Choosing new audio hardware

[kakiepiroi]

Hey everyone!

 

I'm planning on revamping my audio setup and I was hoping that someone could help me decide what to go for. Right now I have the HyperX Cloud IIs, which have served me well for many years, but they've started to show their age and I wanted to replace them with something that's better. I've been thinking about going the headphones + dedicated microphone route, instead of spending money on a headset, but I'm not entirely sure what to go for.

 

In regards to the headphones, just to give you a bit more details on what I'm looking for: I wear my headphones for long periods of time (because I work from home) and I almost always have music playing (primarily orchestral music and rock). When I don't listen to music, it's either because I'm watching a movie or playing a game. I'm basically looking for something that's comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time (I also wear glasses) and sounds good in both casual and competitive games, and music. I'm in a quiet area so an open design would work as well as a closed one, and I don't plan on wearing these outside my home. Some of the options I've looked at are the BeyerDynamic DT990 Pro, the Sennheiser HD 85x, and the Audio Technica ATH-AD700X, but I have no idea which would be best for what I'm looking for and there's no place I could go to try them. I also realize that some (if not all) of these will require an amp & dac to properly utilize, but I haven't done any research on that front.

 

As for the microphone, initially I was looking at the Mod Mic USB, but it's pretty expensive to get it shipped here, at a point where it seems to be worth it to buy a studio mic (and maybe pay a little extra to get an arm for it). I don't do any serious recording or anything like that (even though I do stream from time to time), but the price difference between a Mod Mic and the various studio mics I looked at (~10€) makes them look like a more appealing choice. More specifically I looked at the Audio Technica AT2020 USB+, the HyperX QuadCast, and the Blue Yeti Nano. I was looking for something that's USB since for XLR I would need additional hardware, and from what I saw it can be pretty expensive, but if that's not the case please let me know.

 

So yeah, that's it. I'm trying to find something based on the specs above and my total budget (for headphones, amp / dac, mic) is around 500€. If anyone has any suggestions or recommendations I'd greatly appreciate them

[rice guru]

What music are you into? 

[sub68]

Just now, rice guru said:

What music are you into? 

 

3 minutes ago, kakiepiroi said:

(primarily orchestral music and rock)

 

[kakiepiroi]

Just now, rice guru said:

What music are you into? 

I mostly listen to orchestral music and classic rock, but I also listen to electronic music from time to time.

[Tigerleon]

5 minutes ago, kakiepiroi said:

Hey everyone!

 

I'm planning on revamping my audio setup and I was hoping that someone could help me decide what to go for. Right now I have the HyperX Cloud IIs, which have served me well for many years, but they've started to show their age and I wanted to replace them with something that's better. I've been thinking about going the headphones + dedicated microphone route, instead of spending money on a headset, but I'm not entirely sure what to go for.

 

In regards to the headphones, just to give you a bit more details on what I'm looking for: I wear my headphones for long periods of time (because I work from home) and I almost always have music playing (primarily orchestral music and rock). When I don't listen to music, it's either because I'm watching a movie or playing a game. I'm basically looking for something that's comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time (I also wear glasses) and sounds good in both casual and competitive games, and music. I'm in a quiet area so an open design would work as well as a closed one, and I don't plan on wearing these outside my home. Some of the options I've looked at are the BeyerDynamic DT990 Pro, the Sennheiser HD 85x, and the Audio Technica ATH-AD700X, but I have no idea which would be best for what I'm looking for and there's no place I could go to try them. I also realize that some (if not all) of these will require an amp & dac to properly utilize, but I haven't done any research on that front.

 

As for the microphone, initially I was looking at the Mod Mic USB, but it's pretty expensive to get it shipped here, at a point where it seems to be worth it to buy a studio mic (and maybe pay a little extra to get an arm for it). I don't do any serious recording or anything like that (even though I do stream from time to time), but the price difference between a Mod Mic and the various studio mics I looked at (~10€) makes them look like a more appealing choice. More specifically I looked at the Audio Technica AT2020 USB+, the HyperX QuadCast, and the Blue Yeti Nano. I was looking for something that's USB since for XLR I would need additional hardware, and from what I saw it can be pretty expensive, but if that's not the case please let me know.

 

So yeah, that's it. I'm trying to find something based on the specs above and my total budget (for headphones, amp / dac, mic) is around 500€. If anyone has any suggestions or recommendations I'd greatly appreciate them

I have the DT 990 pros as my daily drivers with my XLR mic. I use the Sound Blaster AE-9 internal soundcard and it sounds amazing. The software is for people who game and both listen to music and watch movies. There is much to the software. You can get a cheap XLR mic for like 50 dollars from thomann or something and it will sound perfect. The SB AE-9 has XLR as well.

EDIT: The DT 990 pros are good for people with glasses. I can confirm because I have glasses.

[rice guru]

1 minute ago, sub68 said:

 

 

Ah lol I missed that thanks

[sub68]

Just now, rice guru said:

Ah lol I missed that thanks

NP

as for a mic I was thinking

sm58 with a scarlet solo

 

[Tigerleon]

Just now, sub68 said:

NP

as for a mic I was thinking

sm58 with a scarlet solo

 

I kind of disagree with this. Getting the AE-9 gives you both an interface (kind of) But with really good quality for the mic. And a nice dac and headphone amp. That is if he has space in his pc.

[sub68]

1 minute ago, Tigerleon said:

I kind of disagree with this. Getting the AE-9 gives you both an interface (kind of) But with really good quality for the mic. And a nice dac and headphone amp. That is if he has space in his pc.

ahh I looked at that and it was sold out on amazon us

but that does look like a good choice

[rice guru]

I want to point you to the akg k712 being from EU and having great pricing over there. It's wide sounding great for orchestral and rock  music and gaming. And movies. I also want to point you to the dt880 600ohm super detailed my favorite for rock and orchestral music but highly amp demanding.  Mic wise the Samson q2u or ath 2005 is a great usb mic. For amps and dacs I can point you towards some depending on what you want.

[kakiepiroi]

3 minutes ago, Tigerleon said:

I kind of disagree with this. Getting the AE-9 gives you both an interface (kind of) But with really good quality for the mic. And a nice dac and headphone amp. That is if he has space in his pc.

I do have space in my PC, though I'm looking at the AE-9 and it seems pretty expensive compared to everything else (~330€). Wouldn't it be better to allocate more money towards a better set of headphones instead? Seems like a DAC like this would be underutilized. 

[Tigerleon]

So. My recommendation is probably the DT 990 pro or the 58X with the AE-9. The mic is something you can chose yourself with the budget you have left. The mic I use is the T.bone SC400

[Tigerleon]

3 minutes ago, kakiepiroi said:

I do have space in my PC, though I'm looking at the AE-9 and it seems pretty expensive compared to everything else (~330€). Wouldn't it be better to allocate more money towards a better set of headphones instead? Seems like a DAC like this would be underutilized. 

No. There is almost a point where things don't really get better except for what hardware is installed in the headphones. Like better quality stuff but all headphones sound different. You may like them or not. The DT 990's are the best headphones I recommend under 150 dollars. I have never listened to headphones at like 2000 dollars or something more expensive but I would assume the difference is minimal. So no a more expensive dac/amp doesn't mean underutilizing the headphones.

Edit: The quality of the amp/dac is better and most likely will last longer and/or have better features depending the price.

[kakiepiroi]

7 minutes ago, rice guru said:

I want to point you to the akg k712 being from EU and having great pricing over there. It's wide sounding great for orchestral and rock  music and gaming. And movies. I also want to point you to the dt880 600ohm super detailed my favorite for rock and orchestral music but highly amp demanding.  Mic wise the Samson q2u or ath 2005 is a great usb mic. For amps and dacs I can't point you towards some depending on what you want.

What's the difference between the DT 880 and the DT 990? The 880 seem to sell at ~30% up the price of the 990.

 

4 minutes ago, Tigerleon said:

No. There is almost a point where things don't really get better except for what hardware is installed in the headphones. Like better quality stuff but all headphones sound different. You may like them or not. The DT 990's are the best headphones I recommend under 150 dollars. I have never listened to headphones at like 2000 dollars or something more expensive but I would assume the difference is minimal. So no a more expensive dac/amp doesn't mean underutilizing the headphones.

I see. Would I need anything extra on top of the sound card and its peripherals to be able to connect an XLR microphone to it (other than an XLR cable ofc)?

[kakiepiroi]

Just now, kakiepiroi said:

What's the difference between the DT 880 and the DT 990? The 880 seem to sell at ~30% up the price of the 990.

Correction: I was looking at the 250Ohm version of the 880. The 600 Ohm one is still more expensive than the 880 but for some reason cheaper than the 990 250Ohm.

[Tigerleon]

Just now, kakiepiroi said:

What's the difference between the DT 880 and the DT 990? The 880 seem to sell at ~30% up the price of the 990.

 

I see. Would I need anything extra on top of the sound card and its peripherals to be able to connect an XLR microphone to it (other than an XLR cable ofc)?

Nope. XLR cable mic and the soundcard itself. 

 

1 minute ago, kakiepiroi said:

What's the difference between the DT 880 and the DT 990? The 880 seem to sell at ~30% up the price of the 990.

The difference is the sound signature. The 880's are more flat and 990's are more V shaped. meaning bass and treble is highlighted more. But you can always EQ using the Soundblaster software.

[Tigerleon]

Just now, kakiepiroi said:

Correction: I was looking at the 250Ohm version of the 880. The 600 Ohm one is still more expensive than the 880 but for some reason cheaper than the 990 250Ohm.

You might as well get the 600ohm if you want to buy the AE-9 because the amp will power them. BUT will be trash on mobile devices or without an amp.

[kakiepiroi]

7 minutes ago, Tigerleon said:

Nope. XLR cable mic and the soundcard itself. 

 

The difference is the sound signature. The 880's are more flat and 990's are more V shaped. meaning bass and treble is highlighted more. But you can always EQ using the Soundblaster software.

Considering the type of music I listen to, would it be better to go with the 880? From what I've read, more treble is better for gaming, but if I can adjust that from the EQ then that shouldn't be an issue, right?

 

8 minutes ago, Tigerleon said:

You might as well get the 600ohm if you want to buy the AE-9 because the amp will power them. BUT will be trash on mobile devices or without an amp.

That's fine, I don't plan on using these on anything but my PC. What's the benefit of going with the higher Ohm version?

[Tigerleon]

8 minutes ago, kakiepiroi said:

That's fine, I don't plan on using these on anything but my PC. What's the benefit of going with the higher Ohm version?

Less chance of accidentally blowing your ears out.

9 minutes ago, kakiepiroi said:

Considering the type of music I listen to, would it be better to go with the 880? From what I've read, more treble is better for gaming, but if I can adjust that from the EQ then that shouldn't be an issue, right?

Yes no issue.

[kakiepiroi]

5 minutes ago, Tigerleon said:

Less chance of accidentally blowing your ears out.

Does it offer any advantage sound-wise?

[Tigerleon]

10 minutes ago, kakiepiroi said:

Does it offer any advantage sound-wise?

I wouldn't say it does. But maybe more detail. But probably not audible.

[kakiepiroi]

Also, does anyone have any other suggestions for an external AMP & DAC (with possibly an XLR input) so I can evaluate a few different options?

[The Flying Sloth]

2 hours ago, kakiepiroi said:

Also, does anyone have any other suggestions for an external AMP & DAC (with possibly an XLR input) so I can evaluate a few different options?

UMC202HD, it's nice and cheap, powers XLR mics and has a decent inbuilt headphone amplifier that manufacturer states can power up tom 250 ohm beyers but if you're looking for options the link in my signature is probably a good place to start.

[rice guru]

2 hours ago, kakiepiroi said:

Considering the type of music I listen to, would it be better to go with the 880? From what I've read, more treble is better for gaming, but if I can adjust that from the EQ then that shouldn't be an issue, right?

 

That's fine, I don't plan on using these on anything but my PC. What's the benefit of going with the higher Ohm version?

The 880 is better than the 990 imo considering your music taste imo. The 600 ohm version of the 880 is harder to drive but it's a better sounding more detailed more refined driver especially provided enough power and with your budget is possible. The treble on it is sharp but pleasant and not piercing unlike the 990. The 880s main advantage to the 990 is it's overall ability to be pleasant as it's a flatter sound signature and the treble is more pulled back and not as overly aggressive as the 990. The 880 is a much better all rounder than the 990. And like I said given enough power is a more detailed driver.

[rice guru]

2 hours ago, kakiepiroi said:

Also, does anyone have any other suggestions for an external AMP & DAC (with possibly an XLR input) so I can evaluate a few different options?

My current favorite within your budget for the 880 600 ohm to reccomend for its amount of power would be the topping L30,e30 stack, but the monoprice liquid spark , fiio k5 pro , and schiit Magni 3+ and heresy are able to power it. Or if you want the Asgard 3