AMP/DAC For DT 770 Pro 80 ohm because the last time this was asked was 4 years ago

[The_Jacobite]

I need a AMP/DAC for a pair of 770 pro 80 ohm headphones

And I saw that a question similar was asked but that was 4 years ago

So I was wondering if there are any better options for the under 150 USD today

I listen to music on Spotify(Irish Trad and less bassy music) and am upgrading form a cheep razer headset

If anyone has any insight it would be much welcomed

 (this is my first post so if I did something wrong please gave me some wee way)

[Blue4130]

1 hour ago, The_Jacobite said:

I need a AMP/DAC for a pair of 770 pro 80 ohm headphones

I just bought them today and realized that my pc does not take 3.5

And I saw that a question similar was asked but that was 4 years ago

So I was wondering if there are any better options for the under 150 USD today

I listen to music on Spotify(Irish Trad and less bassy music) and am upgrading form a cheep razer headset

If anyone has any insight it would be much welcomed

 (this is my first post so if I did something wrong please gave me some wee way)

No 3.5mm? Must be a laptop? The cheapest while still being great is a simple apple dongle or some version of cx31993. They are about $10 and work wonders.

[The_Jacobite]

1 hour ago, Blue4130 said:

No 3.5mm? Must be a laptop? The cheapest while still being great is a simple apple dongle or some version of cx31993. They are about $10 and work wonders.

nah mate its a pc

that would be a great option for on the go (def going to pick that up for traveling), but I was thinking a wee bit better for a more upgrade setup if you know what I mean

[The_Jacobite]

1 hour ago, Blue4130 said:

No 3.5mm? Must be a laptop? The cheapest while still being great is a simple apple dongle or some version of cx31993. They are about $10 and work wonders.

i just realized that a 6.3 jack adapter was on it, I'm blind. there is a 3.5

[saintlouisbagels]

14 hours ago, The_Jacobite said:

And I saw that a question similar was asked but that was 4 years ago

This question is asked multiple times a month for Beyerdynamic's headphone trio (770, 880, 990).

 

14 hours ago, The_Jacobite said:

I need a AMP/DAC for a pair of 770 pro 80 ohm headphones

No you don't.

They sound perfect played straight out of smartphones and desktop PC's.

 

I use Apple's $9 USB-C adapter because it's a cheap, excellent DAC
https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MW2Q3AM/A/usb-c-to-35-mm-headphone-jack-adapter

 

I've owned my DT 770 Pro 80ohm for over a decade, and I have used them on about a dozen DAC/amps ranging from $10 to $1600 and they never "sound better" because DAC/amps(/cables) are the LAST things you should buy if you want better sound.

[The_Jacobite]

1 hour ago, saintlouisbagels said:

No you don't.

They sound perfect played straight out of smartphones and desktop PC's.

 

I use Apple's $9 USB-C adapter because it's a cheap, excellent DAC
https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MW2Q3AM/A/usb-c-to-35-mm-headphone-jack-adapter

 

I've owned my DT 770 Pro 80ohm for over a decade, and I have used them on about a dozen DAC/amps ranging from $10 to $1600 and they never "sound better" because DAC/amps(/cables) are the LAST things you should buy if you want better sound.

what would be the first thing that you would recommend for a better sound, plus is the apple adapter or is the CX31993 better

[saintlouisbagels]

4 minutes ago, The_Jacobite said:

what would be the first thing that you would recommend for a better sound

Better headphones for better sound.

You're only wasting money if you're buying "better" hardware.

In the US, it is recommended to buy the Apple adapter, because outside of the US the power is halved and the CX31993 then becomes the better pick.

 

You could also look for a DAC/amp with the CS43131 for more power.
https://www.amazon.com/TANCHJIM-Stargate-Headphone-384kHz＆DSD64-Smartphone/dp/B0DWNDG49K/
https://www.amazon.com/MOONDROP-Pro-Protable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0CFQS2B6L/
https://www.amazon.com/Fosi-Audio-DS2-Resolution-Pro/dp/B0CTHN2QB3/

[The_Jacobite]

1 hour ago, saintlouisbagels said:

Better headphones for better sound.

You're only wasting money if you're buying "better" hardware.

In the US, it is recommended to buy the Apple adapter, because outside of the US the power is halved and the CX31993 then becomes the better pick.

 

You could also look for a DAC/amp with the CS43131 for more power.
https://www.amazon.com/TANCHJIM-Stargate-Headphone-384kHz＆DSD64-Smartphone/dp/B0DWNDG49K/
https://www.amazon.com/MOONDROP-Pro-Protable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0CFQS2B6L/
https://www.amazon.com/Fosi-Audio-DS2-Resolution-Pro/dp/B0CTHN2QB3/

from nova scotia and never knew that

thanks for the info

[Psittac]

So I have many audio thing's and my take is a little different than @saintlouisbagels.  His view is completely valid and perhaps completely correct for these headphones.

 

For me in general it depends on a lot of thing's.  I listened to the dt770-80 a few years ago when I only had onboard and a topping DX-7 but can't for the life of me remember if the DX-7 gave any noticeable gains.  I'll refer to @saintlouisbagels judgement on that.  I have the DT880-600 and dt1990pro but those are both entirely different situations, and they love more power.

 

Do you already have the DT770? If so just go with onboard because honestly it's difficult to beat, you could always use the onboard and also get a cheap dongle and compare the two, if you hear a difference between them you know that it can make a difference.  If you notice no difference then you would be wasting $150.  I did a budget round up and onboard came in second only to the schiit fulla which at the time was a $110 solution compared to the $40-50 solutions I was testing.  Also I realized that when moving from high bitrate audio like Tidal Max to generic YT video's the gains made were literally zero.  Basically if the dac doesn't color the sound and the amp has enough power and you aren't listening to higher end sources, there is nothing to be gained by spending more.