Audio Technica ATH-M50 Amp or DAC?

[BaconComputing]

I have the above headphones and am wondering if I would benefit from either an amp or a dac or something other than onboard sound. 

[Fred Castellum]

The ATH-M50s don't need a DAC or a AMP.

 

Source: I own a pair.

[SSL]

Neeeooope

[Rorgash]

you dont need amd/dac combo for anything less than 300$ headphones, and even then you probably dont unless you use them for audio that actually take advantage of it and you have the ears to even hear it.

[SSL]

you dont need amd/dac combo for anything less than 300$ headphones, and even then you probably dont unless you use them for audio that actually take advantage of it and you have the ears to even hear it.

 

Seriously, STOP. Plently of headphones under $300 benefit from or even require amplification. There is not some magical threshold at 300 American Dollars where headphones suddenly become hard to drive.

[Rorgash]

Seriously, STOP. Plently of headphones under $300 benefit from or even require amplification. There is not some magical threshold at 300 American Dollars where headphones suddenly become hard to drive.

 hard to drive no.. but sound quality wise a normal new mobo will give you all the quality you need... anything below the high end dont need it unless your audio is for some reason really bad, and even then what kind of improvement can you get to meh headphones? they wont ever become more than meh no matter what amp/dac you have.

[NannerBeans]

 hard to drive no.. but sound quality wise a normal new mobo will give you all the quality you need... anything below the high end dont need it unless your audio is for some reason really bad, and even then what kind of improvement can you get to meh headphones? they wont ever become more than meh no matter what amp/dac you have.

250 ohm Beyerdynamics definitely benefit from an amp and those are like $150. It goes by how hard a headphone is to drive. 

[creatip123]

you dont need amd/dac combo for anything less than 300$ headphones, and even then you probably dont unless you use them for audio that actually take advantage of it and you have the ears to even hear it.

 

My $299 HE400 certainly benefits from an amp.... I think the T50RP, which is planar, $120, also benefits from an amp.

 

But seriously how did you come by that magical number? I mean why exact $300? Why not $250?  $315? $272?

 

And how does that number come into play in the first place? Did all the headphone companies make a pact, or something? 'Guys, let's draw a line in the $300 numbers. Anything below that, we'll make it so that they don't benefit from an amp, and anything above that, we'll make it so they benefit from an amp, everyone agree?'

 

 

250 ohm Beyerdynamics definitely benefit from an amp and those are like $150. It goes by how hard a headphone is to drive. 

 

The DT990 premium 600ohms is $279, below that $300 line, too....

[Rorgash]

My $299 HE400 certainly benefits from an amp.... I think the T50RP, which is planar, $120, also benefits from an amp.

 

But seriously how did you come by that magical number? I mean why exact $300? Why not $250?  $315? $272?

 

And how does that number come into play in the first place? Did all the headphone companies make a pact, or something? 'Guys, let's draw a line in the $300 numbers. Anything below that, we'll make it so that they don't benefit from an amp, and anything above that, we'll make it so they benefit from an amp, everyone agree?'

 

 

 

The DT990 premium 600ohms is $279, below that $300 line, too....

 

i was too lazy to write 300,45 dollars, 300 is a general number, so anything around that, and yes there are some hard to drive headphones at lower costs but why do they even exists? they wont be that good...

[EmoRarity]

hard to drive no.. but sound quality wise a normal new mobo will give you all the quality you need... anything below the high end dont need it unless your audio is for some reason really bad, and even then what kind of improvement can you get to meh headphones? they wont ever become more than meh no matter what amp/dac you have.

Looks over at $500 headphones on the wall, "Damn, I wish they didn't magically become shit when I use them on my cheap sources. Why do audio gods frown on me so?."

[EmoRarity]

i was too lazy to write 300,45 dollars, 300 is a general number, so anything around that, and yes there are some hard to drive headphones at lower costs but why do they even exists? they wont be that good...

oh dear, time to bounce, I'm even getting on of bed to find my abandon thread gifs.

[Rorgash]

Looks over at $500 headphones on the wall, "Damn, I wish they didn't magically become shit when I use them on my cheap sources. Why do audio gods frown on me so?."

I dont really understand your post

 

If your signal output is of bad quality the quality of the speakers wont matter, just as the quality of the sound file will make great signal output pointless, every part in the chain needs to be at the same level for the speakers/headphones to reproduce the sound at its best possible level, and following that bad speakers wont benefit from a audio signal that is way better than what they can reproduce.

[EmoRarity]

[EmoRarity]

I dont really understand your post

 

If your signal output is of bad quality the quality of the speakers wont matter, just as the quality of the sound file will make great signal output pointless, every part in the chain needs to be at the same level for the speakers/headphones to reproduce the sound at its best possible level.

Not how it works, I, like every human, can't hear the difference between about 256kbps and up, so if my source can power my headphones to a reasonable listening level, and not have a shit output impedance, then its all good in the neighborhood.

Pardon errors, not wearing contacts yet. 

[Aphexx]

oh shit all those $300+ beats headphones users best get an amp. quick everybody run to the streets and spread the word to the world

[NannerBeans]

I want that dog 

[creatip123]

oh shit all those $300+ beats headphones users best get an amp. quick everybody run to the streets and spread the word to the world

 

Misunderstood beats. All this time people think they're craps, only because they never used amps with those. Guess people just don't quite know the '$300 rule' as of yet....

[EmoRarity]

oh shit all those $300+ beats headphones users best get an amp. quick everybody run to the streets and spread the word to the world

[NannerBeans]

How's the bass on those?

[EmoRarity]

How's the bass on those?

11

[Valhallatier]

DAC

[stevv]

I have the above headphones and am wondering if I would benefit from either an amp or a dac or something other than onboard sound. 

 

• The M50's are easy to drive, so an amp wouldn't give you any obvious sound quality improvement. 
• If you find yourself always at 100% volume when jamming and it doesn't feel loud, it's time to get an amp.   - My intel extreme mobo has lousy power... less than my nexus 5 lol.  
• An amp can help improve sub/bass volume.  - The m50's can handle over 12dB gain with my e17, which at that point the headphones are basically shaking.  good test here

[TheGrapeEscape]

Guiz! guiz! let me set the new benchmark - http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/01/sennheiser-orpheus-he90-what-16000-headphones-sound-like/

 

Anything below a $16,000 headphone may or may not need an amp... but once you get to 16 big ones, you definitely need one 

[ShearMe]

Guiz! guiz! let me set the new benchmark - http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/01/sennheiser-orpheus-he90-what-16000-headphones-sound-like/

 

Anything below a $16,000 headphone may or may not need an amp... but once you get to 16 big ones, you definitely need one 

 

This has nothing to do with the price, and everything to do with the type of driver. Electrostatic headphones wont work without an amp because they require hundreds of volts, as opposed to the < 1 volts "regular" headphones require.

[TheGrapeEscape]

This has nothing to do with the price, and everything to do with the type of driver. Electrostatic headphones wont work without an amp because they require hundreds of volts, as opposed to the < 1 volts "regular" headphones require.

 

Lol, I was obviously kidding ShearMe