Hey all. Been lurking here for awhile, reading the reviews and the 14 page thread. It's been very helpful. I've been trying to decide between the AE-5 and the G6 (both reviewed on this site). For the AE-5, I would be buying the plus version with Dolby and DTS.
In 2008 I purchased an Asus Xonar STX. It died last week. I used it for 12 years with no issues, driver or otherwise (although I did download the unified drivers in 2015 or so). I've matched it with many headphones, and it always sounded great.
Going back to onboard sound is awful, and I need a new card. I use Sennheiser HD599 SE headphones. They are very easy to drive at 50 ohms. I'm about a 50/50 split of gaming and music. I will only use my new card on my PC. It will never move, whether it's internal or external. I use Flac files for music. I don't play shooters, just rpg's and the like. I never use a microphone. I use headphones 99.9% of the time. I use $5.00 logitech 2.0 speakers if I want to show my wife a cat video or something, but that's less than 0.1% of my usage. I will never use the RBG lighting if I get the AE-5.
I live in small town Canada, so my options are limited. In most threads, I see people recommending Schiit stacks and other dac/amp combos, but I don't have access to these. The AE-5 and G6 are each $200 here. Ordering a Schiit Modi and Magni would cost me almost $400, with the exchange rate, shipping, and customs duties. Please keep this in mind if you respond to this. I've been posting "AE-5 vs G6" on forums, and keep getting "just buy this or that seperate dac and amp for the same price", but it's always double the price and people don't seem to get it. Buying used is also difficult. I've been watching the 'swap' forums, but have only seen a few decent products. For example, a used Schiit Modi 2 for $200. I've also looked at the Sennheiser gsx1000, but it's $300 here. So please, I'm only trying to decide between the AE-5 and G6.
Sorry for the long intro, now to the questions. I really need a pro and con list to help me out. On an audiophile scale of 1-10, I'm about a 3. I want clear, great sounding music, that's as loud as I can handle, and good immersive surround sound in games. I know both of these cards will be a huge improvement over onboard sound, but what about compared to the Asus Xonar STX I've been using for 12 years? I've never heard any static or 'noise', despite this card being internal. Is this issue overblown? Most people will dismiss any interior card right away due to the EMI in a computer case, should this be a major part of my decision? Which dac is better? I know the AE-5 uses the Sabre brand, which is great, but it feels like comparing apples to oranges with the G6's dac. From what I understand, they both use the same dual headphone amp, is this true? What about drivers? I've read lots of issues with the G6 drivers, but not as many with the AE-5. Is there really a difference? Will one be supported longer than the other? I run windows 10 and update it when an update is released. Which card will handle these windows updates better? My mobo is the Aorus x370 K7. It has a feature called 'Dac-up 2'. From the company website:
"USB DAC-UP 2 continues to provide clean, isolated and low-noise power while adding the ability to compensate for voltage drop."
Will this be beneficial with the G6? Will it make a difference?
Thank you for any answers you guys may have. This is the best thread I've found discussing the G6, and I would love to hear your thoughts.
TL;DR - AE-5 vs G6 for 50/50 music and gaming. Only on pc. Using Sennheiser HD 599 SE headphones.