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Hello, I'm looking for a DAC/AMP solution that can get the most out of rather high-end headphones and "headsets" but also has a good feature set. I've looked at a few solutions so far but obviously none has it "all" so I'd be interested in your comments on these options (or alternatives I may have overlooked but satisfy the following)... I have: - A Beyerdynamics MMX 300 (2nd gen) for VoiP/voice/streaming - A Beyerdynamics DT 1990 Pro (250 ohm) for more competitive multiplayer gaming, media consumption etc. I want: - A DAC/AMP combo that can get the most out of my DT 1990 Pro (250 ohm) - A mic-in for the MMX300 or separate mic (nothing too fancy) - An optical in (usb/toslink) and analog in (RCA or 1/8 inch aka 3.5mm stereo) - it to be without extra drivers required (cross-platform compatible) I would like/Nice-to-have: - USB Powered (no extra power cable required but optional) - A line-in mixing in audio from another system (listening to multiple sources simultaneously) - 1/4" Stereo plug - RCA/"pre-amp" out for speakers Devices I've considered thus far: - Mayflower Arc Mk2 (currently the favorite) - Shiit Hel - FiiO - K5PRO My current favorite is the Arc MK2 for the line-in mixing into the "normal" digital input but I'm not sure how its audio quality stacks up against the other DAC/AMPs even though it is the most expensive of the bunch. It sadly has no 1/4" but a 4 pol which I could plug my "headset" into. Because of its ability to "mix" 2 audio sources for simultaneous listening - which is a rare feature to say the least - it's my favorite one currently From what I've heard people usually recommend the K5 Pro for HiFi headphones up to the DT 1990 Pro which has an excellent value for the price but has no mic-in or features like the Arc MK2. The Shiit Hel on the other hand does have a mic-in and even mic volume adjustment (2 separate knobs), has very good price/performance and from what I've heard delivers high-quality audio for both listening and mic. It has the 1/4" inch stereo for headphones but requires 2 usb cables for powering and has no RCA jacks at all. To accomplish my nice-to-have for mixing audio from 2 sources I considered RCA spliters which would work with the K5 Pro but would require me to lose the DAC functionality from the device and rely on entirely on on-board/sound card DACs (though my motherboard appears to have a good one). Specs & Features compared (favorite ones bolded): | | Arc Mk2 | Shiit Hel | K5PRO | | ------------------ | ---------------- | ------------ | ------------ | | Price | $270 | $189 | $170 | | Mic? | Yes | Yes | No | | 1/8" | No | Yes | Yes | | Mixing | Yes | No | No | | SNR | 115 dB | >108db | >115 dB | | Crosstalk | -65 dB | -80 dB | -75 dB | | Output (32Ω) | 1W | 1W | 1.5W | | Output Imp. | 0.096 Ω | 0.25 Ω | 1.2 Ω | (didn't find a way to make a table in this editor so I chose markup, even though it doesn't get turned into proper visual formatting) I'd be thankful for anything else worth considering I may have missed or opinions.

Hello guys! I'm thinking of buying a pair of DT770 pro's 80 Ohm to use with my phone and laptop. They'll be replacing my Marshall Major II because they become quite uncomfortable after 4-5 hours of continuous use, which is a daily scenario. But i'm worried if my phone (Honor 7) will be able to drive them. For comparison: the Marshall headphones are 60 Ohm and are perfect at about a third of the volume slider and really hurt at the maximum volume. I know it's only 20 Ohm but I'm just asking to make sure Thanks a lot!

As the title says or should I buy a separate dac/amp? If the second alternative: would I notice a huge difference?

My old brother gave me his Beyerdynamic DT770 600 ohm version, the Manufaktur version which is no longer availible, they look so cool. Unfortunately my USB interface has a broken headphone jack, it makes weird crackling noises. So many people complained about this unit having a very bad headphone jack. Sound quality is decent but built quality is cheap. Is this one: So my idea was basically to get an amp like an Schitt or Lake People and plug it into the 3 and 4 TRS outs, and keep using my monitors on the 1 and 2 outs. Then I just leave the AK1 knob for 3 and 4 outs at maximun volume, and I control the volume with Schitt knob or whatever I buy. Is this a good idea? Will my old AK1 be a bottleneck and reduce quality of sound? Which amp to buy? Im very confused at this. Also I have TRS to XLR cables, which I could I use, so I would prefer if the amp has XLR inputs. For some reason, Schitt uses unbalaned RCAs... im not sure if this will make quality worse or not. I wouldn't like to buy more cables anyway. I do not understand how the numbers work when it comes to finding out if an amp will be enough or not for 600 ohm (I mean calculating mW, ohms, and all that stuff). Please help

Hey there, So as the title says, my DT990 pro stopped working. At first it was the right ear, and I had to reverse the headset ( I'm actually deaf in the left ear, so ... yeah, had to put the left earpiece on the right ear ). Just a few hours ago,the sound in the left died too : I put the headset down for a few minutes, when I picked it up, nothing. I read this is sadly a common occurence with this headset, and it's actually the second pair that I bought just one year ago - previous model lasted a few years though. I wasn't very careful with the first one I must confess, and the added presence of a very turbulent cat who had a fetish for the heavy, curled cable wasn't helping. So I treated the second one with more respect and despite that, it didn't even last as long as the first one. Obviously, I'm not super motivated at the idea of buying yet another one. So I'm thinking of at least trying to repair it first. But I need to ID the cause first. The jack plug often seems to be the culprit from what I read here and there, but as you can see from those photos, I think the cables look... Well, quite damaged, right from the base of the earpiece ( disclaimer : I have absolutely zero practical knowledge of any sorts in electronics ). I seriously doubt those white-ish super thin wire-things coming out from the black-to-gold ( ground? ) and red-to-red ( right? ) bigger wires aren't supposed to be the actual connections. On the other hand, white-to-blue ( left? ) seems okay. Shouldn't at least the left earpiece work though ? In short : does it look like I have to change the whole cable straight from inside the earpiece and so open it, or should I focus only on the jack plug ? Or should I quit and just buy another headset, which probably won't be a BD anymore since they really don't seem to be sturdy enough for typical desktop usage ? Thanks for any help or insight into that matter =) - W

Hi all! Proud owner of a Steelseries Siberia V.2, I'm looking for new headphones (not headsets) with a budget of 150€. I'm considering buying one of those : Audio Technica M50X - 138€ Beyerdynamics DT 770 PRO (80 or 250 ohm, which one? I don't know the difference...) - 138€ Beyerdynamics DT 990 PRO (250 ohm, import UK) - 138€ Sennheiser HD558 - 101,47€ I'll mainly use them for gaming (online FPS: Battlefield 4, CS:GO...), but also music and videos. I'm also looking for headphones that can provide good (very good?) surround sound (I'm aware that I need a good sound card too!). When playing an online shooter, I wanna know where, exactly, are my ennemies. Thanks!

Hi all, I have a questions for all you pros So currently I have Sennheiser PC360's --this is my open back solution (i know its not the best but its not that bad) Also I am buying a pair of Beyerdynamics dt770 pro 250ohm (i want something good quality, closed back, and most important comfortable) Lastly I have an Asus Xonar DGX sound card. This is what i'm looking to upgrade. [additional info: I'm no audiophile, but like most people I would still appriciate good sound. I listen to music, only play a few game (not fps, more like skyrim, tomb raider, KoA...) My budget is $0-250. I would like a 'simple' solution for my PC] My questions: 1) I guess I should ask this first: Would my DGX be good enough??? 2) Would the Xonar Essence STX be good enough??? 3) Would the O2+ODAC combo be a LARGE significant upgrade if compared to the essence stx??(personally i would prefer something internal unless the difference is day and night, plus its more expensive) 4) Lastly, if you have an better suggestions, can you list them and why thats good? Thanks guys

Hello people on the Audio forum, I am in the market of a new pair of over the ear Headphones since my Logitech G35s are falling apart. I want to get a good pair of OEMs and a mod-mic 2.3 for communication. I have got these two in mind. But if there are any others I should look at Just let me know, I don't want to go past $150 of the headphones themselves. http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-DT-990-Pro-250-Professional-Acoustically-Applications/dp/B0011UB9CQ/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A21Z5WJQSGVB69 http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-504631-HD-558-Headphones/dp/B004FEEY9A/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1385923249&sr=1-1&keywords=sennheiser+558 Thanks In advance

I need a new pair of in ear headphones. they should be under or about 100 usd. I have looked at the beyerdynamics mmx 101 ie. Are those good or should I get something else?