Sound card for my new headset? (PC 350 SE)

[bsoa]

Hello,

I am a gamer that watches movies. I am not an audiophile, but appreciate good sound quality.

I am currently using on board audio on my P8Z77-V Pro motherboard (on board audio is powered by realtek ALC892 I believe).

I just purchased a new headset (Sennheiser PC 350 SE) and I am considering getting a dedicated sound card to go along with it. Problem is, not being an audiophile, I have no idea what the hell I am looking at.

I have heard good things about the Asus Xonar line up, but I am not sure what (if any) improvement I will get by switching to it. The headset itself is stereo, so any surround sound I get would virtual right? Do these sound cards offer virtual surround sound? Is it worth it?

Any advice pointing me in the right direction would be appreciated. Im not looking to break the bank on a sound card, so i would prefer the best bang for your buck considering my headset and the fact that this will mostly be used for gaming.

Edit:

For anyone who stumbles across this in the future, check your your headsets Ohm (Ω) rating. The PC 350 SE I am getting have 150 Ohm (Ω) rating which will apparently sound like crap unless you have an AMP. The DG/X jay recommended is rated for headsets with up to 150 Ohm (Ω), so it appears to be a good match.

I was also looking at the Xonar DX, but figured out it is more for home theaters and does not have an amp. More $ doesn't necessarily mean its better, so be careful.

TLDR: Xonar DG or Xonar DGX

 

[noidea_77]

Why can't I delete my one answer?

 

[jay2577]

The Asus Xonar would be a good choice.
Most sound cards like Asus or Creative offer better sound than the onboard realtek solutions and as you have spent out on a good quality pair of headphones it won't take an audiophile to notice the difference.
Personally i use a Sound Blaster z because i can switch from headphones to speakers from the desktop and don't have to plug or unplug anything.

Something like the Asus Xonar D1 or the Asus Xonar DGX would probably be a good choice.
If you wanted to spend a little more the Asus Xonar D2X is superb😀

 

[jay2577]

Why did you want to delete it?

Why can't I delete my one answer?

 

[bsoa]

Thanks, taking a look right now. Any idea about virtual surround sound on a stereo headset? Do all these cards support virtual surround sound and do I even want it?

P.S. Damn you Asus and your crazy naming schemes

 

[noidea_77]

Why did you want to delete it?

Why can't I delete my one answer?

Because I pasted a wrong link or better pasted the right link to the wrong thread. Anyway, it's a 'how', not 'why' in the first place.

 

[jay2577]

I can't really help with virtual surround sound as i have never looked into it.
I use Roccat Kaves with real 5.1 Surround sound with speakers aligned at a 12° angle which i really like.

 

[jay2577]

I just found this😀

The Xonar DGX’s Dolby Headphone

A feature not found on the DSX, but on the DGX is Dolby Headphone, software-driven virtually simulated home theater. Audio is modified to sound farther away at “distances” that can be set in the control panel software. Some of the testers liked the virtual distance Dolby Headphone gave to music and movies. It was described by them as sitting in front of a real home theater. Others including myself didn’t warm up as well to Dolby Headphone and the virtual surround environment sounded hollow and artificial. At least for me, audio quality also sounded worse for everything though I still found it fun to use for some movies because of the simulated audio distance Dolby Headphone gave.

http://www.legitreviews.com/asus-xonar-dgx-and-xonar-dsx-audio-cards-reviews_2176/7

 

[jay2577]

I think most of us have done that. At least you spotted your mistake. I have confused some people doing just that:lol:

Why did you want to delete it?

Why can't I delete my one answer?

Because I pasted a wrong link or better pasted the right link to the wrong thread. Anyway, it's a 'how', not 'why' in the first place.

 

[bsoa]

I just found this😀

The Xonar DGX’s Dolby Headphone

A feature not found on the DSX, but on the DGX is Dolby Headphone, software-driven virtually simulated home theater. Audio is modified to sound farther away at “distances” that can be set in the control panel software. Some of the testers liked the virtual distance Dolby Headphone gave to music and movies. It was described by them as sitting in front of a real home theater. Others including myself didn’t warm up as well to Dolby Headphone and the virtual surround environment sounded hollow and artificial. At least for me, audio quality also sounded worse for everything though I still found it fun to use for some movies because of the simulated audio distance Dolby Headphone gave.

http://www.legitreviews.com/asus-xonar-dgx-and-xonar-dsx-audio-cards-reviews_2176/7

Thats exactly what I was looking for. Looks like DGX it is. Thanks for your help.

 

[jay2577]

No problem. Have a happy new year😀

 

[bsoa]

For anyone who stumbles across this in the future, check your your headsets Ohm (Ω) rating. The PC 350 SE I am getting have 150 Ohm (Ω) rating which will apparently sound like crap unless you have an AMP. The DG/X jay recommended is rated for headsets with up to 150 Ohm (Ω), so it appears to be a good match.

I was also looking at the Xonar DX, but figured out it is more for home theaters and does not have an amp. More $ doesn't necessarily mean its better, so be careful.