High quality headphones + dac/amp recommendation

[gepowr]

Since i always loved GOOD audio quality, i'm looking for decent headphones. After researching for a while i'm currently looking at the beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition (600 Ohm) (Do you guys generally recommend these?). I am basically searching for headphones with a solid bass that won't disort the mid's and high's like many cheap headphones do. I own the Teufel Aureol Massive right now (32 Ohm) and i finally came to the conclusion that i don't really like the sound. While the bass is great, especially the high's sound really dull. Another problem would be my audio source. I'm using the LG G6 (eu model - no quad dac), the internal sound card of my Z97 Pro Gamer which was advertised as "you will never need a dedicated soundcard anymore", and i also own a new Pioneer VSX 932, which sounds - at least in my opinion - absolutely stunning. I recently bought a really cheap dac with the PCM2704 which sounds quiet okay to me, but is far too quiet, even with my 32Ohm Teufel headphones.

So what would be the best thing to do here? Would it make sense to get the DT990 with my current audio sources, or should i also look into schiit dacs and amps to improve my audio source. (I could get the DT990 for 120€).

[Tz000]

3 hours ago, gepowr said:

Since i always loved GOOD audio quality, i'm looking for decent headphones. After researching for a while i'm currently looking at the beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition (600 Ohm) (Do you guys generally recommend these?). I am basically searching for headphones with a solid bass that won't disort the mid's and high's like many cheap headphones do. I own the Teufel Aureol Massive right now (32 Ohm) and i finally came to the conclusion that i don't really like the sound. While the bass is great, especially the high's sound really dull. Another problem would be my audio source. I'm using the LG G6 (eu model - no quad dac), the internal sound card of my Z97 Pro Gamer which was advertised as "you will never need a dedicated soundcard anymore", and i also own a new Pioneer VSX 932, which sounds - at least in my opinion - absolutely stunning. I recently bought a really cheap dac with the PCM2704 which sounds quiet okay to me, but is far too quiet, even with my 32Ohm Teufel headphones.

So what would be the best thing to do here? Would it make sense to get the DT990 with my current audio sources, or should i also look into schiit dacs and amps to improve my audio source. (I could get the DT990 for 120€).

Cant say anything about the 990's I'm sure they are great headphones and that seems like a good price.  I have tried a pair of DT770 pros and I did enjoy them, quite comfortable, light, clear & fairly balanced.  I only had them on for a short period...  If you can get the 990's for 120.00 I would give them a try for that price.

 

I will say to also checkout www.massdrop.com and take a look at what they have dropping at the moment.. I know the HD58X and HD6XX are not up there right now but they frequently come back up for sale at least in the case of the 6XX...  I personally just got a pair of the HD6XX and they are incredible such a huge step up from my HD558's and depending on what they will cost in your country with shipping etc it may very well be worth a look at i know they are $150 USD and $200 USD respectively. 

 

Improving your audio source will help tremendously.. I don't think your VSX 932 is hindering your amplification capabilities but not having a good DAC feeding the 932 is what is hurting you the most.  You could easily get something like the Schitt Modi 2 for $100.00 USD and pair that up with your VSX 932 and probably have a fantastic listening experience.  And down the road if you want to try the Schitt Magni 3 or something more high end depending on what your driving you could easily do so.

 

Another important thing to remember is where you are listening to music from is it at least CD Quality (44.1 16bit) or 320 kbps mp3?

Youtube etc is just not an acceptable source this will be the greatest improvement in the experience along with a decent DAC like mentioned above.

 

A new music streaming software called Deezer is the next I am going to try as they stream in True CD quality not high bitrate mp3.

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

[gepowr]

1 hour ago, Tz000 said:

Cant say anything about the 990's I'm sure they are great headphones and that seems like a good price.  I have tried a pair of DT770 pros and I did enjoy them, quite comfortable, light, clear & fairly balanced.  I only had them on for a short period...  If you can get the 990's for 120.00 I would give them a try for that price.

 

I will say to also checkout www.massdrop.com and take a look at what they have dropping at the moment.. I know the HD58X and HD6XX are not up there right now but they frequently come back up for sale at least in the case of the 6XX...  I personally just got a pair of the HD6XX and they are incredible such a huge step up from my HD558's and depending on what they will cost in your country with shipping etc it may very well be worth a look at i know they are $150 USD and $200 USD respectively. 

 

Improving your audio source will help tremendously.. I don't think your VSX 932 is hindering your amplification capabilities but not having a good DAC feeding the 932 is what is hurting you the most.  You could easily get something like the Schitt Modi 2 for $100.00 USD and pair that up with your VSX 932 and probably have a fantastic listening experience.  And down the road if you want to try the Schitt Magni 3 or something more high end depending on what your driving you could easily do so.

 

Another important thing to remember is where you are listening to music from is it at least CD Quality (44.1 16bit) or 320 kbps mp3?

Youtube etc is just not an acceptable source this will be the greatest improvement in the experience along with a decent DAC like mentioned above.

 

A new music streaming software called Deezer is the next I am going to try as they stream in True CD quality not high bitrate mp3.

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

Hi thanks for your answer! In my onlineshop i could get the DT 880 and the 990 for basically the same price. I've heard the 880 has the overall better quality however the the 990 has more bass which i may like. For my audio source i will be using spotify for the main part (on highest quality of course) but i will also be listening to normal cd's and some flac files stored on my nas. I've been surprised and very pleased with spotify's audio quality in general. I think of two usecases: 1. Using my new headphones directly plugged into my vsx 932 (digital -> analog conversion aswell as amplification will be done by my vsx 932 which should be quiet amazing i think. I doubt that a schiit dac/amp is better than a solid avr from pioneer tbh but i really don't know.). 2. Using my headphones plugged into my desktop, smartphone and laptop. Since i will not use it on my desktop all the time a dedicated amp would probably make more sense than an integrated dedicated soundcard like an asus xonar. Would something like the schiit fulla 2 make sense for me ?

[gepowr]

Also, are the DT 990/880 hard to drive in general ? Will i be able to drive them even with my integrated audio solution on my mainboard or even on my smartphone ?

[KaminKevCrew]

44 minutes ago, gepowr said:

Also, are the DT 990/880 hard to drive in general ? Will i be able to drive them even with my integrated audio solution on my mainboard or even on my smartphone ?

Your smartphone/desktop will be able to drive them just fine if you're living/working in a quiet environment. I think you'll find them to be a little quiet for listening with any kind of background noise though (especially since they're semi open/open back headphones.)

 

I would, however, suggest that you go ahead and grab the DT990 or something like that and a Schiit Magni 2/3. Connect the magni to the DAC that you already purchased, and you'll be home free for just about anything you want to do.

 

Do keep in mind that the DT990 is generally regarded as a headphone that has very extreme highs. As such, I think you'll find the difference quite shocking between your current cans and the DT990. It might be better to get something will a little bit more of a neutral sound signature.

 

Also, it's not a bad idea to buy some of this gear used. Places like head-fi.org or AVExchange on reddit are great places to pick up some used gear. Just check the people's feedback if you can. (Keep in mind that the actual publications on head-fi are somewhat snake-oily, so take anything you read with a grain of salt.)

 

 

[gepowr]

51 minutes ago, KaminKevCrew said:

Your smartphone/desktop will be able to drive them just fine if you're living/working in a quiet environment. I think you'll find them to be a little quiet for listening with any kind of background noise though (especially since they're semi open/open back headphones.)

 

I would, however, suggest that you go ahead and grab the DT990 or something like that and a Schiit Magni 2/3. Connect the magni to the DAC that you already purchased, and you'll be home free for just about anything you want to do.

 

Do keep in mind that the DT990 is generally regarded as a headphone that has very extreme highs. As such, I think you'll find the difference quite shocking between your current cans and the DT990. It might be better to get something will a little bit more of a neutral sound signature.

 

Also, it's not a bad idea to buy some of this gear used. Places like head-fi.org or AVExchange on reddit are great places to pick up some used gear. Just check the people's feedback if you can. (Keep in mind that the actual publications on head-fi are somewhat snake-oily, so take anything you read with a grain of salt.)

 

 

I will definitely look into the schiit products they seem quiet solid, and 100€ for a solid dac/amp seems fine to me. I will buy the beyerdynamic headphones in the outlet section of an onlineshop that i like so i can choose between: DT990 (600Ohm, 32Ohm), DT880 (250Ohm, 600Ohm) and custom one pro plus, they all cost basically the same ~ 120€ (minor scratches etc. but fully functional with warranty of course). Which one would you recommend for someone who likes a wide sound spectrum with maybe a slight bump to the bass? My best headphones right now are (sadly) the Logitech G633, which is a great headset, but i'm definitely in need for something beefier. The G633 has a much wider spectrum and plays high's much better than my Teufel Massive. I'm basically looking for headphones to replace my much loved vsx 932 setup when it's night time, i hope one of the listed headphones are able to achieve that.

[Max_Settings]

I hate the DT990, WAY too much treble. DT880 is better. What's your budget for an entire setup?

[Tz000]

8 hours ago, gepowr said:

Hi thanks for your answer! In my onlineshop i could get the DT 880 and the 990 for basically the same price. I've heard the 880 has the overall better quality however the the 990 has more bass which i may like. For my audio source i will be using spotify for the main part (on highest quality of course) but i will also be listening to normal cd's and some flac files stored on my nas. I've been surprised and very pleased with spotify's audio quality in general. I think of two usecases: 1. Using my new headphones directly plugged into my vsx 932 (digital -> analog conversion aswell as amplification will be done by my vsx 932 which should be quiet amazing i think. I doubt that a schiit dac/amp is better than a solid avr from pioneer tbh but i really don't know.). 2. Using my headphones plugged into my desktop, smartphone and laptop. Since i will not use it on my desktop all the time a dedicated amp would probably make more sense than an integrated dedicated soundcard like an asus xonar. Would something like the schiit fulla 2 make sense for me ?

 

Yeah I am surprised with Spotify premium as well,  was using Tidal for some time but started to realize it wasn't worth the price... I am currently trying one out called Deezer for a free 1 month trial they stream at 1411 kb/s.  

 

Did not know the 932 had a built in DAC so yes I could see that working quite well, I cant say how the DAC in that unit would compare to a schitt DAC maybe someone could answer that for ya.. 

 

I could see the Fulla 2 being useful to you.. Its pretty much what I have for my setup.. I have a pair of HD6XX and use the FX-Audio DAC X6 at my computer as an all in one solution (amp+dac) and the DAC is good enough for me at the moment so I bring it over to the TV/Living room stereo setup and use it off my laptop then the X6 feeds my Pioneer A-717 mk 2 and I use my headphones or use my speakers (B&W DM330's).  

 

 

[gepowr]

6 hours ago, Max_Settings said:

I hate the DT990, WAY too much treble. DT880 is better. What's your budget for an entire setup?

I'd say 250€ in total. DT 880 (250Ohm) could be an option, too. But i've read that those lack on bass. Is that true? I'm not sure if i'm a fan of that. I'm definitely going for 250 Ohms since i think that's the most versitile option. Still can't decide between 990, 880 and 770.

3 hours ago, Tz000 said:

 

Yeah I am surprised with Spotify premium as well,  was using Tidal for some time but started to realize it wasn't worth the price... I am currently trying one out called Deezer for a free 1 month trial they stream at 1411 kb/s.  

 

Did not know the 932 had a built in DAC so yes I could see that working quite well, I cant say how the DAC in that unit would compare to a schitt DAC maybe someone could answer that for ya.. 

 

I could see the Fulla 2 being useful to you.. Its pretty much what I have for my setup.. I have a pair of HD6XX and use the FX-Audio DAC X6 at my computer as an all in one solution (amp+dac) and the DAC is good enough for me at the moment so I bring it over to the TV/Living room stereo setup and use it off my laptop then the X6 feeds my Pioneer A-717 mk 2 and I use my headphones or use my speakers (B&W DM330's).  

 

 

You got a nice setup there, i love the looks of the mk2. Modern avr's always have a dac, at least in my theory it should be better than slim schiit's or fiio's. Do you know something about the Smsl m3 ? I've read some good reviews about it. Since my avr is at a stationary place, i probably won't be able to listen with the bd in my bed and therefore i'm still looking for a dac/amp.

[Tz000]

16 hours ago, gepowr said:

You got a nice setup there, i love the looks of the mk2. Modern avr's always have a dac, at least in my theory it should be better than slim schiit's or fiio's. Do you know something about the Smsl m3 ? I've read some good reviews about it. Since my avr is at a stationary place, i probably won't be able to listen with the bd in my bed and therefore i'm still looking for a dac/amp.

Thanks,

 

I was between the FX-Audio Dac X6 and SMSL M3 when I was looking for a budget unit and decided on the X6 I think because the power output was slightly better due to using a wall plug.. but the M3 is supposed to be a good place to start as well + its slightly more portable having usb power..  Also the X6 is slightly cheaper or at least was when I made my purchase.

[gepowr]

8 hours ago, Tz000 said:

Thanks,

 

I was between the FX-Audio Dac X6 and SMSL M3 when I was looking for a budget unit and decided on the X6 I think because the power output was slightly better due to using a wall plug.. but the M3 is supposed to be a good place to start as well + its slightly more portable having usb power..  Also the X6 is slightly cheaper or at least was when I made my purchase.

Thank's, i've also read some reviews of the fx and i'm going for it. Is the fx audio x6 able to drive DT 990 with 600Ohm?

[gepowr]

Just to sum this up, i ordered the DT 990 (600Ohm) and the fx audio dac x6. So excited to try it out the next days.

[GamerDude]

3 hours ago, gepowr said:

Just to sum this up, i ordered the DT 990 (600Ohm) and the fx audio dac x6. So excited to try it out the next days.

I, personally, like the DT990 600Ohm Premium myself, it is somewhat on the bright side (it does have a fair bit of sparkle) with nice tight bass which isn't even close basshead level. I happen to own the DT770 250Ohm as well, similar house sound to the DT990, strangely though, I've not had the pleasure of trying the DT880 yet. Anyway, I hope you like the combo you'd gotten and do drop by with your impression of the DT990 600Ohm.

[gepowr]

On 4.7.2018 at 2:37 AM, GamerDude said:

I, personally, like the DT990 600Ohm Premium myself, it is somewhat on the bright side (it does have a fair bit of sparkle) with nice tight bass which isn't even close basshead level. I happen to own the DT770 250Ohm as well, similar house sound to the DT990, strangely though, I've not had the pleasure of trying the DT880 yet. Anyway, I hope you like the combo you'd gotten and do drop by with your impression of the DT990 600Ohm.

Well something kind of funny happened. I ordered the DT990 Edition (600Ohm), well, i received the DT880 Edition (250Ohm after measuring the impedance myself since it said DT990 600Ohm on the box). The overall sound is still absolutely amazing, i've never heard so much detail in any can before. I listen to a wide range of music and the reviews on the web have definitely been accurate. The DT880 sounds amazing, but very analytical. By that i mean especially the bass. I'm still used to my Teufel headphones, there is absolutely no comparison. The bass hammers all over the place, the high's seem dull, while the DT880 is just on-spot. However, i think the bass could be a tad better. I'm currently in contact with the retailer, i'll probably have to decide between the DT990's and 880's again. I would probably like the bump in bass but i'm feared that the enhanced high's are too much for me. Anyways i'm waiting for them to mail me back, happy to report back after that happens.

[Tz000]

On 7/3/2018 at 2:45 AM, gepowr said:

Thank's, i've also read some reviews of the fx and i'm going for it. Is the fx audio x6 able to drive DT 990 with 600Ohm?

It should drive your 990's or 880's,  You might be using alot of the amp on the 600ohms but some headphones are more efficient so you would have to try it...  If you looking for a small cheap unit you cant go wrong.

 

When using my HD6XX which are 300 ohm with the FX the volume is usually up around 60% for youtube, movies etc and 75-80% with music and its loud enough but you can tell it doesn't have the cagones that say your 932 or a larger headphone amp would have but it more than pays for itself...   Even at the higher limits of the amp I don't get any distortion it just doesn't get much louder.

 

 

[gepowr]

On 6.7.2018 at 12:23 AM, Tz000 said:

It should drive your 990's or 880's,  You might be using alot of the amp on the 600ohms but some headphones are more efficient so you would have to try it...  If you looking for a small cheap unit you cant go wrong.

 

When using my HD6XX which are 300 ohm with the FX the volume is usually up around 60% for youtube, movies etc and 75-80% with music and its loud enough but you can tell it doesn't have the cagones that say your 932 or a larger headphone amp would have but it more than pays for itself...   Even at the higher limits of the amp I don't get any distortion it just doesn't get much louder.

 

 

Yup. It has enough power for the DT880 250Ohm that i currently have. Support still hasn't mailed me back. Sound quality is on par with the vsx. At least with the DT880's i can't tell any difference.

 

On 6.7.2018 at 9:31 AM, lw88 said:

get the dt880 instead

That's what i have right now. Not sure if i'd really want the 990's anymore.

[gepowr]

So i've finally got my DT 990's 600 Ohm. And i like them over the 880's. They sound more "fun" while the DT880's is more analytical. But the difference isn't as night-to-day like as everyone on the internet seems to claim. The Fx Audio dac x6 sounds amazing but i may try to switch the jumpers (found on reddit after googleing: Fx Audio DAC x6 Jumper") to increase the maximum volume. However i'm probably just used to listening to higher volumes on my Teufel cans.

[Tz000]

34 minutes ago, gepowr said:

So i've finally got my DT 990's 600 Ohm. And i like them over the 880's. They sound more "fun" while the DT880's is more analytical. But the difference isn't as night-to-day like as everyone on the internet seems to claim. The Fx Audio dac x6 sounds amazing but i may try to switch the jumpers (found on reddit after googleing: Fx Audio DAC x6 Jumper") to increase the maximum volume. However i'm probably just used to listening to higher volumes on my Teufel cans.

Well now im going to look into this as well, thanks.

 

Also another note is check what size Power supply came with your X6, im using a 3AMP but some units apparently came with a 1AMP..

 

EDIT: Just swapped the jumpers and it is louder prob down about 10-15% on the volume knob.  Took me all of 2 min and a 2.5mm allen key worth a shot id say.

[gepowr]

38 minutes ago, Tz000 said:

Well now im going to look into this as well, thanks.

 

Also another note is check what size Power supply came with your X6, im using a 3AMP but some units apparently came with a 1AMP..

 

EDIT: Just swapped the jumpers and it is louder prob down about 10-15% on the volume knob.  Took me all of 2 min and a 2.5mm allen key worth a shot id say.

Ehm, i just noticed. Mine came with a 1A power supply. I'll check if i have a 3A one lying around.

EDIT: I don't have a 12V 3A one lying around atm, do you think ordering one would be worth it ? Do you have a 1A one that you could try for me and see if you notice any difference compared to your 3A one?

[Tz000]

12 hours ago, gepowr said:

Ehm, i just noticed. Mine came with a 1A power supply. I'll check if i have a 3A one lying around.

EDIT: I don't have a 12V 3A one lying around atm, do you think ordering one would be worth it ? Do you have a 1A one that you could try for me and see if you notice any difference compared to your 3A one?

I will give it a try in the next day for you and let you know.