A few questions about my new headphones?

I finally pulled the trigger on a new pair of headphones after the earcups on my Logitech G35s literally melted on me. Now I'm scouting for a solid replacement that actually feels well-built. Naturally, the more I look, the more questions pop up.

From what I've gathered browsing through various threads, buying those so-called "GAMING" headsets or any of that USB / virtual surround sound nonsense is a total waste of money.
That's where my search for actual quality started, and the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x caught my eye. I realized this company puts out several versions of the same model, and it seems like the 80 OHM version would be the sweet spot. But now I’m stuck with two problems. First, do I actually need a high-end sound card to get the performance I'm looking for? Logic says yes, since I'm currently just running the basic onboard audio from my motherboard. Second, do I really need an amp, or can a decent sound card handle both? I've heard people say the 80 ohm version doesn't require an amp, but online retailers make it impossible to tell which specific version you're actually buying.

Since I'm a complete newbie to all this, I’d really appreciate it if someone could explain the relationship between headphone quality, sound cards, and amps. It's all a bit blurry to me right now.

Mainly using them for music, gaming, and movies—in that order.

Thanks for reading.
restlessfox96

Sound cards come with their own built-in amps, so they usually sound way better than just sticking to whatever motherboard audio you've got. And those Audio-Technica headphones? They’re straight-up pro studio gear—honestly, a standard PC sound card can't even touch the frequency range those things are capable of hitting. It’s total overkill... kind of like thinking wearing glasses is going to fix the fact that you're blind. 😁. Just grab some Sony MDR-7506 headphones instead; they'll be more than enough for listening to MP3s: http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser...ate_headphones

I’m really feeling those Sony MDR-7506, but I can't find a single shop around here that actually stocks them. Is it worth just ordering from overseas? And if I do, how much is customs going to screw me over?

http://www.sveimamo.com/product_info...4c04395e6af2fa



Just a heads up on customs—expect to get hit with about 40% on top of whatever the total bill and shipping costs end up being.

Thanks for the input, Benjamin King2 and taipan.

Is it actually worth pairing any Sennheiser headphones with an onboard sound card? Or is the gap between integrated audio and a decent dedicated card just a myth?

Look, you’re definitely going to hear a difference—especially when you're spinning music—though it really hits differently in games too, specifically with those subtle environmental sound effects and all that. If you happen to have a Dolby surround setup at home, it’ll actually level up your movie nights, too. Honestly, just browse some high-end audio sites like Best Buy or specialized hi-fi retailers; you might also want to head over to the Music subforum to check out the DJ gear threads and see where the pros are picking their stuff up. You almost never find headphones of this caliber sitting on a shelf at a typical Best Buy or Micro Center.

CREATIVE LABS X-Fi Xtreme gamer + Sennheiser HD 555 / Audio-Technica ATH-AD700. That’s my shortlist. What do you guys think? No

Honestly, just grab an Asus Xonar DX instead—the sound quality is significantly better, especially when you’re actually sitting down to listen to music. That Creative Labs Xtreme gamer setup is offensively overpriced, and the drivers are a total disaster (it's a four-year-old model, so expect plenty of glitches on both Vista and 7). In my humble opinion, the only thing Creative Labs has ever done right is the Titanium Fatality, but then we're talking about a price tag closer to $333.

Benjamin King2 said:Go with the Asus Xonar DX instead. The sound quality is significantly better, especially for music. That Creative Labs Xtreme gamer setup is outrageously overpriced and the drivers are a total disaster—it’s an old four-year-old model with nothing but bugs on both Vista and 7. Honestly? The only decent thing Creative Labs ever made is the Titanium Fatality, but you're looking at a price tag north of $333 for that.

Fine, then I'll grab the Asus Xonar DX + Sennheiser HD 555. My only issue is finding them; it looks like nothing is in stock anywhere online right now.

Hey Johnson & Johnson, I see they’ve got the D1 in their offer—honestly, that card is killer. If they don't have the DX available, just grab the D1 and call it a day, but maybe give them a ring first to see if you can snag the DX instead. I’ve actually picked up some pretty rare stuff from those guys that I couldn't find anywhere else... plus, if you're looking for a massive selection of Bose gear, you can find plenty over at Rhode Island.

Forget about ordering from there, though—half the stuff on their site is listed wrong anyway. 😁