This Headphone Amp will Blow Gamers' Minds!!!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- Never thought the day would come, when I give in and fully recommend trying the new 7.1 Surround Sound mode with the GSX 1000 amp. When paired with an open-back headset, the audio atmosphere is truly mind blowing & enjoyable.
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Has anyone told you that you look like the guy from Guardians of the Galaxy?
Andre Jordan ahaha lmao I was thinking the same watching that movie earlier
Andre Jordan Yeah man, he looks like Groots clone
meta man I meant Chris Pratt.
Andre Jordan Oh you mean Rocket Raccoon? I see it lol...
Wtf i wrote the same comments his other video. Wow..You copy my comment :(
i cant believe this video came out 7 years ago...
Great review Dimitri. I have had the unit for 3 days (w/598 SE) and couldn't agree more with your critique. IMO, the biggest problem is the price. $220 USD is really steep given the small gripes. I paid $160 and I thought that was kind of high. That being said, the GSX 1000 + Senn 598 SE + Mod Mic is probably the ultimate gaming audio setup ATM.
+paskowitz nice setup! Identical to mine :)
paskowitz you don't need the SE version...
the se version is one dollar cheaper and has better color...
That's your opinion.
the one dollar cheaper part isn't, just the color part. You just made it seem like getting the se was a dumb decision
What's up guys, just got my GSX 1000, the quality is superb, having this in your hands and using it lets you know they put some real thought into this design and quality. I mostly play Rainbow6 Siege, the 7.1 sounds great don't get me wrong, but for FPS it doesn't really suit it well, this is because (at least as far as I can tell) the 7.1 is increasing your sound stage like CRAZY so sound fills the room, like literally it sounds like you're there, but I prefer the 2.0 channel when I'm playing because it gives more precise information instead of the immersion that 7.1 gives (for example: say you are playing terrorist hunt in game, you're in a room with a speaker, with 7.1 on, that speaker music will fill up the entire room, you'll still know its direction as to where the source of the sound is, but the sound is also filling up the entire room, this makes sense and sounds good, but for competitive you don't need all that). That goes without saying that on any other game that's not competitive such as an open world, the 7.1 sounds sensational. The only downside I guess if you can call it one is that if you want 24bit 96,000 Hz you CAN set it up it by changing it in audio manager (the sound is f*cking juicy) BUT you can't use the other features that come with the GSX 1000 such as hearing yourself when you speak, the eq presets (which aren't anything special anyways, maybe the only good one is the music if you like more BASS), and the reverb. Other than that if you're looking for a super easy setup, great sound quality, and god damn good looks on a device, I would definitely recommend this for someone who is not an audiophile but rather a gamer looking to have much much better sound quality!!!
you can remove the bass right? ill probally use 2.0 too
R6 is notorious for sound pollution. Every map has something that will fuck up your sound space regardless of your nice setup. It's why you turn down the music completely in settings and shoot everything in game that pollutes the sound. This includes jukeboxes, speakers, enemies, etc. Yacht and Border are obnoxious with the sound pollution--constant announcements, raging snowstorms, motherfucking helicopter that you can't even board (despite it being a feature in trailers) and what not. I don't think the amp would solve the pollution, it would just make it more noticeable.
That being said, Siege does a terrible job with vertical sound regardless, so really, it's just Siege messing with you.
Side note: KliksPhilip has a great video on video game sound engines, I'd go check it out.
@@minecraftace123 do you play on console ? Does this amp work with console ?
@@Pattyd16 I play on PC. I'm almost certain that amps don't work on console.
Thanks for your feedback. What headset did you pair this with?
I just reviewed these too and honestly it is hard tto explain how magical this amp really is
Nicolas Melia completely disagree. this amp destroys other gaming amps....and regular headphone amps as well
People who not yet test this will call it crap because they think its just another crap virtual surround sound. People need to ignore what else is on the market and try the GSX out its truly excellent.
shankly1985 agreed
will this give surround if i use ath m50x?
Octavio yes it will
In all of your video you forgot about one thing. Take the signal from the amp, record it and put online so we can actually hear it.
Yup, doing a separate audio/video test on that for all to hear :D
HardwareCanucks didnt expect u to see that comment :p. Im really sceptical about such devices... Mostly they ruin the sound a music engineer wanted to achieve (im one myself). But here goes a thumb up for doing the test!
If you are a sound engineer you would know there is no point of Dimitri doing that.
there is. not in terms of sound quality, but the virtual surround sound the device outputs.
jason lee My bad but when he releases that new video I'll be listening to virtual surround through virtual surround.
GSX1000? Are Sennheiser making motorcycles now?
Great and cheap ones haha
Dmitry tried the product and even having already experienced several gamers headsets with 7.1 surround and not liked them, he recommended this amp. So I imagine that this time the covered product really fulfills what it promises. It is not because the product is GAMER directed that it is necessarily bad, obv overpriced, but nothing beyond that. I do not understand why so many critics of people who have never tested this product ... what about trying the thing before hate it??? Such a great review dmitry !!
+Dhener Abade thank you for understanding what this product is :) haha so many angry in the comments!
How the crap are we supposed to try a 230€ audio product? lol
The problem with that AMP is that you can't trust any reviews because there's almost no way for you to validate their statements.
Hello. I need some of your advice. I used for 2 years Asus Phoebus soundcard. Recently it died, now its 6 feet under. I am thinking a lot of somting new and my thinking machine is tired. Mostly I need it for games. And GSX1000's surround is a big plus. But I listen a lot of music too. Is it same as Phoebus, it was good enough for me. Now I have stoped between Asus Essence STX 2 and GSX 1000. I suppose, STX 2 have better overall sound, but GSX wins in 7.1.
HardwareCanucks which 598s do u use ?? I would like to either get the x58/6xx or even sane much more money and get the 598 ?? Help plz. Btw I absolutely love you vids!!!.
Because Sennheiser isnt a "gaming" brand, you cant get a Sennheiser keyboard, mouse, or any other gaming accessories so most people gloss over it. "Gaming" brands are very good at selling junk for cheap and passing it off as budget gaming like the astro A10s which are a dumpster fire compared to real headphones in the price market but also most people game onm consoles so they cant easily have a stand alone mic and decent headset.
This amp is brilliant, I can highly recommend these to anyone that wants to take their headphone experience to the next level.
I just got this in and honestly can’t decide if I like it or not. Been playing games with my new PC 37X headset and was BLOWN away by how clear, crisp and wide the sound is. Music to games it’s amazing. Plugged this GSX 1000 to it and idk, I’m not really noticing a difference other than the sound doesn’t seem as wide. Almost like it’s covering the smaller sounds
Update: Keeping it. Definitely adds more punch to everything
Been using this unit for almost 3 weeks now and am still blown away each time I play a game. The surround sound of the gsx has set the bar so high I think it won't be beaten for years to come.
+shankly1985 so true! The challenge is explanation of the 7.1 effect to those who have tried and dropped surround sound because it sucked on other devices.
HardwareCanucks that was me I have always hated surround sound from SBZ, razer, dolby headphone, corsair they all had this horrible echo effect that I just couldn't get on with.
Sennheiser sold this to me with there bold claims of the best surround sound etc I had to try it.
£200 is abit high priced I feel but this is the price you pay if you want the best sadly.
£130 to £150 would be the ideal pricing.
HardwareCanucks does it work for PS4 and Xbox 1 ?
PC/Mac only
shankly1985 thx
I just ordered the GSX 1000 and Game One. I hope it lives up to your review. Edit: I received the GSX 1000 and Sennheiser Game Zero's (I tried Game Ones but open back let in too much external noise) and really like this combo. It provides much better directional sound and footsteps in PUBG than any headset I have tried (Razer Kraken 7.1, Man O War, Corsair Void Pro, HyperX Cloud Flight). Movie mode is good for World of Warships because of the music but isn't very good otherwise. The TH-cam videos I've watched have also sounded great and the gf is impressed. It could use some better presets which is my main complaint but the firmware update is pretty recent (Dec 2017) if I recall from the update notes. Be sure to plug it into a USB 2.0 as it has problems with 3.0/1.
For that price i'd rather buy a Schiit stack than a "gaming" oriented amp, even though it's from Sennheiser, which is beyond reputable
Schitt is the shit, man.
yup and if suround was that important to me i'd simply ditch the headphones all together and build a proper surround system
That is, if you have a sufficiently large budget and good room acoustics. Headphones are the more convenient and relatively inexpensive alternative.
Ayy I see someone partakes of the Zeos as well
Small Vocaloid and UTAU Promotions i agree with room acoustics (or space) but the budget argument is moot. localy i regularly see people selling entire PROPER (not logitech!) surround systems for $200. (Paradigm, Psb, Energy, Polk ) I could get you a real system that is more maintainable than this integrated solution and it would actually cost you less :D (oh and it would sound incredible)
I bought this product based on what you said at 4:20 about the "pass through toggle", AKA side tone feature. Well, it does indeed have that feature.... BUIT even at the maximum off three available settings (off, low, high) I could still barely hear my own voice. This was even without any other audio coming through my headset. I am going to return this item and continue my search for a solution for my closed headset that allows me to hear and record my own voice in real time while playing Destiny 2.
seems expensive for what it is and the target audience
Sennheiser logo. It's a cheap pos. Status icons stencil lit by led's, straight out of the 80's. The dac is decent, but that isn't an achievement, and the amp is class d... It's no better than any amp priced MUCH cheaper, this only costs so much because of the logo. Christ, it only goes up to 150 ohms, my motherboard can already drive that. Only useful if you want to downsample full surround to stereo, but it will actually ruin good binaural stereo sound(pre downsampled), that many new games already do by selecting the 'headphones' option in the audio settings. Seems funny actually, a Sennheiser audio accessory that is designed to shit on the way the audio is suppose to sound, considering their typical user base.
Just buy a smsl, or a FiiO, if you want a good value dac/amp
Richard Smith Pls use a product before criticizing it, specs aren't everything. You haven't tried their signature surround sound algorithm and that is the main selling point.
Daniel Duedu I mentioned that as being the only reason for purchase, and already stated I didn't think its worth it, seeing as good built in binaural downsampling is becoming the norm.
As far as the other specs, they are important. The surround sound is the only variable that cannot be evaluated based on specs alone.
We're gamers, we play games. Games need surround sound. This is basically just the highest tier of USB sound card. At this price range you'll ALWAYS lose value.
Actually it's aimed perfectly at gamers. Everything a Gamer buys is expensive. From build to monitor. This amp is a bleep in their already spent 2k+ setups
I HEAVILY considered buying the GSX 1000, but opted for Creative's BlasterX G1 purely for the amazing amount of control of the audio enhancements, and the ability to save different profiles for different games or headsets
Recently bought the Sennheiser Game One, after seeing your review. At first i felt cheated out of my 220 Euro, due to being used to Virtual Surround that my previous Logitech G35 had, but i've gotten used to it and it sounds amazing now.
I'd buy that amp easily if it's price was ~100 Euro, no questions asked. But that price is too much. Hopefully it goes way lower in the next 6 months and hopefully this is just a starting price.
I was conemplating into buying a sound card, perhpas the soundblaster Z.
However, after having speaken to some people from Sennheiser, they recommended me to wait, for their 50 Euro virtual surround usb sound card that has Dolby and is coming out in the near future.
Dimitri, could it be possible for you to make a test on how the sound would sound with this AMP? I've seen some youtube videos where they showcase how various sound cards surround sound sounds. I don't know how it's achieved, since i don't have the soundcard, yet i am able to listen and tell apart the various surround sounds on my stereo headset by listening to some youtube vids that make those comparisons.
Could such a vid be made about this amp? You know record the sound and have us hear it th rough youtube, without owning this amp?
Such an amazing pair! Definitely has an adjustment period for its sound signature.
HardwareCanucks yeah, i kept hearing about people saying that the higher quality headphones,you have to keep trying them out for a while to break them out or something along those lines.
I never had to do that with any other pair that i owned, but boy was it worth it and boy was i wrong at the first couple of days.
If this had a SPDIF input I might buy it even at this price. My receiver has an optical monitor out that I use with a Turtle Beach wireless headset, and I have an older Turtle Beach base unit, from when they still had headphone jacks, piggy-backed on it for when I don't need a mic. It works well enough with my 250 ohm DT-880s and I think the surround mixing they do sounds good. With that setup I can use it on console, PC and TV. I don't really play enough multiplayer PC games to make this thing worthwhile, but if Sennheiser made a home theater-focused surround decoder I'd be very interested in upgrading my convoluted setup.
So then the thing to try is with the HTC Vive. I would buy one in a heartbeat if you test the use of the GSX 1000 on a vive.
Hello, which is better sound blaster g6 or sennheiser gsx 1000? Greetings
This would be worth it at around $150. At $230, it lacks content provided by the current crop of external sound processors. The Sound Blaster E5 comes to mind, as it can process 7.1 surround through headphones AND it has a battery + bluetooth (so it's a mobile DAC/AMP) and can drive high-end headphones effortlessly.
Sennheiser needs to reprice this in order to make it a truly compelling product.
I'd pay 99 bucks for this.
I think it's worth more than $99
the worth is subjective to the buyer. after all, people pay tens of thousands for worthless diamonds. if we are talking strictly parts cost, then I'd say it's about 40 bucks.
80386 but as with any product, you cannot just pay for parts. You're also paying for R&D, testing, assembly, support, warranty, etc.
that's why in the prior comment I wrote 100 bucks is the fair price in my perception
Connected my Soundbar to it. Works and sounds great. Although I found it weird I couldn't set the dac to 7.1 on speaker output. But it still works fine setting windows to 7.1
OH GOD I WANT TO TURN THAT DIAL SO BAD.
I have the GSX 1200, and you can hold the top left and bottom right red bar for 10 seconds to enter "tournament mode" and it locks/disables those "annoying" red bars
Would love to hear a demo of the surround this box produces. Would be great to see some gameplay and audio from the device recorded.
+Cim yup, doing a surround recording with a few games. Coming this week.
Also please do a comparison to Razer Surround as well! And any other virtual surround options you have at your disposal (CMSS, SRS, Dolby Headphone).
Cim mi
@@HardwareCanucks did you ever record using this device i want to hear the surround sound.
Cim, I have heard recordings using this product and although you can tell the differnce, those vids do NOT do the GSX any justice. It sounds way better in person than through a youtube video for one reason or another. It is the best virtual surround I have heard so far. It's more realistic to me and my ears adapted to it almost instantly as if I was not wearing headphones, especially with a headphone that is really comforitable as to where you don't really feel it on your head. I paired it with the MAssDrop 58X due to is very good imaging capabilities and it is very impressive to say the least.
The esports preset is useful. It minimizes bass and ups the treble to allow you to hear audio cues better without having bass drown it out, especially when loud bassy sounds can roll over into other frequencies, masking some sound cues. It's not meant to sound good, it's meant to give a competitive advantage. Still, great video!
U saying I can finally experience the virtual barber shop in video games⁉️⁉️
Finally 😃
Just got a BeyerDynamics customgame headset for free from a lan. I tested them out for a week just using them to play music and stuff and I'm really impressed with the quality. However, as far as gaming is concerned, my previous headset is a logitech G35 (virtual surround sound) that I absolutely love for gaming since the "surround" really works in regards to deciphering where footsteps and gunshots are coming from. I play a lot of Tarkov and Siege so knowing where sounds are coming from is really important. Obviously this headset doesn't have the surround feature since it uses a 3.5 connector, and I noticed immediately that pinpointing sounds is a lot harder. I think I might pick one of these up if the surround is as good as people are saying it is. I personally loved the surround that the G35 offered and if this amp can provide something comparable, I'd love to hear it from someone who has similar experience to me.
I literally just got a par of M50x today. Would this be a good investment for an amp? It's not a DAC right? I was shopping for a DAC/amp.
Any decent DAC should be strong enough to drive your headphones.
And unless you want virtual surround, even some cheap 30$ DACs should be more than adequate for the job.
Micca Origen, Origen + are good options. SMSL makes some nice dac amps that would match the m50x as well. I have the same headphones and an SMSL M2 DAC, but i don't recommend that one as it is more of a travel DAC and has some unpleasant popping noises for windows alert noises. Check out Z Reviews channel for more DACs.
The FiiO E10K and the SMSL M3 are nice entry level AMP/DAC combos that power most headphones fine. if you need a cheaper amp or want one for portable use (Laptops and newer phones), the FiiO K1 is nice for the price.
Just like what the review says, its an AMP/DAC combo but is not powerful enough to drive high impedance headphones (M50X is relatively easy to drive). The DAC is the one that creates the 7.1 mode.
Try it out and see for yourself if it is worth the price.
don't buy this overpriced shit, buy little dot mk II instead
Hi Dimitri, NEWS UPDATE;
Well, I pulled the trigger yesterday and decided to buy the GSX1000. In addition to the amp, I also bought, well, PRE-ordered those new cans, the GSP500's. Brian over at Badseed Tech gave this a killer recommendation when paired together. I think I've checked out all the "legit" reviews on YT for these two products, and they have all essentially gave both these products a big thumbs up.
I should be receiving the GSX1000 sometime next week. But the GSP500's will be a while longer due to a backorder. :( It's slated for a May 31st delivery date. I'll keep my fingers crossed people.
Sennheiser is just the DeFacto King of audio not beats. And I really like their products cause that gear is just dope.
many other people would say other wise...
Risto Mladich Thats cause they haven't gotten their minds blown by that quality Sennheisers blast into your ears.
+Kuunib there are many other players in the sound game, for example fostex is amazing, and audeze is another one with serious high end stuff
Kuunib yeah sure... keep thinking like that just proves that you have no headphones.
Risto Mladich I have headphones like ~4 I just like Sennheiser the best
Is it possible to use an amplifier in addition to this to give a 300 Ohm pair of headphones ample juice?
Very nice review. I recently discovered you and I am proud. I bought a Logitech G633 after watching your review! Looking forward for more awsome content! Keep it up!
Nice, the G633 is awesome. They may not fair as well with plastic over years but they sure sound great.
I agree that the microphone input does clip a little, but I think the unit sounded more like you. The front mic port sound too high pitched compared to your normal videos.
I dont understand, is this just headphone amp, or does it have sound card in itself?
Its a DAC and AMP its an external sound device.
if you have this. you do not need a soundcard.
+Christian Hogue this becomes your main audio unit.
So Christian Hogue is right
Kacper Dąbrowski correct
When using this kind of product on a PC would it be beneficial to invest in a soundcard as opposed to just using the mobo?
i was hoping that this was enough for my HD650, thanks for the amazing review!
clickbait title is super annoying for such a usually professional channel
when i saw the title i thought
"Wait Literally??"
The GSX 1000 vs the SoundblasterX G6?
so it changes any stereo headset to 7.1?
Yup. This unit converts the audio signal into surround sound without much modification to the original sound signature. It's pretty incredible.
E-sport doesn't sound bad, reduce of bass is what you need to spot footsteps on FPS games...
Is a feature made for the competitive players that sacrifice everything for better performance.
bet u feel like a jedi waking up the display :3
yup lol
say "These aren't the Droids your looking for" every time
Excellent review, but it leaves (2) questions unanswered:
1.) Do open backed headphones like the Sennheiser HD 500 benefit from this sound processor, or is the benefit mostly for more closed headsets?
2. I really preferred the sound and detail of your voice plugged directly into your computer, are you saying that there is no way or workaround to restore the detail of your voice using windows? If the voice processing is non-defeatable somehow/someway then this is a showstopper for me.
Can you hook it up to an Xbox one?
*READ*
So, for a while now I have been using the Logitech G633 Surround Sound gaming headset and I've loved it. I used to hear many people complain about how gaming headsets are terrible and you should get a headphone and an amp with a microphone on your desk. I got the microphone; however, I believed people were just being 'proud' about their audio equipment, and that there really is no sense to what they were saying. Those 'gaming headsets' didn't apply to me because I believed my Logitech ones were spot on, but something in me did want to try something new. I hear praise for open back headphones (especially for Sennheiser, AKG, Beyerdynamic ETC). After weeks of pain staking research I've decided to get the Sennheiser HD 598 SR and pair it with the Sennheiser GSX 1000. Oh. My. Lord. The people were right on both fronts. Solid open back 'audiophile' grade headphones with this DAC/AMP is the best decision I've done. For one, I can now here my loud clicky keyboard again (people on TS were right lol), and second of all, everything just sounds amazing! Hooking this up properly with these headphones and enabling 7.1 was easy and a dream. I decided to test it out on Player Unknowns Battlegrounds (PUBG). Okay.. I need to say straight up. This thing is pretty much wall hacks at this point. I thought so with my Logitech headset, but boy was I wrong. I can hear anything and everything many meters away. I can tell if they're upstairs or downstairs, which in itself isn't a big deal, but the fact I can tell their exact location from 3 or so houses away is crazy. It truly is something to experience. Feel free to ask any questions.
(For those interested, I decided upon the HD 598 instead of AKG K7XX. No regrets)
hey thanks for the input i was wondering if i should change my setup cuz im using the G933 which is basically the wireless version of the G633. I guess i will give it a try however, should i ge tthe same headphones as you the HD 598 or opt for the Game One headphones? Everyone says don't buy gamer headphones and just get proper high end headphones. But i could never figure out exactly why? is it cheaper? does the advertising of the gamer ones just jack up the price? what made you go for the HD 598 SR?
Edit: just looked up your headset and it appears it doesn't have its own microphone. I can however; buy it with a microphone. Not sure if it'll be any good (Amazon). Also, this TH-camr said "its better for being immersed not for competitive gaming" do you agree? cuz it seems like you've been using it for competitive (PUBG) and were able to pin point where everyone was. He mentions this in the other video where he basically lets you hear what it sounds like. at the very end in his conclusion he says that its best for games like witcher 3 but not so much for competitive... So im confused. I want to be able to pin point where everyone is. i did so much sound whoring in Black Ops 3 using the Sony PlayStation surround sound headset and I absolutely would not play PS4 without it.
I have a Samson Meteor mic so I can't comment on the Game One as I have the 598. The Game One I believe is based off of the 518 and the 558. The 598 has better build quality and a cleaner sound signature. If you can, get the 598 and a desk / mod mic.
I was thinking of just grabbing the Game ones however; im so torn right now. if i buy it from amazon canada, it'll cost me 305 CAD plus i'll be able to return it free of charge if i don't like it. If i buy it from Amazon US i'll be able to buy it for ~230$ CAD but i will have to pay for international shipping if i want to return it. Another downside is if i Get it from canada i can get it by Aug 30th whereas the US amazon will send it sept 6-13
Not sure if i should spend the extra ~75$ for better return policy incase i don't like it or save that money and just get it from US amazon. GAH...
i'm also getting the GSX 1000 too.
Hi i have sennheiser hd 579, do u recomend gsx 1000 for my headphone? the sound will amazing like u have? sorry for bad english
Yes. From my research the HD 579 is similar to a HD 599 but with less base and flatter tone. You will get pretty much the same sound I am getting. I recommend the GSX 1000
what camera is this, the G7 or G85?
G7 + Sigma 18-35
👍😍
so it really works with every gaming headphones? I just want to make sure, because I think I'll get one when I'm back home. I have a hyperx cloud revolver and I like it for the price and the sound. Will it work Canucks?
doesn't dimitri look like star lord from guardians of the galaxy ???
Plaguefather yep
XD
Plaguefather A lot
I have one for zoom calls. Due to a perforated left eardrum, I struggle to hear. I'm not a gamer. This device is wonderful, I can hear everything being said in crystal clarity. Fantastic!
Guys can someone link me to a good audio enthusiasts noob guide?
The thing is the more i dive deep into this world the more i understand having a good pair of headphones is just a little piece of the frame, then how do i get to learn how to see the whole frame?
How can i get started into this world while minimizing the risks to spend lots of money for huge letdowns?
Headphones is the biggest piece, followed by amp and dac.
ls13coco but what about sound cards? i mean i guess it would be important as well...maybe(?)
And how would this product in the vid classify as, strictly an amp? i'm quite confused ,:)
Dapix sound cards are basically an internal amp/dac but there really hasn't been much progress on them recently, also they aren't as popular as external solutions because sound cards take up room in your pc, can hinder airflow to the gpu and still pick up sound from inside your computer even with a shield on a expensive card.
Without looking heavily into it, this seems to be an all in one because a amp generally wouldn't have the ability to change presets of the eq or enable 7.1 sound, or have a usb plug for that matter.
Are you looking for something primarily for gaming or more so multimedia?
ls13coco oooh i see!
Oh no no, i sure as hell play alot, but music has priority 100%
I mean it's rather hard to say what i want, what i'm looking for, because i have so little experience .
All i can tell is that i used cheap earphones my entire life, till one day my father found his old pair of sony somewhere in the house, and man....it was like removing the earplugs i never knew i wore, for the first time in my life.
I never knew digital sound could sound so good, i had ton of experience with "analog sound" i played guitar and piano for quite some time, but hey....wow.
I bought and still own a pair of sennheiser 380 pro and that was my first "serious" (i guess, or at least "more serious") pair of headphones.
Discovering this new sound quality also made me discover electronic music as well (well that and realizing there is more than shitty edm out there in the world).
Now i want to step up my game, see how much there is still to hear and get hooked up on a new level of quality.
I want to experience that "first time actually being able to hear" kinda experience again
Dapix Ahh yes, that sounds sort of like what I went through! Buying Sennheisers changed my audio world. It was only a matter of time as a guitarist as well haha.
Well I can definitely confirm that a dac/amp does step up the sound, still just behind the headphones though.
There's a lot of price ranges out there, you could look up reviews and comparisons of sub $50 sound cards, sub $100 and definitely have better audio. If you have more money to burn I would look up brands such as Schiit (yes pronounced how it sounds lol) and Mayflower just to name a couple that create high value for the dollar units. They both have amp/dac combos, or also Schiit has a popular "Schiit stack" of the cheapest amp and dac separately and using them together.
I'd go for the Mayflower amp/dac combo if money isn't an issue personally.
I've also learned recently that you do not need 192khz sample rate. 24bit 96khz is all that anyone needs for the majority of music etc, so if those numbers are the deciding factor in anything you're looking at - and the 96khz product is a fair amount more in your price range, it'll be just fine!
Making this a long comment but whatever haha, solid state amps are primarily what are priced reasonably. Like the Mayflower and most of Schiit. They give generally the most true, unadulterated sound.
Tube amps many think of as "funner, warmer" sounding but less analytical. I want a tube amp one day but I'd not worry about that yet!
One last note too, this unit in the video actually seems to be more of a dac than amp considering it can't power very high impedance headphones
Is the Witcher 3 Audio processed through the surround algorithm? It would have been nicer if you had a longer segment of the sound effects without talking over it.
So should I upgrade my fiio e10k to this? I use the hifi man he350
Mr_NarwhaL I wouldn't, for that money you could actually buy headphones with huge soundstage (Fidelio x2) instead of going with the software bs route.
Fabrizio Ariel Mancuello Rios I have the Fidellio x2. Do you think buying this amp will improve the soundstage even more? Iam using the onboard soundcard of asus hero viii motherboard.
ken neth using X1 here and it's excellent. I did some gameplay recorded from the gsx on my channel.
ken neth It may help with the width itself but that sort of thing makes certain frequencies veiled and messed up. 2 ears, 2 drivers, no need for virtual 7.1. For that kind of money I would much rather get a DAC or an amp, especially the DAC, since Fidelios are easy to drive.
Fabrizio Ariel Mancuello Rios don't judge this unit on what you have already listen to before. The 7.1 from the gsx is excellent and this is coming from someone who always said same has you.
The difference this unit makes games sound is special I heard nothing like it before.
Hi Dimitri and everyone
Fantastic review!!!
How is the 7.1 sound for music? Is it good when compared with dolby? And those spatial/ surround/ acute reverb effect for listening music that you get from good av receivers? That clean and wide soundstage?
I don't like the clickbait title and I dislike hoe ads aren't being included more smoothly. I feel like the title and thr video does not properly help people make buying decisions.
so tempted to just buy it to try it. just changed a secondary computer to an itx, so this would be great for the positional audio in games. but that price just for the positional sound? i loved the old CMSS-3D and the new SBX doesn't cut it for me fully. too many gimmicks most people won't use on this for that price.
Damn, just bought me a Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 250ohm and a Creative Soundblaster ZXR.
nah you're good with that setup man.
Ashley Williams Everything Creative Labs is shit, low quality, just gimmicks and overpriced
Sennheiser's surround sound engine is better than Creative's. It's not all marketing hype, but still perhaps a bit too expensive.
Hmm... I have the Creative Sound Blaster Zx installed in my rig. Got it in February. However, upon taking a look at the ZxR, I just may want to replace my current sound card with that one. :-)
Additionally, my main head gear is the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro. Incidentally, when I built this rig, I made the decision that I was returning to using a sound card and that I was no longer going to use a head-set. By the way, HD 280 Pro is mainly the for the mid-range sound by design, so I utilize the the following software... Equalizer APO along with the PEACE GUI. This pairing of software really brings out the highs and lows on the HD 280 Pro.
I'm still using my logitech g930 wireless headset. I'm super picky with surround sound headsets, so I always go through a variety of tests like tossing a nade in a direction with my eyes closed then seeing where the mark is compared to where I heard it. The G930's do that, and sounds very good.
For this price, there are astro a50's, etc. Sort of a weird amp presented here.
I think it cost $220 because of the LED & Gaming...
add more RGB it will be $270...
Ou yeah, I like 2016, can't wait for 2017...
I'm from 2019 and I'm here to say oh yeah yeah
@@tycoonmaster4606 bro im here from 2022 to say oh yeah yeah yeah
Is volume up really clockwise? That seems backwards to me. I would also like to see Bluetooth for answering your phone. That would be an added benefit for such a nice looking amp.
Volume up is clockwise... yes the normal way :p Why does that seem backwards to you?
murderdogg maybe you should tell us what a clock is first.
I don't think I've ever seen a device that has volume up counter-clockwise. You always turn the knob to the right if you want more and left if you want less of whatever you're controlling.
Clairvoyant81 Electric stoves and ball valves go counter to increase
I do AC and refrigeration. Maybe that's the problem here. Haha good point. What about car stereo volume knobs?
Dislike for clickbait title
The Mighty Voice _l_
Great video. You tried this with Razer Krakens? Might have to pick this up. I bought a Kraken Forged, and am to say the least very disappointed with the sound quality. How do Krakens sounds when hooked up to this bad boy? Thanks :)
So a game zero with this amp is 🔥🔥🔥
Dude may I add your video quality is crazy crisp and clear! what you using for a video camera?
We've come to a point where seeing a Macbook induces a cringe - mostly at the pointless waste of money, especially with tech pros. The dislike however is for the cheap clickbait title.
Insulting a MacBook is not getting annoying at all lol :p Appreciate your input on the title. What would be more appropriate for you sir?
Macbooks are annoying, if that annoys you, don't use one on TH-cam.
"Sennheiser GSX 1000, pricey but is it worth it?" - simple, unassuming, objective and true, per your review. Love your channel, btw. Really. :)
We originally had a more straight forward title, very similar to what you propose. However SEO for GSX 1000 (which also is a motorcycle model) are terrible for this type of product. Thus we need to get creative with the titles to reach a wider audience, plus hopefuly people watch the full video to understand the pros/cons that are discussed. :D
-Dmitry.
Thanks the Canucks , im thinking about investing in a gsx 1200 pro , keep up the good reviews man , you are the one
Does the 7.1 on this work with a pair of Sennheiser Game ZERO?
It is designed for that
So it goes better with closed-back headphone or open air headphone?
Just wanted to say: Fuck this title....
Nice video. I decided to buy this after watching your video. Dell had it on sale for 169$ USD. It’s amazing for games especially Project Cars 2 and Destiny 2. I haven’t had any problems with it moving around on my desk even though it isn’t very heavy. Best feature is switching between headset and speakers without unplugging the headset. Thanks for the review.
Title is poor, video is great as always
So this will work fantastic with the Game Zero? Also, is the only difference between the 1000 and 1200 the ability to daisy chain multiple amps for instantaneous voice chat?
HAHahAHHA , WHAT In the heck is with that price , 200$ really , its just a dac with a amp nothing special , proly the "gamer" tag puts 100$ on the price alone , i am sorry but no , to expensive , i can get a nice pci-e sound card with a amp for half of that money
The "special" part is the surround engine.
There hasn't been any convincing method on the market for ages, and those that are "good" are literally thousands of dollars. (truth be told: including head tracking)
Sennheiser just entered the same game with a more convincing sound quality for literally a fourth of the price. Is that still too expensive? YES
Is it reasonable? Yes!
You're buying it for the surround sound engine.
How much better sound can it have over my asus xonar dx , i dout it makes any real diference , and its a loot cheaper then that , stop falling for this "gamer" things for real now , and just becouse there are other overpriced stuff out there it does not jutisy the price, no one needs this , just get a good pair of headphones and any decent sound card and you will have high quality sound , no need to spend 200$ for some external DAC and a other 400$ for headphones , i dont say there isnt any sound diference in that maybe , but not that much to be worth to spend that much money on it.
SeikonDS
You need to learn how to understand what someone is saying. ;-)
This *surround-tool* is *not* competing with sound cards in terms of quality in *-stereo-* performance but in terms of *surround virtualization*.
And *yes*, it *does* blow the Xonar DX (Dolby Headphone is utterly terrible) or other surround virtualizations from these "gaming" centered companies out of the water in that regard. I used to have an Essence ST before I changed to a proper DAC-AMP combination and the difference in stereo is not actually as huge as I thought it would be.
And while the perceivable difference in normal output quality is negligible (with most headphones I own at least) and not perceivable in games anyway, the surround engine they came up with puts it in a different league.
For me it IS worth the money simply because all the prior headphone surround solutions were either crap or just barely good enough. Period.
I didn't buy this to outperform my current DAC-AMP chain.
I bought this to hopefully finally get something worth while in terms of surround and I was positively surprised.
We don't need to talk about how it is "too expensive".
EVERYTHING in the audio market is. Especially the higher end stuff.
7.1 virtualization is just another gimmick.
If the devs put in the time the positional audio will be excellent. They don't so retarded subpar solutions like this are marketed to fill the gap.
'Super easy to activate macro buttons...' as you struggle to activate one - haha... my problem has been not actually being able to activate the macro buttons on my GSX 1000 without mashing them pretty hard!
My experience was that the GSX 1000 is a GREAT 7.1 DAC for gaming, but it's not a great amp. I can still crank it loud enough that it hurts, but it didn't necessarily make the sound more powerful for me - just more accurate. Using it with an open-back set of Sennheiser GAME ONEs.
does it work with ps4?
Sound blaster Z & ROCCAT Kave 5.1 (older model) for crystal clear studio quality sound. You will hear sounds in games that you never knew exisited prior to using this set-up. This sound set-up is affordable and will get you the best out of your games, movies and music.
I just came here to downvote for the clickbait title and pic. This shit has to stop
Does it support stereo sound as well? Any good on stereo mode? Or solely for 7.1?
Take it easy on the clickbait titles dude.
"titles" as in plural? haha what you talking about?
Sorry, I really like your content. Just feel like this one was a bit "... You wouldn't believe what happens next!"-ish
I agree with daniel. I was expecting a great HD650 amplifier. And then you mention Game One... the depravity!
relax you nerds it's still a really good product i own it very impressed with it. People in 2018 just like to bitch about everything since when did men act like cry babies all the dam time pathetic.
Pulled the plug cuz its on sale rn on Amazon. Pairing it with the Hifiman HE-400I. Super excited to get off work now 😫
Ha, who would buy this to use with "gaming headsets" lol, if you use use a cheap, crappy headset, stick with that. This won't improve the sound quality since the headset itself is so bad. Or if you use a proper headphone, use a decent dac/amp combo. I personally tested a 70 dollar dac/amp combo to a 300 dollar one, and there was LITERALLY NO DIFFERENCE in sound quality. It wasn't just me, 3 of my friends solidified my claims after testing it for themselves.
What if I told you you dont need to use it with gaming headsets?? I using the Philips Fidelio X1 headphones with the GSX.
You missing the point of the GSX!! It offers something much better than the highend DAC/AMPs like Schiit stack etc
The GSX is all about Senns Surround sound dont knock it till you have tried it! Trust me!
shankly1985 the schiit stack isn't exactly high end
Teemo the Swift Scout Its mainstream high-end though when you start going higher it isn't really for people gaming.
More Audio production and Music production/Listening with super high end headphones.
They is a line to be drawn here and I would say the Schiit stack to be high end for gaming/music
shankly1985 NO ONE should be using this device. It looks cool, but performs functions similarly to other dac/amp combos for waaaay less.
Addison Kwong name me another amp/dac that can do the same virtual surround sound that the GSX can. It is by far the best virtual surround sound on the market right now if you can't justify the pricing then it'd not for you.
But do not knock this unit till you have tried it.
As a gamer and a headphone collector, this device appeals to me. However, the much cheaper Astro Mixamp (paired with open-back cans like the HD5x8 series) will suit most, likely non-audiophile gamers just fine.
SKIP!!!
Might check this out for my HD 518's.. using a speaker pass-through even with a Sound Blaster card sucks
Don't buy this overpriced marketing gimmick, virtual surround is nonsense.
I'm actually surprised you would do a video on this Dimitri.
+Dean Smith I'm curious what you think of the DSP on this unit? In particular which games you didnt find it enjoyable?
Look don't get me wrong, I do realize they work but they are always marketed at clueless gamers. I've tried a few in my time like Asus, Razer and Creative but I always find they sacfifice the sound signature to get the surround effect. Battlefield 4 for example has great positional audio, the devs did an awesome job at creating those effects and I do just fine hearing those footsteps with my openbacks with onboard or a external dac/amp.
I just think it is waste of money that could be better spent on good hifi headphones.
I do like your content but I was surprised you would use something like this when I see HD800's on your desk
It was a bit 'click baitey' too.
Virtual surround is leaps and bounds less gimmicky than the alternatives (for headphones). If you just want a decent cheap surround sound card go can get yourself something like a Xonar U3.
Though I swear by Dolby Headphone, your milage may vary. I wouldn't recommend built-in 7.1 gaming headsets though. Generally with the exception of the Mixamp, their DSPs are tosh.
Virtual is much better than using gaming headsets that have multiple drivers in them to try and produce that surround effect. The drivers tend to not produce as greater sound as you would get as a high quality headphones and a AMP/DAC. Ive tried both and im more impressed with virtual surround. Yes with some you tend to loose some sound quality but tends to be very minute with others that are quite hard to distinguish which makes virtual surround way more immersive than without it.
Is there a chance the manufacturer will add a TOSlink input on the next version of this DAC/amp?
what is the best setting for fps shooters in terms of positional awareness, footsteps, bullets?
I like the "gaming" mode for footsteps if you are heavy in to FPS huge help.
looks awesome but thats too complicated for a guy like me who isnt big on surround but curious to try it again
got the entry level stax srs-2170 and never looked back, it blows everything I heard out of the water... DO NOT take my word for this though, go out and hear for yourself... do not let the audio market fall to advertisements, let the people who have good products shine on their own... all you have to do is try and hear for yourself and not rely on what other people get paid to tell you.
I just purchased the Sennheiser Game One based on your review, but the mic sounds super low and I think it's just my MB integrated sound. I have an ASUS HERO IV MB with integrated sound. The mic sounds low and the audio just stinks. I don't want to waste more money on a DAC if not needed, but I bought this headset for better sound and mic too. Can you give any advice on what I should get or do?
Just bought the Sen game one's & gsx 1200 on the back on these reviews, moving from creative soundblaster evo zxr's. Looking forward to the experience this combo reportedly deliver. Keep up the good work!
Would this work nicely with either of these two headsets/phones?
1) HyperX Revolver S
2)MASSDROP X SENNHEISER HD 58X JUBILEE
Also, the hyperX comes with a small dolby 7.1 connector. Would this be a very significant increase in surround sound performance over that?
Thanks for any responses.
Probably a dumb question, but I would need a 7.1 surround headset to use the surround mode?
Can you use this on a pair of stereo headphones to achieve the 7.1 surround sound? Or is there a certain type of headphones you need, is it compatible with almost all kinds?
Does a driver actually give better sound, or is it just for louder sound?
so this is better than an on board sound card? At least with an on board sound card there is no clutter on your desk like this provides, however if it's got better features, it may be worth it
should i buy a closed or open headphone with this amp? i have the amp with closed headphone.. but its better with open?
I just use my Astro A40 Pro TR 😐 it has a pc mode if you hold the power button you notice the color changes. The only down side is if I unplug the headset Or turn it off I’d have to hold the power button again to return it back into pc mode, the upside is I can mute my mic from the cable 🙃
They really buggered the mic processing, it sounds pretty poor through the amp but pretty good directly through the MB input.