This is a review of sound cards that are for headphones. I will only gloss over the important attributes of the sound sources. Headphones, Senheisser HD558’s, Hyper X Cloud. Microphone, broke off ear cup from Razer Kraken headset.
Xonar DX:
Xonar DX has a very good power delivery maybe the best out of the 3. The dac is not colored and is analytical which is most sought after. It’s 7.1 software is very good although I mainly use open back so I don’t use it unless I have a closed back headphone on. When using the HD 558’s it drives the headphones very evenly and detail is neutral sounding.
When driving the Hyperx clouds with the velour pads which I do not recommend it is harsh and dry on the treble. When driving the Hyper X clouds with the leatherette pad’s their is emphasis on the bass but it evens out and sounds more even when wearing glasses which open’s up the headphones a bit.
The line in / optical input sounds amazing. Very good for capturing voice quality. And if you like to record vinyl to flac then this card is perfect.
No grounding issues with this card. I am running the card above the power supply and no interference issues unless amped to like 100%. But when amped extremely high the card suppresses the interference and their is no negative side effects to the sound. No cross-talk of any sort with the wires in back.
Fiio X3:
The Fiio X3 uses the Wolfson dac and has a sweet sounding mid-range and make’s the music intimate and fun sounding. When using the Fiio X3 in the dac function you can use the headphone out. Which gives you the sound signature of the X3 which is fun sounding and makes epic music sound sweet and more epic like the tears of angles. When using the line out in the dac function on the X3 you get a wider sound-stage but the sound signature in neutral and their is no emphasis on the mid-range, but very good clarity and separation of the instruments.
When using the Hyper X Clouds with the velour ear cups the treble is more bearable. And the sound signature is very engaging on the clouds adding to the mid-range provided on the headphones. Very engaging with Rock and Metal. :Note I find that turning down the treble to -2 on the clouds it becomes a little more easy to listen to:
When using the HD 558’s the music is just as engaging but has a better sound stage due to it being open back. Yet it is slightly laid back but just as engaging and intimate sounding when using the headphone jack. The HD 558’s open up even more and have better separation of audio and good clarity when using the line out on the Fiio X3.
ALC 1150:
The on board audio provided by my Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H has a similar sound signature compared to the Wolson dac provided by the Fiio X3. Their is a ton of crosstalk when plugged into the back ports with the Hyper X clouds. And the the microphone input does not sound clean but does just fine for on board audio. But sounds hairy when using mic boost.
These can be remedied by using better cabling with the microphone and Hyper X Clouds. Their are no issues with cross while using the HD 558’s due to it having superior cabling. The ALC 1150 drives the HD 558’s quite well but it is not as good as the Fiio X3 in comparison.
When using the HD 558’s detail is good and they are slightly easier to drive. But have better clarity and with the HD 558’s than the Xonar DX. The sound stage is not as open with the HD 558’s through the ALC 1150 and is too focused on the center stage.
Music used for comparison: Bruce Fucloner SSJ3 From Dragon Ball Z / Judas Priest Sad Wing’s of Destiny Repertoire Remaster / Anthrax TNT Cover / God Smack 20 Years of God Smack
TLDR: Xonar DX: Analytical sound signature. No crosstalk when using headphones even with cable sheathing. Great sound stage.
Fiio X3: Sweet sounding sound signature and great detail with headphone out. Better instrument separation and soundstage with line-out. better incremental volume control.
ALC 1150: Slightly similar sound stage to the Fiio X3. Better cabling is need to eliminate any crosstalk. Soundstage is good but more focused on the center stage.
You can take my dinner. But you’ll never take my music!