Brand new headphone, DAC+amp setup

[Donnyboy98]

I'm getting a whole new audio setup. I can't decide on what to get but i have a rough idea of what i want.

I'm Thinking of the follow setup:

 

Philips Fidelio X2

or

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro

with

Schiit Magni 2 (Amp) + Schiit Modi 2 (DAC)

 

Whats peoples opinions on this setup and of which headphone would be best? I'm open to suggestions of either headphones or amps/DAC. My budget it roughly £200 I'll maybe go a few over this for the headphones alone ($306.59) and the Amp + DAC £160 same with this give or take a few ($245.27)

 

I have also heard about the AKG K612 Pro which i was favouring these at first but now im partial to these 2 headphones now. The Sennheiser HD 650 seem a good option also but alot of people give a strong indication of these being more towards the music side than gaming.

 

 

Thanks in advanced

Donnyboy98

[SpaceSquid]

HD 650s are good for gaming, AKG Q701 or AKG K712 or AKG K612 Pros are also good headphones to consider, the dac and amp you have selected are one of the best for the price range.

[SSL]

I say the Phillips, the sound is a little bit less aggressively colored than the 990.

 

Unless you have problems with your integrated audio right now, the amp and DAC will serve as no more than a future investment; it isn't likely to improve sound quality. If you want to save a little money, the Monoprice desktop amp is basically the same thing for half the price.

[Donnyboy98]

The Monoprice seem like a nice clean amp&DAC but i dont think i can get it in the UK.

 

The AKG K712 pro are £10 off £300 which is steep for what i can get for that money.

[SSL]

The Monoprice seem like a nice clean amp&DAC but i dont think i can get it in the UK.

 

The AKG K712 pro are £10 off £300 which is steep for what i can get for that money.

 

I'd say the X2 is among the top open phones in the price range right now, so I wouldn't worry about that.

[Techotic]

I like the sound of the DT990 Pro, BUT I would get it without the DAC/Amp. Try them with onboard first. Last thing you want to do is waste money on an Amp, when the onboard sound volume is more than sufficient.

[EmoRarity]

I like the sound of the DT990 Pro, BUT I would get them without the DAC/Amp. Try them with onboard first. Last thing you want to do is waste money on an Amp, when the onboard sound volume is more than sufficient.

What are you, some kind of audio scrub? Thats not proper financial sense. 

[SSL]

What are you, some kind of audio scrub? Thats not proper financial sense. 

 

It's entirely backwards, isn't it.

[EmoRarity]

It's entirely backwards, isn't it.

It has me drinking Pepsi out of my coffee mug...

[Donnyboy98]

Calm down please, he can have his own opinion. 99% will say different but everyone thinks differently and hears different things. Sorry I have to agree with a amp and DAC will always be better otherwise there wouldn't be a business in them and people wouldn't buy them.

[EmoRarity]

Calm down please, he can have his own opinion. 99% will say different but everyone thinks differently and hears different things

Whoosh goes the joke. He is completely right about the order of operations. Buy headphone first, try with current solution, find out if you need to buy a second solution. 

This place is bent on convincing you otherwise and its rare for some one that isn't a good regular to make the statement he did. 

[Donnyboy98]

Are you trying to say he's right?

[EmoRarity]

Are you trying to say he's right?

He is right, I was just amazed that someone said it. Most people here will till you that the world will fall in on itself if you don't buy an amp first. 

[NannerBeans]

It has me drinking Pepsi out of my coffee mug...

I do that...

 

 

[EmoRarity]

I do that...

 

 

Do you do it to wash the coffee out of the mug? 

[NannerBeans]

Do you do it to wash the coffee out of the mug? 

Yes...? Do you not?

[EmoRarity]

Yes...? Do you not?

Of course, its why I was drinking Pepsi out of a coffee mug. 

[NannerBeans]

Of course, its why I was drinking Pepsi out of a coffee mug. 

I should've said no then...

[xtroria]

Fidelio X2 and you don't need an amp for it

[Matacks]

If you go for the dt 990 pro you will definitely see an improment with an amp. you can go along fine without one and use your onboard too but, if you listen to the 990s (250 ohm or up version) with an amp just once you won't ever want to go back to onboard. The dac is slightly less useful.

I bought an objective 2 amp and added a separate dac later on.. the dac is mostly for fun and experenting if I can tell difference in the sound through the dac or not. I think it sounds diffeeent. Is it better? I don't know.

[SSL]

If you go for the dt 990 pro you will definitely see an improment with an amp. you can go along fine without one and use your onboard too but, if you listen to the 990s (250 ohm or up version) with an amp just once you won't ever want to go back to onboard.

 

Not my experience. As always, depends on the current gear the OP has.

[Matacks]

Not my experience. As always, depends on the current gear the OP has.

Maybe you have a really good motherboard. My 250 ohm headphones seem to get help from an amp as the onboard sound dull to me even at higher volumes. Of course experience is subjective.

[SSL]

Of course experience is subjective.

 

That old chestnut. Subjective experiences can be validated through blind testing. Since neither of us has done any, there's no way to know either way.

 

That said, insufficient amplification either limits maximum volume or causes clipping, not make things sound "dull", whatever that means.

[Donnyboy98]

Any of you got the X2?

[Donnyboy98]

My current PC isn't good at all its a 1 I got for free but I'm saving up £3000 (5000 dollars) for my own build.