Headphone sound setup

kingduqc

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 22, 2011
Messages
180
So I'm trying to get a good headphone but I don't know much of music/sound products. Upon reading tons of reviews I still have no idea what to get.

Budget is from 150-350$ for Amp, sound card and headphones.

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO
HiFiMAN HE300
AKG Q701
ATH-A900x (or 700x)
ATH-M50s
sennheiser hd 558

with all those headphone being from 150 to 250$ I have No idea at all witch one would be the best for heavy gaming and music listening as well as movies.

As far as amp goes, I don't know if I even need one with those headphones and for the sound card well this is still in the mist. HELP ME OUT PLEASE [H]
 
Well, from your list of headphones you're considering this is how they stack up for power needs.

Needs amp:
Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (250ohm)
AKG Q701

Doesn't need amp:
Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (80ohm)
sennheiser hd 558
ATH-M50s
ATH-A900x (or 700x)
HiFiMAN HE300

Anything from the top group will need a decent amplifier and anything from the bottom group will do just fine without. Personally I would pick up a set of Q701s and a combo O2/ODAC unit from JDS Labs but that's going to depend what kind of headphone you want as your list is all over the place.

DT 770 = very bassy, bass bleeds into the mids a lot
HE-300 = mostly well balanced
Q701 = Very neutral with a very slight mid-bass hump - large soundstage
ATH-A900X = Warm, rich sound with a decent midbass hump - big soundstage for closed headphones
ATH-M50s = newer models are pretty neutral - small soundstage
HD558 = Warm, dark, rich sound with surprising bass for open cans - small soundstage
 
I have a DT 990Pro 250 Ohm headphone and it doesn't need an amp to get loud. Just buy the headphones first and see how it goes.
 
In that total it's going to be pretty difficult to get it all at once.

I would do it piece meal instead.

That being said, I am really liking my combo.

- Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro
- Schiit Asgard Amp (by far best bang for the buck, but I caution going cheaper than this for a headphone amp)
- Sound Blaster Titanium HD

Next step for me is to replace the Sound Blaster with a Schiit Bifrost DAC (via optical output).
 
Doesn't need amp:
Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (80ohm)
sennheiser hd 558
ATH-M50s
ATH-A900x (or 700x)
HiFiMAN HE300


Let me add to this that while they don't NEED an amp, headphones in the 60+ ohm range tend to give a much fuller sound when used with one, its really worth it.

My Beyerdynamics are unfortunately the 80Ohm variants. I wish I had gone with the 250Ohm ones to begin with.
 
I don't like to comment on headphones I haven't tried or own so this will be limited to the ones that I have experience with.

AKG Q701 - Great for gaming, but a little bass shy for my taste.
ATH M50 - Good for music but a little boring. It doesn't have enough energy in the mids and treble for my taste. For gaming sub par.
Sennheiser HD 558 - Good for music but a little darker than I like. I got bored with them and sold them. For gaming it's decent.
 
I don't like to comment on headphones I haven't tried or own so this will be limited to the ones that I have experience with.

AKG Q701 - Great for gaming, but a little bass shy for my taste.
ATH M50 - Good for music but a little boring. It doesn't have enough energy in the mids and treble for my taste. For gaming sub par.
Sennheiser HD 558 - Good for music but a little darker than I like. I got bored with them and sold them. For gaming it's decent.


Look like I'm going to Q701, but people seems to say they are hard do drive and also lack in bass. Got any other suggestion around that same price guys? And what kind of amp I should be looking at?

How's this sound card: http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=35596&vpn=AZTXFF7105551&manufacture=AuzenTech&promoid=1444 and amp it got?
 
If you're just using the soundcard with headphones or stereo speakers you should consider the DAC options in your price range, some have an amp packed with them as well. The DAC will also free you up to listen to other sources besides your desktop computer
 
Go with beyer 880 or 990 whichever you can afford. They will sound good with just a soundcard and you can get an amp later. Plus they have decent bass.
 
Look like I'm going to Q701, but people seems to say they are hard do drive and also lack in bass. Got any other suggestion around that same price guys? And what kind of amp I should be looking at?

How's this sound card: http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=35596&vpn=AZTXFF7105551&manufacture=AuzenTech&promoid=1444 and amp it got?

I don't know if that version has been redesigned, but the original X-Fi Forte had a very bad reputation for failing headphone output (making a machine gun popping sound, probably due to overheated capacitors). I had two of them die myself.

As for headphones, the Q701s sound amazing but they are a little light on bass compared to some of the other recommendations, if that matters to you.
 
Would I need a PC soundcard for headphones that already have a DAC and desktop AMP?

Your DAC needs some sort of a digital signal. If it has USB as an option, then you would not need a soundcard. Otherwise you would need some form of soundcard that feeds it whatever digital input it takes (optical/coaxial).
 
Audioengine D1 DAC+AMP for 170 CAD worth it? I don't know what headphone to get with :/
 
It's a pretty decent amp and a nice DAC. As for headphones, you've already received quite a few recommendations (Beyer 880/990, AKG Q701, HE-300, AT ATH-A900), just pick whichever one fits your budget... It'd be easier to narrow it down for you if you actually stated what you're looking for.

Do you want/need a lot of bass? Is the sound stage for gaming more of a priority? Do you just want something really neutral and revealing? What type of music do you listen to? Gonna be using them primarily for gaming or music or split 50/50? All that would help narrow it down... Otherwise people are just recommending stuff blindly tbh, and at the end of the day you're still better off auditioning a few different models yourself.
 
It's a pretty decent amp and a nice DAC. As for headphones, you've already received quite a few recommendations (Beyer 880/990, AKG Q701, HE-300, AT ATH-A900), just pick whichever one fits your budget... It'd be easier to narrow it down for you if you actually stated what you're looking for.

Do you want/need a lot of bass? Is the sound stage for gaming more of a priority? Do you just want something really neutral and revealing? What type of music do you listen to? Gonna be using them primarily for gaming or music or split 50/50? All that would help narrow it down... Otherwise people are just recommending stuff blindly tbh, and at the end of the day you're still better off auditioning a few different models yourself.


I really don't know, I'd love good soundstage and Imagery to be able to tell where people are and also good bass cause I love them explosions, Listen to mostly metal/rock music.

the beyerdynamic DT990 250 OHN are on sale for 170$ Worth the investment?
 
A lot of people prefer the 880 because they're more neutral whereas the 990 emphasize highs/lows more, but I don't imagine they're like worlds apart... Both are known for a great sound stage without lacking bass (compared to other open headphones in the same range).

I've actually been looking for a sale on the 880 myself, but if I don't find them for close to $200 then I might opt for the 990 (price swings back and forth all the way from $300). I've only managed to hear the 990 so far, and briefly, but they were uber comfortable and very well built (largely metal, thick plastic where it's used).

I'm not sure if you could get them much cheaper used but it's probably worth looking into. Oh and the STX should work well with the 250 ohm versions.
 
What is your reference point, and what set your price range? Is it more of a ceiling?

I can say from experience that even $50 headphones and a cheap card will give you a huge leap forward for games and rock from the headphones most people are used to. If you have a habit of upgrading in the future you might as well spend more now, but I think for what you've described the budget seems a little overkill unless you know what you are looking for and can audition some different headphones. Besides typical diminishing returns (which I believe happen faster in headphones than other audio since you can have an amazing setup for relatively cheap) you have to consider the quality of your source material. IME many games have pretty pour sound quality that is exposed with any decent setup. With music/movies at least you have the option to choose better material like higher bitrate files and blu ray movies.
 
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