Having An Eargasm!!!!

[Robert-The-Rambler]

Asus Xonar DS plus Behringer AMP800 plus Sennheiser HD 515s equals an eargasmic experience for about $150.

Asus Xonar DS

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132013&cm_re=Asus_Xonar_DS-_-29-132-013-_-Product

Behringer AMP800

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KU87SM/ref=oss_product

Sennheiser HD 515

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106391&Tpk=Sennheiser%20HD%20515

I've been listening to some MP3s from the folks over at ocremix.org and I am simply amazed. I literally have an orchestra attached to my head. These things are only MP3 and I am hearing details like never before. The soundstage is so wide open and the mids and highs are so melodic and dramatic it is amazing. The bass is not overwhelming and stays the hell out of the way. I've got the Creative Fatality MK II set for deeper bass if needed. This is not the best setup for bassheads and dance music but for any kind of music that has a wide variety of instruments and/or is vocally driven like soft rock it is simply religious. 80s metal sounds great, too. The opening to GNR Sweet Child of Mine is incredible. F Fergie crapalicious for even trying to pull that one off and shame on Slash for trying to help out at the Super Bowl. I may be imagining this but as the hours of listening pass the bass seems to be getting more pronounced.

The music of the classic videogames Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 7 sound so wonderful that it is hard to describe in words. In the words of Hermans Hermits something tells me I'm into something good. I have not had to adjust the EQ settings at all in the Xonar control panel. Well I've got to be in work early tommorrow and drinking that massive cup of coffee at 8:00pm may have been a bad idea. It sounds so good I don't even want to stop to pee much less sleep.

I was nervous at first with the open design of the 515s and sound leakage but that aint a big deal and my ears never get hot. That is a damn good thing. Can you guess what I'm listening to?

You fill up my senses like a night in a forest!!!!!! Come let me me love you!!!! Come love me again!!!!

My mottos alway been when its right its right
Why wait till the middle of a cold dark night?

Hey rambling boy now won't you settle down
Boston aint your kind of town
There aint no gold and there aint nobody like me

Always something greener on the other side of that hill
I was born a wrangler and a rambler
And I guess I always will

[atomicAdam]

congrats!

It is great when heaven can be had at such a reasonable price.

[hifi-freak]

Robert, would you consider the 515's good for gaming?

[Robert-The-Rambler]

Robert, would you consider the 515's good for gaming?

They can be driven with very little power and sound very ambiant with games that support EAX such as Shadowgrounds Survivor among others. The soundstage is very convincing. Another game that sounds awesome is Alien Breed: Impact. You sound like you are on the friggin space shuttle. Check it out at Steam. They are very good $50 gaming headphones. Just be careful they can sound harsh when over amplified. I have the FiiO E9 as well and don't even bother with the HD 515s even in low gain mode with that high powered amp. I prefer the Koss UR 29 or Pro 4AAT that are harder to drive with that amp. Even with the Behringer AMP800 it gets a bit ridiculously loud and can be harsh after listening to music for a while. That is less of a problem with gaming as the sound pressure is not so constant. I like the headphones. They are a little bit difficult to adjust the volume from game to game without volume controls built into the headphones.

[hifi-freak]

I know, i have been looking for a pair of gaming headphones with some bass punch. How's the bass on your's? is weak?

[Robert-The-Rambler]

I know, i have been looking for a pair of gaming headphones with some bass punch. How's the bass on your's? is weak?

It is good but it gets lost in the mix a bit with the mids and highs. Its designed to be more musical. I prefer them more than the Creative Labs MKII that are over geared for bass and have lackluster detail in comparison. I think for gaming you are better off with something like the Koss UR29 or Sennheiser HD 202s. The Koss headphones surprised me how detailed they sound and how comfortable they are for gaming for long stretches. They are 100ohms so they may or may not sound as great if your gaming audio source does not have good output for headphones. Honestly if you have a modern sound card even without a dedicated amp you should be okay but an amp would be better. The Koss UR29 also has the advantage of in line volume controls. Its better to have that so when you switch games you can quickly adjust the volume when it gets ear blistering or too quiet. They sell the Koss UR29 at Walmart so if you don't like them you can simply return them to the store. Not too much of a risk in that purchase and they are only $30. The Sennheiser HD 202s are a bit more muffled then the Koss UR29 and have louder bass output but detail is sacrificed. I don't know about you but I want to hear every scream in the distance and drop of expended ammo even if I lose a little impact in explosions or bassy music.

[hifi-freak]

I don't know about you but I want to hear every scream in the distance and drop of expended ammo even if I lose a little impact in explosions or bassy music.

I know, you don't want to lose any details... I own the HARX700's and they are well balanced on this aspect. Bass is not overwhelming.