Sound Card for ATh-M50Xs?

[cgprats]

Hello, as I am planning to purchase one of these headsets, I am wondering if a dedicated sound card is worth it over the Realtek ALC1150 on my X99-A II? I plan on using them for a mix of music listening and gaming.

If a sound card is recommended, which one would do the job the best? I don't have a set budget, but i'd rather pay under $100.

 

[ssddx]

the m50x does not need any sort of strong amplifier so most onboard will power them perfectly fine. as far as quality is concerned, onboard is hit or miss. even high end onboard can be plagued with problems like buzzing or static while other boards are perfectly fine. i would say to try your onboard first and if you dont hear any problems then you are likely fine to keep using it. if you did get a soundcard the xonar dg or dx are fine.

current amazon price for the m50x is 130. price for the dt770 is 135-145 and the dt990 is 140. the 770 is similar but all around better than the m50x. it does need a decent amp or soundcard though. at minimum i'd use a soundblaster z for the 770-80 while the schiit magni amp would be suggested for the 770-250 or 990-250 and would even benefit the 770-80. sound quality is a bit better on the 770 than on the m50x, they have larger more comfortable earpads and are more detailed. the soundstage is also larger than the pathetically small one found on the m50. the cons are that they do not fold and do not have a removable cable.

i personally own an m50, the almost identical precursor to the m50x, and am certainly happy with them but i realize what they are and are not. they are easy to power, bassy, portable, small earcup cans which sound very close due to soundstage. personally i like this for music but not everyone may have those tastes. they are built like tanks and other than pad wear mine are like new after many years.