Sound Card & External Headphones Amplifier Suggestion

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I want to buy a Sound Card & External Headphones Amplifier.

My Requirements for the Sound Card :

  • Coaxial Output
  • Headphones Output
  • Microphone/Line Input
  • Good Low Frequency Response
  • PCI-e Interface
  • No Auzentech or HT|Omega
  • HDMI Output (Optional)

Budget :

  • Rs. 10000

My Choices :

  • Creative X-Fi Titanium HD
  • Asus Xonar Essence ST

My Requirements for the External Headphones Amplifier :

  • No Tubes
  • 600 Ohm
  • 3.5mm/6.35mm Input
  • Bass Knob/Setting (Optional)
  • RCA Input (Optional)
  • XLR Input (Optional)

Budget :

  • Rs. 6000

My Choices :

  • FiiO E9

My Priorities :

  • As High as possible Bass
  • Movies
  • Games
  • Hip-Hop Music
 
Does not your motherboard have a Coax output and HDMI output for digital sound ?

For Headphone amplifier,

Fiio E7 is a good DAC but the amplifier in it is not that great. So if you are buying it for an amp i suggest you buy E9.

In india :

1. Fiio E7 + E9 , will cost you around 8. (amarbir ad a great offer a while back , you can ask him if he still has that offer )

But this combo wont give you the more bass, its a neutral DAC+amp

2. Maverick D1 , The maverick D1 is great its Amp section is Tubeless, tube comes in when you use its RCA out. Has a warm signature , and a slight bass hump. But not much. It will serve you as a DAC as well so you wont neeed that an internal Sound card ( if the card was just for the amp ) it has all the inputs you could ask for , Viz . Coax, Optical, USB, Analog ( RCA, TRS ).

Imports :

1. matrix M-stage is your best bet if you are OK with imports. will cost you around 13K shipped here. it has very clean and detailed sound. Great Solid state sound. Better than both D1 and E9+E7
 
strategy said:
Does not your motherboard have a Coax output and HDMI output for digital sound ?

For Headphone amplifier,

Fiio E7 is a good DAC but the amplifier in it is not that great. So if you are buying it for an amp i suggest you buy E9.

In india :

1. Fiio E7 + E9 , will cost you around 8. (amarbir ad a great offer a while back , you can ask him if he still has that offer )

But this combo wont give you the more bass, its a neutral DAC+amp

2. Maverick D1 , The maverick D1 is great its Amp section is Tubeless, tube comes in when you use its RCA out. Has a warm signature , and a slight bass hump. But not much. It will serve you as a DAC as well so you wont neeed that an internal Sound card ( if the card was just for the amp ) it has all the inputs you could ask for , Viz . Coax, Optical, USB, Analog ( RCA, TRS ).

Imports :

1. matrix M-stage is your best bet if you are OK with imports. will cost you around 13K shipped here. it has very clean and detailed sound. Great Solid state sound. Better than both D1 and E9+E7
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The motherboard has but I prefer the Card because of EAX

I don't want a DAC

I just want Amplification

How is the E9 Alone?

How to get the matrix M-stage?
 
For Maverick D1 , Pristinenote, here is a dealer. I bought mine from Him.

DT150 will be a good match for them ! :)

Hay, I too have a my Nicely used D1 , 4 months old ( with or without Tube ), in warranty, bought from Pristinenote itself :) FOR SALE

If you are OK with a used one you can consider it as well

Sorry , no idea about Sound card, but have herd very less about the creative as of late ( creative was popular )
 
strategy said:
For Maverick D1 , Pristinenote, here is a dealer. I bought mine from Him.

DT150 will be a good match for them ! :)

Hay, I too have a my Nicely used D1 , 4 months old ( with or without Tube ), in warranty, bought from Pristinenote itself :) FOR SALE

If you are OK with a used one you can consider it as well

Sorry , no idea about Sound card, but have herd very less about the creative as of late ( creative was popular )
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can it drive 600ohm headphones?

can I use the analog input & still amplify headphones?
 
Yeah its powerful enough to drive all Dynamic Headphones ! 600ohms as well.

Infact i use My AKGK702 with it, thats said to be very hard to drive ! :)

Yeah it can act as jUst an amplifier Also. ( analog input amplification )

D1, is a DAC+AMP (headphone amp)

the Maverick A1 is an amplifier, its a speaker amp also.
 
Amp for DT150, that has bass boost. really hard to find ! :( , Fiio,e5,e7 have bass boost but they wont be enough to power them.

you see, amps and DACs are preferred if they are natural and transparent, only some amps have bass boost feature

You can try a AV receiver ( if you have it ) ,it should be powerful enough for your DT150 and will have a bassboost ( hardware), ( you might be sacrifising on some quality then though )

I for one searched for natural amps so i dont know much amps with bassboost feature ( i know 4 amps with hardware bassboost , 2 cost less than 4K, are not powerful enough, and the other 2 cost more than 80K :P )

Signature wise Matrix m-stage is neutral and detailed, E9 is also neutral , the D1 is very slightly dark in bass and lower mids ) So the D1 is your best bet.
 
strategy said:
Amp for DT150, that has bass boost. really hard to find ! :( , Fiio,e5,e7 have bass boost but they wont be enough to power them.

you see, amps and DACs are preferred if they are natural and transparent, only some amps have bass boost feature

You can try a AV receiver ( if you have it ) ,it should be powerful enough for your DT150 and will have a bassboost ( hardware), ( you might be sacrifising on some quality then though )

I for one searched for natural amps so i dont know much amps with bassboost feature ( i know 4 amps with hardware bassboost , 2 cost less than 4K, are not powerful enough, and the other 2 cost more than 80K :P )

Signature wise Matrix m-stage is neutral and detailed, E9 is also neutral , the D1 is very slightly dark in bass and lower mids ) So the D1 is your best bet.
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forget bass boost

I read online that D1 is neutral & can't drive 600 Ohm headphones (future need) but Matrix m-stage & E9 have better bass also can drive 600 Ohm headphones easily on head-fi
 
really, i dont have 600 ohm HP to test them with BUT i am sure they have A LOT of power to drive 600 ohm earphones.

300mW in to 600 ohm , 2 channel! is enough for any dynamic HP!!

What HPs we are talking about. IF its anything below HD650, it sure can drive it. IF we are talking RS1, HD800, LCD2, etc here you should buy a better amp!

Matrix M-stage is another matter , and no, it should not have more bass, just more detailed and textured bass. IF i had to say , quantity wise Bass of D1 is more ( cause it give a lot of bass in my K702, some say they are bass light ) , Quality wise the M-stages bass MUST BE better.

IF given a choice, between 3 i would Definitely Choose the Matrix m-stage. ( i did not choose it because i was afraid to buy internationally )

YOur best BEt is M-Stage. But between e9 and D1 , i would gladly choose D1 cause its better , i have heard the E9, Power they put in to the load is about the same. But the bass presence with D1 is more.
 
strategy said:
really, i dont have 600 ohm HP to test them with BUT i am sure they have A LOT of power to drive 600 ohm earphones.

300mW in to 600 ohm , 2 channel! is enough for any dynamic HP!!

What HPs we are talking about. IF its anything below HD650, it sure can drive it. IF we are talking RS1, HD800, LCD2, etc here you should buy a better amp!

Matrix M-stage is another matter , and no, it should not have more bass, just more detailed and textured bass. IF i had to say , quantity wise Bass of D1 is more ( cause it give a lot of bass in my K702, some say they are bass light ) , Quality wise the M-stages bass MUST BE better.

IF given a choice, between 3 i would Definitely Choose the Matrix m-stage. ( i did not choose it because i was afraid to buy internationally )

YOur best BEt is M-Stage. But between e9 and D1 , i would gladly choose D1 cause its better , i have heard the E9, Power they put in to the load is about the same. But the bass presence with D1 is more.
Click to expand...
It is me Udit (main ID banned)

W1000x, W5000 or D5000

I'm so confused now :S
 
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