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Onboard OP AMPs....worth the extra money?

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  • Audio
  • Motherboards
Last response: in Motherboards
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July 17, 2014 2:42:15 AM

Has anybody purchased/used a motherboard with onboard audio amps? I'm in the market for a new board and am seeing quite a few with onboard amps and a few with the SoundCore3D chips.
I do take my audio pretty seriously and have not been impressed with most PC based solutions. What my options seem like are either one of those motherboard mentioned or go with a stand alone USB DAC (Looking at Fiios).
I don't use gaming headsets (some I am sure are good) but choose to use my pair of UE in-ear monitors and Senneisser mic for gaming. I just wanted to mention that because some online options state that "amps" only make things louder. While partially true, you also gain more dynamic range with out distorting.

Thank you.


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July 17, 2014 3:23:35 AM

indeed agree with i7Baby...depends how fussy you are. The msi Z97 Gaming 5 has amazing onboard audio and one that I would strongly recommend. the above mentioned boards are also very nice. But the thing is, with in-ear earphones (can you tell us what model it exactly is?) you're really not going to hear much of a difference, if at all. You would need a headphone/ headset around $80 or above to really hear a difference

EDIT: This is what someone on newegg has to say about the gaming 5's audio..
''The audio is superior than other integrated solutions I've heard. For example I use an Asus Formula VI which had a huge market for their superior audio design. The audio on this MSI gaming is literally the same quality as the $300 formula. The microphone on this card works way better than my formula. People can hear me clearly with no need to touch the microphone boost VS my formula where I need it at +20 to be audible which creates a lot of background static''

http://www.newegg.com/global/uk/Product/Product.aspx?It...
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July 20, 2014 1:16:59 AM

After a few weeks to decide and research, I think I am going towards a stand alone DAC/AMP. The way I figure, I will always have a headphone amp that I can use even after upgrading again to another motherboard. I just think I'm limiting myself because of one feature when I can dismiss it and look at other specs. I do have to say that some of the new boards have nice specs regarding audio. For the right person, I am sure they'd be perfect.
To answer what my in-ears are. I have a pair of Ultimate ears triplefi 10's. They cost about 260?? I think. I've had them awhile.
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