setup I need input on a "budget" headphone + mic + DAC setup :)

[D1Wolfgang]

So, after snapping both sides of my Razer Kraken USB headset after ~5 years of use, I decided to start researching a new headset. I was almost settled on the CoolerMaster MH751 + a Syba Sonic for until I maybe added a better mic or something. However, I saw that the Philips SHP9500 were highly praised, and commonly Frankensteined together, with the same Syba Sonic and a V-MODA BoomPro (according to Amazon's "Frequently bought together" section). This seems like a great deal for ~$150, but I can't be sure since I've been researching for less than a day. So do you think this seems like a good idea?

(3 more extra questions)

1. Should I avoid these open-backed headphones because of my computer fans being audible at about a whispering level? 

2. Are headphones from ~5 years ago still viable? Do they become irrelevant because of new hardware in the same way as GPUs?

3. If I use the DAC, I don't need to worry about my motherboard dealing with the audio and degrading quality, correct? (ASUS Prime X470-Pro)

Thanks a lot! Pardon me for asking so much at once, I like to cover as much as possible in the same post. 

EDIT (Idea):

Should I go a little more expensive and get  ATH-M50x's? Bass is important to me, plus they're closed back so it might be safer for sound in my room. EDIT 2: I'd need an adapter for the v-moda mic. This seems like it would work. 3.5 mm to 2.5 mm adapter

 

[JabroniBaloney]

Your motherboard won't degrade your audio, unless it is defective.

[rice guru]

8 hours ago, Wolfgang393 said:

So, after snapping both sides of my Razer Kraken USB headset after ~5 years of use, I decided to start researching a new headset. I was almost settled on the CoolerMaster MH751 + a Syba Sonic for until I maybe added a better mic or something. However, I saw that the Philips SHP9500 were highly praised, and commonly Frankensteined together, with the same Syba Sonic and a V-MODA BoomPro (according to Amazon's "Frequently bought together" section). This seems like a great deal for ~$150, but I can't be sure since I've been researching for less than a day. So do you think this seems like a good idea?

(3 more extra questions)

1. Should I avoid these open-backed headphones because of my computer fans being audible at about a whispering level? 

2. Are headphones from ~5 years ago still viable? Do they become irrelevant because of new hardware in the same way as GPUs?

3. If I use the DAC, I don't need to worry about my motherboard dealing with the audio and degrading quality, correct? (ASUS Prime X470-Pro)

Thanks a lot! Pardon me for asking so much at once, I like to cover as much as possible in the same post. 

EDIT (Idea):

Should I go a little more expensive and get  ATH-M50x's? Bass is important to me, plus they're closed back so it might be safer for sound in my room. EDIT 2: I'd need an adapter for the v-moda mic. This seems like it would work. 3.5 mm to 2.5 mm adapter

 

Don't get a dac and grab a DT 770 80 ohm or 32 ohm plenty of bass great for gaming. Much better than the m50x. And you can save a little money on a dac or amp later on. The only time you grabs dac is when your  motherboard osaking too much noise. Also headphones or any audio equipment do not become errilevant. If a good headphone is good it's good forever. My dt 990 is among the best for under $200  and is still heavily reccomended and is also over 25 years old. Audio is one of the few things we have mastered a long time ago. The m50x is not good for gaming and music lacks sound stage and is too sharp.for most people. The DT 770 is less sharp and has actual soundstage and imaging.

[D1Wolfgang]

6 hours ago, rice guru said:

Don't get a dac and grab a DT 770 80 ohm or 32 ohm plenty of bass great for gaming. Much better than the m50x. And you can save a little money on a dac or amp later on. The only time you grabs dac is when your  motherboard osaking too much noise. Also headphones or any audio equipment do not become errilevant. If a good headphone is good it's good forever. My dt 990 is among the best for under $200  and is still heavily reccomended and is also over 25 years old. Audio is one of the few things we have mastered a long time ago. The m50x is not good for gaming and music lacks sound stage and is too sharp.for most people. The DT 770 is less sharp and has actual soundstage and imaging.

Thanks, this helps. I woke up and realized I didn't want to have to buy a ton of adapters etc. so this is great. I'll just get a standalone mic or something. Not an In-line, modular kind of thing like I was going for before. 

[D1Wolfgang]

6 hours ago, rice guru said:

Don't get a dac and grab a DT 770 80 ohm or 32 ohm plenty of bass great for gaming. Much better than the m50x. And you can save a little money on a dac or amp later on. The only time you grabs dac is when your  motherboard osaking too much noise. Also headphones or any audio equipment do not become errilevant. If a good headphone is good it's good forever. My dt 990 is among the best for under $200  and is still heavily reccomended and is also over 25 years old. Audio is one of the few things we have mastered a long time ago. The m50x is not good for gaming and music lacks sound stage and is too sharp.for most people. The DT 770 is less sharp and has actual soundstage and imaging.

I've read that open back headphones are the best for gaming because of soundstage and stuff. So (even though I know that they're like half the price) How would the aforementioned Philips SHP9500 or maybe Audio-Technica ATHAD700X stack up against the 770's? (Note: the AD700x' seem like they're similar in price at least to 770's, but are on sale for 90) 

[rice guru]

4 hours ago, Wolfgang393 said:

I've read that open back headphones are the best for gaming because of soundstage and stuff. So (even though I know that they're like half the price) How would the aforementioned Philips SHP9500 or maybe Audio-Technica ATHAD700X stack up against the 770's? (Note: the AD700x' seem like they're similar in price at least to 770's, but are on sale for 90) 

The Shps and the 700xs are great for gaming they just lack bass. One of the unfortunate downsides of open back headphones is bass tends to kinda lack and if you want deep bass  a closed back is often the way to go. The reason I say the 770s is due to their sound signature being v shaped having nice deep bass while also having one of the widest soundstage a for a closed back for under $500. I personally for gaming prefer open backs. That's why I use the dt990  great wide soundstage with awesome imaging. But suffers from the same thing the m50 does from a lesser extent is being btoo sharp on the highs. But unlike the m50s it's open back so it's not as shrill and has actual soundstage and separation so to me it's quite enjoyable. The Shp9500s to me are step below the 770 they are lacking in bass and lack detail and and cleanliness in the highs while some of the best headphones under a $100 and great for gaming. 

 

[rice guru]

7 hours ago, Wolfgang393 said:

Thanks, this helps. I woke up and realized I didn't want to have to buy a ton of adapters etc. so this is great. I'll just get a standalone mic or something. Not an In-line, modular kind of thing like I was going for before. 

Best to just grab a stand alone mic. So if one thing breaks you can just easily replace it. I personally for the past few years have been using a blue snowball on an arm and has treated me with no issues since windows 8

[D1Wolfgang]

 

 

1

49 minutes ago, rice guru said:

One of the unfortunate downsides of open back headphones is bass tends to kinda lack and if you want deep bass  a closed back is often the way to go.

Would the 880's be a perfect balance then, bassy, but open? Or is it just neutral in general?

How closely should I pay attention to nominal impedance? I think 80 ohms is a pretty solid area for me since an amp wouldn't have to be 200 dollars to drive it. But that would limit me to the 770's (out of the DT lineup) since 880/990s are nominally 250 ohms.

[rice guru]

Just now, Wolfgang393 said:

Would the 880's be a perfect balance then, bassy, but open? Or is it just neutral in general?

How closely should I pay attention to nominal impedance? I think 80 ohms is a pretty solid area for me since an amp wouldn't have to be 200 dollars to drive it. But that would limit me to the 770's (out of the DT lineup) since 880/990s are nominally 250 ohms.

880s are a great balance on of my top headpphones for under $200  often compared to much more expensive headphones really lovely sounding headphones with nice ampount of mid bass along with splashy highs and lots of detail retention. if you want a cheap amp to drive 250 ohm grab a fx audio dac x6. but  other open backs around this price range  with lots of bass to me are above your price range which would be the fidelio x2's and the he 4xx

[D1Wolfgang]

 

 

 

2

3 minutes ago, rice guru said:

 other open backs around this price range  with lots of bass to me are above your price range which would be the fidelio x2's and the he 4xx

Well given the fact that the 880's are usually only 20 dollars less and, right now, going for 200-250 dollars everywhere (880s listed as 200 dollars on amazon.) what headphones would you recommend out of the 3? Are the 880s worth it to wait for a price drop? Or do you have any other semi-backed choices?

let's say I'm definitely going to buy the recommended amp, for whatever you recommend.

[D1Wolfgang]

Btw ignore these numbers in the quote. Idk what those are from. I'm def not typing them.

[rice guru]

2 minutes ago, Wolfgang393 said:

Well given the fact that the 880's are usually only 20 dollars less and, right now, going for 200-250 dollars everywhere (880s listed as 200 dollars on amazon.) what headphones would you recommend out of the 3? Are the 880s worth it to wait for a price drop? Or do you have any other semi-backed choices?

let's say I'm definitely going to buy the recommended amp, for whatever you recommend.

to me personally the 880;s are well worth it awesome headphone for the price. bit the bassiest around but very capable. 

[rice guru]

but all in all the he 4xx is also an excelent headphone decent for gaming great for more poppy sounding music r and b and hip hop and such while the 880 is a better all rounder IMO great for rock and most other stuyles of music and also retains more detail in the highs. 

[D1Wolfgang]

Just now, rice guru said:

but all in all the he 4xx is also an excelent headphone decent for gaming great for more poppy sounding music r and b and hip hop and such while the 880 is a better all rounder IMO great for rock and most other stuyles of music and also retains more detail in the highs. 

Awesome. Do you have any idea why the 880s are so high in price? I could get $170 dollars for 600 ohms, but I don't want to have to drive those. 

[D1Wolfgang]

12 minutes ago, rice guru said:

but all in all the he 4xx is also an excelent headphone decent for gaming great for more poppy sounding music r and b and hip hop and such while the 880 is a better all rounder IMO great for rock and most other stuyles of music and also retains more detail in the highs. 

I just saw this on Amazon, where I can get the 600 ohm variant for 170 dollars (just about 990 MSRP, aka what I'd like to pay). Apparently, the amp you suggested is able to run the 600 ohm DT 880s. I know that's probably overkill, but it's overkill for a better price... So it's great right? Should I trust the answer?

[rice guru]

8 minutes ago, Wolfgang393 said:

Awesome. Do you have any idea why the 880s are so high in price? I could get $170 dollars for 600 ohms, but I don't want to have to drive those. 

they are a very popular headphone and often reccomnended. check out some reviews on them they are the most well reviewed in the dt 770 880 990 line . I would reccomend looking at your local music centre 

[D1Wolfgang]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

2 minutes ago, rice guru said:

they are a very popular headphone and often reccomnended. check out some reviews on them they are the most well reviewed in the dt 770 880 990 line . I would reccomend looking at your local music centre 

Yeah, I just did some research myself and apparently, the price actually started at 500 dollars many years ago. Crazy how that tech is still in the frontline now. 

Also, please note my latest question (quoted) relating to the attached image. Hopefully, it'll be my last. Super thankful for your help!

Quote

I just saw this on Amazon, where I can get the 600 ohm variant for 170 dollars (just about 990 MSRP, aka what I'd like to pay). Apparently, the amp you suggested is able to run the 600 ohm DT 880s. I know that's probably overkill, but it's overkill for a better price... So it's great right? Should I trust the answer?

 

[rice guru]

2 minutes ago, Wolfgang393 said:

I just saw this on Amazon, where I can get the 600 ohm variant for 170 dollars (just about 990 MSRP, aka what I'd like to pay). Apparently, the amp you suggested is able to run the 600 ohm DT 880s. I know that's probably overkill, but it's overkill for a better price... So it's great right? Should I trust the answer?

I wouldn't trust it the dac x6 is powerful but not 600 ohm powerful . I would try to stick with 250 ohm . even my set up which is more powerful then the dac x6 is just enough to power 600 ohms.  

[rice guru]

2 minutes ago, Wolfgang393 said:

Yeah, I just did some research myself and apparently, the price actually started at 500 dollars many years ago. Crazy how that tech is still in the frontline now. 

Also, please note my latest question (quoted) relating to the attached image. Hopefully, it'll be my last. Super thankful for your help!

 

audio is one of the sectors in tech that is really niche and is evolving for the better for everybodie's wallet now we get headphones like the hd 58x which is compared to aheadphone 3xk it's price and amps like the jds labs atom whic is so clean it's compared ot o amps more than 5x it's price and it would be a $1000 amp 10 years ago if it had better build quality.  10 years ago we didn;t have brands like massdrop and monoprice to drive competition so sennheiser beyerdynamic and fostex kinda got to run amok

 

[D1Wolfgang]

6 minutes ago, rice guru said:

I wouldn't trust it the dac x6 is powerful but not 600 ohm powerful . I would try to stick with 250 ohm . even my set up which is more powerful then the dac x6 is just enough to power 600 ohms.  

Ok. I'm looking into more dacs that can power 600 ohms. seems like the Monoprice Desktop Headphone Amplifier or the FiiO E10K USB DAC would work well. However, I'm leaving towards the FiiO.

important edit: The 880s at 200 dollars (250 ohms) + the fx audio dac x6 would be about $260

The 880s at 170 dollars (600 ohms) + the 70 dollar amp would round to about the same. Would it make sense to get more quality out of the 600 ohms for the same price? or play it safe with the less ohms?

[rice guru]

1 minute ago, Wolfgang393 said:

Ok. I'm looking into more dacs that can power 600 ohms. seems like the Monoprice Desktop Headphone Amplifier or the FiiO E10K USB DAC would work well. However, I'm leaving towards the FiiO.

whoever is telling you all oif this is wrong. I own the fiio e10k and it can barely power my 250 ohm to it's full potential the dac x6 is more powerful

[rice guru]

if you want a nice bassy open back that is also good for gaming I suggest to grab the he 4xx by massdrop a little cheaper and can be powered by the dac x6 no problem

 

[D1Wolfgang]

Just now, rice guru said:

if you want a nice bassy open back that is also good for gaming I suggest to grab the he 4xx by massdrop a little cheaper and can be powered by the dac x6 no problem

 

Ok, thank you. Yeah, the money just kept stacking on by the 10's there. Hard to stop it until it's way too much with that kind of thing.

[rice guru]

1 minute ago, Wolfgang393 said:

Ok, thank you. Yeah, the money just kept stacking on by the 10's there. Hard to stop it until it's way too much with that kind of thing.

i get you. its a lot of money and as you are starting into get into this kinda hobby thinghs may seem very complicated so you get confused. best to keep it simple. 

[D1Wolfgang]

Just now, rice guru said:

i get you. its a lot of money and as you are starting into get into this kinda hobby thinghs may seem very complicated so you get confused. best to keep it simple. 

greatly appreciate your help. It's a big world. I thought I was lost looking for 1080ti's 8 months ago  people like you make the world work