Headphones & Audio Devices

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.

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?

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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.

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.

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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.


Let me know if interested.

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.

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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.

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

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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.

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 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.

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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?).

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)

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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.

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)

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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.