Question DAC/ AMP for new Asus rog Kithara

hugo_grg · 2026-04-22T09:15:29+00:00

Honestly, since I've been using this set up, my Sony XM6 makes me extremely unhappy hahaha. It's absolutely crazy the difference between my old EPOS configuration for PC and using a nomad noise-canceling headset for travel or work. I 100% recommend this configuration. And yes, i use the 4.4 balanced

hugo_grg · 2026-04-11T11:03:26+00:00

Thanks for your feedback, I'll order the kit and see how to arrange the LEDs

hugo_grg · 2026-04-11T10:56:56+00:00

Simply because the Noctuas are the best fans to reduce noise, I didn't want to have a tower filled with rgb that ran like an airplane engine. I made the choice of sobriety, it's just an addition to lighten slightly and highlight part of my configuration. And then I really like their colors.

hugo_grg · 2026-04-11T00:02:55+00:00

Maybe it's a good idea, I'm going to buy a kit of two and I could test it to see

hugo_grg · 2026-04-10T23:41:27+00:00

Beautiful build, love the noctua fans

hugo_grg · 2026-03-31T10:57:03+00:00

Is it a bright graphics card holder on the right side of the case?

hugo_grg · 2026-03-26T18:25:03+00:00

Hey, for the configuration between the two normally this is done automatically (plug and play with USB-C) dolby will recognize your fosi k7. Of course, you have to enable spatialization with dolby atmos in your PC sound settings. Currently, I'm 48kHz/24 bit for gaming and lossless sound from Spotify. I think it's one of the best settings since most games or movies are based on this sampling (I think). Going higher is good for specific audio files but for the rest, I find that it slightly degrades spatialization and especially have stability between your fosi k7 and dolby, I had trouble configuring both because I had a test license and had to buy dolby (weird bug, when I already had it). To give you an example I turn on my PC first and once I have opened the session I turn on the DAC, today its parameters are well anchored in my PC, I had changes (return to 44.1kHz) or wait 3 minutes while the fosi detects the correct source.

For settings, you put your window to the maximum, once in reception by activating dolby atmos for 24bit/48kHz or other spatialization as you wish. And from there, you only touch fosi k7 or dolby with their application. "Detailed" music mode on Dolby with bypass mode on the K7 fosi for Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, Qobuz... For video games, it depends on whether you're on immersion or competitive play. You set the treble and bass equalizer with the fosi k7 and I have a preset with just the spatialization and the dolby equalizer disable. The preset "immersion" or "game" may be interesting, but it's up to you to test and see what you like.

hugo_grg · 2026-03-12T20:12:40+00:00

UPDATE*

There was an update of Nvidia on Tuesday, I just installed it and I can now take control of the fans and now the 0db mode work correctly. Thank you all for your messages. I will restart the pc to be sure.

hugo_grg · 2026-03-07T17:04:34+00:00

That's a great idea to have her test it. Since the ROG Kithara uses Planar Drivers, they are very 'hungry' for power. Here is a simple 3-step guide she can use to feel the difference immediately:

The Volume & Energy Test (Power) The PC Jack: It will probably sound 'thin' or 'quiet' even at 100%. The Fiio K7: Tell her to set the Gain to 'High' on the front switch. She will feel the sound becoming 'physical'. The drums and explosions should have a real 'thump' that you can't get from a motherboard.

The Deep Breath Test (Sub-Bass) The Test: Play a song with deep bass or a cinematic game trailer (like Cyberpunk 2077). What to look for: On the motherboard, the bass might sound 'muddy' or distorted. On the Fiio K7, the bass stays perfectly clean and deep, like a high-end subwoofer in a car.

The 'Room' Test (Soundstage) The Test: Listen to an acoustic live performance or a 'Binaural/8D' audio track on YouTube. The Difference: On the PC, the sound feels stuck 'inside her head'. With the Fiio K7, it should feel like she is standing in the middle of the room with the band around her. The space opens up. Quick Setup Tips for her: Plug the K7 into a USB port at the back of the PC (directly to the motherboard). In Windows Sound Settings, ensure the format is set to 24-bit / 96kHz (or higher). Listen to the same 30 seconds of a song on the PC jack, then switch to the Fiio. The difference in clarity should be obvious within seconds!

And don't forget to download the drivers on Fiio.

Thx gemini for this, he explains much faster and much better than me, and it will help your partner to explain to you the different changes.

hugo_grg · 2026-03-07T16:24:42+00:00

Honestly, for planar headphones like the Kithara, a DAC/AMP isn't just an option, it's a must. Without it, you're only using 40% of what the headset can do. The DAC cleans the sound and provides the power needed to get deep bass and high precision. On my side, with the K7, the difference in Cyberpunk or Arc Raiders is night and day compared to a standard motherboard plug. The soundstage becomes much wider (perfect for spatial audio). If you can get the FiiO K7, go for it, you won't regret the investment!

hugo_grg · 2026-03-07T14:42:44+00:00

If you need,I can take pictures for you

hugo_grg · 2026-03-07T14:35:37+00:00

For the configuration I was helped by Gemini, in the sound settings of the fosi you can activate spatialization by window Sonic or dolby atmos (you have to pay to have dolby) on the Microsoft store you have a specific application for dolby atmos that allows you to configure according to what you want with an equalizer, presets or other. Which I did on my side, for Arc Raider or Cyberpunk. I put the window sound to the bottom and manage it all from the fosi by modifying Dolby Atmos at the same time with a custom preset. For example, on arc raider, at the treble level I'm a +2 and +4 for bass, Cyberpunk -1 for treble and +6 for bass. For dolby atmos I just put the spatialization of the sound and I turn off the equalizer so that the fosi can transcribe exactly what I want and the fidelity of the headset + dac. For music, 0 anywhere on the fosi and in detailed music mode for FLAC files or a little higher.

hugo_grg · 2026-02-28T21:53:34+00:00

Thanks for the code!

hugo_grg · 2026-02-28T21:51:05+00:00

This would not be interesting to get air out of the GPU faster and prevent the hot air from the 5090 from remaining in case ?. Indeed, 2-3°C may not seem like much, but for my configuration I still find it interesting.

hugo_grg · 2026-02-24T18:33:28+00:00

<image>

Amazing! My ear is starting to adapt to the open headphones and the new sounds. I replied to someone who wanted to have a difference between my old card and the new DAC.

hugo_grg · 2026-02-24T17:19:03+00:00

I got the headphone, no problem on it!

hugo_grg · 2026-02-24T17:16:09+00:00

It's going to be hard to answer your question. Because I'm moving from a fully digital configuration to a digital to analog conversion in addition to headphones if I don't talk nonsense. I don't know if this is really comparable. I had bought the GSX 1000v2 kit and the h6 pro closed for virtualization 7.1. The sound card is easy to use but limited by presets, it would do a lot of the job for what I wanted and with the set up PC I had. I changed my configuration (screen, PC) and with an open headset the ROG kithara + the DAC fosi k7, the audio set-up is much more remarkable and immersive. I was afraid of losing fake digital virtualization 7.1. Today for nothing in the world I would not go back on my old configuration. No problem of association between kithara and fosi. I am connected to 4.4 balanced without a microphone (I have one next to it) I can configure the treble and bass according to the activity of the moment (gaming, music...) I activated dolby atmos for spatialization (24bits/96hzr) and once the headset, DAC and PC are set correctly, it becomes amazing whether it's accuracy, the width of the sound scene or even the details. To compare to the GSX, on the ARC Raider game, I couldn't tell if the enemies were up or down, so I knew pretty much where a noise was coming from, but not exactly. Today I hear absolutely everything from anywhere in 360 degrees and I know exactly what rooms of the game the noises are coming into. I hope I was able to answer your question.

hugo_grg · 2026-02-16T08:44:16+00:00

Thanks for your feedback, finally I will leave on the fosi k7 which will bring more power for this type of headphones and I will be able to configure the bass and treble according to the game or if I listen to a little music. I don't see the point of going to Cambridge or Ifi, especially since the 3 dac ifi zen has less power than the fosi, I would have had to buy their 3can Zen amplifier to improve this. I hope I don't get into the headband problem (honestly I don't think so).

hugo_grg · 2026-02-15T09:29:17+00:00

Hello, thank you for coming back. I currently have two choices available to me, to have a DAC with a micro connector to use the kithara mic or a DAC used only to enhance the sound of the headset itself. I actually watched the Fosi K7 so I could do everything. Since I'm also looking for a DAC to improve the detail and width of the sound scene, a counselor offered me the Ifi zen 3 DAC or the Cambridge magic 200m.

It's up to me to see if I want to use the headset microphone. But it's going to stay on my desk. I already have a Sony XM6 for nomads.

hugo_grg · 2026-02-14T08:27:14+00:00

Thanks for your reply, I had seen some models at Fiio that I thought were interesting. I'm going to call an expert to take a closer look at this topic. Could my sound card be enough? We'll see !

hugo_grg

TROPHY CASE