[Random Question] How Much of a Difference?

[WunderWuffle]

I dont know much about audio, so Im going to ask this question.

 

Will you hear a difference between 250 Ohms, and 600 Ohms with an Asus Xonar Essence STX?

Beyerdynamics DT990

[CoolBeans]

It depends on you

[_ASSASSIN_]

don't even know if the STX can power a 600 ohm headphone

[WunderWuffle]

don't even know if the STX can power a 600 ohm headphone

I dont even know if it can...  :blink:

[crunzaty]

I dont know much about audio, so Im going to ask this question.

 

Will you hear a difference between 250 Ohms, and 600 Ohms with an Asus Xonar Essence STX?

Beyerdynamics DT990

You should, if the company isn't lying about it's impedance^^

 

 

don't even know if the STX can power a 600 ohm headphone

It says it in it's specs that it can.

[WunderWuffle]

How much of a difference will it make in gaming? Is it like going from a TN monitor to an IPS monitor in color accuracy?

[crunzaty]

How much of a difference will it make in gaming? Is it like going from a TN monitor to an IPS monitor in color accuracy?

I don't know man, all i know is that you have a 600Ohm Headset/Headphones and the sound card should max it out. The difference should be there. I remember going from 30 Ohm to 150Ohm, the difference is HUGE! The bass, the overall sound it's amazing!

[_ASSASSIN_]

How much of a difference will it make in gaming? Is it like going from a TN monitor to an IPS monitor in color accuracy?

pretty sure the main difference is how much power you need to drive it

[WunderWuffle]

The difference should be there.going from 30 Ohm to 150Ohm, the difference is HUGE! The bass, the overall sound it's amazing!

I like the sound of that... You see what I did there?

[_ASSASSIN_]

imo, I would get a dedicated headphone amp if you are driving such a high ohm headphones

[WunderWuffle]

imo, I would get a dedicated headphone amp if you are driving such a high ohm headphones

If the soundcard can drive the headphones, what is the point of an amp?

[_ASSASSIN_]

If the soundcard can drive the headphones, what is the point of an amp?

better amplification, why do you think high-end dedicated amps exist?

[WunderWuffle]

better amplification, why do you think high-end dedicated amps exist?

Good point.

[Youbetternot]

In for the fat cat and the rainbow thrower uper and a thing that lives in the tresh

[M-ursu]

In for the fat cat and the rainbow thrower uper and a thing that lives in the tresh

That is not a cat!

[Youbetternot]

That is not a cat!

Well it is now!

[h264]

I dont know much about audio, so Im going to ask this question.

 

Will you hear a difference between 250 Ohms, and 600 Ohms with an Asus Xonar Essence STX?

Beyerdynamics DT990

 

Only if the headphones are designed differently, which they aren't.  It's all about the impedance matching, and both are good matches for the STX.

 

 

If the soundcard can drive the headphones, what is the point of an amp?

 

The soundcard IS an amp, if usually a fairly bad one.

[ShearMe]

Wow guys, stop guessing.

There is a difference in sound between the various Beyerdynamic models of the "same" headphone, but which you'll prefer is up to your personal preference. Beyer tries to tune them to sound the same, so I'd doubt you'll actually hear a difference in any case.

 

More ohms != better. It's just a matter of applying more voltage to reach a particular power level (aka volume) on higher ohm'd headphones. The reason low ohm headphones exist is because of the Walkman and iPod - battery powered devices have limited voltages they can supply.

[mr moose]

There are other electrical characteristics of higher impedance drivers that can be related to sound output...    but I am not feeling inteligent enough to explain them and it is not neccesary,

 

Listen to Shearme what he said sums it up adequatley.

[MayflowerElectronics]

Guys, please don't guess on this kind of stuff. It's kind of like your mechanic guessing what the problem is on your car, it's not good for everyone involved. If you don't know, google it, or wait till someone else who does, posts.

[Guest]

Higher resistance will not give you a better sound quality and only when the amp struggles to output the power at the required impedance will a lower level of resistance be beneficial. Resistance is just down to driver design and if you select the right amplifier for your system, it won't make a difference to sound quality if you've got 64 ohm or 600.

 

For those headphones as they're 600 Ohm headphones then you'll want a soundcard that will manage to output the required wattage at 600Ohms. 

[WunderWuffle]

Higher resistance will not give you a better sound quality and only when the amp struggles to output the power at the required impedance will a lower level of resistance be beneficial. Resistance is just down to driver design and if you select the right amplifier for your system, it won't make a difference to sound quality if you've got 64 ohm or 600.

 

For those headphones as they're 600 Ohm headphones then you'll want a soundcard that will manage to output the required wattage at 600Ohms.

so you're saying that if you have a sound card that can only output 250 ohm, you will not hear a difference between 250 and 600 ohms?

[ShearMe]

so you're saying that if you have a sound card that can only output 250 ohm, you will not hear a difference between 250 and 600 ohms?

 

Sound cards don't output ohms. If they say they can drive "up to 250 ohm headphones" then they just wont get as loud on 600 ohm headphones.

[Blade of Grass]

To clarify everything.

The different resistance model of these headphones will sound abit different.

Resistance just affects how hard they are to drive.

Amps delivery amps (amperage) and volts, resistance is basically how much the voltage is lowered by the load.

Voltage = Amperage * Resistance

Higher resistance with the same amperage gives you more volts.

Putting 600 ohm headphones on an amp for 250 would probably result in low listening levels or next to no sound.

Resistance doesn't affect sound quality, but the same headphones with different resistance will give you different sound properties.

[Aphexx]

with high end, high impedance audio gear I'd rather compare it to fine wines instead

 

when you get into high end stuff every wine you pick will be good and give a good experience on its own, sure.

 

but when you get into the high end stuff the art is in the pairings with other high end equipment just like with wine do you match the 92 merlot with that well aged steak you picked up or wait till later to open it when you prepare that roast or just go with the usual bordeaux I have with the roast

 

for the 600 ohm headphone you are looking at you might benefit from the added "flavor" that a tube amp or the other amps these gentlemen are recommending. I'm not versed with the stx but it may be a bit cold for the use at hand.