A/V Asus Xonar DGX or D2X for with headphones?

I looking at upgrading from onboard sound and I know that the D2X is considered to be the better card, but the DGX has a headphone amp built-in, whereas the D2X doesn't.

So would I be better off with the D2X or the DGX considering I'll mostly be using it with headphones?

 

What headphones are you using?

 

I'm using a pair of Sony MDR-V6's.

 

I would be tempted to get the DGX, but the D2X should be able to drive the 63Ohm V6 to a good volume.

 

The D2X is primarily built for surround systems NOT headphones.

Given the choice go for the DGX.

 

I'm quite surprised by that given that the DG is roughly one quarter the price of the D2X. Even if it's built with surround in mind, doesn't it have better all round tech/components/software?

 

Slightly. The Burr Brown chip in the D2X is considered superior to the C-media in the DGX and DX and supports a higher sample rate. The Essence series are the upgrades to the DGX if you use headphones.

 

Ah, the Essence cards look great but are a bit out of my price range. My only options are anything less than £50 (new or used), so as far as I can tell its pretty much a straight choice between the DGX and D2X.