How to add the next level to your system

Ok, so you have a maxed beastly laptop or desktop. The absolute very best GPU and CPU money can buy. Overclocking to max squeezing out every frame per second you can. Then you put in your headphones and the top of the line surround sound "gaming" headphones and the beastly machine turns pew pew tiny pew pew sound and you cant really tell if someone is behind your or in front of you even with your mack daddy "gaming" headset. So the Big piece of the puzzle is done but now the beast is lacking the next level to round out the experience and take it one more level to the next step.

Ok my little intro is over, sorry. I have approximately 10 pair of headphones mostly all "gaming headphones". I added a USB sound card to try to get better positional audio in games on my laptop. One selling point of the Asus motherboard is this great sound card they put on them. So I bought a Razer Tiamat 7.1 headset requiring that 7.1 sound card but the sound still sucks to no end and positional audio is crap. I started searching and found head-fi forums and a thread with dozens of headsets on review. So That let me into researching more and just so happen Creative Labs just came out with the Sound Blaste x7 external DAC/Amp. This is suppose to provide "Audiophile" gaming experience as well as music etc to the next level no less. Its a little pricy but heck we have this much money in our laptops and desktop whats another $400 to take everything to the next level in competitive gaming.

The DAC/Amp is one piece of the puzzle. I then set on headphone research. Was all set on the Audio Technica 700x but found reviews raving about how immersive the AKG 702 headset is with a good amp. But it is a studio ref headset and does lack some low end. Which led me to find the AKG 712pro's they add some bass but keeps the majority of the immersive positional sound. Just so happens Amazon had them on sale and also an additional %15 off so what is generally $400 headphones was now $305 with sales etc.

So I am now heading home from work to set all this up and see just how much my gaming experience will improve with much better sound and hearing where people are much better I hope.

 

I can defiantly back up what pathfindercod is saying decent headphones and a decent DAC/AMP will massively improve your experience of gaming.

I have roughly 15 sets of headphones now. None of which are gaming sets. I also have 3 portable DAC's and 4 desktop DAC's (depends what computer I am near)

I hope your new set up works out well for you Welcome to the world of real audio

 

Defiantly, or definitely?

 

I use a pair of normal stereo Motorheadphones as my gaming choice; they are extremely comfortable and have a great sound with rugged design and amazing sound response without any distortion. Plus, it has the Motorhead symbol embossed on each cup. Let us know how it works out!

 

That is a definite plus. You could get them signed in LA .

Use custom IEMs (JH16) for a few years now, cannot imagine going back to anything else ... Nice bonus is that the fans can run in overdrive, yet you won't hear a thing. Potential drawback is that you won't hear the fire alarm either. Some ^&%$* detonated a stick of dynamite (or avalanche blaster) in an underground container across the street once, only noticed it was heavy stuff because it shook the house, the *bang* was merely like a door shutting.

 

A small report...
The headphones alone with no amp put me on the floor. I have never heard or dreamed or even knew music and games could sound like this. I went back and started listening to music just to "hear" it again. These headphones completely changed the song from what I was use to hearing. This is a whole new world to me and it is simply amazing. I can hear peolle breathing and other sounds of rustling and moving by the artist I never heard before with regular headphones, so insanely clean and clear.

The x7 is a insane addition to my PC. It brought even more life to re headphones than I had I tially heard. The x7 is slightly overkill if your using it o my for gaming, I might would go with a sound blaster e5 of you want audio processing off the motherboard or go with a O2 p of your happy with the onboard sound chip. I would highl recommend. Good external audio processor/amp such as the x7, e5 or one of the Asus if your gaming and then it came be moved system to system and not really have to be upgraded for a longtime.

But anyone I tersted in next level sound from your PC/gamibg or music in general you owe it to yourself to try highend headset. I'm completely sold on this AKG, simply amazing.

 

I get by with a recon 3d and the wifi based wireless headphones, it's an improvement over the on board in my machine for sure. Enjoy your sound How do they do in games for positioning/locating sound/people?

 

I finally was able to play a few hours of BF4 yesterday. Adding these headphones is just like the review from madlust over on headfi, it was like adding god mode. I can hear stuff all around me i never could here before. I was watching my map and saw a blip of red and it went away then i could here walking on the other side of the wall from me and I could tell they were walking past where I was crouched. I was ready to fire and ill be d@mned 3 enemies walked right around in front of me. I hear calls and people talking now all the time and it extremely clear the direction they are all coming from. I feel like i am almost cheating now. I will never buy another "gaming headset". This was with the onboard sound card. I am installing the sound blaster x7 today. I wanted to get a baseline feel for the headset before adding a better sound card and amp. Ill report back my thoughts after adding a high end sound card solution.