Sound Card Questions/recommendations-DAC/amp stuff as well...

Let me get this out of the way. I'm stupid. There it's done. If I sound like I don't have any knowledge on something or if I sound like an idiot, then you'll know why...cause I told you so. I'm legitimately not trying to troll or sound stupid on purpose. When it comes to audio, after all I've tried to cram into my brain, I still get dumbfounded time and time again.

Here's my current situation: I just upgraded my computer, after having to, due to a power surge. Lost my mobo, gpu, cpu, and memory. My new rig runs phenomenal(it better after nearly $1000 worth of freaking upgrades) but I want to do away with on board sound. When I plug in my AKG Q701's they sound really low and weak even at max volume. So I did some looking on sound cards with built-in headphone amps in them and came across these two that seem to fit my needs(what do I know though..):

Asus Xonar Essence STX: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132010

HT Omega Claro Halo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829271004

So of course I read on both, cause I can never make up my mind and heard that both cards can amp higher impedence cans better than low(Q701's are only 62ohm) which I thought was weird(this is what I read, not what I said). Others say they'll be fine. Yet still others say a Desktop Amp/dac combo is the better route. Which I would connect through the Mobo's optical out, I'm assuming. As far as that is concerned, I wouldn't know which to get or where to get it when it comes to amps or dacs. Now what would be the better route? I mostly will be gaming as well as talking through Skype/vent/etc during competitive/co-op games with friends(LoL, BF3, Diablo 3 etc.) I would also like whatever setup to be good for music and movies if I choose to listen/watch them. I'd say 80/20 ratio

Opt for a cheaper sound card such as: Asus Xonar DX http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132006&Tpk=asus%20xonar%20dx and then pair it with an amp/dac?

Or shoot for a good Amp/dac combo through optical out(which I assume is where it would be plugged in)

...or another option completely. Thanks in advance for any info. Budget is around $200 or cheaper.

You should break your budget a little and get the $215 NFB-12.1Amp/DAC.

Here is the link to the Head-Fi thread.

When it comes to powering my K702s I switch between the Little Dot MKIII and an Audio GD NFB-10SE (the NFB-10SE remains my dedicated DAC), yet to keep within your budget the NFB-12.1 would be a great option. It has some nice drive and is equipped with a great DAC, so even if in the future you upgrade to a different amplifier, you can still use the NFB-12.1 as a dedicated DAC and pre-amp.

You should break your budget a little and get the $215 NFB-12.1Amp/DAC.

Here is the link to the Head-Fi thread.

When it comes to powering my K702s I switch between the Little Dot MKIII and an Audio GD NFB-10SE (the NFB-10SE remains my dedicated DAC), yet to keep within your budget the NFB-12.1 would be a great option. It has some nice drive and is equipped with a great DAC, so even if in the future you upgrade to a different amplifier, you can still use the NFB-12.1 as a dedicated DAC and pre-amp.

NVIDIATI

Ouch, $34 to ship means it's a little more in the $250 range. Trust me, I still would get it NVIDIATI but I forgot to mention I need to also purchase a CPU fan, so this big purchase will have to wait for now.

I actually think I will go with this soundcard since it has optical, unlike the xonar dx:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829271001 for the time being, then purchase the NFB 12.1.

About how long you think it will take to arrive? In any case, would it be just better to plug that amp directly to the on-board sound or the sound card I linked above. I know it'll be around $320 if I get both. Just trying to see what's the better option: Amp/Dac to sound card or Amp/dac to mobo's optical. Honestly I really don't know these things.

You can always just go with something less expensive such as the ASUS Xonar DG ($25)

That way if you purchase the NFB-12.1, you can use the Xonar DG's optical out and still take advantage of the card's features such as Dolby Headphone.

[QUOTE="NVIDIATI"]

You should break your budget a little and get the $215 NFB-12.1Amp/DAC.

Here is the link to the Head-Fi thread.

When it comes to powering my K702s I switch between the Little Dot MKIII and an Audio GD NFB-10SE (the NFB-10SE remains my dedicated DAC), yet to keep within your budget the NFB-12.1 would be a great option. It has some nice drive and is equipped with a great DAC, so even if in the future you upgrade to a different amplifier, you can still use the NFB-12.1 as a dedicated DAC and pre-amp.

Steel_Rain777

Ouch, $34 to ship means it's a little more in the $250 range. Trust me, I still would get it NVIDIATI but I forgot to mention I need to also purchase a CPU fan, so this big purchase will have to wait for now.

I actually think I will go with this soundcard since it has optical, unlike the xonar dx:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829271001 for the time being, then purchase the NFB 12.1.

About how long you think it will take to arrive? In any case, would it be just better to plug that amp directly to the on-board sound or the sound card I linked above. I know it'll be around $320 if I get both. Just trying to see what's the better option: Amp/Dac to sound card or Amp/dac to mobo's optical. Honestly I really don't know these things.

Coolermaster Hyper 212+, $25