Get a DAC

[AlienALX]

Mine came about an hour ago (FU early postman) and I have to say that the one song I have listened to so far has converted me. I went in quite deep and spent a good chunk of coin on mine (£130) but given it replaces your sound card (unless you run 5.1 or more) then I would say it's well worth the cash.

I also got a valve model, which basically doubles the price of entry level DACs but given I am hooked on the sound of valves again I think I made the right decision.

And this thing literally slaughters any sound card I've ever had, including a D2X and many Sound Blasters.

Seriously if you have headphones and you don't have a DAC you're missing out. Last night I listened to a reggae tune and noticed that I could feel the headphones vibrating on my head. Switch that same song through the DAC and I could actually hear the bassline that was making them vibrate.

I must also mention, the quality of the packing and the weight of this thing is just mad.

 

[SPS]

What you have is a amp and dac combined though - just to point out.
Always wanted to try a valve amp though.

 

[AlienALX]

FWIW dude it's no louder than my PC was. The Soundblaster Recon (Z) is every bit as loud in drive as the DAC is...

What has blown me away, even in one song tested so far, is the fact that the audio spectrum has totally opened up. I was literally missing an entire bass line from the audio spectrum. Sure, I could feel it, but now I can feel it and hear it.

I don't even have my new headphones in yet I am still using my replica Beats Pro Detox.

 

[SPS]

I'm just clarifying as just getting a DAC would probably be a bad experience. AFAIK an amp isn't just about raw volume, it boosts the range better. That is at least what I experienced when I switched to my setup, I could hear more.

 

[AlienALX]

Apparently you can try several different valves in this thing too. They're about £20 each

 

[SuB]

What tube's does it take? I love my little valve tube amp, there's nothing quite like them

Glad to hear you're enjoying it, which one did you get again?

 

[AlienALX]

I got the Aune.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321680461793?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Seriously dude the build quality and packing (I know, it's only a box) are up there with amps I've paid £1000 for (real amps not just pre/headphone).

Apparently there's a valve called a TAD-6922/ECC88CC. Russian made.. Wish they did one with a magic eye like my Fatman has haha, that thing looks amazing at night

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Just a quick update. Apols about DP but this was important.

Right now running this USB crashes GTAV. The sound at start up does not work properly either. In short, don't run this USB for gaming at least. I will write up a guide on how to connect it up soon.

 

[SPS]

Just a quick update. Apols about DP but this was important.

Right now running this USB crashes GTAV. The sound at start up does not work properly either. In short, don't run this USB for gaming at least. I will write up a guide on how to connect it up soon.

I had problems with Windows and power state management on the USB hub. Maybe yours needs adjusting too?

 

[AlienALX]

I had problems with Windows and power state management on the USB hub. Maybe yours needs adjusting too?

Not that I know of.

I switched it to LINE today and the difference is night and day. The cans can now handle a lot more bass without farting than they did before. I think they obviously used a very cheap sound device in it to keep costs down, no wonder my mate said that I absolutely must run it in LINE mode.

Only issue I found is that the LINE out does not seem to work when using the LINE IN. So I have had to use a jack splitter to run to both my speakers and the amp/cans.

Not a problem but yeah, it sounds a million times better now. I was having all of the issues I got with an old Soundblaster in Windows 7 and later before. Volume levelling was all over the place.. Spitting, crackling. Only at louder volumes (I mean deafeningly loud but that's how I like it...).

Mind you to be fair to Aune I am using 10 and it's not listed.