Not that impressed with ALC1220. Back to Strix Soar

[MorgothPl]

When I upgraded to my Ryzen setup, I was hoping, that all that shiny,nicely marketed ALC1220 with "professional grade audio" on my x370 Gaming 5 is not that much hyped. However, I'm slightly disappointed with the codec.

Compared to Strix Soar (on AKG K-712), sound is more muffled, less crisp, more flat, soundstage is bit narrower and so on. It just sounds worse - at least in gaming. Tried Forza Horizon 3 and engines or radio music is worse on the codec.

I'm installing back Strix and not looking back at motherboard audio.

 

[IdiotInCharge]

Should try to do an A/B comparison with both installed, and play with the Creative software Gigabyte shipped with your board. It may be tuned for gaming (surround-sound imaging) over sound quality.

I will say that the ALC1220-based solution ASUS put on my Z170-AR sounded pretty good with both low-impedance HD555's (similar class to your AKG's) and my current higher-impedance HD600 cans.

 

[B00nie]

There are a million variables to each sound stage configuration than just the codec. The codec is probably the least significant common denominator unless it's by design flawed, which I don't believe it is.