https://www.schiit.com/products/hel
HEL - $189
HIGH POWER GAMING (AND MUSIC!) DAC/AMP
USB
Mic Input
AK4490
4 Likes
I like the design. Especially the look of the mic volume knob
It may just be me, but why would i go for something like this, rather then a XLR interface?
I would wonder the same thing lol.
2 Likes
I think the appeal is the small size, mic input, usb interface. You could, for instance, plug this into a PS4 and get headset support with solid audio performance, likely far superior to something like the Astro Mixamp or something similar.
I guess, but for someone with a normal amount of space, you could get a um2 interface and a fiio k5 pro for about the same price, and get a presumably better mic preamp and adc (along with the ability for better mics to be used), and a better amp and dac (also an assumption). You could also get a focusrite scarlett solo and a jds labs atom and have a killer setup as well
2 Likes
I guess itâs competing with something like the Mayflower ARC, but⌠I donât think there are that many good electret microphones. You have the Modmic and the ones that attach to 3.5mm cables, but⌠thatâs about it.
Some lav mics fall under there, but yeah I agree
because most wired gaming headsets use the 3.5mm jack for both headphone and mic? aside from the oneâs that are USB, which is gaining popularity.
1 Like
Yeah, but you can get an xlr to 3.5 mm for an interface and get better sound
something âmostâ gamers donât or wonât do. 
Fair, but I would assume most gamers wouldnât bother buying a product like this either and instead go with a gaming headset either very cheap wired or high end wireless or usb
youâd be surprised what nubs will buy if it says âgamingâ on it.
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But I donât know if a true gamer would find value in this, it doesnât even have rgb lol (you canât have a true gamer product without rgb)
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Also dependent on what kind of âgamerâ weâre talking about. Console gamers are going to want things as simple as they can get it, with a preferance to wireless, first party, or well known name brands (eg Turtle Beach).
Casual PC gamers who donât stream arenât worried about a mic, and usually care about looks and bling. Those who do stream are still going to care about looks, but SHOULD now care about the audio quality comming from their mic.
Competitive/professional gamers are going to care about performance and stability. High framerates, clear and accurate audio are their focus. Anything and everything to get the competitive edge.
This product? I genuinely feel it doesnât really fill a need in any of these segments, though I could be wrong.
I think itâs aiming to fill the role for casual pc and console gamers who care about looks and something that works with a minimalist approach, someone who cares about good sound, but at max might have a midrange senn, beyer, or audio technica with a modmic or higher quality headset. Itâs not revolutionary by any means, but it might be appealing to some who value looks and decent performance.
While I think there is better out there for the price, it would fit into a setup fairly nicely (I would assume)
1 Like
especially for the price i dont know who this is targeted towards. you really have to be new to audio (as a gamer priority) to look for an all in one unit like this, but if youâre new to audio the chances of hearing about schiit as a company (before razer, logitech, etc) is also rare⌠even if youâre tight on space something just simply double this size will work many times better (presumably), and the fulla 2 can also be had from ebay for a fraction of this cost paired with um2/scarlett ⌠im confused lol. if you were looking for a better mic input you would use XLR but if you wanted to still use 3.5 mm you probably woundât know much about audio quality which brings me back to my first point! itâs just one big circle of confusionâŚ
ps i will always love schiit because they make the adgard, which in my opinion is one of the nicest looking solid state amplifiers on the market (affordable at least). and no i donât own one 
1 Like
Schiit is actually pretty fairly well known, even to anyone who is just starting out. If you look online, you might see schiit gear in higher tier pc setups, even if the people arenât into audio as a hobby.
Also I wouldnât recommend the fulla tbh, because now there are a fair bit better options at a similar price
Also the asgard 3 that just came out recenty I got to hear it and I can say that it no longer suffers from the sizable compression that the older models have. Also its 200 bucks without the dac
well now im on schiitâs website and im contemplating purchasing another amp i dont need lolâŚ
The asgard 3 is pretty great, and with the dac its 300 usd which is actually a pretty good value