Hello. I am a complete noob when it comes to audio and am hoping I can get some help upgrading my setup. I play a lot of CSGO and I find that the range I can hear footsteps at is sub par compared to others and I have to focus a lot to hear them (volume is at comfortable level). What steps can I take to upgrade my setup to hear footsteps and details in CSGO to play at a higher level. This is something that I can work at over time so budget isn’t really an issue but if you have suggestions for low, med and high tier equipment that would be appreciated. Right now I have a pair of Audio-Technica ATH M50x plugged into a focusrite scarlette solo 2nd gen and thats it when it comes to sound equipment. Thanks for any help you can give me!
Hmm… so ideally what would you be okay with spending per tier then?
Yea, definite room for improvement on all ends. Could upgrade to a stronger interface or get a dac amp for better headphones. That focusrite definitely isn’t the best in terms of spatial representation let alone imaging In headphones and it’s not that strong either
Thanks for getting back to me. Yeah I unplugged the focusrite sounds better just plugged into the pc.
Low: under $100
Med: under $250
High: under $500
Shp9500 or mh751 both used will be around $50-$70 there are some others but these have some of the better results
Due to the lacking power I’d say tygr 300r or pc38x… used mmx300 for closed(its a headset yea but it’s actually just the dt 770 in low ohm with a mic). Other option would be sennheiser 560s or hifiman 400se
Used market beyer dt 1990 or t1 2nd gen, harmonicdyne zeus, hifiman sundara, sennheiser 660s(only if you can manage small soundstage), focal elex used. Note all these require an amp and dac these are more end game territory…
You may still need a cheap amp… you can get something like a soundblaster g6 and call it a day or go more extensive with a dedicated setup… maximum being something like asgard 3 and modius
So would an amp and dac improve the sound quality even without getting new heaphones?
Very likely but m50 isn’t that good of an example of this… doesnt need much to begin with and doesnt change that much.
Ok so i get better headphones and a sound blaster g6 and I’m good to go? How many OHMs can the g6 power?
600 ohms after setting up the software and setting everything to high gain.
Pretty much, depends on which one you go with though I’d recommend just running the mid range…
I’m leaning towards the tygr 300r you’re saying I don’t need the g6 for that (only for expensive headphones with higher impedance)? And the tygr 300r is only 32 OHMs?
you would not need g6 for tygr 300r no, but if planning to drive from motherboard or focusrite I would still encourage some form of cheap amp/dac to ensure it sounds the way its supposed to.
correct
G6 is a gamer option not so much audiophile option… it provides a lot of power that can drive most sets of cans that a gamer would use so its a more one and done option within budget while adding other little things such as mic input with voice morph, 7.1 surround, scout mode for footsteps, built in equalizer
Ok. Thanks for all your help! I will take your advice and work towards upgrading my setup!
Yep, if you have questions or just want to drop by with your opinion feel free to swing by.