At least this way we get both boosted audio and maintain the 3D audio.
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Need help finding a suitable USB DAC for PS5
- Thread starter Datrael
- Start date
I'm using a FiiO A3. I doubt it's enough to power really high impedance headphones when connected to the DualShock, but it's doing fine with my 598s. When I run audio out from my tv to the amp, I use volume setting 5. Switching to audio out from the controller I had to bump it up to 7. So I'm pushing it's capabilities like this, but I'm happy with it, and I bet the Dualsense will output a better audio stream than the DS.
There's no need to spend more than $50-$75 on a DAC when your headphones don't justify the expenditure. You don't need a separate DAC and Amp to drive the HD 599, it's overkill.
Wait to find out what is compatible and spend on the low end.
OP
OP
I appreaciate all the input. I think that's what I'm gonna do. I may just end up grabbing the pulse 3d for the time being to be honest, until I find something that works for me. Just for pure comfort.
No one knows so maybe just look at the ones that work with PS4. Most of Soundblaster's dac/amp combos work, G6, X3, and X7.
I've used a Creative G6 on a laptop. It is PS4 and presumably 5 compatible. No complaints yet from it.
Standalone DACs generally pass through uncompressed 2-channel PCM audio only, but they do this spectacularly well with zero distortion and very low noise floor. They avoid the jitter that is inherent in HDMI audio. They also output a full 2V line out audio signal which is great because it makes your headphone or speaker amplifier work less hard with less distortion.
They rarely decode multi-channel audio. The reason for this is the fact that most audio enthusiasts use them with dedicated headphone or speaker amplifiers that are 2-channel only.
I also use my DAC with stereo speakers plus a subwoofer.
I suspect the bolded parts come from someone jumping to conclusions, not from something Sony has said explicitly. As long as the 2-channel audio is passed unmodified/uncompressed from the PS5 to your headphones, it should work. When the headphones are connected directly to the analog 3.5mm jack or USB of the PS5/DS5, Sony knows no other processing/compression of the signal will take place, so that's the configuration they said will work. I don't think they've said those are the only configurations that will work, but it's probably the only ones they could describe concisely without promising too much. Chances are you can make your existing setup work with the right settings on the PS5, TV and DAC (2-channel uncompressed audio everywhere, any other processing turned off).
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OP
OP
" On the PS5, you'll be able to experience 3D Audio with the headphones that many of you already own, either through USB connection to the console, or by plugging your headphones into the DualSense wireless controller's 3.5mm headset jack.
Headphone audio is the current gold standard for 3D Audio on PS5, as Mark Cerny mentioned in his "Road to PS5" talk in March. We're also in the process of working on virtual surround sound through speakers that are built into TVs. Although TV speaker virtual surround sound won't be available on launch day for PS5, it's still a feature we are extremely excited about, and our engineers are hard at work on bringing it to PS5 in the future. "
Experience PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech with compatible headsets at launch, TV Virtual Surround Sound coming after launch
Experience 3D audio in games like Demon's Souls, Resident Evil Village, Gran Turismo 7, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and more.
blog.playstation.com
So my two conclusions are:
- Only works with headphones for now through USB or 3.5mm jack through the dualsense controller
- Since it isn't supported for TV speakers yet, I assume the 3d audio is not possible through HDMI
It may be an assumption but this is the only official information we have still.
I would definitely wait to see what Dacs are supported. I'm also keen to find out if the amp in the dualsense has been improved over the one in the DualShock4. I don't expect a massive improvement but at least on par with the one in the Xbox controllers. They were much better than the DS4 (obviously still not good enough for "good" headphones).
" On the PS5, you'll be able to experience 3D Audio with the headphones that many of you already own, either through USB connection to the console, or by plugging your headphones into the DualSense wireless controller's 3.5mm headset jack.
Headphone audio is the current gold standard for 3D Audio on PS5, as Mark Cerny mentioned in his "Road to PS5" talk in March. We're also in the process of working on virtual surround sound through speakers that are built into TVs. Although TV speaker virtual surround sound won't be available on launch day for PS5, it's still a feature we are extremely excited about, and our engineers are hard at work on bringing it to PS5 in the future. "
Experience PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech with compatible headsets at launch, TV Virtual Surround Sound coming after launch
Experience 3D audio in games like Demon's Souls, Resident Evil Village, Gran Turismo 7, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and more.
So my two conclusions are:
- Only works with headphones for now through USB or 3.5mm jack through the dualsense controller
- Since it isn't supported for TV speakers yet, I assume the 3d audio is not possible through HDMI
It may be an assumption but this is the only official information we have still.
My conclusion from that is that it will work with headphones but not with speakers (at launch). Headphones and speakers are different for 3D audio, since there is direct control over what goes into each ear with headphones, whereas the sound from TV speakers will enter both ears, be affected by the room, etc. Sony doesn't say the issue is with HDMI, and I don't think it makes sense to assume it is. HDMI and optical (S/PDIF) both support 2-channel uncompressed audio (linear PCM) and TVs are usually able to accept this format on HDMI and send it out unmodified on S/PDIF. Then you'd also need the PS5 to output 2-channel linear PCM over HDMI, which is a pretty much a guaranteed capability since it's the lowest common standard for TV audio over HDMI. The only way I could see problems with this configuration is if the TV does some processing on the signal that inadvertently interferes with Tempest audio (since it's unaware of it) and this processing can't be turned off, or if the PS5 specifically disallows Tempest audio over HDMI (but why should it?).
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I'm definitely going to keep this thread open until we get a confirmed answer on this, I've moved away from having my consoles connected to my TV to having them connected to one of my monitors at my desk due to back issues and my headphones likely can't be properly powered by the controller so I'll need to know what options I have.
I'm curious about this also. Since they are making such a big deal about 3D audio via headphones with the PS5, you might think they would add a decent controller amp to actually deliver the sound
Even if the amp is decent, wouldn't the sound be compressed/lower quality having to travel over BT vs a USB DAC? Or is the audio on the PS4 controller for example decent quality as long as you use an amp?
Bumping this thread. My Fiio E17K doesn't work with my PS5, and this is apparently because it is UAC2. I'm considering getting the JDS Labs Element II since it has a firmware that allows it to be downgraded to UAC1. But before I do, can anyone confirm that the PS5 does indeed play nice with UAC1 devices?
There are many UAC1 DACs that have been confirmed to work with the PS5 but some of them have the "limited volume" bug. I know that John Seaber from JDS Labs is in the process of trying to get his hands on a PS5 to test with the Element II and the Atom DAC. JDS had a way of getting around the volume bug with the PS4 but I am waiting for them to get back to me with confirmation that it will work on the PS5 before downgrading my Atom DAC to UAC1. I would suggest writing to John directly at: [email protected]
You can also post/monitor their blog entry for this issue: https://blog.jdslabs.com/2020/08/custom-firmware-builds-for-element-ii-el-dac-ii-and-atom-dac/
They are very good at responding quickly, and if they realize that there is a significant demand from the community, they will be able to prioritize this.
Oh awesome. Thank you so much! I'll contact them and hold tight for confirmation on whether they can address that bug.
Don't think I need the higher audio sampling rates anyway, the Element II should be a substantial upgrade over my FIIO E17K.
Bumping this to get some help.
I got some dt880s and a cheap Fosi Q4 dac amp, I realise now the Q4 probably isn't strong enough to drive my 880s properly. The volume is ok on PC but I have to have the amp nearly all the way up, on the PS5 the audio is so quiet I can hear the PlayStation over it.
Could someone recommend me something around £100 that o can get in the UK that can drive these properly, sounds decent and works on both PC and PS5.
I got some dt880s and a cheap Fosi Q4 dac amp, I realise now the Q4 probably isn't strong enough to drive my 880s properly. The volume is ok on PC but I have to have the amp nearly all the way up, on the PS5 the audio is so quiet I can hear the PlayStation over it.
Could someone recommend me something around £100 that o can get in the UK that can drive these properly, sounds decent and works on both PC and PS5.