Cyrus Audio, a leading UK premium audio manufacturer, announced today the soundKey PC Gamers Edition, a high-resolution gaming headphone DAC (Digital Analogue Converter) and amp. The soundKey is designed to significantly upgrade the performance of any wired PC gaming headset, through the application of their decades of experience in high-end audio. Many gamers wisely choose their headset with care, conscious of the winning edge crystal clear positional audio can make to their performance. Even the finest headset however, will be hamstrung by the limitations of on-board audio cards used on even premium desktop or laptop PCs. Note that this ONLY applies to headsets using 3.5 inch audio jacks as USB Powered headsets use their own DAC.

Cyrus Audio Brings DACs to The Gaming Market

The amount of electronic system 'noise' (electrical interference which is usually much worse on the front ports on your case.) in a PC, especially of gaming specification, means that even those equipped with good quality audio-grade components (and most are not), can only achieve a sound output that is a fraction of its true potential. The good news with soundKey from Cyrus is that it plugs discreetly into the USB socket and mic input of the PC, automatically configuring itself without much work or making you install software or drivers. Gamers simply plug their standard PC wired headset in to the 3.5mm output located on the soundKey with no further setup or maintenance required. soundKey bypasses the PC's internal audio circuitry, relying on its own advanced technology to decode and process the in-game audio, resulting in a superlative gaming experience. soundKey is fully compatible with Hi-Res and lossless audio formats.

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While they aim this at "Gaming Headsets" I would see this having a much larger benefit for those like myself who have mid to high end headphones that use the 3.5 inch audio jack, and a dedicated USB Microphone, since most gaming headsets are connected via USB.

"Cyrus recognize that audio is a vital component of the gaming experience, well documented in providing a winning edge on a casual or professional stage. Game audio continues to advance at tremendous pace, with high-resolution and lossless audio doing for sound what 4K has done for vision. Until now, gamers have been bottlenecked by poor quality DAC's used by PC manufacturers, resulting in inferior audio no matter how good the quality of the headset. We're thrilled to offer a solution which builds upon our proud audio heritage and utilizes our award-winning technology for a gaming audience. The PC Gamer Edition of our soundKey means that gamers can radically transform the quality of their existing headset, for a cost-effective investment which we believe will change the way players hear their games for forever."