Im looking to spend about $200 for a pair of headphones and a headphone amp. Will be used for games and music. I currently have an Omega Strike sound card and M-Audio AV40's. What are my options? Should i get a new sound card with an amp built in, or should i get an external amp for the headphones?
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Need headphone & amp recommendations
- Thread starter samops03
- Start date
You don't need another soundcard or amp if you are using either headphone. The 518 or 558 (need to do the foam mod for that) will give you the best sound in your price range without an amp. The 558 basically becomes a 598 after you do the mod.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8i_ZGHHhuQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8i_ZGHHhuQ
imho ... DON'T get the AD700s for music they have basically zero base (and in my case the earpads make my head itch)
I have them ... I would have sold them / returned them except they are pretty good for gaming (when nobody else is in the room...the leak sound due to being open)
I actually i wish i had returned them... but whatever ..too late now.
I very much prefer listening to music w/ my JVC-HA-RX700 to listening w/ the AD700s ... i actually use my RX700s 99% of the time actually over the AD700s
I have them ... I would have sold them / returned them except they are pretty good for gaming (when nobody else is in the room...the leak sound due to being open)
I actually i wish i had returned them... but whatever ..too late now.
I very much prefer listening to music w/ my JVC-HA-RX700 to listening w/ the AD700s ... i actually use my RX700s 99% of the time actually over the AD700s
If you game, want good sound quality and a mic - PC360
If you game and want better quality and don't need a mic - AD700 + Xonar DG
If you're okay with spending just a little more than $200 and want the best in that range - Sennheiser HD598 + Xonar DG
I personally use the AD700 and the sound is AMAZING. Lacking in "thump" they produce more of a cleaner, snappier sound and less muddy bass than what is typical.
If you game and want better quality and don't need a mic - AD700 + Xonar DG
If you're okay with spending just a little more than $200 and want the best in that range - Sennheiser HD598 + Xonar DG
I personally use the AD700 and the sound is AMAZING. Lacking in "thump" they produce more of a cleaner, snappier sound and less muddy bass than what is typical.
Well i think a Xonar DG would def be a downgrade in sound from my Omega Striker, thats why i was thinking of an external headphone amp. I have M-Audio AV40's hooked up to it with a sub and i love the sound.
I had a pair of JVC AD900's but they sounded bad without an amp so i gave them to a friend. They were great when i hooked them up to my Onkyo reciever in another room.
At this point im thinking of just getting a pair of good headphones that dont need an amp.
Thanks for the suggestions, keep em coming
I had a pair of JVC AD900's but they sounded bad without an amp so i gave them to a friend. They were great when i hooked them up to my Onkyo reciever in another room.
At this point im thinking of just getting a pair of good headphones that dont need an amp.
Thanks for the suggestions, keep em coming
Wait the Jvc sounded bad out of your sound card? That is weird. The sound card must be weak in terms of power for headphones then.
Hmmm. ok. I suggest a JDS labs cmoy amp or their O2 amp. Also, Sennheiser is what you want in this price range. They are the best headphones for overall usage and comfort. This comes from the guy who has owned them all.
http://www.jdslabs.com/store.php
So the budget's $200 for headphone and amp together or even just the headphones if they're easy to drive right? Are you gonna be using them for online gaming or mostly single player stuff? What kinda music do you listen to? Can they be open headphones or do you need closed ones for isolation? The Senn HD558/598 mentioned above are good all around recommendations but the answer to those questions would help in suggesting alternatives.
The 598 would be over budget but the difference isn't major and you can close the gap on the 558 with some mod'ing.
The PC360 isn't any better and it's generally more expensive, at best it's comparable (I think it uses the driver or housing from the old 5x5 series?), but you can get an okay Zalman clip on mic for $8 and pair it with any headphone (or a nice magnetically attached boom mic for like $35, see Modmic by AntLion). I'm with atarione on the AD700,gaming's all they're good for. People that say they don't lack bass can't possibly have a good basis of comparison against other neutral headphones.
The 598 would be over budget but the difference isn't major and you can close the gap on the 558 with some mod'ing.
The PC360 isn't any better and it's generally more expensive, at best it's comparable (I think it uses the driver or housing from the old 5x5 series?), but you can get an okay Zalman clip on mic for $8 and pair it with any headphone (or a nice magnetically attached boom mic for like $35, see Modmic by AntLion). I'm with atarione on the AD700,gaming's all they're good for. People that say they don't lack bass can't possibly have a good basis of comparison against other neutral headphones.
Yeah the sound card does not have a headphone amp and the JVC's were not powered enough to sound good. I realized that after hearing them through the receiver. My experience with the CMOY is not that good either to tell you the truth...As a matter of fact im selling mine in the F/S section right now.
Thanks for the feedback, to answer your questions:
The budget is $200 for either headphones and amp, or just headphones, but im more inclined to get an amp as well. I just stumbled on this revised Fiio E09K. What do you think?
http://www.fiio.com.cn/product/index.aspx?ID=19&MenuID=020301
I will be using the setup to play games (both single and online) and listen to mostly electronic music so bass is important. As far as open or closed, it doesn't matter, i live alone.
I can go a little over budget and get the HD 518 with that Fiio amp, or wait a little and go for the HD 558. Is the price difference justified?
And i don't care about the mic, since i don't do any talking when i play.
Thanks again for helping out!
The 558 has damn good bass. You have to remove the foam tape to get the best sound but it is dead simple. I was floored playing BL2 in the Caustic Caverns. Bass was thunderous but realistic.
Basically, the 558 uses the same driver and housing as the 598. All Sennheiser did was put it in a less fancy looking headphone and put a bit of foam tape to degrade the sound a bit. So remove the tape and you have a 598.
It is a step up from the 518. Nothing huge but certainly an improvement. More refined and detailed sounding.
Basically, the 558 uses the same driver and housing as the 598. All Sennheiser did was put it in a less fancy looking headphone and put a bit of foam tape to degrade the sound a bit. So remove the tape and you have a 598.
It is a step up from the 518. Nothing huge but certainly an improvement. More refined and detailed sounding.
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I think the 558 over the 518 is a good buy, and honestly, your sound card should be able to drive them fine without an amp. If you want a more fun sound or more bass emphasis for electronic music and your priorities are music over sound stage for gaming then you could look at some closed headphones like the Creative Aurvana Live or Brainwavz HM5... Those two still have a decent sound stage so you're not totally sacrificing one thing for another.
The Sennheiser shouldn't be lacking in bass response unless you're a true basshead tho, they're on the warmer sound of neutral. They hit a pretty good sweet spot for open headphones in the $100-200 range...
Beyerdynamic DT 990 could be another option, they're also very very comfortable and better built; the sound signature is sort of the opposite of the Senn (which have awesome mids above all else) with a big bass/treble emphasis. Sound stage is comparable, there's two downsides tho, you'd definitely want an amp for the versions worth buying (Pro or Premium in 250 ohm) and a lot of people find the treble too sibilant. The DT 880 are more neutral with less recessed mids but they're usually more expensive.
The Sennheiser shouldn't be lacking in bass response unless you're a true basshead tho, they're on the warmer sound of neutral. They hit a pretty good sweet spot for open headphones in the $100-200 range...
Beyerdynamic DT 990 could be another option, they're also very very comfortable and better built; the sound signature is sort of the opposite of the Senn (which have awesome mids above all else) with a big bass/treble emphasis. Sound stage is comparable, there's two downsides tho, you'd definitely want an amp for the versions worth buying (Pro or Premium in 250 ohm) and a lot of people find the treble too sibilant. The DT 880 are more neutral with less recessed mids but they're usually more expensive.
dwightschrute
Gawd
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2012
- Messages
- 568
While I think your suggestions are good, keep in mind his budget; dt 990s with an amp you probably cannot get that for $200 rofl
I wish, with manufaktr that would be hotThank you very much for the feedback and suggestions, i appreciate that you took the time to give such detailed information. After thinking it over and looking at even more headphones i think i will try out the HD 558's with my HT Omega. If im not satisfied with the sound im going to get a sound card with a headphone amp. I was thinking of trying out the new Creative Soundblaster Z, it seems to have a good amp.
Should be ok with that or the creative card will drive them for sure. My Asus Xonar DX1 does fine. I use my receiver though I did test extensively with just the sound card.
I will remind you that you must remove that stupid foam tape to get the best results.
I will remind you that you must remove that stupid foam tape to get the best results.
While I think your suggestions are good, keep in mind his budget; dt 990s with an amp you probably cannot get that for $200 rofl
I've seen the DT 990 Pro at well under $200, so it's just a matter of how good an amp he wants to pair them with and how hard set the budget is... Just trying to put some options out there. I was trying to think of other open cans that would put out more bass than the HD558/598 without making other larger sacrifices, most options I thought of are either inferior or much more expensive tho.
Senn's 5xx line is definitely the easier/safe choice.
Um, yeah, perfectly lifeless with electronic music.
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Thanks Impulse, i was originally considering the Audio Techinica AD700's, but after reading a few reviews, they all said they were lacking bass. To be honest im really looking forward to hearing the HD 558's. I once had a pair of Sennheiser CX300's and i really enjoyed the sound from them.
I'm not really sure how to explain what i didn't like. It was loud and powerful but i didn't feel like the audio was clean, if that makes any sense. Also, the bass boost switch added too much bass, but if you had it off, it was lacking. It may have been my headphones that were to blame, but at this point i would prefer to have either a good desktop amp, or built into the sound card.
Its also much more aesthetically clean that way, and less cables to deal with.
CX300 were my first IEM years ago, there wasn't a whole lot of sub-$60 IEM back then, market's exploded since then tho. I still use them for sleeping when I travel, since they're so small and I don't much care if I kill them one day while tossing and turning.
Haven't compared them directly against some of the JVC/MEElec/Ety IEM I've bought lately, they're indeed pretty bassy tho, probably a bit too much for their own good... HD598 will obviously convey way much more of a sense of space, bass should be tighter, specially after the mod space mentions.
Haven't compared them directly against some of the JVC/MEElec/Ety IEM I've bought lately, they're indeed pretty bassy tho, probably a bit too much for their own good... HD598 will obviously convey way much more of a sense of space, bass should be tighter, specially after the mod space mentions.
I dont have the 558's yet, i was talking about the JVS'c... Hope to have them soon.
N
nickbudi
Guest
After going through many different sub-$300 setups, I have finally settled on the AKG Q701 + Modmic + ASUS Xonar Essence STX (my final setup is actually over $300 I just realized).
The soundstage on the AKG Q701 is amazing, the bass is present and punchy, and the Xonar Essence STX has a great stock amp and dac along with Dolby Headphone which is amazing for positional audio in games.
The soundstage on the AKG Q701 is amazing, the bass is present and punchy, and the Xonar Essence STX has a great stock amp and dac along with Dolby Headphone which is amazing for positional audio in games.
ftvstation
n00b
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2012
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What do you plan to do with this sound system?