Does the HD 6XX really need an amp?

[ImGodz]

Can I run the HD 6XX without an amp, Linus said in one of his video that you can run them on anything?

[Tigerleon]

32 minutes ago, ImGodz said:

Can I run the HD 6XX without an amp, Linus said in one of his video that you can run them on anything?

You can run them off a toaster if you wanted. But the thing is you don't get the full potential of the headphones you actually miss out on a lot. You can get the sound blaster G5 or G6 if you have to money. Great gaming amp/DAC with software for virtual surround and other fun bullshit.

[rice guru]

3 hours ago, ImGodz said:

Can I run the HD 6XX without an amp, Linus said in one of his video that you can run them on anything?

Yes it can run on a phone , but it will be pretty quite. Think about it this way.  If your running a 6xx off a phone or your your motherboard it's like taking a high end GPU like a 3080 and pairing it to run with a core i3 2300. Your not gonna get the frames you want , expect , or the cards true potential, just like your not gonna get the full resolution of the headphones, bass quality, and volume.

[rice guru]

If you want something similar sounding that doesn't need an amp just get a 58x

[dalekphalm]

On 11/7/2020 at 4:29 AM, ImGodz said:

Can I run the HD 6XX without an amp, Linus said in one of his video that you can run them on anything?

No. Full stop.

 

I have the HD 6xx, and I use it everywhere. On multiple different laptops (An HP Spectre x360 13", an HP Z-Book G5, and through a Thunderbolt G2 Dock), and on my iPhone (6s, and now an Xr), and it sounds great.

 

Are they quiet on these devices? They can be. You can max them and it's not ear splittingly loud, but it's still loud. An Amp could definitely benefit them, if you for some reason want to punch them even louder - or you want the interesting colouring that some amps give (some amps change the sound).

 

But overall, no, the HD 6xx does not require a mandatory amp. An amp might be a good upgrade down the road, but if you're planning on buying these headphones, I recommend trying them without an Amp first to see if they are sufficiently loud.

[Nobaris]

Technically, yes. You CAN run the 6XX on everything. But it won't be loud enough, nor will it sound anything near its full potential. A huge waste of money if you don't get a dedicated amp. 

[dalekphalm]

5 hours ago, Nobaris said:

Technically, yes. You CAN run the 6XX on everything. But it won't be loud enough, nor will it sound anything near its full potential. A huge waste of money if you don't get a dedicated amp. 

The first part is categorically false. My HD 6xx's are definitely loud enough on all my devices. Yes, when I max it, it doesn't make my ears bleed - nor is that required.

 

On the second part, that's subjective, and from accounts I've heard, you can definitely squeeze more out of them - but to call them a huge waste of money without an amp is simply false.