re: PC Discussion - Gaming, Performance and Enthusiasts

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I was obsessed with headphones a couple of years ago. Kept buying/selling/upgrading/comparing until i finally settled on the LCD-2 last year. they are absurdly expensive but I got a good deal on them used and was actually able to profit from buying and selling some used cans

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Yeah I would say that is absurdly expensive, but I like absurdly expensive. I don't believe $1K is outrageous for something you're interested in. I'm the type of person who likes very premium products, just never got to that level with my audio set up yet. My audio set up is purely for gaming and movies. I never just set at my desk and listen to music. In the car I rarely listen to music also, I'm addicted to podcasts of many genres.

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DAC: Schiit Bifrost or ODAC

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Does your Bifrost have USB input?

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Yeah I would say that is absurdly expensive, but I like absurdly expensive. I don't believe $1K is outrageous for something you're interested in. I'm the type of person who likes very premium products, just never got to that level with my audio set up yet

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I concur

For me, its worth it because I use the headphones a lot and its something I've enjoyed. I listen often while sufing the web and stuff, which I do a lot. Now that Im starting to build my own pc, I'll be able to use it to game as well

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Does your Bifrost have USB input?

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Yes it does. I tend to use optical more often though because its technically superior, although I haven't been able to distinguish any difference between the two inputs

Cheapest HTPC I can put together with new parts at this time. You can run W7/MS Media Center/Linux, whatever OS you want. Just download the ISO to a USB stick. Anyone here can help you with the installation when the time comes.

CASE/PSU: Antex iTX - $79.99
MOBO: Gigabyte FM2 A88 - $109.99
CPU: APU A6-5400K - $59.99
SSD: ADATA 60GB SSD - $54.99
RAM: 4GB ADATA 1600 - $29.99

EDT: The motherboard has wireless AC and bluetooth 4.0 connectivity. No need for a hard line.

I did the sound bar for our living room. Plus it's wood floors so the acoustics suck anyway

I've had surround sound before and it seemed really unnecessary and overkill for your average TV watching... how does the soundbar compare?

Thx Coyote, I will look at those parts more later.

I love the sound bar for the living room. I just need to turn the bass down that it has. It booms off that wood floor and scares the crap out of the dog. It did help a little though that I cut some spare carpet and put it under the sub which is also a receiver.

I love having an open floor plan. In my dream house I have an extra room that is my man cave with a nice tv, surround sound, and every gaming platform imaginable.

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It did help a little though that I cut some spare carpet and put it under the sub which is also a receiver.

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Dude sounds like you need a better sub. Mine doesn't do that.

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I love having an open floor plan. In my dream house I have an extra room that is my man cave with a nice tv, surround sound, and every gaming platform imaginable.

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We want what they call a semi-open floor plan. They revolve around a center point but are separated by a small partition.

That is one thing I need in my computer room (hate the word "man cave"), is a TV. I just watch amazon/netflix on my secondary monitor but would love a TV for football. I have a love seat in my computer room that the GF takes naps on or reads while i'm in there, she also mentions adding a TV in there for her. Maybe I should look into that. I've also thought about putting surround in there multiple times but forget about it since my headphones stay on.

EDT:

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If you have a proper room it is great. For a typical living room setup or an open floor plan I'd suggest a quality sound bar and sub. It fits better in the aesthetics of the room and the sound is adequate for the space.

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Yeah we just built this house for a 2-3yr plan, our next house we are allocating attic space into a 6-8 person home entertainment room.

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hate the word "man cave"

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Would you rather masterbatorium?

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Dude sounds like you need a better sub. Mine doesn't do that.

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The receiver has a built in sub so there isn't really an option. I need to turn it down but it just echoed on the wood too much which wasn't shocking.

Okay, I've read some shite, watched some videos. I've concluded that my headphones are most likely the only weak point in my audio system. I have zero audible interference using my front panel audio connection (It may remain a mystery whether it's a result of my cable routing, the case's design, the quality of one or more pieces of hardware, or my hearing), and my motherboard has an onboard headphone amplifier for up to 600 ohms. I'm going to put all of my energy into finding the correct headphones for me. I can always order other equipment later if somehow necessary, but I'm convinced that the advantages of a DAC would be extraneous in my situation.

EDIT: I may order 2 or 3 different pairs on Amazon, keep one, and return the rest.