde · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

Here is one, price seems a bit strange but that may be due to the Canadian dollar right now.

These headphones are amazing for quality, crisp sound. I'm not sure how good they are for spatial awareness and Sennheiser lacks a bit of high end but everything should be crisp and comfortable. Better than some random gaming headset.

u/solarvoltaic · 1 pointr/buildapc

thx, I was looking for one with more ports for my speakers and headset though.

This is the one I was scoping out in amazon.?

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

u/Coyodacoits · 1 pointr/Windows10

Can always try uninstalling the sound drivers and doing a clean install.

If you have some money to spend you can always look into getting an external dac/amp like the e10k. Should be able to find one for ~$75.

u/evamvid · 1 pointr/headphones

Has anyone tried the Fiio K1?

Wondering basically how it stacks up to the more expensive Schiit Fulla or Fiio e10k.

I saw dalethorn's review, he seemed to like it a lot!

u/EnglishTimelord · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

If you want the best sound then it can't be wireless.

DT990,HD598, K612, AD900x, T50RP.

For the mic there is the popular modmic, for the electronics there is the E10k or the E1.

u/ViceAdmiralVidya · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

Don't get a sound card. They aren't useful unless you have surround sound.

Get a good DAC (digital to analog converter)
They act as an amp and deliver higher fidelity audio.
http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1452965490&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=DAC

As far as the mic cable goes, you might need to get an extension cable.

u/mikeclarkx4 · 1 pointr/headphones

Looking to get my first DAC/amp combo to get the best output I can on my 598s. I'm having trouble deciding between the SMSL M3, the Fiio 10K, The Micca Origen +, or the new Schiit Fulla 2. Not looking to spend more than 100 atm so I'm just looking for advice on which to get as my first DAC/amp combo. If there is something better out there too that I might be missing please leave recommendations. A lot of the guides and forums that I visited don't say much about the Fulla 2 and how it compares in that price range so any help would be greatly appreciated.

u/cgfong7000 · 1 pointr/headphones

These are very good for a deep and surprising bass which is probably what you are looking for. However they will need an amp like this or this

u/Astranger2u · 1 pointr/audiophile

I recently bought the Micca MB42X Bookshelf Speakers, which I have 16 gauge speaker wire for. But I cant figure out where they are supposed to plug in on my FiiO E10K USB DAC. It seems that the DAC only has a 3.5 mm jack, anyway to get around this?

Thank you in advance.

u/aaronjjpr · 1 pointr/headphones

So I won a set of AKG K7XX Massdrop edition. I have $100 CAD for a DAC / Headphone amp. Any recommendations?

Not sure what information you will need. I listen to all types of music. I use both PC and Mac. I won't be using these cans outside of my humble abode.

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/akg-k7xx-massdrop-first-edition-headphones

The headphones I won for reference.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&amp;amp;colid=1T7TFYMSTIC8T&amp;amp;coliid=IFABLPNYPJ8KQ

How does this stack up to the competition in the same price range?
Any help is greatly appreciated!

u/Bush_Whacker · 1 pointr/headphones

Hey all, currently looking at buying a pair of Hifi-man 400i's.

My current soundcard is a Soundblaster Audigy FX

Is this a sufficient soundcard for these headphones? If not, should I purchase a seperate amp and just use the DAC in the soundcard? Or should I ditch the soundcard all together and just buy a FiiO E10K DAC+AMP combo?

Is there a significant difference in any of these choices?

u/thezlog · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

Bummer. I had the same issue but just on the front. I ended up buying one of the FiiO DACs.

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

What's nice is that it has a line-out on the back of it so I have both my headphones and speakers "live" at any given time and just adjust the volume depending on which I'm using.

u/RossNub · 1 pointr/headphones

I have the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones and from the base cable connected to my PC it can't reach where I'm sitting. My only option was to move my PC to a les than suitable spot for the time being. Any solutions for some form of extension for those headphones? Maybe something like this could help too?

u/Konstantine_13 · 1 pointr/audiophile

That is definitely sound card related then. Whether its a hardware or firmware issue is hard to say for certain. But if its not doing it from your monitor (which works exactly the same way that a usb interface works) definitely narrows it down to being your sound card (which is likely the built-in on the mobo). Either way you may need to spend a bit of money if you want to fix it.

I think the fact that you can still get clean audio after a restart suggests that its more a firmware/driver issue rather than hardware. Windows isnt known to be the best when it comes to things like that. So maybe it was caused by a recent update or something. Who knows, it may very well even be fixed in a future update. But the best way to eliminate that variable is to take it out of the equation. Thats why i suggest an external DAC like the Fiio E10K so that you aren't relying on windows and can restart it independently of the computer.

u/ASaleOfTwoTitties · 1 pointr/headphones

So I just got a steal on some Sennheiser HD 650s secondhand from a friend. (My last pair was Turtle Beach so I'm a bit out of my element with something this nice.) I plan to use them mostly for playing PUBG and other shooter games on my PC and listening to music mostly classic metal/rock/etc and maybe for playing guitar.

My understanding is that I need an amp to get the most out of them, I see people buying the 650s with the FiiO E10K USB but I'm not sure if this is suited for use with a PC? My soundcard has a similar yellow plug but I figured this device would use the digital audio port?

Worth note that since I want to use them for gaming, low latency is of the utmost importance. This puts me off the USB part.

Should I just go with this amp or is there a (preferably cheaper or similarly priced) alternative?

u/thebananabob · 1 pointr/headphones

Curent Setup - cheap mobo, sennheiser game ones with MusicBee audio player. Will build a new pc including a soundcard this or next year.

Just got into FLAC music and whatnot. Would like to step up on the sound quality. Also the Sennheiser Game Ones sometimes vibrate when playing deep bass notes wich is really annoying.

Preferred Headphones - I´d like over ear open back headphones. Only use them when sitting at my PC

Preferred music - Rock/Metal mostly

Preferred tone balance - i like a solid bass but i doesn´t have to be over the top. just looking for something that can do everything adequately.

What i´m currently looking at - Sennheiser 660S with an FiiO E10K

Country - Austria

Good idea? Bad idea? How much of an improvement am i looking at here?

Thanks ahead

u/Menetone · 1 pointr/headphones

Currently have sennheiser hd 558's, What would be a solid upgrade from them? I just bought this amp https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&amp;amp;psc=1 , now looking for good headphones. Mainly for gaming, already have mic so preferably no mic headsets.

u/ubisoftismegagay · 1 pointr/buildapc

I think a good upgrade would be sound quality. I was in the same position you are in now and honestly if you were to get a DAC it would boost your speaker quality and headphone quality tremendously. It's a very noticeable difference in quality and I enjoy all of my games a lot more because of it.

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

Also what kind of headphones do you currently have? Since the DAC doesn't ding your budget too much, a headphone upgrade might be something to consider.

u/FPEspio · 1 pointr/headphones

Looking for a dac/amp for the HD598's, currently looking at the Fiio E10K or Fiio E07K

Budget - Under £100
Source - PC, maybe a Galaxy Tab but for now looking for something for home use
Location - UK/England

I'm fairly new to this stuff and just trying to get the most out of my current headphones

u/DatswatsheZed_ · 1 pointr/headphones

Well this is awkward, i got it today and its working fine but i cant talk anymore. Are there any external sound cards that let me use my mic / or is there some way i get it to work with the one i have?

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

u/Sindroome24 · 1 pointr/headphones

I bought the HD 598's on Black Friday.

---

Headphones

Amp

DAC

Can I use my headphones with my amp and DAC? I was looking at the back of the amp and I noticed it only has output for normal speaker wire or banana plugs, which i don't think I can use with the headphones.

On the Amazon page the headphones say they come with a 3.5mm adaptor. Doing so would enable me to just plug right into my laptop, but this wouldn't power the headphones nearly enough, would it?

If not I can buy a new amp, I just want to avoid buying something I don't need.

Would this headphone amp/DAC work for me?

u/Stormfrost13 · 1 pointr/buildapc

I've heard great things about this USB DAC/amp.

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

u/zfa · 1 pointr/audio

As you don't explicitly state that you're using an amp of any kind I'm going to assume you want to run your headphones off whatever you buy? If this is the case I would not go with a UCA202/222. The headphone output is pretty poor - certainly the weakest part of it. If you are plugging into an amp then it's fine but if you're using it to drive the headphones I wouldn't personally bother.

Now, if (and only if) the SPDIF (optical digital output) is still working on your soundcard, I'd go for an SMSL SD793II. This has a better DAC than the Behringer and has a very good headphone amp built in. The only downside is that it doesn't take USB inputs, you need that digital signal from your soundcard to plug into it. This is my recommendation - with the extra lead you may need to by it is probably bang on £50 and worth every penny.

As for alternative solutions, if you could happen to find another tenner then the Fiio E10K would be perfect if your soundcard's optical out not work and you need to hook it up via USB.

If you can't find the extra money and your optical out is buggered, then the SMSL M2 is a good option. Meant for portable use but nothing stopping you using it as you need to.

TL;DR SMSL SD793II.

u/OstensiblyEsoteric · 1 pointr/audiophile

You don't need 5.1 for headphones as they output in stereo. If you can stretch your budget a little bit I would recommend something like this

u/delrn · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

I use this one together with some DT990 PROs, personally.

u/women_are_pretty · 1 pointr/BudgetAudiophile

Yeah, it's a USB DAC. That's basically all a sound card is, a digital to analog converter.

I used to have a problem with the "only 16 bit" issue. I bought a Fiio E10K and used it for a while, but never heard an appreciable difference. I fiddled with the 24 bit and higher rates and didn't hear a difference. The Fiio has a nicer volume knob, but the LED is stupid bright. The pre out on the Fiio is in the back which looks better on the desk.

u/konatizer · 1 pointr/headphones

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

if this is the one you mean, then yes. sorry i should have mentioned, under $100 is preferred but i can go up to 150

u/Purish · 1 pointr/headphones

Got my pair of SHP9500S today with a VMODA BoomPro mic.

Plugged everything in and it seems that my board's audio codec (ALC892) doesn't have enough power to drive these. Wasn't aware of that before purchasing.

Looking into either getting the FiiO E10K with a TRRS extension cable for the mic to plug into the back of my computer.

I was also looking at this Creative USB Sound Card too. Not sure which is the better option here for better quality and to future proof myself.

Any suggestions/guidance?

u/cliffcrawford · 1 pointr/Vive

I use a FiiO E10K amp with my HD 600s on my laptop, works great.

u/mcpasty666 · 1 pointr/buildapc

Hmm... TV speakers are going to sound crappy no matter what, so I wouldn't put money into trying to make them sound better. Despite all the crap thrown their way, Beats should sound decent enough. If they sound noticably worse hooked up to your PC than they do to your phone, a DAC might help. I'd buy from Amazon or a big box local so you can return easily if you're not happy with it. A FiiO E10K will let you switch between your TV (or whatever you use for speakers in the future) and your headphones easily while sounding very nice.

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1504870914&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=e10k

u/powell730 · 1 pointr/EscapefromTarkov

I use these headphones:

Superlux HD-681 EVO Professional Monitoring Headphones, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CAG1ZG0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_7AkUzbCVSG86Q

With this amp:

FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_HAkUzbYGA914H

For me, the amp made all the difference in the world. It made everything pop and crystal clear. They were pretty good without the amp too. Don't buy into the 5.1 or 7.1 BS. Listen to this video with stero headphones...

https://youtu.be/IUDTlvagjJA

u/raistlin65 · 1 pointr/BudgetAudiophile

Fiio E10K is likely the best combo DAC &amp; headphone amp in your budget range that will completely bypass your PC audio

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fiio-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/

u/Pvt-Area · 1 pointr/audiophile

I just ordered a pair of these tonight, but I'm lost on what amp to get. I am completely new to any sort of advanced audio like this and have only owned gaming headsets and meh-tier earbuds all my life. With that in mind, I don't think I have the most discerning of ears yet and it would probably be a waste to spend 200 on a Schiit stack or 02+ODAC combo, especially considering that's over double the price of my headphones! I would prefer to keep amp/DAC totals to be in the $100 ballpark.

&amp;nbsp;

My first question - is a DAC even necessary for these? I'm still not entirely sure what it does, since all of the explanations I've seen have been in audiophile jargon that is gibberish to me. Can I get away with running only an amp or a amp/DAC combo?

&amp;nbsp;

A cheap option I've seen while shopping around is a amp/DAC combo as mentioned previously. I've heard SUPER mixed reviews of pairing these 250-Ohm headphones with a Fiio e10k, some saying it works great, but others saying the complete opposite. I've also heard good and bad things about SMSL products like the SMSL SD793-II, one mention highly recommending the iBasso D-Zero Mk2, and another few people recommending the CMOY.

&amp;nbsp;

What are my best options here? I would appreciate any help I can get. Sorry for the long post and thank you!

u/T0XlCZ · 1 pointr/headphones

/r/avexchance or /r/hardwareswap for used stuff.

As for portable, a FiiO would be the best option.

u/arub · 1 pointr/audiophile

I mean, those are great DACs, but would you really be able to tell the difference between those and a cheaper FiiO DAC?

u/Fabremullet · 1 pointr/buildapc

I also love my HD 598s. After a couple months of onboard audio I opted for the Fiio E10K desktop DAC/AMP, mostly for the convenience of not having to reach to the back of my case every time I wanted to switch between headphones and speakers. I am very satisfied with this setup.

I know you mentioned keeping your desk space tidy, but the size of the Fiio is less than you would expect (smaller than my iPhone 4) and is hardly noticeable.

u/ilikemonkeys · 1 pointr/audio

if you're not a discerning listener, then really any amp will work for you. The only amps that I know of that have a lot of analog volume wheels are the FiiO brands. They're actually pretty reasonable for what you get. here's one for 75 buck that would fit your need quite well.

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1420825350&amp;amp;sr=1-3

u/rossysaurus · 1 pointr/audiophile

Does your laptop sound worse than an iPhone or iPod? if so, something like a Fiio E10k could raise the quality without costing you a fortune. I doubt you would notice much quality difference between the fiio e10k and Shiit stack from QC15's. http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

Alternatively if you can live without an analog volume dial you could opt for something like this and use the windows volume slider instead. http://hifimediy.com/DACs/ready-made-dacs/sabre-dac-uae23

u/123kyran123 · 1 pointr/buildapc
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor | $219.95 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler | be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 93.3 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler | $89.90 @ Newegg
Motherboard | Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $136.99 @ SuperBiiz
Memory | G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $61.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $86.98 @ OutletPC
Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $229.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card | $338.99 @ NCIX US
Case | Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case | $99.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | Rosewill Capstone 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $93.98 @ Newegg
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) | $91.99 @ NCIX US
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $1450.75
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-26 15:47 EST-0500 |

Things I changed:

- RAM:
Changed to cheaper 8GB RAM kit. 8GB is more than enough for normal gaming. If eventually 8GB isn't enough for you anymore you can always add another 8GB kit.

- SSDs:
Changed to the newer 850 evo SSD. they have the newer V-Nand chips, which are faster and have a much longer endurance rating.

- Graphics card:
Changed to cheaper GTX 970 as the Zotacs are way too expensive for the little extra performance they deliver.

- Case:
While the NZXT Phantom 630 is good case, for it's price it's not worth it IMO. The Phanteks Enthoo Pro has many more features for better prices. The Fractal Design Define R4 or even the R5 are great options too. The Be quiet! Silent Base 800 is another great case, but this one doesn't have a window.

- Power supply:
Changed to higher quality power supply from Rosewill. You could also check out the EVGA G2 750w.

- Soundcard:
Don't buy PCIe soundcards. They often have to deal with pc interference and aren't that great for their price. The Maverick Audio TubeMagic D1 or the Schiit Modi 2 + Schiit Magni 2 perfrom a lot better. The Maverick Audio TubeMagic D1 is more focused for amazing audio quality and soundstage. The usage of tubes will make voices and instruments sound fuller. The Schiit Modi and Magni combo is a solid state design, which achieves higher volume levels and slightly more detailed sound.

If you don't want to pay to much the Fiio E10K is another good option.
u/meccano300 · 1 pointr/headphones

I'm going to get either the AD900x, HD598, or the Q701 for gaming and music (Leaning towards the Q701s). With whatever i choose i will also probably be getting the Fiio E10K. Now the main part i'm asking about is that i'm coming from a Turtle Beach PX22 headset. The inline amplifier on this i LOVE. As you can see in these pictures, the amplifier features bass and treble adjustment, game volume and chat volume are separate and independently adjustable, I can hear my own voice as i speak, and i can play music into the auxiliary port in it. So i'm wondering if it would be wise to setup all this in a way to integrate both this amp and the E10K. My current idea is to plug the E10K into the computer, then the PX22 amp into the E10K and obviously the headphones into the PX22 amp. So will this setup work? if not, is there any amp that offers a lot of the features the PX22 amp does? Thank you

u/omegax84 · 1 pointr/buildapcsales

I think the Soundblaster Z is by far the best soundcard for under $100. It was actually on sale for $70 two months ago. It offers not only the best virtual surround on the market today, but also a free 600 omh headphone amplifier, which is just nuts for value. In addition, the Z offers a free beam-forming mic in case you don't have the money or need for buying an external mic for your headset, which is even more value. I don't recommend the Zx or the ZxR as they are a waste of money and offer no extra value unless you're a professional on Youtube or Twitch.

The Titanium series cards are all over 3 years old and scale poorly with modern games. They are great for music and movies, but not gaming. They are also fairly expensive for what they offer.

The Asus Xonar, STX, Essence cards are similar to Titanium cards in that they are poor for gaming, however they are epic for music. Most audiophiles swear by Asus cards for home theater setups. For PC use they are just awful though; Asus drivers are always 2+ years older than what they should be and always have compatibility problems.

Oh, as for a cheap external DAC/Amp, this is the way to go: http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1422512042&amp;amp;sr=8-3&amp;amp;keywords=headphone+amplifier

Everyone on Headfi swears by it, but personally I went with the Soundblaster Z, as I needed both a headphone amp and a means to power my home 5.1 theater speakers.

u/jotka · 1 pointr/FiiO

yes, it's very good.
fiio e10k

u/Azerua · 1 pointr/audiophile

Are the FiiO E10K's Good with these headphones? I have the same ones and I'm looking to get a good amp to go with them around the £50-£80 range!

u/erill · 1 pointr/buildapc

should plug it into the rear. as your motherboard has headphone amp. 250 ohm now that might be a bit much for your mobo to drive, you can find the amp settings in the HD audio manager. but I would suggest you buy yourself a good amp/DAC combo. dolby atmos for headphones works well and is quite cheap and does make the surround sound work better. just set in-game audio to 5.1 or whatever surround setting it has.i have a pair of dt990's not 250 though and use the following.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fiio-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=pd_bxgy_267_2/258-9598366-4354525?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_i=B00LP3AMC2&amp;pd_rd_r=2160390a-e5c5-45bc-b445-d9b950db15bf&amp;pd_rd_w=hK5Xa&amp;pd_rd_wg=1r36v&amp;pf_rd_p=07e3e597-b71b-4701-a3fd-d79c50f48406&amp;pf_rd_r=5AK23YVYHEVX98G1DBQV&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=5AK23YVYHEVX98G1DBQV

I'd put my money on your motherboard not being able to drive those headphones, but I could be wrong.

u/T_Belfs · 1 pointr/audiophile

Looking to get an external DAC for my PC. Here's the 2 I've found:

Fiio E10k

Schiit Fulla

What are your thoughts on these? Also, do you have any other recommendations?

u/blackbluedragon · 1 pointr/headphones

I'm looking for a DAC/amp combo to replace my motherboard's onboard audio, which suffers from lots of EMI (noise, static and whine) depending on CPU usage.

Budget - &lt; €100
Source - Desktop (for games, movies and music)
Headphones - Audio Technica M40x
Preferred tonal balance - V-shape, or flat with a little bass boost. Something that comes with an equalizer would be prefered.
Preferred Music - Rock, metal, soundtrack
What would you like to improve on from your set-up - No noise or other interference and decent volume
Location - Netherlands/Europe

I already looked at the FiiO E10k ( €83 ) and the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD ( €78 ), but I am not sure yet about which or if any of those are right forr me.
I can buy from amazon.de

u/HootyAye · 1 pointr/headphones

how about this? FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_.5-Eub1ZXMYR4

would I need a splitter for the modmic?

u/ashittyname · 1 pointr/audiophile

What I want

Does anyone have a suggestion for a desktop DAC/AMP system under $200? I live in Toronto, Canada and am willing to buy used.

What I'm using it with/for

I will be using my PC which has a free USB port as well as an optical out. I currently use the AT-M50x, but upgrading to speakers are a slight possibility. I listen to electronic music (mostly lounge), jazz, and play games.

What I'm looking for

Something that looks nice on my desk (so black is the preferable color, but thats flexable), is conducive to possible upgrades down the road, and sounds really nice.

What I've already found

What do you guys think of the Audioengine D1, the Fiio E10K (though it doesn't have optical in), or a used Musiland Monitor 02 US Dragon. This is in order of my preferences.

u/radgh · 1 pointr/headphones

This isn't about headphone purchase, but is related to my previous purchase. According to Rule #1, it sounds like this should go here.

A few days ago I bought the ATH-AD900x headphones thanks to a previous thread here. I also got a ModMic for gaming.

My computer sound card has some static, and the mic really sucks (and is supposed to be great). I need a dac/amp combo or sound card to fix it. I need a mic jack too, so I think a USB sound card would be a good option. If dac/amp is that much better, I can get a crappy $10 usb sound card to fix the mic and still have good quality for my headphones.

I do NOT need portability or batteries. This is for dedicated PC usage. Price is not an issue but I don't want to go over the top if there is not a substantial gain of quality.

Here is what I am considering:

u/iSamurai · 1 pointr/GlobalOffensive

&gt; fiio e10

The Fiio e10 is expensive because they don't make them anymore it looks like. They replaced it with this : http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=pd_cp_e_0

How am I gonna add you without knowing your steam lol, PM me

u/zim2411 · 1 pointr/audiophile

I use Spotify Premium with my Momentums and I'm happy with the sound quality. I use a FiiO E10 DAC (now an E10K) at work as I like having a dedicated hardware volume control I can easily access.

u/OsamaBeenModdin · 1 pointr/headphones

&gt; ... how do you get the best possible quality out of a set of PC headphones for gaming and streaming services like Netflix? Say you had a budget of $200. Do you spend it all on headphones? Is a sound card important here? Is a headphone amp? I'm interested in how each of these work with a PC specifically.

That's a good question. For under $200 for an entire setup you're likely not going to need a separate amp. Most headphones in this price range will be low impedance, so they won't need much power anyway. Depending on your PC you might have a decent onboard DAC on your motherboard. If you built your PC and the motherboard cost over $50 your sound should be quite good, so I wouldn't recommend eating into the budget of your headphones. However, if you feel like you get any background noise from your headphone ports or want something with slightly better sound, you could get a fairly cheap DAC/amp like this one. (Keep in mind this will take away from the budget of your headphones). If you do buy a DAC, make sure it has some kind of built in headphone amp or that it doesn't require extra amplification.

For $200 this is what I would recommend buying for movies/tv, music and gaming:

  • Option 1: 200 bucks on a single pair of headphones; that's it. If you feel like your motherboard has decent sound, then put all of the money into what will make the biggest difference; the cans on your ears. Spend as much as you can on a good pair that fits your tastes in sound characteristics. For a closed headphone you have lots of choices, too many to list or recommend. For open cans the AKG Q701 is fantastic for detail and sound stage and is under $200 currently.

  • Option 2: If you don't like the quality of sound coming from your motherboard (static, noise or low dynamic range) you could spend around $50-$100 on a fairly good DAC/amp and then spend $150-$100 on a quality pair of headphones. If you want closed cans, I would look at the ATH-M50 series or Sennheiser HD-380s which are on a fantastic sale. (I own the 380s, they are phenomenal for that price). If you want open headphones the Fidelio L1s are crazy cheap right now.

    Personally, I wouldn't buy an internal PCI sound card for a few reasons. For one, they are in close proximity to high voltage/amperage components which can introduce EMI and noise into the signal. Also many internal sound cards aren't as good for the money as an external DAC/amp and they often have really iffy driver support and need updates. External setups usually don't need to be touched and are pretty much universally compatible since it's just USB or optically connected. The biggest benefit of an external DAC/amp is the portability and ability to easily use it on another computer, laptop, phone or other device.
u/rombointhebongo · 1 pointr/GlobalOffensive

please include a budget when asking something like this

$0-$50

Philips SHP2500

Sennheiser HD201

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Lightweight-Over-Ear-Binaural-Headphones/dp/B0007XJSQC

Superlux HD668B

http://www.amazon.com/Superlux-HD668B-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B003JOETX8

50-100

Nuforce HP-800

https://www.nuforce.com/index.php?option=com_k2&amp;amp;view=item&amp;amp;id=311:nh-800&amp;amp;Itemid=194

Superlux HD668B(with beyerdynamic velour pads)

http://www.amazon.com/Superlux-HD668B-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B003JOETX8

Sennheiser HD 518

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-518-Headphones-Black/dp/B0042A68R8/ref=sr_1_13?s=electronics&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1417694957&amp;amp;sr=1-13&amp;amp;keywords=sennheiser

100-150

ATH-AD700/x (get these if you can, legendary soundstage)

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-AD700X-Audiophile-Open-Air-Headphones/dp/B009S332TQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=aht&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1385979471&amp;amp;sr=1-2&amp;amp;keywords=ad700

sennheiser hd558

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-558-Headphones/dp/B004FEEY9A/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1417694957&amp;amp;sr=1-5&amp;amp;keywords=sennheiser

150-300

k701/k702/q701/k7xx (similar but not the same, check around. similar soundstage to ad700s)

http://www.amazon.com/AKG-Signature-Reference-Class-Headphones-White/dp/B004444OFK/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1346743142&amp;amp;sr=1-3&amp;amp;keywords=q701

Beyerdynamic DT880

http://www.amazon.com/Beyer-Dynamic-Premium-32-Headphones/dp/B0024NK358/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1346743451&amp;amp;sr=1-4&amp;amp;keywords=dt+880

Sennheiser HD598

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-598-Headphones-Accents/dp/B0042A8CW2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1346744483&amp;amp;sr=1-1&amp;amp;keywords=hd+598


and dont get an internal soundcard, get an external dac/amp combo.

something cheap:
http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1417695224&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=dac+amp

more expensive - schiit stack(modi/magni)
http://schiit.com/products

CHECK MASSDROP FOR A DAC/AMP TO DROP SOON, VERY GOOD PRICES ON AUDIO EQUIPMENT THE DT880s ARE ON THERE RIGHT NOW (https://www.massdrop.com/buy/beyerdynamic-dt880-premium).

u/TJ_McHoonigan · 1 pointr/hardwareswap

This should suit your needs at $75. FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_t4iFub132X6X2

u/Crimtide · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

Not a bad budget for what you are looking for.. If you could stretch to 75.. This is probably one of the best you can find under $100-150.. I will look for something else though.

u/Metalsmith · 1 pointr/vinyl

The FiiO has pretty rave reviews. It also comes in under your budget, so that is always nice.

u/FrostStrikerZero · 1 pointr/GradSchool

I'm not sure if there's a lot of quality headphones in this price range, but this might help.

Alternatively, you may want to look into headphone DACs/Amps, such as:

https://www.amazon.com/Fiio-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-DAC/dp/B0189EVGAG

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

http://www.schiit.com/products/fulla-2

They should help with the volume. You could try the free software Peace Equalizer and increase the "preamp" value (be careful, it may cause severe clipping).



u/MHzBurglar · 1 pointr/headphones

If you're looking into external solutions, you might want to grab a DAC and headphone amp. It'll be a fair price jump from $9.99, but the extra power from the amp will really help your DT-770's; you can probably get away without an amp with an 80 ohm set, but they are in the impedance range where an amp will really help them shine.

A small all-in-one DAC/Amp like the Schiit Fulla 2 ($99) or Fiio E10K ($75) would give you a nice boost and a good DAC and will work well in both desktop and portable (laptop) setups.

I use a Schiit Fulla 2 at work with a pair of Sennheiser HD598Cs (70 ohm impedance) and it sounds great!

u/Throwaway_4_opinions · 1 pointr/Gaming4Gamers

Hydrodynamic dt 770 pro 80 with a dac/amp
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_A98IBbS6VJXA6

/r/headphones look into the odac story.

DO NOT listen to head-fi.

u/pandapanda730 · 1 pointr/pcgaming

Do you need them to be on the headset itself? If you do, I'd suggest you look at the Astro a40.

If having the headphones and mic separate don't bother you, get sennheiser 558's and a proper DAC like this one with a separate mic.

u/thesupergeek42 · 1 pointr/techsupport

This is a hardware thing. Cheap DACs and amps in consumer grade hardware are usually pretty crap, unshielded, and prone to interference. Luckily for you, there are a lot of options. Cheap PCIe sound cards like this are easy to install and work great if you have a spare PCIe slot. If not, there are USB options as well. I personally like the FiiO E10k but the Schiit Fulla is popular as well. You can find either of these pretty cheaply on somewhere like /r/AVexchange/ if new is too expensive for you.

u/nayrlladnar · 1 pointr/AskMen

Bluetooth earbuds: Soundpeats QY7 Cheap, but very good sound quality and well made.

PC Headphones: Superlux HD668B with these pads, this DAC, and an MPOW Bluetooth receiver

u/whatinthenameofholyf · 1 pointr/audiophile

You're right. It is hard to find an amp which is a DAC/amp/headphone amp or just an amp/headphone amp.

I'm not going to speculate on the market forces that might be behind this. I'll just give you some idea of what I'd do in your position...

If you have MB42xs then the bottleneck in performance is always going to be your speakers (by a big big big margin). I'm not saying that they are bad or need upgrading, if they sound fine then that's great. However, spending ~$200 on some amp when your speakers don't cost that is somewhat "arse-about-tit", as they say.

If I were you, I would buy a second hand integrated amp (a.k.a. 2-channel receiver). There are lots of them available (here, here, here), are solidly built, easy to repair and often have headphone outputs. The headphone outputs on them are not ideal as they probably have a high-ish output impedance but, really, who cares. Also, they will be built to last and have lots of inputs/outputs and decent power supplies.

If you wanted to buy new, you could get a DAC + 2-channel amplifier like the SMSL Q5 and a FiiO E10k within budget. Personally, unless space is an issue, I'd take the old workhorse over a matchbox with a laptop power supply.

u/mightyprometheus · 1 pointr/mississauga

Which dac amp do you use? What are your thoughts on the Fiio E10K?

u/Helixkod · 1 pointr/headphones

For the Beyerdynamic Custom Studio im seeing them for $163 on Amazon with 80 Ohm Drivers and also found the ones you mentioned (Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO) for $173 with 250 Ohm drivers. Other than the drivers and the bass slider, theres not much difference between the two right? Does your DT 770 make your ears/head hot? Looking at the two im actually more interested in the DT 770 with an amp like FiiO E10K

u/pint07 · 1 pointr/playrust

I'll go from cheapest to most expensive here:

Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7GM - $199

AKG K702 - $232 (I have the older version of these, the K701s, and they've been going strong for ~8 years. Can't recommend them enough.)

HIFIMAN HE-400I - $249

Sony MDR1A - $298

Monoprice Monolith M1060 - $299

Sennheiser HD 650 - $315.99

AKG K712 - $379

Most of these headphones will really shine with a little headphone amp to give them a bit more power than your computer or phone's audio output can deliver. Something like a FiiO E10k works amazing. Or the FiiO A3 for a portable solution. Or if you want something that looks a bit sexier and is more of a stay on your desk kind of thing, you can go for something like this or this. Either way, any of these headphones will blow your Bose cans away no question - like not even in the same league of sound quality.

u/Kromey · 1 pointr/audiophile

Hey guys, I have a few questions about purchasing some high end cans. I'm using two solutions for amplification so I'll kind of start there.

I'm currently using a Harman/Kardon AVR 320 to power my HD 650's and this is my preferred output. I don't know if using a receiver is frowned upon but it was my dad's old one and he let me have it for free. The other option I have is the FiiO E10k DAC/Amp but I feel like it has a bit of a different sound. It's mostly for the office given it's small size.

The reason that I bring up the device powering it is that I'm looking at the HD 800 S since its the best that they have to offer and the cost isn't a concern necessarily. First of all, how much of a difference is there between the regular HD 800 and the 800 S? is it worth the substantial price difference if the cost isn't a concern? Some reviews say that given how much you'd spend on the 800 you might as well get the 800 S. I've also read some negativity about the HD 700 so I feel skeptical about them but is it just people poking fun at the frequency response? And what should I use to power it? Sennheiser makes their own amp for them, what's the general option on them?

Thanks in advance guys :)

u/dommoass · 1 pointr/Gaming_Headsets

well I use a Fiio E10K but that doesn't take a mic input. I also have a Sennheiser GSX 1000 which is very good IMO, takes a mic and headphone input. expensive though!

If you do want something for separate mic/headphone jacks, a small USB card may be your best bet but I haven't used anything like that.

If you're after convenience, the Arctis 7 is a good quality unit. It's wireless with its own DAC so you wouldn't have to worry about that, while it also comes with a cable to use with a console. Definitely an easier option as you don't have to buy any extras to get going, though the quality isn't as good as a similarly priced pair of headphones.

u/discoshrews · 1 pointr/vinyl

So I'm looking at the Technic SL-5, and I was wondering if these other components would work well with it to get what I need.

Preamp:https://smile.amazon.com/ART-Audio-DJPRE-Turntable-Preamplifier/dp/B000AJR482/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1499029539&amp;amp;sr=8-5&amp;amp;keywords=phono+preamp

Headphone Amp:https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2?m=A1SB43AYTB3IR4&amp;amp;ref_=v_sp_detail_page

Assuming I get the nessesary conversion cables (RCA to 3.5) would this setup work?

Thanks again

u/Aozi · 1 pointr/pcgaming

&gt;Are "good" expensive headphones, like Sennheisers for getting loud sound? Because doesn't an amp make things loud? Are good headphones worth it if I'm going to be listening quietly?

Well louder isn't technically the right word even though amplifier have that effect.

See headphones drivers in the earcups are what actually produce the sound, and the quality of those drivers is what determines the quality of the sound.

Inside the drivers you have something called the voice coil. As current is pushed through the coil, it creates a magnetic field, which reacts with another magnet inside the driver and finally produces sound. Now to simplify a bit, the thinner the coil is and the less air between individual wires, the better sound you generally have. The design is much less prone to distortion and produces more natural bass. However as other have said, the gains can be pretty marginal.

Now having longer and thinner coil, means that for certain physics reasons I'm not going to go into here, you'll need to push more power into that coil in order to produce a loud sound. This is generally referred to as headphone impedance. The higher the impedance the more power the headphones need, impedance is measured in ohms. For some comparisons;

  • Apple earbuds (as well as most other earbuds) are around 32 ohms of impedance.
  • HyperX Cloud II's are around 60 ohms.
  • Sennheiser HD 600/650's are around 300 ohms.

    Personally I'd say that you'd want an amp at around 60-70 ohms, but that's just me.

    Now all of that aside, there are tons of great headphones out there that don't need an amp at all. Like the excellent Audio-Technica ATH-M50's or Sennheiser HD 598/599's.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------

    However for desktop use you don't really want to get an amp by itself, you want to get a Digital Analog Converter as well. See the actual sound setup in most PC's is less than ideal. It's really easy o cut costs with motherboard audio while still making it sound at least decent. If you slap an amp on that, all the distortions and crap that your motheboard audio produces is going to be amplified by your amp and will ultimately make your new high end headphones sound like shit.

    So you want a DAC. A DAC takes the digital signal from your PC, does some fancy techno magic on it and outputs an analog signal that can be fed to your headphones. This completely bypasses the horrendously bad soundcard on your motherboard and gives you a lot better audio.

    For a simple and pretty cheap entry level DAC/Amp check out the FiiO E10K. It's a nice little piece of gear that's going to be enough to drive almost anything up until 250 ohms. Obviously there are a lot better options out there as well. But the E10k is a great entry level device that'll improve your sound significantly. Pair that with some Sennheiser HD 599's and you're set for a long time.

    Also if you want more advice check out /r/headphones/
u/admiralnorman · 1 pointr/buildapc

Noise cancelling kind of sucks the life out of headphone quality:

I'd get this:
audio technica ath-m50x

With this: FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier

u/TukerIsStupid · 1 pointr/headphones

FiiO E10k. Decent amp for the price and is often paired with Sennheiser 598s, I would recommend to someone getting into the hobby.

u/BestTankmoNA · 1 pointr/audiophile

I'm currently looking into buying a pair of HD 598s. Because I have a condenser mic I was thinking of purchasing this audio interface. would it be enough to get a good sound out of the HD 598s, or should I look into getting something like this?

u/MrYiff · 1 pointr/headphones

Debating taking the leap on a nicer set of headphones so open to options.

  • Budget - Up to £200 total (including any amp/dac if needed)
  • Source - PC
  • Requirements for Isolation - None
  • Preferred Type of Headphone - Over Ear
  • Preferred tonal balance - Probably balanced, main use will be for gaming at night when I don't want speakers blaring so I am open to suggestions.
  • Past headphones - Currently got a Corsair VOID RGB headset - it's not amazing but it was free, previously had a set of Sennheisser 595's.
  • Preferred Music - Metal / EDM - although primary use here will be late night gaming.
  • Location - UK

    I've been eyeing up the Sennheiser 598's on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-HD-598-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B0126HISOO/ which would give me room to pair them with a FiiO E10k: https://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-Olympus-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ but I don't have any particular preference for any one brand so open to suggestions :)
u/guitarman90 · 1 pointr/headphones

Is that the old E10K or the updated one? I was thinking about getting it. How do the HD600s sound with and without it?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FiiO-E10-USB-DAC-headphone-amplifier-/201202855742?pt=US_Other_MP3_Player_Accessories&amp;amp;amp;hash=item2ed89fef3e

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

Here are the two different ones.

u/Flaxto · 1 pointr/audiophile

Yes. I won't compare it between my laptop speakers and IEM headphones. It's just very big difference between those.

It seems that I don't hear any hiss around when I plug my IEM but noticeably lower sound quality. Hence I'll like to buy a DAC to upgrade it. An example of DAC that I'm talking about is this and this.

I don't mind w/ the sound quality that my laptop speakers provide. Since I'm watching movies at a dorm which have very thin wall and I'm afraid that my movie annoys other people between my room, I'm thinking of using IEM to enjoy the movie instead.

I appreciate with all of your help. I might use EQ or something like Viper4Android for Windows to settle it around.

About the speakers you recommend, is it an old product ? It seems I can't find it anywhere on my local e-shop websites.

u/javardair · 1 pointr/audiophile

Just found your subreddit, and don't know if it's the place to ask this but at least point me in the right direction please.

My laptop audio output is broken and I was using a USB sound card (really cheap) to plug my headphones (Sennheiser HD 515) and I can notice the sound quality is not very good. But the sound card is also starting to fail (again, really cheap).

I though I would buy a new sound card or an USB amp. I've seen FiiO E10K USB DAC on amazon and I don't know if it's an overkill for my case. I just want decent sound for general purpose (sometimes flac format audio).

I thought the amp would be more future proof in case I buy a new laptop instead of a regular USB sound card.

Any thoughts?

u/BLUElightCory · 1 pointr/audioengineering

I'd recommend grabbing a solid headphone amp, you should hear a definite improvement. They can be had for not too much cash and connect to your USB or line out (depending on what you get).

u/Viceroi93 · 1 pointr/pcgaming

Yeah I ended up getting the Bose QC35ii and a Blue Yeti. I was intrigued by the Astro’s mix amp tho and how it could improve audio quality. It’s $170 cad for the pro mix amp but I saw something similar on amazon for $89 https://www.amazon.ca/FiiO-Olympus-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1543183124&amp;amp;sr=8-3&amp;amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&amp;amp;keywords=dac&amp;amp;dpPl=1&amp;amp;dpID=41Taa5DTsKL&amp;amp;ref=plSrch
I just wonder how much it will improve the quality and if it’s worth it

u/BleachedButwhole · 1 pointr/HeadphoneAdvice

I was hoping to find something on amazon for an easy purchase

this is their number 1 seller is it good enough?

Or should I be looking over 100 bucks

u/bzzking · 1 pointr/audiophile

I was hoping to spend up to $200 total. I have a FiiO e10k DAC AMP for my headphones. Can that be used as the Speaker amp?

Amazon link to FIIO E10k AMP/DAC

u/noreasters · 1 pointr/sysadmin

Not a fan of the keyboard you linked for work use; the Roswell K9000 is more subtle, better yet MK Typist is a much higher quality and versatile board.

To go with the mouse is a good mousepad; I like the SteelSeries 9HD. Another worthwhile investment is a good set of headphones; I prefer studio style over "Beats" or whatever, so I have Audio-Technica ATH-M40x (due to this review) and a DAC (due to the same guy reviewing it).

Not trying to discourage you, what you have is very similar and if it suits your taste then more power to you.

u/RyderCM14 · 1 pointr/headphones

Looking for a DAC to complement my Sennheiser HD598's. I've looked at some things but by no means am an expert and would like assistance, so anything helps!

Would like to keep it cheap and cheerful but I understand that quality comes with a price. would like to keep it around $100-$150 CAD.

from a brief search I found FiiO's E10K that seems to have good reviews. Does this hold true? will it work well with the 598's?

If you have any other suggestions, please leave them and I'll be sure to look at them! Thanks in advance!

u/w0rdling · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

Seeing those logitechs has me worried considering the otherwise near top-end build and matching budget. Sound is basically one half of your overall audiovisual experience, and spending a measly 2% of your budget on sound (even less if you factor in a proper display) davaluates all the money spent for better graphics a lot in my opinion.

Keep also in mind that competent audio equipment will basically last you a lifetime so that's an investment you won't have to repeat, unlike the rest of the system which will become obsolete and need replacement eventually if you want to maintain high/ultra settings at high resolution and FPS.

For speakers, a commonly recommended part is this. They're not terribly expensive (again, you're probably never going to replace these) and will wipe the floor with the logitech set in any relevant metric like it's not even funny.

If you prefer headphones then these coupled with this amplifier can be considered a moderate cost solution with no major compromises.

u/OGMechBaird · 1 pointr/buildapc

Thanks that Koss VC20 looks like just the thing, The Syba looks sweet too but the price is a bit steep right now, I was also eyeing this is it better than the one you linked? Might end up saving and getting it.

u/IDreamOfAnarchy · 1 pointr/buildapc

In terms of the Amp/DAC, take a look at the Fiio E10K. Sounds and works great, and is only $76. Fiio is known for producing great equipment at a very competitive price.

u/danghe · 1 pointr/audio

I never seen a motherboard to have a decent dac. It would be best if you take an external soundcard/amplifier. This is very cheap and very good for the money:

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1412753782&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=fiio+e10k

u/KingHortonx · 1 pointr/Blackops4

Using Audio-Technica M50x headphones with FiiO E10k DAC . The loudest i turn the DAC up (on windows max) its about 3-4, and that's loud like for footsteps in pubg.

Worth mentioning i use aftermarket headphone cushions made by Brainwavz. I like having full enclosed ear so they are a little bigger, any good amount of volume with these cushions will completely isolate the sound in your ear.

u/Alosar · 1 pointr/headphones

The only reason I thought about getting a mixer was for the eventual use of an XLR mic at some point, for which I'd need an audio interface anyway. But I guess I could use both that and a dedicated DAC/Amp as well if it comes to that.

Anyway, your suggestion is sadly a bit too pricy for my budget, but what do you think of the FiiO E10K? Is that one of the overpriced/overrated ones you were talking about?

u/G-Craka · 1 pointr/HeadphoneAdvice

I didn't need an external amp for my g4me ones but that's because my motherboard audio was solid. But if it's lacking you can check out something cheap like this one: https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

It'll clean up the sound and make them louder. Or if you've got money to burn you can get much more expensive things.

I've since upgrade from the g4me ones and now my gf uses them. But I gotta say, those are THE most comfy headphones I've ever used.

u/The_drum_killa · 1 pointr/audiophile

Alright, i already have this and i was want to get a DAC for my headphones with my desktop. i was thinking about getting this i havent actually used a DAC before but i love my small portable amp to use on trips or anywhere.

my headphones
i used to have the klipsch mode m40 but the top broke and they discontinued them :( thanks for the help in advanced

u/qazme · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

The cheapest one I've found that I like is the Fiio E-10. It's been reliable, powerful, clean and clear. But it's like $75 on amazon. You might be able to find it cheaper elsewhere.

The SMSL stuff is pretty good those get down into the $50-65 range. There is cheaper stuff out there but I've never tried them. Like the Nobsound stuff highly rated but can't personally speak on them.

u/danthezombieking · 1 pointr/headphones

You'd probably get a better sound getting a dac/amp combo for the same price as the Magni 2. Something like the fiio e10k dac/amp combo might give you a more pleasant experience for a lower price than just an amp running out of your motherboard. Keep in mind that any interference from your motherboard will just get amplified by the motherboard. I'm sure there are some ~$150 ones as well, but to be honest I don't know of many, haha! Good luck.

u/Markyy88 · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

http://www.modmic.com/products/modmic-4-0 these are amazing for a mic. DT 990 pro's are some of the most comfy and best sounding headphones for 150, marked from 300. Open back though so people around can hear.

Get the 250 OHM ones and get this AMP/DAC http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2.

All just under 300 and a lot better everything.

u/Spruu · 1 pointr/buildapcsales

Just an example, not necessarily a recommendation, and obviously it's a very different price bracket but this line is very popular and relatively well priced for what you get: http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/

Something like that. This one is also a DAC (Digital Audio Converter). It doesn't use the line out from your headphone jack, it uses USB and then converts from digital to analog itself, as well as including an amplifier.

However, if you want something to hook up to a receiver as well then look elsewhere (not something that uses USB input). These are much more common and scale from this price range into the thousands.

u/brianf408 · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

I would skip the sound card and go with a USB DAC and Amp.

Something like this with this.

Or a combined unit like the FiiO.

The mic can plug directly into your motherboard sound. If you want to do anything beyond just voice chat, I'd recommend going with an actual microphone setup.

u/xGhost_ · 1 pointr/HeadphoneAdvice

There’s a bundle I may be buying, it comes with this though:

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

Would this be perfectly fine to use with it?

u/hi_im_snowman · 1 pointr/HeadphoneAdvice

I'm 100% biased (because I own them) but the Massdrop K7xx, Fiio E10k Amp/DAC &amp; a Modmic 5 is my current trio and yes, it's expensive but it sounds tremendous, simply tremendous for the price.

&amp;#x200B;

It blows my mind that this kind of high-end setup only costs ~$350 usd or so. My gf's brother has the top-end Steelseries ARCTIS PRO Wireless and they sound like shit compared to my k7xx. I'm not kidding nor exaggerating. He wanted to return them after hearing my setup but couldn't because he bought them on black Friday.

&amp;#x200B;

The k7xx have an extremely wide soundstage which is just absolutely epic for positional shooters and excellent for ambient games like resident evil, bioshock, etc.

&amp;#x200B;

If you check out reviews online (which you should), you'll see that most reviewers agree, the K7xx punches WAY above its class at $200. It rivals headphones up to the $600 range in sound quality.

&amp;#x200B;

I'll take that over wireless "gaming-grade" garbage all day, every day.

&amp;#x200B;

u/RDR911 · 1 pointr/HeadphoneAdvice

Sorry if this is the wrong place!

I've looked at this amp and am wondering if it would be okay?

u/IAmFlow · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

I have quite a few suggesstions but as u/Dalarrus said it's very dependent on price and whether or not you want a mic. Personally I would stay away from wireless headphones, more hassle than they're worth.

My personal setup:

https://www.amazon.com/AKG-Signature-Reference-Class-Premium-Headphones/dp/B004444OFK (black)

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

https://antlionaudio.com/products/modmic-5

u/Squaky · 1 pointr/headphones

So I have an astro mixamp going from my xbox to my PC via line-in (a 3.5mm auxilary cable going from the mixamp to PC) and I get some static/feedback when I listen though my PC. Would buying a DAC and/or amp for the computer be able to remove the static? If so, I'd prefer not to spend more then 100 CAD. According to the guide on the sub, the Fiio e10 is a good choice. I'm guessing the E10k is just the updated version, so I would pick up that amp in paticular http://www.amazon.ca/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=pd_sim_sbs_ce_2?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;refRID=0N5W6AYDG2W41KP5WKS9

u/Lainz · 1 pointr/battlestations

I have no personal experience with the e10k. But in general, if you are just on onboard soundcard today, it will help to upgrade to a external setup. From the Amazon price of the e10k, it doesn't look bad at all, I know FiiO make good gear and have a lot of happy costumers.
You could always join us over at /r/headphones and ask there, maybe someone have tried the e10k and can give you their opinion on it.

u/HOWTO_1-1REP_REVIEW · 1 pointr/buildapcsales

What's the audiophile consensus on these? Do you need a subwoofer? How would they fair paired with the Fiio E10K Olympus 2?

u/NeonJaguars · 1 pointr/buildmeapc

Looks good. However I'd recommend the arctic silver thermal paste as it is cheaper and regarded as quite good. I'd also recommend that instead of getting a soundcard, invest in a proper dac/amp such as the FiiO E10k for $75. You may want to get a liquid cooler for the 7700k as it is known to run hot. Other than that, it looks like a beast of a build.

u/kkktookmypandaaway · 1 pointr/audiophile

I'm looking to enhance my desktop audio setup, which as it stands is currently just a pair of Audioengine A2+ speakers &amp; a Polk Audio PSW10 10" subwoofer.

I know that I need to raise the speakers a bit, and was looking into the Audioengine DS1 Stand as a starting point.

I've also heard that I should be getting an external DAC like the FiiO E10K or the more expensive Scarlett 2i2. I know that the A2+'s have a DAC built in, what are the advantages of using an external one, if any? I've seen mixed reviews as to whether this is worth it or not...

And, while this is outside the realm of this sub, I also want this setup to work nicely with my headphones (which are currently Audio Technica M50-X's)

u/ckeogh720 · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

What headset do you have? If it uses a 3.5 mm you could get a cheap dac/amp combo ( Syba Sonic USB 24 Bit 96 KHz DAC Digital to Analog Headphone Amplifier 2 Stage EQ Digital / Coaxial Output and RCA Output https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009WN7QT4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_69xCDbTVSQ5AK ) , or if you are willing to spend a bit more money you could get a nicer combo one such as this one ( FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_E.xCDbPRH9HJB ).

u/sam_sebe · 1 pointr/serbia

Prostora kolko hoćeš, a voleo bih da prođem za nekih 50ak evra. Ovo mi liči na ono što meni treba, valjda.

u/alexmcdouchebag · 1 pointr/audiophile

Generally if you take an analog signal directly out of your PC through the aux output the sound quality is dependent on your PC's internal digital to analog converter (DAC) located on the motherboard. Manufacturers tend to cheap out this chip on budget boards so, if you want something more high quality I'd buy an external DAC like this, which can power both headphones and send a higher quality signal to a speaker since the device itself is taking bits of data from the USB on your PC and converting to an analog signal (removed from all the possible electrical interference from your PC internals or PC case).

u/sonicbhoc · 1 pointr/headphones

The Fiio E10K might be a good option.

u/CapnJustin · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

I'm looking for an external USB audio solution to replace onboard soundcard but am confused as to what to get that will work well with my headphones. I have already tried a cheap USB external sound card from amazon but the sound quality was poor. Would something like this work? Or this?

Any advice would be appreciated.

(I have these [headphones] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06WLGRYSF/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;psc=1) )

u/Grizvok · 1 pointr/buildapc

I was thinking about this: https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=lp_2529423011_1_1?srs=2529423011&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1517768105&amp;amp;sr=8-1

It's under my budget but the reviews seem great and this brand seems to be highly recommended. I guess it's an all-in one type deal with this specific unit?

u/Jesus_420PraiseIt · 1 pointr/headphones

I've been looking at different headphones and amps, and went through the purchase assistants, and am looking at these headphones (Sony MDR-7506) and this amp (FiiO E10K). I don't really want to go above $200 total. Would these be good entry choices for listening to music at home? I listen to a wide range of genres.

u/neo_styles · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

This would do you just fine. Getting a new sound card would be a waste. At least this can serve multiple use cases:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ttu0AbWVMKR7V

u/thedbp · 1 pointr/headphones

Hmm, I had understood it like a dac was basically a type of amp specifically for the pc-headphone relationship.

&gt;DAC: Digital to Analogue Converter

Don't modern motherboards do a very good job with this? Or am I an idiot?

I need an amp, my pc volume is maxed out and so is my spotify player but the volume is not quite where I want it.

Is this a 10K?

u/InhailedYeti · 1 pointr/headphones

Oh good, at least you figured out what's going on. Yeah Gigabyte has some questionable quality control in some of their products.

Onboard soundcards aren't always bad and if yours worked I'd imagine it would have been perfectly fine for your setup. I'm not sure you'd benefit much (outside of working audio) from a soundcard/amp/dac. As for PCI I don't really know, I haven't really ventured in that field much and an external amp/dac is almost always recommended here.

The cheapest (not bad, mind you) amp/dac that seems to be worth the money is the FiiO E10k. The only downside in your case is I don't think any external setups or interfaces have a 3.5mm mic in, at least I haven't seen one. I'd imagine you could keep the amp by your header mic in and just plug it in there with the audio in through the dac/amp.

If you stream, though, I highly recommend looking into a proper external mic as well, probably a condenser. The mics on headsets are acceptable for voice chat but if you want good audio for your voice the way to go is definitely an external mic. That would also leave you room to ditch headsets entirely and get a good pair of headphones :D.

u/GhaspyGillow · 1 pointr/AskTechnology

I was talking about the headphones plugged into small/cheap desktop speakers. Which sounded like they were holding my heaphones (Razer kraken pro v2) back.

When you were talking about amps, I thought you were talking about something like this when mentioning amplifiers. A misunderstanding on my part.

The Xonar DG/DGX sounds like a good suggestion. Thank you :)

u/Erachten · 1 pointr/headphones

I have a FiiO Olympus headphone amp for my computer, very similar to this. The front headphone jack has been broke for a while now so I have to plug my headphones into the rear-panel output. Which works, but I want to see if it will give the same sound quality. It feels like the "bass boost" switch doesn't work when it's connected to the rear-panel but I'm not sure.

u/the1gamerdude · 1 pointr/HeadphoneAdvice

Anything will work. The community likes the Fiio e10k https://www.amazon.ca/FiiO-Olympus-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=fiio+k5&amp;amp;qid=1563641976&amp;amp;s=gateway&amp;amp;sr=8-5 . It’s CDN$ 20 more, but is from a reputable company and probably will work and sound better when really amplifying the signal for your left ear. I’m not sure how “close” you are to the wanted noise level, but this will probably be a strong bet in being a good solution.

I only say strong bet, and not surefire as I don’t want to promise that it will work as a solution, only that from my research it seems like a strong option. I’m not sure whether you still can’t hear anything or if you only need to tweak it like 1.5x the loudness to get it to where you want. Without you finding and going to a store that sells headphone amps it’s a partial gamble, but something like this should at least be a strong contender to fixing the issue.

u/fog102 · 1 pointr/audiophile

see im very hypersensitive, stuff like frame rates in games and all that kinda stuff. say if the fps drops from 60 to 59, i seriously notice it. and its the same with audio, i can really pick up on certain sounds and stuff and i can hear when it isnt quite right haha. Would the fiio e10k be good enough for me do you think? im just looking around at cheaper options

u/ggfools · 1 pointr/HeadphoneAdvice

&gt; That's the primary reason I got the 2i2 in the first place.
Also, what do you mean by line level?

"line level" is a particular standardized signal voltage/etc that is generally used over 3.5mm/RCA cables for connection between DACS/Amps/etc.

&gt; Seems like just too much equipment overall hahah. Do you have any other ideas for me?

if you are against using software to switch between devices then your options are sort of limited, you could go with a higher end audio interface that should include a more powerful headphone amp, like the Mackie Big Knob Studio Monitor Controller or the JBL ACTIVE-1 the JBL monitor one doesn't have an XLR input, but you could continue to use your 2i2 for your mic.

you could also go with a dac+headphone amp that has a line out like the Fiio E10k then connect the line out to a passive speaker control like the JBL PATCH or Mackie Big Knob Passive then the output from that to your LSR305's with this solution you would also continue to use the 2i2 for your mic input.

you could also consider a USB Mixer, like the Yamaha AG03 but I don't know if the headphone amp in it is great or not.

u/nvuyg · 1 pointr/audiophile

Would it be wise to mix both opinions, that being, getting the V-Moda and an amp (didn't have one), and investing pretty much the same amount?
Would I get better results this way, instead of plugging the HD600 straight onto the mobo (like I was doing with the Pioneer)?

&amp;#x200B;

Would this amp be good enough?
FiiO E10 K → https://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-Olympus-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

&amp;#x200B;

This is more curiosity now: I noticed that the frequency response of this amp ranges between 20Hz-20kHz, and the Crossfade's 5Hz-40kHz. How much of an impact will it have (if any)?

u/kiwiandapple · 1 pointr/buildapcforme

And yes, people are complaining because it simply is not up to par with other similar priced units available. So I hope you'll eventually stop recommending these PSUs. I've seen you recommend them very frequent and just really don't like it.

JonnyGuru is an awesome PSU reviewer for sure, it's my go to reviewer for sure.
But he's not the only reviewer out there that really looks into a PSU it's inner details.

---

Here is a review from TechPowerUp, that states the exact reason why a lot of people do not suggest the EVGA NEX G1 650/750W units.

&gt; "Voltage regulation was not so good. Only the 5V rail did well. The other rails registered relatively high deviations that exceeded 3%. Also,the performance on Crossload tests is disappointing; the propriety group-regulation scheme that the FSP used on the secondary side of this unit is to blame for this. Finally, the 5VSB rail had a problem keeping its voltage above the minimum limit that the ATX spec sets during the 110% load test, but we won't take its 5VSB failure into account seriously since we operated the PSU out of its specs on that test; besides, a full load at 5VSB is hard to reproduce during normal operations. Nevertheless, most units don't have a problem here."

Here is an other review from PCPer, that states the exact same.

&gt; "Ideally we would like to see no AC ripple (repetitive) or noise (random) on the DC outputs – the cleaner the better! But in reality there will always be some present."

&gt; "The EVGA NEX750G power supply exhibited acceptable AC ripple suppression on all of the primary outputs but was overall higher than we would like to see on a premium grade, enthusiast power supply; particularly on the +3.3V and +5VSB outputs."

Hopefully this clears it up!

---

As for sound cards, most people will be extremely happy by the on-board sound that's available on motherboards these days. The sound quality improved dramatically over the last 2 years.

If you do want to get a sound improvement, the first place to start is with your headphones. Almost all "gaming" headsets that you buy these days are pretty much not great for music (unless you love high base styled music, then you might enjoy it well enough), movies &amp; anything else than explosion sounds.
Positional sound stages on most gaming headsets are also not great. Because almost all of them are closed back designs, which reduces the 3D effect obtainable with open back headphones. Closed vs Open back headphones explained.
Now quickly adding the whole Gaming vs "real" headphones discussion that often pops up.

This whole 5/7.1 surround sound is hopefully done by software and can help to position the sound if it comes from your left or right, but open backed, 2.0 headphones are the best for positional sound stage and don't require any additional software. Turn of all the surround sound software that you have and listen to this clip with your eyes closed. To understand how "surround sound" works on headphones.
The Sennheiser HD598 &amp; AKG K701/2 are one of the best out there for this. This is great for games like CS:GO.
Source

If you have great headphones and still want to get more out of them, I recommend to get an external DAC/AMP. Over a sound card!
This means that you remove the audio signal completely away from the noisy PC that causes EMI. This video is a broad explanation of it and not just related to audio &amp; PC units. But you can trust me, the inside of a PC got lots of it.
So an external DAC/AMP unit will remove the EMI completely. Since you use an USB cable to connect it to the DAC (digital to analog converter) which transforms the digital sound (10010100101) into an analog signal that we humans can hear.
The AMP or Amplifier makes sure that the headphones, earbuds or speakers get enough "power" to produce all the sound waves.

Sound card, DAC &amp; AMP explained is the video that explains the EMI much better.

This quickly becomes expensive, but there are a lot of great "value" options available these days. The most famous one is the FiiO E10K but I'm personally also a big fan of the Schiit Fulla
In terms of sound difference, I bet you that almost nobody is able to really tell them apart, aside from probably the people that made them. So in theory, the FiiO is the better value.
I just personally really love the Schiit company and thus support them. Their customer support is also very amazing.

Sorry for the wall of text, if you have any more questions. Don't hesitate to ask!

u/Ruairi101 · 1 pointr/Beatmatch

You should be able to connect to a PA with an external DAC, headphone amp or interface. This FiiO headphone amp/DAC would do the job. I imagine you could find decent ones for less, but I'd be skeptical about paying less than $50. Not all DACs are equal, and a cheap one might be unreliable, fragile or just sound crap.

u/ferrospork · 1 pointr/headphones

Hi everyone. I'm looking to get some headphones for PC gaming.

I'm currently gaming with these old Altec Lansing XT1 speakers, and would like to upgrade to something a little more impressive, and I thought headphones would be the best choice as it'll disturb my wife a bit less.

I've done some reading and research through this sub and elsewhere, and was thinking of getting the following:

Superlux HD668b headphones

Fiio e10k dac and amp

I read that open headphones would be better for gaming and music in general, but only in quiet environments.

I thought if I get the Fiio with it then down the line I can get some bookshelf speakers for the PC too.

Does this setup seem like a good idea to you? Will the Fiio make a difference compared to using my motherboard's onboard audio? Is there something else you would recommend instead? Would the HD681 evo headphones be a better choice?

I'm not looking to spend more than £100 total for headphones + amp/dac.

Thanks for any advice or info you can offer.

u/JN02882 · 1 pointr/headphones

Will the FiiO E10K boost my bass in my headphones? I'm not really sure what it'll do but I just wish my Fidelio X2's had more bass,not too much to be overwhelmed but just some more, thanks!

u/Trox92 · 1 pointr/headphones

Budget - under 120€

Source - PC and iPhone

Requirements for Isolation - Mostly indoors on PC, msuic and games, maybe sometimes outside at the library.

Preferred Type of Headphone - Definitely over ear +++

Preferred tonal balance - Warm/basey

Past headphones - Razer open back headset, they broke so I'm using some on-ear JVC at the moment, but I'm not a fan of the on-ear aspect.

Preferred Music - Anything and everything

I live in France

Bonus Question: Do i need an amp or a sound card for my pc? I see people buy this but i don't know how it works or how useful it is?

Cheers