Gaming Setup - Computer Setup

I anticipated booing for having Vettel as my background.

Haha, Im a fan aswell so no need to fear!

A lot of people on this coolcomputersetups have the same headphone amp as you do, is it worth the money?

I have a decent onboard audio setup on my Asus motherboard, but the difference with the DAC is very evident. You can better distinguish multiple instruments/sources in layered music and the clarity of sound at all volumes is fantastic. Each unit was $100, so it's not crazy cheap, but it's not really high-end either. I would say yes, definitely worth it if you can afford it.

I have the Magni/Modi myself. Very killer combo if you're on a budget.

What exactly is a DAC unit, and what does it do? It seems to boost sound quality, but I've never heard of it before.

Anything you can hear is an analog signal (sound waves from a speaker diaphragm). Your music on a computer, phone, or mp3 player is a digital file. A DAC converts the digital music files into an analog signal and then your speakers use that analog signal to create the sound you hear. Everything that can play a digital music file has a DAC, but there is a HUGE range in performance depending on the unit.

Thanks, that was a nice description, I really appreciate it.

I spy a nikon lens great shots and awesome gaming setup! :D been wanting to get a K70, the G9x seems like a good combo :p

What kind of acer monitor is that?

Thanks! It's an Acer H236HL. It has a glossy screen which is a huge turnoff to a lot of people, but that was why I bought it. I find that some matte screens can look a little hazy and de-saturate the image (not all matte screens though, just with my experience).

Just picked the same one up, was a great purchase.

I have the same monitor, it's pretty great :)

I love that 350d. Setup looks amazing!

Thank you! An amp simply amplifies the signal to the drivers on the headphones/speakers. Certain drivers may require a stronger (amplified) signal to drive them. The amp simply takes a small current signal and increases the current, amplifying the signal.

Aha! that makes a lot of sense.

I would consider a DAC over an amp for the 280 Pros. Laptops are notorious for having poor onboard audio, and a DAC would likely give you the biggest results. The 280 pros have the same impedance of the 380 pros I own and neither are high-impedance, but a nice amp would certainly help too. If I had to just chose one, go with the DAC.

That is great info! I looked up your DAC and it's def. out of my price range considering i'm novice at this.

I would do a little research first, but I've heard that's a good DAC. That's actually the same price as mine ($100). My setup also includes an amp which is $100, so the ODAC you linked is basically the exact same thing as my Schiit Modi DAC at the same price.

I thought I found your model on Amazon something north of $300.

This makes my computer look like a schiit stain.

This should be considered art.

It looks like you're saying Sh*t stack lol. Very Nice Gaming setup Indeed!

Very cool. Great post and pictures do you have a separate sound card or do you use the stock motherboard sound?

Sorry I'm pretty novice...what does using the dac get you? Does it just allow you to use high end monitors?

It's outside the system, so it's less prone to interference from the computer and you can fit some beefier components on it since it doesn't have to fit on a motherboard. Also, from what I've seen a lot of external DACs use slightly better internal components.

Nice work... Case looks perfect and those schiit amps are awesome stacked.

Can you explain that Schiit audio stack thing to me? I'm a bit confused how something like that works. I just use my on-board sound. Obviously this is an improvement?

I explained how the DAC works in some of the other comments, but basically the Schiit stack I have is comprised of a DAC (digital to analog converter) and headphone amp. Most motherboards have both of these (in a much smaller form), but are lower quality and prone to interference and noise from all of the components in the computer.

I loved my G9x! I really wished I hadn't sold that thing. I now use a steel series sensei raw(rubberized). Although it's a good mouse it is just not quite as nice as the G9x, in my opinion at least. Anyway, that's the end of my rant haha. Nice gaming setup! Enjoy your setup dude!

Why does everybody in this coolcomputersetups only take photos of the Y and H key on their keyboard?

I took that photo with a shallow depth of field, and since the Y and H keys are in the middle of the keyboard it makes sense that's where many people focus the image.

Pictures of your case outside, not something I'd ever expect.

How noisy is your setup? I see one Silverstone AP123 in the back, and those are what I presume AP123s on the h100i too.

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