Looking for a new sound card for a budding audiophile.

T

That Linux Guy

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 24, 2008
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As pleased as I've been with my Audigy SE for some years now, I'm in the market for something better.

I currently run a set of Sennheiser HD 280 PRO cans with my Audigy.

I'm thinking of the HT Omega Claro, but I was wondering if there were any other great cards I should give a look at. Music is my first priority for the sound card, but I'd like it to work ok with newer games too.

Any ideas?
 
The ASUS HDAV3 is a good choice because it has swappable opamps. Also, the Xonar D2X is another good choice, but without the interchangable opamps.
 
Well, I hate to say this, but for the $$ the X-FI titanium, the $100 version on newegg, is probably the best deal. It sounds just fine and is a huge leap above your current sound card. You may also want to get some better headphones.
 
Have you looked at the Omega Claro Halo? The built in headphone amp, rather a headphone amp in general is a must for proper (headphone) listening from a PC. Music being your first priority, you pretty much NEED an amp.

Regardless, the HT Omega Claro line is a great line if quality is what you are after. Good luck. :)
 
The HD 280 Pros certainly don't need much in the way of amplification. Pairing them with high-output amps tends to do very little, so I'd probably second spaceman's X-Fi recommendation. The X-Fi's front line outs deliver plenty of power for low- to mid-impedance cans.

 
Xonar DX if you're looking for good bang for the buck, the new Xonar Essence if you want to splurge (currently out of stock at Newegg, not sure if you can really get it anywhere else at the moment).

Whether the X-Fi Titanium will be a better buy is pretty much going to be based on how many games with EAX3 or higher you play. For me it's none, and for the most part newer games that come out don't really seem to be using it much either as far as I can tell.
 
Trombe said:
Xonar DX if you're looking for good bang for the buck, the new Xonar Essence if you want to splurge (currently out of stock at Newegg, not sure if you can really get it anywhere else at the moment).

Whether the X-Fi Titanium will be a better buy is pretty much going to be based on how many games with EAX3 or higher you play. For me it's none, and for the most part newer games that come out don't really seem to be using it much either as far as I can tell.
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The X-Fi is just the best deal for a sound card right now. I agree that games don't really use eax anymore but it is still a good sounding, widely supported sound card. The Xonar is fine too if you get the cheap one. I would rather use the mobos optical out into something like a zero before I spent more than $100 on anything.
 
If you didn't mention the ability to play new games well I would say the HT Omega Claro+ or HT Omega Halo, but since you did I would probably go with the X-Fi (or just use both at the same time and get the best of both worlds ;) ). Now if full EAX support isn't a big deal to you the HT Omega line would be one of your better choices.
 
Firstly, thank you all for your responses. I appreciate the input.

Secondly, in terms of my sound card purchase, gaming is definitely an afterthought. I'm not sure if my games are using later EAX features, but either way, I figure if a sound card sounds good with movies and music, it can't suck to bad in games, right?

I've used the X-Fi series before. I had an original X-Fi Xtreme Music. It was an awesome card. Unfortunately, during the short few days I had one (I returned it because I needed the money), I didn't have the equipment, nor the ear to hear truly how good or bad it was.

Now I've got over 2 years of loving my Sennheisers, I've got somewhat of an ear for my music. It's all FLAC and vbr MP3. I've tested other cards in the last year, but only what I can find at local stores. I've listened to an X-Fi Xtreme audio, Audigy 4, Audigy 2 ZS, and of course my Audigy SE. Neither of these cards offered an improvement in sound enough to warrant the extra price.

I've definitley read plenty of sound card reviews, particularly on the X-Fi series. In short, I feel like the X-Fi is a great card if gaming is your main priority. For an audiophile, I'm in the market for something else.

I've heard great things about the Xonar D2. I'm not a huge fan of the decorative, I mean "functional" EMI sheild, but it guess it could look kinda cool lit up in the dark. I've heard they're great for sound, and that they have some sort of patched EAX features or something.... I couldn't really tell you to be honest.

I looked at some of those cards you guys mentioned. The Xonar Essence, HT Omega Halo... I'm no headphone guru, but I like to believe I'm fairly knowledgeable. My headphones are only rated for 64 Ohms nominal resistance, which isn't that much. I haven't had problems driving my headphones on anything to date, including onboard sound from several mainboards, several sound cards, and a couple AAA battery powered MP3 players. The battery life was dismal for the MP3 players though.

I've tossed around the idea of getting a Zero DAC/amp, but my headphones really don't need an amp. Also, I'm wondering if the sound is that much better over today's sound cards. I'm open to buying a Zero if I can know that it's worth it over a nicer sound card like the Claro or Xonar. I know I'll need an amp when I get the AKG 702, but they're quite out of my budget right now. I've also thought about getting better headphones, but anything better and I'll be noticing flaws in my sound card I'm sure. I've had my eye on the Grado SR 125 for this upgrade idea.

Any thoughts?
 
Regular HT Omega Claro then. It seems to be your original choice, and it still fits the bill no?
 
I can't imagine how the Claro won't fit the bill. I was just looking for any other ideas, and hopefully an idea of what kinda sound improvement I can expect coming from an Audigy SE.
 
That Linux Guy said:
I can't imagine how the Claro won't fit the bill. I was just looking for any other ideas, and hopefully an idea of what kinda sound improvement I can expect coming from an Audigy SE.
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I'm thinking the only way to get a serious sound upgrade would be to get a DAC/Amp combo and a new pair of cans. Other then that, I think the Claro will definitely be an upgrade from that Creative card... Creative soundcards and audiophile should never be mentioned together. :)
 
spaceman said:
Well, I hate to say this, but for the $$ the X-FI titanium, the $100 version on newegg, is probably the best deal. It sounds just fine and is a huge leap above your current sound card. You may also want to get some better headphones.
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Why do you say he needs better headphones? I have the Sennheiser HD 280 Pros and I think they sound great.

If these arent good enough for you, how much are you spending on headphones? The HD 280 Pros retail at $200. While I didn't pay that, they were still pretty pricey.
 
x_MaGiuS_x said:
Why do you say he needs better headphones? I have the Sennheiser HD 280 Pros and I think they sound great.

If these arent good enough for you, how much are you spending on headphones? The HD 280 Pros retail at $200. While I didn't pay that, they were still pretty pricey.
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Please show me where the HD280 sells for $200 and I will show you 10 places that sell it for less than $100.

HD280 are ok, but definitely not awesome headphones. People like spaceman have several hundred dollars worth of headphone equipment. I am getting there, too. :D

I would say, minimum, you need to get the Grado SR225, AD700, D1001, or DT770 if you want to call a pair of headphones "good".
 
x_MaGiuS_x said:
Why do you say he needs better headphones? I have the Sennheiser HD 280 Pros and I think they sound great.

If these arent good enough for you, how much are you spending on headphones? The HD 280 Pros retail at $200. While I didn't pay that, they were still pretty pricey.
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Indeed, the HD280 PROs are a good starting point for a good, circumaural, closed diaphragm set of cans, but you can go exponentially better if you throw a bit more money at the situation. I only had enough to buy these at the time. Plus, they sounded way better than the Bose TriPorts I was looking at.

Cheaper too. I've seen some retailers selling these cans for $200, but it's not hard to find places selling them for $80-$100. I paid $100 from Magnolia HiFi a couple years ago when I lived in Santa Rosa, California. The sales man let me bring in a CD and spend some time with each headphone so I could get a listening test. Awesome service if I've ever saw one.

I've been reading reivews on some sound cards for the better part of today, and I think I've got it narrowed down the Xonar D2, or the HT Omega Claro. Does anyone have these cards, or have the Audigy SE to compare it to?
 
x_MaGiuS_x said:
Why do you say he needs better headphones? I have the Sennheiser HD 280 Pros and I think they sound great.

If these arent good enough for you, how much are you spending on headphones? The HD 280 Pros retail at $200. While I didn't pay that, they were still pretty pricey.
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Come on man. This is why students are supposed to be quiet in class while the teacher speaks.
 
I had the Audigy SE for a while. Any of the newer cards you are considering are going to sound much better. I myself can't make up my mind between the X-Fi Titanium Fatality Pro and the Xonar DX2
 
spaceman said:
Come on man. This is why students are supposed to be quiet in class while the teacher speaks.
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Hehe, classic. Budding audiophile that is thinking his HD280's are great cans. Before you have any opinions to offer on headphones, you need to listen to a few of the greats.

I.E. HD650's, HD600's, DT770's, DT880's, AKG's, Grado's, Denon's, and even the newer Proline HFI's!

I agree with spaceman on this one.
 
So which upgrade do you think I should make first? New cans? Which ones? Or do you think I should upgrade the sound card? Xonar D2 or Claro?

I agree that my headphone experience is limited, but in due time, I'll have my time with better cans.
 
I am actually debating between the D2 and Claro as well. In the end, I am leaning towards the D2 because I have seen more favorable things said of its software than the Claro. Also, I believe D2 has a slightly more updated chipset.

As for which to upgrade first, technically, I would say cans. But the HD280 will do alright while you upgrade your source. Source is almost as important as cans and you already have acceptable cans.
 
Thank you for your input Alai. The D2 has similar software from the Claro from what I've seen, but it also comes with a 3 or 4 audio production apps. It won't turn your rig into a full DAW, but it'll give you a taste of what one can certainly do.

As far as the audio chipset goes, the Claro uses the C-Media 8788 audio chipset, while the Xonar D2 uses the Asus AV-200 chip. The AV-200 was supposedly "developed in cooperation with C-Media", but it's really just a slightly re-worked C-Media 8788 chip. I've heard lots of good things of the Xonar series cards in forums and stuff, but user reviews on Newegg give them pretty dismal ratings for being such a good card. I'm not sure what to think of them. The Claro on the other hand gets great reviews from both those who have them on forums, and on user reviews on Newegg.

What cans would you suggest?
 
So because Im a noob to the site I instantly know nothing? As if this site were the bastion of all hardware knowledge.

I will give you the fact that there are better headphones than the sennheiser HD 280s. But you have to look at it like this. He has been happy with an Audigy SE and his current headphones. The upgrades you guys are proposing are several hundred dollars. That is definitely skipping an entire pricepoint. If he has used the Audigy SE for so long, something tells me he doesnt want to spend $400+ on an audio upgrade. I could be wrong though.

Right now I would call your sound card the "bottleneck" of your audio experience. Address that first. If you find yourself wanting more afterward, you can always upgrade the cans later.
 
Magius, I agree with you. It's not that you're new to the forums. Seniority doesn't count here, nor in any forums. It's a public, online tech forum. Anytime you have a large group of people with free range to say anything they want to an extent, chances are that someone will step on someone's toes.

And Sennheiser HD280s are good cans. There are far better out there, but for the price, these lil Senns are hard to beat. I think good audio is something you grow into in some respects. Get some really nice equipment and it'll probably take you some time to really appreciate all the improvements it'll give. Spaceman has probably just far outgrown the HD280s. I'm just speculating here.

And, no I'm not looking to spend massive bucks on my audio setup. At least, not now. I only have around $150 to spend right now. I'm not trying to get a couple things, or replace my whole setup, unless I can find prices that are practically stealing without skimping on quality. Since this probably won't happen, I'm only going with upgrading a single part to something high-quality.
 
x_MaGiuS_x said:
The upgrades you guys are proposing are several hundred dollars.

Right now I would call your sound card the "bottleneck" of your audio experience. Address that first. If you find yourself wanting more afterward, you can always upgrade the cans later.
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Wait... what? Where did we do this? And your second statement, you are basically repeating what I said previously.
 
Alai said:
Wait... what? Where did we do this? And your second statement, you are basically repeating what I said previously.
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X2 it confused me too. We are for spending the LEAST amount of $$ here man. This ain't head-fi lol. Not anti either just.....yeah.
 
All I'm saying is read the thread title. "Looking for a new sound card for a budding audiophile". All online forums are the same. If the guy wanted headphone suggestions he could have asked for them.

He came for sound card advice not for seeds of doubt about his current headphones.
 
Just so you guys know. Im not looking to start anything here. I just have nothing better to do while watching these boring playoff football games.
 
x_MaGiuS_x said:
He came for sound card advice not for seeds of doubt about his current headphones.
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Actually Magius, while my original plans are to simply upgrade my sound card, the bigger picture was also if this was the smartest move all things considered. I said I'm open to suggestions on other parts that will be a better way to spend my hard-earned cash.

After doing a bit of headphone research, I'm settled on selling my HD280s and trying to get a set of Denon AH-D2000s. That's my choice of cans. From what I've heard, they sound good without an amp, but they really shine when with one. Since this is my plan, would the Zero be a better buy here?
 
Hmmm... Yes, but if you're gonna game and/or watch movies, I think soundcard is nice for the virtual surround sound and DTS, DD, and all that other good stuff. I am currently using a modded Zero with my K701 (I know, I need a better amp for the K701 to really shine) which sounds great... until you start gaming and watching movies. Then you realize it really lacks the surround sound. That is why I am getting my soundcard as the next upgrade instead of a better amp.
 
It seems like every single time I completely eliminate an idea and just narrow it down to 2 optinos, one of you smart guys (or gals) brings up a good point that I completely missed and now I'm back to 3.

Why do you all have to be so damned smart?

Alai, thank you. Seriously, that's a very good point. My girlfriend an I spend so many hours watching stuff on Hulu.com, we stopped getting cable TV service from Comcast. Surround on the computer is important.
 
That Linux Guy said:
It seems like every single time I completely eliminate an idea and just narrow it down to 2 optinos, one of you smart guys (or gals) brings up a good point that I completely missed and now I'm back to 3
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Upgraditis, doubt and buyer's remorse. Welcome to the wonderful world of internet hardware discussion.
 
Lol. Keeping to a budget is always going to be tough. Honestly, just stick with the soundcard. Once you're ready for a bigger jump into higher end audio, then you should consider headphones and amps and external DACs. These things cost more money, exponentially. Unless you're able to save up to upgrade/add components within a year, just stick with the basic budget setup.
 
Titanium, optical out w/ Dolby support for a receiver or a dac, analogue output for headphones or other speakers. I have one. I hate creative and I have one.

Ok? That and the D-2000 will serve anyone just dandy.
 
I'd say just get a nice sound card with optical out for now (for a potential amp down the road) . When you're ready, then start considering new headphones or amps.
 
Friends do not let friends buy Creative. Digital out, whether onboard or some 20$ soundcard paired with a receiver is the way to start.
 
I'm not as tech savvy as a lot here, but I own the HT Omega Claro+ and before I bought my reciever I had it hooked up to a set of 2.1 logitechs. The difference in audio quality was outstanding to me coming from an old Creative Audigy 4. It shines in music and was really what drove me to further improve my setup, and as a bonus now that it's hooked up to the reciever I can watch movies and play games on my computer in 5.1
 
Fading Phoenix said:
I'm not as tech savvy as a lot here, but I own the HT Omega Claro+ and before I bought my reciever I had it hooked up to a set of 2.1 logitechs. The difference in audio quality was outstanding to me coming from an old Creative Audigy 4. It shines in music and was really what drove me to further improve my setup, and as a bonus now that it's hooked up to the reciever I can watch movies and play games on my computer in 5.1
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Glad to hear some input on the Claro. Thank you Phoenix. I may jump on the Claro soon as it's $139.99 at Newegg w/ free shipping. Giggity!
 
I haven't regretted my purchase one bit

That Linux Guy said:
Magius, I agree with you. It's not that you're new to the forums. Seniority doesn't count here, nor in any forums. It's a public, online tech forum. Anytime you have a large group of people with free range to say anything they want to an extent, chances are that someone will step on someone's toes.

And Sennheiser HD280s are good cans. There are far better out there, but for the price, these lil Senns are hard to beat. I think good audio is something you grow into in some respects. Get some really nice equipment and it'll probably take you some time to really appreciate all the improvements it'll give. Spaceman has probably just far outgrown the HD280s. I'm just speculating here.
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Well said, by the way.
 
I think you should start with the headphones first, then work your way to a headphone amp sound card (essence STX or Claro Halo), or a headphone amp + sound card combo. Get headphones first so you know what you need to get after.
 
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