PC Peripherals Which headphone to import from US?

[Psycharge]

Hey everyone, I've got an opportunity to import audio gear from the US by a relative and wanted to know which one to get. Main usage includes gaming, music and movies, so basically need something that do triple duty. Haven't got a fixed budget in mind but would like to get something around $100-$150. Could extend budget upto $300 if there's something that provides exceptional value. Currently looking at the Astro A40TR and mixamp combo (comes in at under 200 after bestbuy discount) and the PC38X.
Current gear : Nothing, just plain old MoBo audio.
TIA.

 

[reddead66]

Maybe soundcore space q45. They were compared to xm5 by a well known YT channel and they fit the budget exactly. Check it out.

 

[Napst3r]

I'd say PC38x. Highly reviewed and recommended in YouTube for gaming.

 

[SirVer]

Do you actually need the audio interface? Unless you have a specific use for it you're better off putting the money towards a better headphone, especially since you can just get a Focusrite or Behringer on Amazon here for the same or less.

I'd also stay away from gaming headphones in general due to not being a great value most of the time. I don't know about the Astro, and I've heard good things about the PC38X, but if you're getting something from Drop you may as well get one of the proper Sennheisers that are difficult or expensive to get here, like the 58X, 6XX, or 560S. I'm pretty sure the 58X and the 560S run fine without an amp, while opinion is a bit split in the case of the 6XX; even so, if you do end up needing an amp, it should be easy enough to find one either new or used here in India. If you really want to get one from the US, you can just get whichever Fiio Bluetooth dongle fits your remaining budget - all of them except the μBTR and BTR1 support USB DAC mode.

 

[Psycharge]

Maybe soundcore space q45. They were compared to xm5 by a well known YT channel and they fit the budget exactly. Check it out.

Do they play nice with wired gaming? I previously wanted to go with the XM4s but many said they sound tinny when used for wired gaming.

I'd say PC38x. Highly reviewed and recommended in YouTube for gaming.

If both were the same price, would the PC38X still be better than the Astros?

Do you actually need the audio interface? Unless you have a specific use for it you're better off putting the money towards a better headphone, especially since you can just get a Focusrite or Behringer on Amazon here for the same or less.

I'd also stay away from gaming headphones in general due to not being a great value most of the time. I don't know about the Astro, and I've heard good things about the PC38X, but if you're getting something from Drop you may as well get one of the proper Sennheisers that are difficult or expensive to get here, like the 58X, 6XX, or 560S. I'm pretty sure the 58X and the 560S run fine without an amp, while opinion is a bit split in the case of the 6XX; even so, if you do end up needing an amp, it should be easy enough to find one either new or used here in India. If you really want to get one from the US, you can just get whichever Fiio Bluetooth dongle fits your remaining budget - all of them except the μBTR and BTR1 support USB DAC mode.

I figured getting something with sidetone would be nice to have later on when I try IEMs for gaming, but learned that mixamp only supports it through the 3.5mm shared port on the front. And getting an XLR side tone DAC+amp would well, blow the budget to say the least. I forgot to mention that I do have a USB mic and having a mic i.e. a headset isn't necessary for me. As long as it offers great imaging and nice music and movie watching experience, I'd be happy.
There was a deal on bestbuy though which I could've gotten the HD560S for $150 but the sub bass rolloff made me doubt getting it for EDM and movies.

 

[SirVer]

There was a deal on bestbuy though which I could've gotten the HD560S for $150 but the sub bass rolloff made me doubt getting it for EDM and movies.

If bass/sub-bass is important to you then open-backs in general are a no-go, I think. I haven't been active in the community for a while now, so I don't know what the current recommendation is for closed-backs in that price range; I know the AKG K361 and K371 have a lot of fans, but you can get those in India for the same price or even cheaper.

 

[Psycharge]

If bass/sub-bass is important to you then open-backs in general are a no-go, I think. I haven't been active in the community for a while now, so I don't know what the current recommendation is for closed-backs in that price range; I know the AKG K361 and K371 have a lot of fans, but you can get those in India for the same price or even cheaper.

Are there any good sidetone AMP/DACs that I can squeeze in? Because gaming with IEMs let alone closed back takes away me hearing my own voice and I find myself talking louder because of it.
Update : Since I'm importing and warranty won't be honoured anyways, I can get open box items imported anyways and the prices are:
1) PC38X for $113 (₹9.2k)
2) Astro A40TR with mixamp for $126 (₹10.2k)
I think I can get HD560S for under $150 too.
What should I get after these updated prices?

 

[Stronk]

Get a Truthear Hexa ($80) if you have budget to spare

Current gear : Nothing, just plain old MoBo audio.

This will likely be a huge bottleneck for any of the headphones you are planning to get at the moment. At the very least, get the Apple USB C to 3.5 mm convertor as a cheap AMP/DAC, and you can later get an amp separately if you feel the need for it.

 

[Psycharge]

Get a Truthear Hexa ($80) if you have budget to spare

Better than the truthear zero?

This will likely be a huge bottleneck for any of the headphones you are planning to get at the moment. At the very least, get the Apple USB C to 3.5 mm convertor as a cheap AMP/DAC, and you can later get an amp separately if you feel the need for it.

Yeah, given I don't have great onboard audio in the first place (On an ASRock A320M for the moment). I use the headphone jack on my monitor (Acer Nitro VG240YS). Anyone got any info how good this port is? It doesn't have any ground issues, no background hiss, but as for the chips and processing, I've got no clue how good this is. Help or insight would be priceless.

 

[ibose]

I use the headphone jack on my monitor (Acer Nitro VG240YS). Anyone got any info how good this port is? It doesn't have any ground issues, no background hiss, but as for the chips and processing, I've got no clue how good this is. Help or insight would be priceless.

That would be a case of the audio being extracted from HDMI signal and then passed to the headphone jack ? In general USB DACs are better but I would first suggest you to get hold of a USB DAC from a friend if possible and see if you can find any audible differences. If not then you are good.

 

[Psycharge]

That would be a case of the audio being extracted from HDMI signal and then passed to the headphone jack ? In general USB DACs are better but I would first suggest you to get hold of a USB DAC from a friend if possible and see if you can find any audible differences. If not then you are good.

Yeah it has to be audio extracted from the HDMI signal. imo I won't really benefit from an AMP since I listen to really low volumes anyways so getting a clean source is all that matters to me (atleast for under $300 anyways right?). As for getting a USB DAC, before purchasing this monitor I had bought a creative soundblaster play! 3 and everything just seemed extremely flat and stereo(?) when I used it. So when I purchased this monitor and tried the audio jack, I found I got more full sound (with minimal colouring since I know what sound signature my current headphones have).
The problem I have now is should I get something which ticks all the boxes at such a good price? Or should I just get a KSC75X for gaming and a truthear zero for music and movies so that I get best of both worlds?

 

[Stronk]

Better than the truthear zero?

Yep. New budget champion as of now. Waiting on my pair to be delivered soon but there's plenty of reviews out there, and people say they generally compete with the $200-$300 price class.

I use the headphone jack on my monitor (Acer Nitro VG240YS). Anyone got any info how good this port is?

No clue about it but pretty sure an Apple Dongle will be better than it in terms of at least clarity. I gather that the Nitro monitor you have is also a budget 1080p high refresh rate monitor, so I won't exactly be sure of the jack quality. This is purely anecdotal and this is an entirely different brand but my VA A open 144hz monitor has tras output via the jack from HDMI; the MSI B450M Mortar has a much better output. Both if them are bested handily by the Apple in terms of clarity and details though. At just $9, I don't think you are risking that much anyway. Worth a shot imo.

Yeah it has to be audio extracted from the HDMI signal. imo I won't really benefit from an AMP since I listen to really low volumes anyways so getting a clean source is all that matters to me (atleast for under $300 anyways right?). As for getting a USB DAC, before purchasing this monitor I had bought a creative soundblaster play! 3 and everything just seemed extremely flat and stereo(?) when I used it. So when I purchased this monitor and tried the audio jack, I found I got more full sound (with minimal colouring since I know what sound signature my current headphones have).
The problem I have now is should I get something which ticks all the boxes at such a good price? Or should I just get a KSC75X for gaming and a truthear zero for music and movies so that I get best of both worlds?

Not sure if the KSC75X is the best choice for gaming; but I play only single player games so I try to get stuff that works well for movies and just use that. If you are okay with using IEMs for all purposes, the Hexa (along with an Apple DAC) will be more than sufficient for all that you need.
However, if you do want a separate pair of (semi-)open back headphones, take a look at HiFiMan HE400SE. I own the predecessor of this (HE400i ver. 2020) and it's an excellent pair of headphones which responds very well to EQ. Since you mentioned you don't need very high volumes, the apple DAC might also suffice for this. Good luck

 

[ibose]

extremely flat and stereo

I cannot emphasize enough that the function of a DAC is just to convert the audio signal from Digital to Analog. If you are looking for anything else apart that, you have the option to equalize.

 

[Psycharge]

Yep. New budget champion as of now. Waiting on my pair to be delivered soon but there's plenty of reviews out there, and people say they generally compete with the $200-$300 price class.

Huh. I did try out the truthear zero and it definitely felt worth the price to me. But having an IEM on for 8+ hours a day is a big no-no, else would've honestly got the zeros and called it a day.

The MSI B450M Mortar has a much better output. Both if them are bested handily by the Apple in terms of clarity and details though. At just $9, I don't think you are risking that much anyway. Worth a shot imo.

Forgot to mention I do have the type C to 3.5mm dongle that came with my Poco F4 and I seriously love how well it works with my current headphones. It's the usual Xiaomi dongle I believe but I have no idea how it compares to an apple dongle. Should I get a usb A to C and then connect the dongle through that? Will there be no degradation / grounding issues that way? Even getting a type C port would mean in upgrading my MoBo anyways though.

Not sure if the KSC75X is the best choice for gaming; but I play only single player games so I try to get stuff that works well for movies and just use that. If you are okay with using IEMs for all purposes, the Hexa (along with an Apple DAC) will be more than sufficient for all that you need.
However, if you do want a separate pair of (semi-)open back headphones, take a look at HiFiMan HE400SE. I own the predecessor of this (HE400i ver. 2020) and it's an excellent pair of headphones which responds very well to EQ. Since you mentioned you don't need very high volumes, the apple DAC might also suffice for this. Good luck

Yeah! That's exactly what I'm looking for as well! Something that's good with movies but also giving nice imaging in FPS games. I first thought of fixing it by getting regular audiophile headphones and the Truthear zeros specifically for gaming but the passive noise cancelling they offer will almost guarantee me screaming at the top of my lungs, which made me look for sidetone, and now I ended up here. Aren't the HE400SE planar? Are they fine not being driven by an amp? (I've heard planars really do need an amp but personally didn't hear that massive of a difference)

I cannot emphasize enough that the function of a DAC is just to convert the audio signal from Digital to Analog. If you are looking for anything else apart that, you have the option to equalize.

Yeah but I don't really know how to explain it, but instead of giving a center image and having a soundstage that goes around you, it felt like sound was only coming from 2 discrete points and every other direction was just a difference in volume between the right and left channel. The center image was straight up just having the right and left channels at the same volume. I guess I can explain it by saying that the sound stage using the card was a staight line connecting both the ears. No verticality and no forward/back just a line from right to left that's it.

 

[Mr.J]

Hey everyone, I've got an opportunity to import audio gear from the US by a relative and wanted to know which one to get. Main usage includes gaming, music and movies, so basically need something that do triple duty. Haven't got a fixed budget in mind but would like to get something around $100-$150. Could extend budget upto $300 if there's something that provides exceptional value. Currently looking at the Astro A40TR and mixamp combo (comes in at under 200 after bestbuy discount) and the PC38X.
Current gear : Nothing, just plain old MoBo audio.
TIA.

Closed back: Audio-Technica ATH-M50x

Open back: Philips SHP9500, HiFiMan HE400SE

Pair the headphones with an amp like this one. Or this one. MoBo audio is only good enough for entry level headphones.

 

[AINDRASIS_GUPTA]

I would suggest you to spend the lion's share of your budget on the headphones (80-90%). Think about the headphones first. DACs/AMPs should come into the picture much later.

Since your usage involves both gaming and music/movies, look at headphones that provide the best imaging, because that is what will get you pin-point accuracy in video games. Then comes the soundstage, as you want it to be as wide as possible, which means that your de-facto rule should be to opt for open-back headphones.

There are two options that I'd like to suggest. Within your budget, get the Drop 58X for around $149. These are reviewed better than the Drop 6XX and provides the best value for money under $200 for gaming + music/movies. Also, imaging is fantastic on these ones.

The other option, if you do wish to go up to the $300 mark, the Audio Technica R70X. Well-reviewed by Crinacle and is a fantastic choice even under $500.

Start off with either one of these and you can then think about the DACs/AMPs to improve your experience later.

 

[Psycharge]

To give an idea about what I liked when I tired them on: HD800S, Meze Empyrean, HD650, HD660S, Meze 99 Classics. I had a chance to try these out at headphonezone connect but couldn't try all the headphones available there and the ones I listened to, I couldn't squeeze in a whole lotta songs.

Closed back: Audio-Technica ATH-M50x

Aren't they cheaper in India?

Pair the headphones with an amp like this one. Or this one. MoBo audio is only good enough for entry level headphones.

Again, I use the volume dial veryyy sparingly. I would rather have good hearing than a good music listening experience 9/10 times. Sometimes I do blast the volume to get that cranium shaking experience but that's very rare. Also which is better as a DAC the topping or the ifi zen DAC? Will look into the HE400SE as they were recommended twice and take EQ well.

There are two options that I'd like to suggest. Within your budget, get the Drop 58X for around $149. These are reviewed better than the Drop 6XX and provides the best value for money under $200 for gaming + music/movies. Also, imaging is fantastic on these ones.

The other option, if you do wish to go up to the $300 mark, the Audio Technica R70X. Well-reviewed by Crinacle and is a fantastic choice even under $500.

Start off with either one of these and you can then think about the DACs/AMPs to improve your experience later.

Will definitely look into them. Are the PC38X and Astro's that bad for the price? I thought they'd be a blind buy at around $100.

 

[Stronk]

Aren't the HE400SE planar? Are they fine not being driven by an amp? (I've heard planars really do need an amp but personally didn't hear that massive of a difference)

Yep, they are but unless you are EQ-ing them hard with negative pre-amps, an entry-level DAC/AMP should be more than enough. For my HE400i, I found the Tempotec Sonata HD more than sufficient for running it at stock, with no EQ. Even adding some bass with a pre-amp of -3.3dB was perfectly fine, unless you like ypir music really loud. If you're going with a planar, something like the Fiio K3 Platinum should work well.
I was initially going to suggest Lotoo Paw S1 but that seems to be nowhere in stock. The Fiio KA3 seems to have enough power at 120mW to power the planars at a reasonable volume, compared to my Tempotec which felt enough even at 75mW.
The HE400SE + Fiio KA3 should be able to take care of everything you want, as long as you don't want to take the headphones out with you. If budget permits, get a Truthear Hola for portable use apart from these 2

 

[Psycharge]

I found the Tempotec Sonata HD more than sufficient for running it at stock, with no EQ. Even adding some bass with a pre-amp of -3.3dB was perfectly fine, unless you like ypir music really loud.

I mean I can get the exact same DAC imported for just $40....

If you're going with a planar, something like the Fiio K3 Platinum should work well. The Fiio KA3 seems to have enough power at 120mW to power the planars at a reasonable volume, compared to my Tempotec which felt enough even at 75mW.
The HE400SE + Fiio KA3 should be able to take care of everything you want, as long as you don't want to take the headphones out with you. If budget permits, get a Truthear Hola for portable use apart from these 2

So the suggestion here is to with the KA3 or the K3...? Also a volume knob for just 1k more seems worth it lol.
Also wondering why the Astros are being dunked on honestly. Even someone like dankpods finds them nice (A40s sound even better with the mixamp vs A50 apparently), they were recommended by crinacle as well (along with the PC38X), though my hesitation in buying them results from not knowing how they'd perform while listening to movies and music.

 

[Stronk]

I mean I can get the exact same DAC imported for just $40....


So the suggestion here is to with the KA3 or the K3...? Also a volume knob for just 1k more seems worth it lol.
Also wondering why the Astros are being dunked on honestly. Even someone like dankpods finds them nice (A40s sound even better with the mixamp vs A50 apparently), they were recommended by crinacle as well (along with the PC38X), though my hesitation in buying them results from not knowing how they'd perform while listening to movies and music.

Sorry, the suggestion is KA3. Go ahead with the Tempotec but I'd honestly recommend the KA3 over it since I bought an xDuoo amp once I started EQ-ing since the Tempotec wasn't pushing it for me. Honestly, I could have saved money by going with the Apple Dongle + xDuoo amp combo and achieved the same results. 2 years ago, the KA3 wasn't an option else I'd have definitely got that for a portable but somewhat powerful USB DAC/AMP.

I'm not dunking or even commenting on the Astros/PC38X since I don't know enough about them and can only recommend/talk about products I have experience with or have read enough about. Honestly, if you want to get one of those then go ahead; no chance you will be disappointed if the PKCell man himself likes them. I took a chance on the HiFiMan 2yrs ago and couldn't be happier; who knows what I'd be saying if I had gotten the ATH M50x instead