My HE-400i's arent what I expected, maybe they're not being used to their full potential?

[JimmieJongers]

My HE-400i's aren’t what I expected, maybe they're not being used to their full potential? I don't know, I recently sold my Sennhesier 598's and got a pair of HE-400i's. I use my Onboard sound from my LGA 1150 Maximus VII motherboard and tuned it to my likings, sadly, it honestly sounded the same as my 598's. I was really disappointed, all this clambering about how amazing planar drivers were, the clarity, the bass, everything, but to me they sounded the same and didn't even get close to as loud as my old 598's. Until it hit me, I do need an amplifier for this to work well, maybe not, maybe yes. I'm really over how much I spent to get a glorified pair of 598's, and I want you guys to help me figure out how to unlock the full nut busting potential of these headphones, I've been wrestling with this issue for a while now. My biggest fear of using an amplifier though, is that my personal preference on voice clarity, mids, lows, highs etc. will not be able to be tweakable after I lose the functionality of being able to use an equalizer due to the use of my onboard audio, I love having an equalizer because I can fine tune it, and trust me, when I turn off all my functions for my equalizer, the headphones sound like 4$ CVS earbuds. Please help! I am willing to spend below 350$!

 

The photos below are what I have my equalizer and sonic studio preferences set to, the first one being the sonic studio preferences and the second being the equalizer preferences.

 

[dizmo]

They're pretty easy to run, you shouldn't really *need* an amp. You can buy a cheap one and see how it does; no need to spend anywhere near $350.

Perhaps you just don't like the way these headphones sound? As much as people lament them, I find I like Beats headphones the most. Sound's a pretty personal experience.

[Belgarathian]

Get yourself a headphone amp/dac and use that to drive the headphones... A good one, please. 

 

Optical out on the MB to the amp/dac or USB. 

[JimmieJongers]

Just now, Belgarathian said:

Get yourself a headphone amp/dac and use that to drive the headphones... A good one, please. 

 

Optical out on the MB to the amp/dac or USB. 

Anyones you suggest?

 

[Belgarathian]

2 minutes ago, JimmieJongers said:

Anyones you suggest?

 

I have the AudioEngine D1 which is reasonably good for the price... But it really depends on your budget... I didn't have $500 to spend at the time. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Audioengine-D1-24-bit-Digital-to-Analog-Converter/dp/B006IPH5H2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477437220&sr=8-1&keywords=Audio+Engine+D1

[dizmo]

They recommend this one.

http://www.hifiman.com/products/detail/59

 

[pas008]

Your on-board should be fine for them

Are You using rear jack?

You may just Not Like them

[spwath]

1 hour ago, JimmieJongers said:

My HE-400i's aren’t what I expected, maybe they're not being used to their full potential? I don't know, I recently sold my Sennhesier 598's and got a pair of HE-400i's. I use my Onboard sound from my LGA 1150 Maximus VII motherboard and tuned it to my likings, sadly, it honestly sounded the same as my 598's. I was really disappointed, all this clambering about how amazing planar drivers were, the clarity, the bass, everything, but to me they sounded the same and didn't even get close to as loud as my old 598's. Until it hit me, I do need an amplifier for this to work well, maybe not, maybe yes. I'm really over how much I spent to get a glorified pair of 598's, and I want you guys to help me figure out how to unlock the full nut busting potential of these headphones, I've been wrestling with this issue for a while now. My biggest fear of using an amplifier though, is that my personal preference on voice clarity, mids, lows, highs etc. will not be able to be tweakable after I lose the functionality of being able to use an equalizer due to the use of my onboard audio, I love having an equalizer because I can fine tune it, and trust me, when I turn off all my functions for my equalizer, the headphones sound like 4$ CVS earbuds. Please help! I am willing to spend below 350$!

 

The photos below are what I have my equalizer and sonic studio preferences set to, the first one being the sonic studio preferences and the second being the equalizer preferences.

 

That eq is probably messing them up with the 12db gain jump from 65 to 30hrz.  

If they don't get loud enough, get an amp.  You can still use your eq with an amp.  I recommend Schiit magni 2 for $99.

[JimmieJongers]

14 minutes ago, spwath said:

That eq is probably messing them up with the 12db gain jump from 65 to 30hrz.  

If they don't get loud enough, get an amp.  You can still use your eq with an amp.  I recommend Schiit magni 2 for $99.

I'm going to get a Schiit Magni 2 I think, to connect my earphones to my computer would i just have to plug the usb into my comptuer, then plug the earphones into the front of the device, or would I also have to plug in the RCA cables aswell?

[spwath]

4 minutes ago, JimmieJongers said:

I'm going to get a Schiit Magni 2 I think, to connect my earphones to my computer would i just have to plug the usb into my comptuer, then plug the earphones into the front of the device, or would I also have to plug in the RCA cables aswell?

No. Magni 2 doesnt have USB. Just RCA cables.

Amps dont have  USB. DACs do.

[JimmieJongers]

1 minute ago, spwath said:

No. Magni 2 doesnt have USB. Just RCA cables.

Amps dont have  USB. DACs do.

How would I hookup my amplifier to my computer, and still be able to use my equalizer then?

[spwath]

5 minutes ago, JimmieJongers said:

How would I hookup my amplifier to my computer, and still be able to use my equalizer then?

You just plug it in with an RCA to 3.5mm cable

[JimmieJongers]

1 minute ago, spwath said:

You just plug it in with an RCA to 3.5mm cable

And then the power comes through the USB cable, I'll still be able to use my on board equalizer right?

[spwath]

Just now, JimmieJongers said:

And then the power comes through the USB cable, I'll still be able to use my on board equalizer right?

There is no USB cable whatsoever.

[KaminKevCrew]

1 minute ago, JimmieJongers said:

And then the power comes through the USB cable, I'll still be able to use my on board equalizer right?

No. it has a dedicated power cable.

 

but yes, you would still be able to use the on board equalizer.

[JimmieJongers]

4 minutes ago, spwath said:

There is no USB cable whatsoever.

True I just looked, Thank you!

3 minutes ago, KaminKevCrew said:

No. it has a dedicated power cable.

 

but yes, you would still be able to use the on board equalizer.

True I just looked, thank you!

[SSL]

12dB at 30Hz suggests that your onboard has massive roll-off on the low end. I suggest getting it out of the chain entirely.

[GamerDude]

12 minutes ago, SSL said:

12dB at 30Hz suggests that your onboard has massive roll-off on the low end. I suggest getting it out of the chain entirely.

Are you actually suggesting a DAC stack/combo? I'm surprised that you are since you don't do that very often. But, seeing that OP has an LGA1150 board, it's quite possible it's one of those with the bad onboard audio you'd mentioned a while back (IIRC).

[SSL]

1 minute ago, GamerDude said:

Are you actually suggesting a DAC stack/combo? I'm surprised that you are since you don't do that very often. But, seeing that OP has an LGA1150 board, it's quite possible it's one of those with the bad onboard audio you'd mentioned a while back (IIRC).

 

If HE-400i sounds like earbuds, there's nothing for it.

[JimmieJongers]

16 minutes ago, SSL said:

12dB at 30Hz suggests that your onboard has massive roll-off on the low end. I suggest getting it out of the chain entirely.

I think i'm going to go with Magni 2 Headphone amplifier, it suits the needs that I have, hopefully. It will raise the volume and hopefully unlock the features the HE-400i's have to offer because I've heard so many great things about them, if not then i'm switching to a pair of Sennheiser 650s 

[SSL]

1 minute ago, JimmieJongers said:

I think i'm going to go with Magni 2 Headphone amplifier, it suits the needs that I have, hopefully. It will raise the volume and hopefully unlock the features the HE-400i's have to offer because I've heard so many great things about them, if not then i'm switching to a pair of Sennheiser 650s 

 

650s are even harder to drive.

[JimmieJongers]

Just now, SSL said:

 

650s are even harder to drive.

If so the Magni 2 won't have any issue right? 

[GamerDude]

20 minutes ago, JimmieJongers said:

If so the Magni 2 won't have any issue right? 

Well, it really depends on your definition of loud enough, but I'd expect the Magni 2 to be able to power the HE400i/HD650 to sufficiently loud enough volume. When I had the Vali v1, I recall it being easily able to power my HD800 and Alpha Dog, I don't listen at ear bleeding loud volume (unlike my friend) but I recall the volume knob on the Vali at not pass the 11 o'clock mark (pleanty of headroom/reserve left). I now have a Gustard X12/H10 stack, as well as an Oppo HA-1 combo, they ensure that I need not be too concern about my DAC/amps having insufficient power to drive a can if I buy a new can......which I don't intend to as I have way too many cans already.

[Lays]

30 minutes ago, JimmieJongers said:

If so the Magni 2 won't have any issue right? 

It won't have any problems.  IMO a good DAC & AMP is a great investment, if you get a decent set from the get-go, it will last through almost any headphone upgrade.

[BoredErica]

+12 dB bass and treble?!

 

Aren't you just getting terrabad clipping?? You don't push the slider above 0dB, you lower everything except bass such that bass is still louder relative to other frequencies. We have bass rolloff AND treble 'rolloff'?