Which soundcard to get for high-end headphones?

[Cyrilix]

I'm looking to get a pair of Alessandro MS-1 headphones, because I hear that they are just like the SR-125 but slightly better and cheaper (correct me if I'm wrong -- also I know audio is a subjective field). I might even look into the SR-225, although I'm pretty new at the audiophile range of products in general and am sort of jumping directly into some mid-high cost products. I'm just wondering which sound card would do these headphones justice. I currently have an old Sound Blaster 5.1 Live! Value...but I don't think that's a very good sound card for headphones of this quality. I was considering either the Revolution 5.1/7.1 or the Chaintech AV-710 since they both use the Envy24 DAC. Any opinions?

I listen mainly to trance, hard trance, and occasionally electronic music that is harder than what I mentioned there.

Thanks in advance. :)

[Spanky Deluxe]

I doubt you really need much since most of the 'extra' stuff in expensive sound cards is there for surround sound calculation in a multi-speaker environment, that kind of gets made redundant with headphones. I recently got rid of my Audigy since it seemed kind of pointless since I either use headphones or the SP/DIF out for films and DVDs, thus using the surround sound decoding hardware in my AV Amp.

[harpyboy]

i have some experience with a high end seinheisser headphones... but it just doesn't sound right with a PC soundcard... i.e. too little power coming out from sound card to do the high-end headphone justice....

so... im really not sure which sound card is good..(im using revolution 7.1.. it's GOOD)... but if u r really into audiophile .. get an amp... use the optical out of the sound card... and power ur headphones thru the amp...

[ben805]

For an audiophile grade soundcard....the EMU 0404 or 1280 is as close as you can get without breaking the bank, 0404 is more aggressive, punchy and in your face, while 1280 is melow, lay back and silky smooth. it really depends on the characteristic of your headphone and amp but personally I prefer 0404. The Revo 5.1 or 7.1 aren't as good but they still beat the soundblaster craps, if you don't care much about the onboard DAC and going to use an external DAC then the cheap chaintech($30) will do since digital is only 0 and 1 so you wont' tell the difference by spending more. go to soundstage and other audiophile forums and do a search.

[Cyrilix]

Thanks for the replies, although I realize that with the amount of views that the posts are getting, the audio forum may be a bit lonely. :p

I'm probably eventually going to be getting an amp, am currently commissioning someone to build me a portable Pimeta, but is the source not important (weakest link in the chain analogy)? I'm currently leaning towards the Revolution 5.1 because it seems to have a slightly better DAC than the 7.1. I've heard that the Audiophile 2496 is an older card and won't sound as good as the Emu 0404, but realizing that the 0404 doesn't have 1/8" headphone outputs means that I'll have to spend even more money to get cables and etc.

If anyone has experience with a Pimeta and can tell me how much improvement I can expect to get from one using the OPA227, that would be appreciated.

[cetoole]

I would check out the AD8620/8610 opamps, but you will need an adapter to use them in an 8dip package, as they only come in 8soic. For the soundcard, I would either get one of the EMU cards, 0404 or 1212, or the AV710.

[W0nderb0y]

get the chaintech soundcard, they are excellent and very cheap. you can flash it to have a bit-perfect toslink output if you need as well.

or if you want more expensive, got the emu or m-audio cards.