Headphones & Audio Devices

Hekotat · Jul 10, 2023

Bought a Schiit Hel a few years back and it was a great amp for gaming but it had some issues with the power cable connector. So I picked up the Hel 2 with an upgraded USB C inputs and more power and the damn thing fails constantly and isn't recognized by windows. I hit up Schiit about it and they said they'd fix it for basically the same price as a new one. Turns out they picked some shitty chip that windows has a hard time with recognizing (I don't know the super detailed specifics, but many people are having this issue).

So I picked up a new amp, I know it's nothing fancy but since I mainly use it for gaming I figured it was the best bet with all the customization and game/voice adjustments.

Sound Blaster GC7

The Sound Blaster GC7 is the first in its series of premium gaming audio solutions for experienced gamers, content creators, and streamers. Packed with both Super X-Fi and Sound Blaster audio technologies, the GC7 offers more than just audiophile-grade audio. Enjoy quick and fully customizable...

us.creative.com

Deathwing · Jul 10, 2023

Hekotat said:
Bought a Schiit Hel a few years back and it was a great amp for gaming but it had some issues with the power cable connector. So I picked up the Hel 2 with an upgraded USB C inputs and more power and the damn thing fails constantly and isn't recognized by windows. I hit up Schiit about it and they said they'd fix it for basically the same price as a new one. Turns out they picked some shitty chip that windows has a hard time with recognizing (I don't know the super detailed specifics, but many people are having this issue).

So I picked up a new amp, I know it's nothing fancy but since I mainly use it for gaming I figured it was the best bet with all the customization and game/voice adjustments.

Sound Blaster GC7

The Sound Blaster GC7 is the first in its series of premium gaming audio solutions for experienced gamers, content creators, and streamers. Packed with both Super X-Fi and Sound Blaster audio technologies, the GC7 offers more than just audiophile-grade audio. Enjoy quick and fully customizable...

us.creative.com

Take the cover off and stick it under a space heater for 5 minutes. Windows should recognize it then. If you reboot, you have to redo this process.

What chip is it using for the DAC?

Hekotat · Jul 10, 2023

Deathwing said:
Take the cover off and stick it under a space heater for 5 minutes. Windows should recognize it then. If you reboot, you have to redo this process.

What chip is it using for the DAC?

It's not the solder, it's something to do with compatibility with the chip and windows. I don't know it well enough to tell you exactly what's going on, just going off the limited info I found about the issue. Even when returned under warranty people are still having the same issues.

It's a real shame because the original Hel worked flawlessly, I just wanted USB C cables so everything was uniform in the house.

EDIT: Restarting windows seems to be the only thing that fixes it.

Deathwing · Jul 10, 2023

Hekotat said:
It's not the solder, it's something to do with compatibility with the chip and windows. I don't know it well enough to tell you exactly what's going on, just going off the limited info I found about the issue. Even when returned under warranty people are still having the same issues.

It's a real shame because the original Hel worked flawlessly, I just wanted USB C cables so everything was uniform in the house.

EDIT: Restarting windows seems to be the only thing that fixes it.

If it's convenient, can you pop off the cover and check the DAC chip? I'm curious what's under there. The Schiit Modi 2 has this issue and it's using a CM6631A. I got another one for cheap only to discover it's an earlier production run based on the version number on the PCB. And it's still using the same chip with the same problem.

Which tells me Schiit didn't know or didn't care. Either way, same chip might be in your DAC.

Intrinsic · Jul 10, 2023

Deathwing said:
If it's convenient, can you pop off the cover and check the DAC chip? I'm curious what's under there. The Schiit Modi 2 has this issue and it's using a CM6631A. I got another one for cheap only to discover it's an earlier production run based on the version number on the PCB. And it's still using the same chip with the same problem.

Which tells me Schiit didn't know or didn't care. Either way, same chip might be in your DAC.

Sorry to hear mine isn't working out for you. I need to put something together again for my personal PC, just working on my business laptop 24/7 these days.

Does that GC7 have the stuff that

Mist was raving about? The Super X-Fi? Can't remember exactly but remember the conversation about how awesome it was once it was all setup correctly.

Hekotat · Jul 10, 2023

Intrinsic said:
Sorry to hear mine isn't working out for you. I need to put something together again for my personal PC, just working on my business laptop 24/7 these days.

Does that GC7 have the stuff that Mist was raving about? The Super X-Fi? Can't remember exactly but remember the conversation about how awesome it was once it was all setup correctly.

Yes it does, I had some of that stuff enabled on my soundblaster Zx soundcard and it has some really nice features. If you're looking for something for your PC I got the Zx that won't fit in my itx build I'd let go for cheap. I think I used it for maybe 4 months, comes with the box and all the original stuff.

Amazon product ASIN B009XDWUCQ
Let me know if interested.

Hekotat · Jul 10, 2023

Deathwing said:
If it's convenient, can you pop off the cover and check the DAC chip? I'm curious what's under there. The Schiit Modi 2 has this issue and it's using a CM6631A. I got another one for cheap only to discover it's an earlier production run based on the version number on the PCB. And it's still using the same chip with the same problem.

Which tells me Schiit didn't know or didn't care. Either way, same chip might be in your DAC.

I'll take a look after my new one arrives. I don't want to turn it off and risk it not turning on right now, too many meetings.

Deathwing · Jul 10, 2023

Intrinsic said:
Sorry to hear mine isn't working out for you. I need to put something together again for my personal PC, just working on my business laptop 24/7 these days.

Does that GC7 have the stuff that Mist was raving about? The Super X-Fi? Can't remember exactly but remember the conversation about how awesome it was once it was all setup correctly.

It took a few years for my original one to manifest. I don't fault you for not knowing as you said it had been sitting around unused for while. It doesn't manifest as much in the summer, so if you keep your house above a certain temp(I'm cheap), you might not have even encountered it.

I suspect Schiit was deep into a production run before they could have had any idea about the issue. It was worth the few bucks to confirm there was an endemic issue with the product.

Brahma · Jul 10, 2023

Hekotat said:
Bought a Schiit Hel a few years back and it was a great amp for gaming but it had some issues with the power cable connector. So I picked up the Hel 2 with an upgraded USB C inputs and more power and the damn thing fails constantly and isn't recognized by windows. I hit up Schiit about it and they said they'd fix it for basically the same price as a new one. Turns out they picked some shitty chip that windows has a hard time with recognizing (I don't know the super detailed specifics, but many people are having this issue).

So I picked up a new amp, I know it's nothing fancy but since I mainly use it for gaming I figured it was the best bet with all the customization and game/voice adjustments.

Sound Blaster GC7

The Sound Blaster GC7 is the first in its series of premium gaming audio solutions for experienced gamers, content creators, and streamers. Packed with both Super X-Fi and Sound Blaster audio technologies, the GC7 offers more than just audiophile-grade audio. Enjoy quick and fully customizable...

us.creative.com

I JUST RMA'd my Schiit Magni like two weeks ago. Windows would not recognize it. Had Schiit replace the board like 64 bucks. Works great now.

Hekotat · Jul 12, 2023

Got the GC7 installed and messed around with some of the options, here are some quick take-aways.

Scout Mode - This is basically cheating with FPS games. I can tell exactly where the enemy is and I can toggle it with a hotkey on the amp itself.

SXFI - I was really skeptical about this mode but I have to say it really adds to the musical experience. I'll test with movies and games later tonight but so far it's quite impressive. It was a huge pain in the ass to scan my ear with my phone without someone to help me.

Sounds incredibly similar to the Hel2 so far quality wise, I can't tell a difference with the SXFI causing it to edge out the Hel2. Hatorade said the mic input sounded much better which I found impressive due to the Hel2 sounding so crisp and clear, it was one of the reasons I initially chose it.

Mist · Jul 12, 2023

Hekotat said:
Got the GC7 installed and messed around with some of the options, here are some quick take-aways.

Scout Mode - This is basically cheating with FPS games. I can tell exactly where the enemy is and I can toggle it with a hotkey on the amp itself.

SXFI - I was really skeptical about this mode but I have to say it really adds to the musical experience. I'll test with movies and games later tonight but so far it's quite impressive. It was a huge pain in the ass to scan my ear with my phone without someone to help me.

Sounds incredibly similar to the Hel2 so far quality wise, I can't tell a difference with the SXFI causing it to edge out the Hel2. Hatorade said the mic input sounded much better which I found impressive due to the Hel2 sounding so crisp and clear, it was one of the reasons I initially chose it.

What headphones are you using? I find that SXFI works much, much better with open-back headphones, specifically ones with huge passive soundstages. And I assume you selected your headphones from the list in the app? The equalizer in combination with SFXI also makes a huge difference for specific content types.

Needing two apps to make the product work optimally, and neither of them being particularly good, is the weakpoint.

Oh yeah, the GC7 also works natively on PS5. It does not work on Xbox Series X, so you have to go optical out from your TV into the back of the device.

Hekotat · Jul 12, 2023

Mist said:
What headphones are you using? I find that SXFI works much, much better with open-back headphones, specifically ones with huge passive soundstages. And I assume you selected your headphones from the list in the app? The equalizer in combination with SFXI also makes a huge difference for specific content types.

Needing two apps to make the product work optimally, and neither of them being particularly good, is the weakpoint.

Oh yeah, the GC7 also works natively on PS5. It does not work on Xbox Series X, so you have to go optical out from your TV into the back of the device.

I am currently using the Sennheiser PC38x (they are not on the list, but the PC37x are, I assume this is EQ settings which I already have going in EQ APO). I haven't tried the Sennheiser HD58X yet.

I agree with the app stuff, didn't realize I needed the second one on the PC til about 30 mins ago. I still can't find any info on what the other two SXFI modes do, I see the Battle Mode but no amount of searching tells me shit about the other two (Maybe one is off?).

Mist · Jul 12, 2023

Hekotat said:
I am currently using the Sennheiser PC38x (they are not on the list, but the PC37x are, I assume this is EQ settings which I already have going in EQ APO). I haven't tried the Sennheiser HD58X yet.

I agree with the app stuff, didn't realize I needed the second one on the PC til about 30 mins ago. I still can't find any info on what the other two SXFI modes do, I see the Battle Mode but no amount of searching tells me shit about the other two (Maybe one is off?).

You don't actually need the second app on the PC, you can do it from your phone and push the config that way. You can also use the phone app to control the Equalizer when using it with a PS5 or in Optical mode.

Battlemode is the SXFI version of Scout Mode, and the third SXFI mode is just SXFI off.

Scout Mode uses the old SBX amp, now renamed 'Acoustic Engine' and not SXFI. SBX/Acoustic Engine is mutually exclusive with SXFI.

Mist · Jul 12, 2023

Another huge feature of the GC7 is the fact that it represents itself to Windows as 2 audio devices. The second audio device doesn't have any of the effects and has a separate volume control, so you can put Discord and your Podcast player on the other audio device and get pure audio with a separate volume control.

Lanx · Jul 13, 2023

anyone use wireless airbuds? i've had a few "generic" ones that sound ok, i recently got galaxy pro 2 buds and they sound good and they mold them in a way that they don't fall outta my ear, it has anc and it passes the lawnmower test (but mine isn't that loud)

i didn't think i'd care about "software", but it's actually really nice to control and customize, they also have gyro so they can sense when they are put in the air (cuz you twist to secure), they also can detect when theyre in the ear for voice calls so i don't have to "fish" for em to answer a call too.

my wife has regular airpods and she likes em, i got her airpods pro 2 to test out (only pros come w/ anc)

Xerge · Jul 13, 2023

Lanx said:
anyone use wireless airbuds? i've had a few "generic" ones that sound ok, i recently got galaxy pro 2 buds and they sound good and they mold them in a way that they don't fall outta my ear, it has anc and it passes the lawnmower test (but mine isn't that loud)

i didn't think i'd care about "software", but it's actually really nice to control and customize, they also have gyro so they can sense when they are put in the air (cuz you twist to secure), they also can detect when theyre in the ear for voice calls so i don't have to "fish" for em to answer a call too.

my wife has regular airpods and she likes em, i got her airpods pro 2 to test out (only pros come w/ anc)

shockingly OnePlus makes amazing wireless buds - I was on the hunt for black wireless buds with a similar profile to airpods and finally came across them.

Amazon product ASIN B0BQN7Y8BB

ToeMissile · Jul 13, 2023

i've only had Airpods (Gen2) and recently picked up Airpods Pro2. Main reasons to update were comfort and battery life as the majority of my media consumption as of late has been through my samsung s6 lite tablet while doing dishes/clean up after the kids go to sleep. I was also curious about the noise transparency mode for running as I don't not being able to hear cars etc. Similarly, while out grocery shopping or whatever else. So far it's met all my expectations.

Lanx · Jul 13, 2023

ToeMissile said:
i've only had Airpods (Gen2) and recently picked up Airpods Pro2. Main reasons to update were comfort and battery life as the majority of my media consumption as of late has been through my samsung s6 lite tablet while doing dishes/clean up after the kids go to sleep. I was also curious about the noise transparency mode for running as I don't not being able to hear cars etc. Similarly, while out grocery shopping or whatever else. So far it's met all my expectations.

yea thats why i got the airpods pro2 along w/ anc, my wife complained the gen2 barely lasted 3hrs

Hekotat · Jul 14, 2023

Lanx said:
anyone use wireless airbuds? i've had a few "generic" ones that sound ok, i recently got galaxy pro 2 buds and they sound good and they mold them in a way that they don't fall outta my ear, it has anc and it passes the lawnmower test (but mine isn't that loud)

i didn't think i'd care about "software", but it's actually really nice to control and customize, they also have gyro so they can sense when they are put in the air (cuz you twist to secure), they also can detect when theyre in the ear for voice calls so i don't have to "fish" for em to answer a call too.

my wife has regular airpods and she likes em, i got her airpods pro 2 to test out (only pros come w/ anc)

I recently found out you can use the Wavelet App and import those EQ settings from here GitHub - jaakkopasanen/AutoEq: Automatic headphone equalization from frequency responses

Made my Jabras sound much better.

Lanx · Jul 14, 2023

i hate to admit it, but i'm also liking that i can control my galaxy earbuds w/ my galaxy watch...

it's really stoopid, i know

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