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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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
i was hoping that this was enough for my HD650, thanks for the amazing review!
This amp is brilliant, I can highly recommend these to anyone that wants to take their headphone experience to the next level.
Can't wait to get one of these for my Philips SHP9500 + V-Moda BoomPro! IMO the best (affordable) setup.
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
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 :(
Great review Dimitri, you covered ALLLL the bases here my friend. I believe I will be getting this amp in the very near future for sure. I think it's safe to say you have convinced me to purchase this item
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!
GSX1000? Are Sennheiser making motorcycles now?
Great and cheap ones haha
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.
I was looking into getting an external DAC earlier this year, but didn't know much about them. I watched this video when it was uploaded and that sent me on a 10 day marathon of straight research between sleep and work. I have the Schiit Modi 2 Uber, Magni 2 Uber, and a pair of JBL 305''s on the way. I already have a pair of HD598's but can't afford the HD600's right now.
I get one for myself today so amazing in combination with my RS 185
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?
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.
I would love to see a separate review for the GSP 300s! Awesome video!
Perfect timing. I'm currently looking for an amp to go with my new hifiman he-400i
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.
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
Thanks for the review :) Been looking for a good amp, for gaming for quite a while. The biggest bugger i have with this one is the lack of an optical port. What i love about the transmitter that the H wireless use, is that it have both USB and optical input. Which allows for great mixing between voice and game audio. It also ensures that it's compatible with all devices, rather then just windows and osx.
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.
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)
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 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
Great review Dimitri! This is the first virtual 7.1 experience I would actually consider trying out! Even though it is pricey I really trust Sennheiser to deliver like they have done with pretty much every product they have put out there. I personally use the HD 598's with a Fiio E10K and the +3dB bass-boost is a must have since the unaltered sound of the 598's is indeed cleaner than clean but also a little boring to listen to. If the music-preset provides a quality bass-boost I could see myself replacing the E10K in the blink of an eye! What are your experiences guys? Do any of you use the GSX 1000 with the HD 598's? Let me know if they go well together, thanks in advance! :)
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
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.
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
Dimitri , i wish i could tried that amp myself!!! i am looking for 7.1 headset sound, since i have a 7.1 speaker souund and i enjoy it a lot, my thoughts was in asus 7.1 strix, which also has an amp, it will be fantastic to see a review from you for the 7.1 asus (true 7.1) strix thanks for the video
what camera is this, the G7 or G85?
G7 + Sigma 18-35
👍😍
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
Your videos are so well put-together that I often find myself watching reviews for products such as this that I have no interest in :)
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
Can you hook it up to an Xbox one?
when i saw the title i thought "Wait Literally??"
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 KZhead 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.
Would be really happy if some of tech reviewers tried msi audio boost 4 because as msi says it can handle up to 600 ohm headphones
U saying I can finally experience the virtual barber shop in video games⁉️⁉️ Finally 😃
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
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.
WooooW!!! really i'm impressed with the Quality of this Video!! BIG THUMBS UP
OH GOD I WANT TO TURN THAT DIAL SO BAD.
Dislike for clickbait title
The Mighty Voice _l_
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!
Thanks the Canucks , im thinking about investing in a gsx 1200 pro , keep up the good reviews man , you are the one
So a game zero with this amp is 🔥🔥🔥
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
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!
Hardware Canucks is my ultimate review source, I admire every review they produce as being absolute and complete while being accurate. Several times I have made purchases heavily influenced by a video and every time I am looking at a product and need to get the full picture I check here. With this product I have to say that I have never heard of a product such as this and really want something like it, however it is not feature rich enough plus I have a decent selection of dac's amp's and headphones that I would only want this for my gaming headset which is more than adequate. Just need a mic amp and should pick up an ant lion usb device.
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.
bet u feel like a jedi waking up the display :3
yup lol
say "These aren't the Droids your looking for" every time
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.
Pulled the plug cuz its on sale rn on Amazon. Pairing it with the Hifiman HE-400I. Super excited to get off work now 😫
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
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.
Cool video Bro Ive just Bought the Sennhizers HD 579 So this will be perfect for me :D
Hi, great video as usual. Keep up the good work guys! What amplifier would you sugest if I just wanted to make the sound louder? I am satisfied with my headphones but just need a simple recommendatoon for an amp to make the osund louder. Cheers ;)
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.
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
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?
Very convincing video review, Dimitri. Keep up the great work! I'm just wondering, can this product be used with the PlayStation 4? I'd really like to immerse myself with some excellent games from Naughty Dog (Uncharted 4, The Last of Us Remastered).
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
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.
I'm generally one for a signal not tampered with, but for games this has me interested. Thanks for the video.
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 :)
Creative Sound Blaster X7 is the shit. Supports 600 ohm headphones & 24 bit 192 kHz. Really good price as well.
super NOWU surround sound is rubbish. Echo effect like you always in a hallway.
And has an absolutely horrid Surround sound emulation which is the main point of this thing which many people here do not seem to get.
If it supports 600 ohm headphones it doesn't mean it will sound good. Power means nothing. IMPEDANCE MEANS NOTHING ON A HEADPHONE. A headphone can do at least 90 dB with 1 MILLIWATT. A frickin XONAR DG has more than 20 mW and is more than enough to blow your head of using HD 800 with a sensitivity of 103 db/1mW. But it will sound good ? NO, IT WILL NOT. YOU WILL BE BLOWN AWAY if you buy an audiophile DAC for $200. IT WON'T HAVE ANY SURROUND EFFECTS OF ANY KIND AND WILL STILL BLOW YOUR MIND. HOW ???? JUST PURE SIGNAL ? HOW ??? You will never know, keep using gaming shit. You're doomed.
GraveNoX Keep banging on the Gaming junk, I agree most gaming stuff is junk and the reason is because most stuff is made by companies that don't even specialise in the audio industry. The GSX is different "TRUST ME" its made by one if not the best in the business when it comes to audio.
Sound Blaster X7 is about 1000x better value for your money. It has a higher resolution audio output and supports much higher-end headphones. Also Creative's own surround sound engine is really good (but not as good as this one's), don't listen to the haters. Not to mention you can switch op-amps with Sound Blaster X7, which is a huge plus!
doesn't dimitri look like star lord from guardians of the galaxy ???
Plaguefather yep
XD
Plaguefather A lot
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
Im good with my 70 Ohm HD 25, with my standart soundcard. If i would get external soundcard it would be a native instruments with a 6.3 mm output.
the video is great but the product does not convince me. thanks for the review.
Jothunheim I have the sennheiser gsx 1000 and it's 100% better than anything i've heard including dolby atmos.
@@HenryTheBoilermaker3rdYear what about the Creative Sound BlasterX G5 and do you use it on ps4 or pc?
I don't have g5. I did bought Sound Blaster E5 with the gsx1200 just to compare with each other but the E3 was sealed so if I unseal it I wouldn't be able to return it so I kept the Sennheiser gsx1200 instead and returned the E5. The positioning of the gsx is Amazing on pubg though I found it wasn't amazing in positioning in rainbow 6 siege when trying to determine if the sounds are coming from top or bottom of the building I'd still recommend it. Keep in mind it could just be because of sound engineers of that game didn't use the right microphone equipment. I stopped gaming a while back now so I don't have it anymore. But I am coming back to pc gaming. I just bought a gaming laptop. And I might get the Sennheiser gsx again. Or I might try out g5 or e5. Just to let you know there are people out there with both g5 or e5, gsx and they prefer gsx better and those creative sound blaster e5 vs sennheiser gsx 1000 sound test videos does not do it justice. The gsx sound way better in person.
@@HenryTheBoilermaker3rdYear Most surround sound technologies cannot convey the notion of height. Spatial audio solves that problem. Try the new Razer headsets such as the Razer Nari Ultimate that come with THX Spatial Audio. In a nutshell, it immerses you in a true 3D audio sphere rather than a "cylinder".
Does the 7.1 on this work with a pair of Sennheiser Game ZERO?
It is designed for that
Might check this out for my HD 518's.. using a speaker pass-through even with a Sound Blaster card sucks
Well i love my asus strix 7.1, which features 4 speakers per ear. i wonder what is the best with this sennheiser. Nice review!
Title is poor, video is great as always
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 KZhead. "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.
When I got my HD 598's, I tried them out with a mp3 that just had a random door knock, and it tricks me every time with these headphones. I love them so much! (Got them for 130$ CAD after shipping!)
First, I have to say, this is an exceptional review. Second...I'm curious how the surround on this amp would pair with the closed back HD8 DJ's????
does it work with ps4?
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.
Hi Dimitri!Thank you very much for all your work!!Can you please tell me if this AMP can handle Sennheiser HD 700 ? Thank you
Hey, what headset would you recommend with this amp? Besides the game zero and game one.
Meh. More sub par audio products that are overpriced as fuck. Stick to what you know guys. The "gamer" branded shit is almost always exactly that. Shit. If you want to recommend an amp, go with something that has a proven track record like something from Schiit.
Nathan Lloyd honestly don't knock this till you tried it. Sure I agree they is alot of "gaming" crap on the market from companies that don't even specialise in the audio industry. Sennheiser on the other hand have been one of the biggest players in the field.
shankly1985 Try it? I'm not paying $200+ for this when I could get a Magni 2 for $80 less. I know Sennheiser makes good headphones. Owned 598's for a bit and loved them. But this is just a rip off plain and simple.
Nathan Lloyd and the magni 2 can't do what the gsx can do. They two very different products aimed at two different people. Paying 80 bucks isn't going to get you a GSX not even close. I do agree with you it is prices high but has I have said time and time again its the price you after pay when you in a league of your own. Nothing on the market right now comes close to the surround sound that the GSX offers "nothing"
Paperclown lol okay let me just get a job real quick that will allow me to afford that. brb.
+Nathan LIoyd I'm planning i getting the schiit stack with the dt 990's and a audigy 7.1 surround card.
Just wanted to say: Fuck this title....
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.
Great video! I'm not very knowledgeable about this stuff, however, and have a question: How does the GSX 1000 differ from a motherboard that offers 7.1 sound (I'm thinking of the Asus Maximus IX Code, in this case)? Thanks!
SKIP!!!
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.
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.
I'm really enjoying my GSX 1200 Pro, the audio I have been missing out on was delivered to me with this dac. I have been bittin by the Audio Bug now.
all headphones have surround sound. also artifical soundstage is never an alternative.
It's not artificial soundstage. It's HRTF, not a simple EQ. The best algorithm I've heard actually.
you can indeed have it on all headphones but it is crap 99.9% of the time. Is this one different? He makes it sound like it is, so I would truly like a demo of them.
Check out my channel I have live Gameplay using the GSX on BF1 and GTA5
This disappoints me quite a lot... I didn't think Sennheiser would ever do one of this "Gaming" DSP bullshit.
Especially considering that you can get a really good amp and DAC for that price. Or just get headphones with huge soundstage like the Fidelio X2.
I have heard their HRTF. Fucking amazing. If you're a purist stereo gamer then this isn't aimed at you anyway, but if you're interested in virtual surround pair it with a wide soundstage headphone (I use mine with the K7XX) and the sound is almost binaural.
Ummm the X2's dont really have that wide of a soundstage compared to many other open back headphones.....maybe compared to gaming headphones but not compared to audiophile headphones.
+ItzBanub YESSS! thank you :)
+itzBanub Dayym son...you burnt him.
Hey man, thx for your review really helpful, I’m playing CSGO and considering if I need good audio card or this amp? Did u try to test it in CSGO ? Thanks . I’m using HD598
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.
pls, dont use clickbait titles
Flor well said, this channel does not need to resort to 'DOCTORS HATE HIM!!!' titles
You need to eat a snickers
I just came here to downvote for the clickbait title and pic. This shit has to stop
I have owned mine for a year. It was worth every penny vs. my old Creative Soundblaster, Asus Zonar or onboard. This thing is amazing with my Sennheiser PC 360 headset (Same ans the Game One). Amazing product and looks sexy on my desktop.
hey hardwarecanucks would this be any good with a pair of astro a 40s , cheers , keep up the good work man
+Makka Nakka sure!
dude. stop with the clickbait titles.
Overpriced paper weight that ironically doesn't weigh enough to be a paper weight...
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.
Great video as always Dimitri. Has anyone used the GSX with a Fostex 50RP MK3? I've read that even though the MK3 are rated at 50 Ohms they are pretty hard to drive.