Rory Buszka
Partition Master
Hey, everyone, Rory here.
As Techgage's resident audio geek supreme, I get to play with an assortment of cutting-edge PC audio gear, and I firmly believe that the PC-bound audiophile has never had it so good when it comes to their options for a truly great-sounding audio system for their computer.
I'm curious to know where our forum members stand when it comes to their audio gear choices.
I'll go first:
My Main PC
Source: Digitally-transported CDs, FLAC files, >128kbps WMAs (from Napster subscription service), played back via the foobar2000 player and Windows Media Player 11.
Audio Card: ASUS Xonar D2/PM -- the absolute finest PC audio card I've ever heard, and still an incredible value at its price. Not to mention more input/output features than you can shake a Toslink cable at.
Speakers: Cambridge Soundworks MicroWorks II -- they won't move the earth under your feet, but I don't think you can find more musicality for $150 while preserving some semblance of bass extension. I also appreciate their space-saving design, since they've got to live on the same desk as my dual 22" dell monitors. These speakers are still my value pick at the price point, even though I've had them for about two years now.
Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT 770 2005 (250-ohm) -- These headphones combine a powerful yet textured bass range with an extended, admittedly 'bright' (though not unrefined) treble range, making them a decent closed-back headphone for music listening, with a knack for revealing hidden detail. Their 250-ohm impedance makes them difficult to drive, but the ASUS Xonar D2 can muster up voltage swings of 5.0 volts on its outputs, so I've been able to avoid investing in a dedicated headphone amplifier for some time now. I may yet add one to the signal chain, out of curiosity alone.
A couple more notes: For the last year and a half, my main PC has been connected to a multichannel A/V receiver via the Toslink output of a sound card -- first the Razer Barracuda AC-1, and then the Xonar D2. That A/V receiver has been in turn connected to a pair of two-way high-fidelity main speakers and a 500W powered subwoofer that's flat to 20 Hz in-room. That's why I've been able to hang onto the Cambridge Soundworks MicroWorks II speaker system, despite them being a little, uh...pedestrian. I've got a project in the works to explore some more refined audio from my main PC, and outfit it with a speaker system that's a little less compromised.
My Laptop System
DAC, Speakers: Logitech Z Cinema* -- These speakers let me get better sound out of this laptop than I could ever dream of getting from its built-in audio, thanks to their built-in multichannel USB DAC. Though they can be fairly heavy-handed at times, they still have a rich, satisfying full-range sound thanks to their two-way satellites with textile-diaphragm dome tweeters.
*Note that my laptop system has presently been replaced by a review sample of an audiophile-level PC audio package that includes a stereo integrated amplifier with built-in USB DAC and matching single-driver loudspeakers. The review of that system will be very shortly forthcoming. (Addendum: The review has been posted. Check out my review of the NuForce Icon-1 and S-1.)
Now it's your turn. What equipment do you use at the PC for your musical and cinematic enjoyment?
As Techgage's resident audio geek supreme, I get to play with an assortment of cutting-edge PC audio gear, and I firmly believe that the PC-bound audiophile has never had it so good when it comes to their options for a truly great-sounding audio system for their computer.
I'm curious to know where our forum members stand when it comes to their audio gear choices.
I'll go first:
My Main PC
Source: Digitally-transported CDs, FLAC files, >128kbps WMAs (from Napster subscription service), played back via the foobar2000 player and Windows Media Player 11.
Audio Card: ASUS Xonar D2/PM -- the absolute finest PC audio card I've ever heard, and still an incredible value at its price. Not to mention more input/output features than you can shake a Toslink cable at.
Speakers: Cambridge Soundworks MicroWorks II -- they won't move the earth under your feet, but I don't think you can find more musicality for $150 while preserving some semblance of bass extension. I also appreciate their space-saving design, since they've got to live on the same desk as my dual 22" dell monitors. These speakers are still my value pick at the price point, even though I've had them for about two years now.
Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT 770 2005 (250-ohm) -- These headphones combine a powerful yet textured bass range with an extended, admittedly 'bright' (though not unrefined) treble range, making them a decent closed-back headphone for music listening, with a knack for revealing hidden detail. Their 250-ohm impedance makes them difficult to drive, but the ASUS Xonar D2 can muster up voltage swings of 5.0 volts on its outputs, so I've been able to avoid investing in a dedicated headphone amplifier for some time now. I may yet add one to the signal chain, out of curiosity alone.
A couple more notes: For the last year and a half, my main PC has been connected to a multichannel A/V receiver via the Toslink output of a sound card -- first the Razer Barracuda AC-1, and then the Xonar D2. That A/V receiver has been in turn connected to a pair of two-way high-fidelity main speakers and a 500W powered subwoofer that's flat to 20 Hz in-room. That's why I've been able to hang onto the Cambridge Soundworks MicroWorks II speaker system, despite them being a little, uh...pedestrian. I've got a project in the works to explore some more refined audio from my main PC, and outfit it with a speaker system that's a little less compromised.
My Laptop System
DAC, Speakers: Logitech Z Cinema* -- These speakers let me get better sound out of this laptop than I could ever dream of getting from its built-in audio, thanks to their built-in multichannel USB DAC. Though they can be fairly heavy-handed at times, they still have a rich, satisfying full-range sound thanks to their two-way satellites with textile-diaphragm dome tweeters.
*Note that my laptop system has presently been replaced by a review sample of an audiophile-level PC audio package that includes a stereo integrated amplifier with built-in USB DAC and matching single-driver loudspeakers. The review of that system will be very shortly forthcoming. (Addendum: The review has been posted. Check out my review of the NuForce Icon-1 and S-1.)
Now it's your turn. What equipment do you use at the PC for your musical and cinematic enjoyment?
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