Recommended DAC/AMP?

[alanp1995]

Hi all, I've just purchased a pair of DT 770s 250 ohm headphones. After some research I've noticed people mentioning a DAC/AMP is needed to power the 250 ohm model. I've no experience in the audio area and I'm sure a lot of people are scared off by it just like I am. I've had the same €50 pair of Sony headphones for over 6 years.

Since I need to invest in a DAC/AMP, is there anything budget friendly which I can use to power these headphones? I was also thinking of buying an XLR mic down the line to record some singing and guitar audio. Maybe the DAC/AMP could also support these so I don't need to upgrade once I do invest in some audio gear?

Thanks in advance.

[Stahlmann]

You can also get an internal Sound Card like the Asus Xonar DSX or Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy Fx. They cost about 30 € and will be a good budget solution. I ran both in the past and they will power up to 600 Ohm headphones without issues.

[alanp1995]

3 minutes ago, Stahlmann98 said:

You can also get an internal Sound Card like the Asus Xonar DSX or Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy Fx. They cost about 30 € and will be a good budget solution. I ran both in the past and they will power up to 600 Ohm headphones without issues.

Cheers for that, I hadn't taken internal sound cards into consideration. Would my Samsung smartphone from 2017 power them well enough to listen without getting a portable amp?

 

Ideally, I'd like to invest in an external amp which can power my headphones but also a microphone setup in the future too. Any recommendations there?

[Stahlmann]

1 minute ago, alanp1995 said:

Cheers for that, I hadn't taken internal sound cards into consideration. Would my Samsung smartphone from 2017 power them well enough to listen without getting a portable amp?

 

Ideally, I'd like to invest in an external amp which can power my headphones but also a microphone setup in the future too. Any recommendations there?

Your PC can power the 250 Ohm headphones without an AMP aswell but they wont go as loud. I'd guess the same issue would arise with phones. Normally you'd go for 32 Ohm Headphones if you plan to use them with a smartphone.

 

External DAC/AMP solutions tend to cost much more. I'd say for a good solution most people will start recommend stuff between 150-200 €. When it Comes to a tight Budget you'll be better off with an internal Sound card. As i haven't used external DAC/AMPs myself i can't firmly recommend one.

[Daniel Z.]

11 minutes ago, Stahlmann98 said:

Your PC can power the 250 Ohm headphones without an AMP aswell but they wont go as loud. I'd guess the same issue would arise with phones. Normally you'd go for 32 Ohm Headphones if you plan to use them with a smartphone.

 

External DAC/AMP solutions tend to cost much more. I'd say for a good solution most people will start recommend stuff between 150-200 €. When it Comes to a tight Budget you'll be better off with an internal Sound card. As i haven't used external DAC/AMPs myself i can't firmly recommend one.

Internal sound cards basically do nothing. Either use board sound or an external setup.

[Stahlmann]

23 minutes ago, Daniel Z. said:

Internal sound cards basically do nothing. Either use board sound or an external setup.

Most internal sound cards have built-in Headphone AMPs, most Motherboards do not. So they actually do something.

[rice guru]

8 minutes ago, Stahlmann98 said:

Most internal sound cards have built-in Headphone AMPs, most Motherboards do not. So they actually do something.

I mean most things that have 3.5 mm outs have amps it's the quality of the amps are the things being questioned. 

[Tigerleon]

2 hours ago, rice guru said:

I mean most things that have 3.5 mm outs have amps it's the quality of the amps are the things being questioned. 

What the fck does he mean that they do nothing!? I have a sound blaster ae 9 worth more than 300 euros and is probably better than an external one worth 300 euros. So they actually do something dude. Also it has XLR and everything else on it. 

[alanp1995]

2 hours ago, Daniel Z. said:

Internal sound cards basically do nothing. Either use board sound or an external setup.

What device would you recommend for an external setup? I think for the moment, I was looking at the Fiio E10K, because of its portability so I could take it with me and connect it to my phone.

 

Ideally there are two scenarios here, invest in a dac/amp which can power my headphones and a mic setup in the future. Or invest in a portable dac/amp which can be used with my pc and my phone.

[alanp1995]

4 minutes ago, Tigerleon said:

What the fck does he mean that they do nothing!? I have a sound blaster ae 9 worth more than 300 euros and is probably better than an external one worth 300 euros. So they actually do something dude. Also it has XLR and everything else on it. 

I'd rather this topic didn't become a battle between internal and external. Please suggest something in relation to the question topic

[Tigerleon]

Just now, alanp1995 said:

I'd rather this topic didn't become a battle between internal and external. Please suggest something in relation to the question topic

Yeah. But get a soundcard or an amp and your good to go. 

[Tigerleon]

3 minutes ago, alanp1995 said:

, invest in a dac/amp which can power my headphones and a mic setup in the future

Then you should go for behringer or a more expensive soundcard as I have which is the sound blaster ae 9. It has XLR and superior sound quality

[rice guru]

3 hours ago, Tigerleon said:

What the fck does he mean that they do nothing!? I have a sound blaster ae 9 worth more than 300 euros and is probably better than an external one worth 300 euros. So they actually do something dude. Also it has XLR and everything else on it. 

When did I say they do nothing?

[rice guru]

3 hours ago, Tigerleon said:

is probably better than an external one worth 300 euros

I've heard setups that sound better that cost cheaper than an ae9.

[Tigerleon]

4 minutes ago, rice guru said:

I've heard setups that sound better that cost cheaper than an ae9.

Ok. I was thinking more that for example fiios products or a cheap interface is not that good in terms of amp. Also the ae9 is more consumer friendly and with the software and hardware it delivers it isn't under the cheaper external solutions.

[Tigerleon]

9 minutes ago, rice guru said:

When did I say they do nothing?

Sorry quoted wrong person. Was using my mobile phone atm I wrote it and I couldn't see really who I was quoting. My bad. 

[rice guru]

7 minutes ago, Tigerleon said:

Ok. I was thinking more that for example fiios products or a cheap interface is not that good in terms of amp. Also the ae9 is more consumer friendly and with the software and hardware it delivers it isn't under the cheaper external solutions.

I would argue it's not as user friendly as people have to worry about opening up a PC and inserting a pcie card in while most external setups it's a matter of USB and rca cables and most audio enthusiasts generally don't like worrying about software like myself I prefer to mass with eqs and levels through hardware

[The Flying Sloth]

If you want the option of a mic upgrade in future, sounds like an Audio interface might be the best option for you.
At the moment the cheapest interface with a headphone amp powerful enough for your needs is the UMC202HD and should you ever choose to upgrade mic yu'll have the XLR upgrade path available to you.

If you'd like to learn a little more about interfaces or XLR mics the guide in my signature might be helpful/interesting to you.