GP's short guide to headphones

[Yuri57]

Hi!

I want to share my experience here on PC audio / headphones.

It is very often an overlooked topic when building your entertainment/gaming PC setup.

But truth be told: quality audio is super important for music enjoyment, as well as movies and game immersion.

And the best part is: if you upgrade it once, it will probably last much longer than your CPU / GPU, etc.....

 

Audio can become expensive but it doesn't have to be. Also it is true that usually you get what you pay for, meaning more expensive equipment will sound better and you don't need superhuman hearing to tell the difference. Since audio equipment can last 10-20 years even, I think it makes sense to make an investment into quality audio gear.

 

This is mainly a headphone guide because I mainly used headphones, I think for gaming they are superior since orientation of the sound sources can be really accurately reproduced this way. And you will not bother your neighbours with your shooting. Some headphones you can even take into an office and not bother others while open designs will annoy anyone in the same room.

 

You will need 3 things: a headphone, a DAC (digital-analog-converter) and an amplifier (or amp). If we are talking about quality audio, trust me, your onboard audio just won't cut it.

If you don't feed a proper, clean signal to you headphones, you can never bring out their full potential, and there is no point of getting a quality set or reading this guide.

 

What I did is: I bought several headphones in the 100-200 USD range and compared them.

Beyerdinamic 770Pro (80 Ohm): CLOSED; very detailed sound, superb sub-bass, sounds better with EQ. Excellent for movies and rock music, great experience for gaming. Don't buy the 32 or 250Ohm version.

Sennheiser HD58X: OPEN; very natural sound, excellent for classical music and competitive gaming, you would not believe how accurate it is when it comes to footsteps. Not the same driver/detail as the HD660S.

AKG 712 Pro: OPEN; super fast driver, excellent sound quality but needs a very powerful amp to sound good. Very comfortable but doesn't feel sturdy. In the US it is overpriced.

Phillips SHP9600: OPEN; very warm, boomy, not ideal for music, ok for movies and some casual gaming. Explosions made spectacular.

If I had to choose from this list I would get the Beyer 770Pros, after EQ they sound superb, very "lively" and detailed sound.

I would get only the Sennheiser if you are a hardcore competitive gamer, like classical music and not really into rock. I wasn't very satisfied with their resolution.

The AKG is really good overall but I would only buy it for no more than 200USD, keeping in mind that they might fell apart after 5 years.

Phillips is only a good choice if you are on a stict budget (they are only a 100 USD on Ali, shipped) and not a hardcore audiophil, for music I would choose something else.

 

If you want no compromises get the Beyerdinamic DT1990Pros.... they simply beat every cheaper headphone by a big margin. They are super sturdy, look excellent and the sound it just wow.... I have never ever heared so much detail in music in my life from any device. They are truely on another level. And as I said you don't need superhuman hearing to tell the difference, I'm sure. Just be sure to have quality audio as your source (for example Tidal). I am very happy with this purchase and I think my audio needs are covered for the next 10-20 years with this headphone.

 

I feel like I also have to mention the Bose QC series here as well: they have a very peasent sound and they are truely more compfortable than ANY other headphone. They are not as detailed as a Beyer but hey, if you are traveling this is your go-to. Trust me, it is better to have these on your head while on a plane and relax than have a full day off due to (ear) fatigue. Bluetooth is very comfortable on the go but if you are at your hotel, I would use a DAC/Amp plus cable to get the best audio quality.

 

DAC Amp:

As a general rule of thumb don't spend more on your DAC/Amp than your headphones but don't ignore it because your headphones can only sound as good as your source signal.

If you want something portable, go with the Audioquest Dragonfly series. It comes in 3 variens Black. Red. Cobalt. Even the Black sounds a lot better than on-board audio. The best value is probably the Red and the cutting edge is the Cobalt. I was very impressed with the Cobalt, you will not find a better DAC/AMP you can take with yourself in the pocket.

They say the Fiio K5 Pro is also decent for it's price.

After reading many reviews it seems that the Topping E30 + L30 combo offers the best value if you have a decent pair of headphones. I'm very satisfied with this DAC, I can use it with 3 different devices and the sound quality is just excellent. China is the new Japan when it comes to audio electronics!

For the amp I bought an SMSL SP200 which is a bit more expensive but I planning to use it with planar headphones so the extra juice will come in handy.

 

I made reviews on youtube for most devices mentioned here, please keep in mind that I'm only an enthusiast, not an audio professional but my main message is simply this:

if you have a decent PC (like myself) don't be cheap when it comes to audio. It is a decade long investment and you will definitely hear the difference with better equipment.
High end audio brings music to a completely new level. And when shopping for a gaming setup, know what you are looking for...

 

Hint: you will need good imaging, sound stage and detail.

 

 

 

[martward]

Nice write-up. However, why would you not buy the 250 Ohm DT770 pro?

I would also add the DT990 and DT880 (250+ Ohms) to the recommendations, AFAIK these are better options than the DT770 if you don't mind open-back headphones.

[Orbital_Aurora]

5 minutes ago, martward said:

Nice write-up. However, why would you not buy the 250 Ohm DT770 pro?

I would also add the DT990 and DT880 (250+ Ohms) to the recommendations, AFAIK these are better options than the DT770 if you don't mind open-back headphones.

To benefit from a high inpedance headset you need a amp that can drive it, and most consumer ones are just not designed for 250+ Ohms, these are for studio use.

[martward]

Just now, Orbital_Aurora said:

To benefit from a high inpedance headset you need a amp that can drive it, and most consumer ones are just not designed for 250+ Ohms, these are for studio use.

Well yes of course, but the original poster recommends an amp anyway so that shouldn't be a problem. I can drive my DT880 250 Ohm from my onboard sound by the way, it just sounds way worse.

[Yuri57]

11 minutes ago, martward said:

Nice write-up. However, why would you not buy the 250 Ohm DT770 pro?

I would also add the DT990 and DT880 (250+ Ohms) to the recommendations, AFAIK these are better options than the DT770 if you don't mind open-back headphones.

It is easier to power the 80 Ohm version and they say the bass is better on the 80 Ohm version too and they 250 Ohm version is not more detailed. (The 1990Pros are much more detailed and they are 250 Ohms but at this price point I would assume the user would have a better dac-amp setup which is at the 770Pro level doesn't seem a necessity.)

 

Yes, overall I also had a very good experience with the Beyerdynamic headphones, sure try the 990Pros if you want to go open and not willing to spend the price of a DT1990Pros. With the DT880 one have to be careful, since the most common version is 600 Ohms, which not many setups can run properly.

Altho I'm a huge fan of semi-open designs because they have a better sound stage than a closed design, yet they are not leaking all the sound out and won't annoy people in the same household. (For example with the HD58x you would have to close the door on your room but not with the DT1990Pros)

[Yuri57]

6 minutes ago, Orbital_Aurora said:

To benefit from a high inpedance headset you need a amp that can drive it, and most consumer ones are just not designed for 250+ Ohms, these are for studio use.

Yes, imo simply there is no point. The driver won't benefit from higher impedance.

[Stahlmann]

@Yuri57

I completely agree with your message: Don't cheap out on peripherals if you have a nice PC setup.

 

In the end, your audio, display, mouse and keyboard solutions are your "interface" with your PC and ultimately they limit how immersed you can be.

 

Also, i've been thinking of "upgrading" my DT990 Edition 600Ohm headphones to DT 1990 Pro's for a long time. Do you think it's worth it or is the difference between these two rather small? I'm using a Fiio K5 Pro as a DAC/AMP combo. If it's powerful enough for 600Ohm 990's it should surely be enough for the 250Ohm 1990's?

[The Torrent]

8 minutes ago, Orbital_Aurora said:

To benefit from a high inpedance headset you need a amp that can drive it, and most consumer ones are just not designed for 250+ Ohms, these are for studio use.

In would disagree with this. Sensitivity you must remember matters a lot too, and i can easily run (and well) my 300ohm HD800S from my phone.

 

 

[Orbital_Aurora]

3 minutes ago, The Torrent said:

In would disagree with this. Sensitivity you must remember matters a lot too, and i can easily run (and well) my 300ohm HD800S from my phone.

 

 

I can "technically" drive my 770 250ohm from my phone aswell, but having used them on a high end studio grade amp and a consumer amp aswell, there is a huge difference between these three steps. My 50 bucks AKG 30Ohm Headphones have way better results than my DT770 on my phone.

[The Torrent]

Just now, Orbital_Aurora said:

I can "technically" drive my 770 250ohm from my phone aswell, but having used them on a high end studio grade amp and a consumer amp aswell, there is a huge difference between these three steps

I dont buy the amp differences personally. Try using an passive aux splitter and doing some blind tests.

RME Fireface 800 vs my phone im going to say 0.5% difference with HD800S. I would have said 15% before my passive aux selector.

[Orbital_Aurora]

2 minutes ago, The Torrent said:

I dont buy the amp differences personally. Try using an passive aux splitter and doing some blind tests.

RME Fireface 800 vs my phone im going to say 0.5% difference with HD800S. I would have said 15% before my passive aux selector.

i have done some blind test and it was really shocking to me. like 70% difference. I admit i have a really shitty phone to be fair. But event the difference between the RME FireFace UFX+ i had at school and the Steinberg UR22 i had at home was like 10-15%.

[Yuri57]

16 minutes ago, Stahlmann said:

@Yuri57

I completely agree with your message: Don't cheap out on peripherals if you have a nice PC setup.

 

In the end, your audio, display, mouse and keyboard solutions are your "interface" with your PC and ultimately they limit how immersed you can be.

 

Also, i've been thinking of "upgrading" my DT990 Edition 600Ohm headphones to DT 1990 Pro's for a long time. Do you think it's worth it or is the difference between these two rather small? I'm using a Fiio K5 Pro as a DAC/AMP combo. If it's powerful enough for 600Ohm 990's it should surely be enough for the 250Ohm 1990's?

 

Indeed, for me the controller breaks the immersion for console FPS gaming for example.

Can't get rid of my Logitech MX500/G400 mice

 

If it's worth the upgrade for you I think it also denends on how much music you listen to.

If you have Tidal and like to sit back and relax and just enjoy the music, I would say, sure, go for it, the DT1990 Pros will give you and experience you never had before.
The K5 Pro is enough when it comes to power, the DT1990Pros are very easy to drive.

But strictly for gaming I think the DT880s are good enough!

[Yuri57]

23 minutes ago, The Torrent said:

In would disagree with this. Sensitivity you must remember matters a lot too, and i can easily run (and well) my 300ohm HD800S from my phone.

 

 

Not all phones are equal. Heard my Bose QC15 with an iPhone 8 and a Samsung A6.
The iPhone has miles better built in DAC-AMP. Miles better...

Still a headphone of that caliber I think would deserve a Cobalt...

[The Torrent]

2 minutes ago, Orbital_Aurora said:

i have done some blind test and it was really shocking to me. like 70% difference. I admit i have a really shitty phone to be fair. But event the difference between the RME FireFace UFX+ i had at school and the Steinberg UR22 i had at home was like 10-15%.

You put the UR22 next to the UFX+ with a passive aux selector and noticed a 10-15% difference? Your one of the few.

My phone has a SD855+ and if u ignore the mess it makes above 12k its pretty competent

[Yuri57]

17 minutes ago, Orbital_Aurora said:

i have done some blind test and it was really shocking to me. like 70% difference. I admit i have a really shitty phone to be fair. But event the difference between the RME FireFace UFX+ i had at school and the Steinberg UR22 i had at home was like 10-15%.

If you want to hear what lack of power sounds like try the AKG 712 with on board audio. It sounds broken lol.
Even with a Dragonfly Black it sounds a lot better, and with better gear even better.

 

I have tried my DR1990Pros with the Cobalt and it can drive it much louder than my ears can take, still it sounds better with the SMSL SP200, they become more dynamic, the driver just has more grip over the sound. You can hear the small details at low volume and there is more punch to the sound and the same time.

[Stahlmann]

11 minutes ago, Yuri57 said:

If it's worth the upgrade for you I think it also denends on how much music you listen to.

If you have Tidal and like to sit back and relax and just enjoy the music, I would say, sure, go for it, the DT1990 Pros will give you and experience you never had before.

That's basically what i often do in the evening. Just put on my headphones, sit down and listen to music. I think i'll give the 1990's a try and see if there is a noteworthy difference.

[Orbital_Aurora]

6 minutes ago, Yuri57 said:

If you want to hear what lack of power sounds like try the AKD 712 with on board audio. It sounds broken lol.
Even with a Dragonfly Black it sounds a lot better, and with better gear even better.

 

I have tried my DR1990Pros with the Cobalt and it can drive it much louder than my ears can take, still it sounds better with the SMSL SP200, they become more dynamic, the driver just has more grip over the sound. You can hear the small details at low volume and there is more punch to the sound and the same time.

i completly agree with this statement

[Yuri57]

1 minute ago, Stahlmann said:

That's basically what i often do in the evening. Just put on my headphones, sit down and listen to music. I think i'll give the 1990's a try and see if there is a noteworthy difference.

Hehe, cool, I hope you will like it

[Stahlmann]

@Yuri57 Just a quick follow-up if you're interested:

 

I've got my DT 1990 Pro's and tested them extensively for the last 2 days.

 

Pros:

- Audio quality and clarity is better than anything i've had before

- Impressive build quality

- Includes several different earpads and cables

- Very easy to drive compared to my DT 990 Edition 600Ohm, and thus can get extremely loud if anyone wants to ruin their ears

 

Cons:

- Clamps really hard on your head

- Quite heavy

(- more closed back than the 990 Edition, but this can be a pro, very subjective) 

 

All in all i can hear a difference between the DT 990 and the DT 1990. In terms of audio quality this is indeed an upgrade. Problem is, the DT 1990 get very uncomfortable for any prolonged use for me. Sadly, the many pros don't quite outweight the cons and for me the clamping force is a big issue. So they're going back and i'm sticking to my 990's. I guess they're not for everyone, but thanks again for the suggestion!