A sound card that can power a Sennehiser HD 650 ?

I would say no there isn't a sound card that can power then to their "full potential" fairly certainly though I haven't heard all sound cards.  It really depends on your definition of "full potential."  I'm sure you can get a sound card that will sound quite good with them, but I'm also quite sure that no matter the sound card they'll sound better with a Buffalo DAC and Balanced B22 running them.

 

I'm pretty sure most people don't really have enough money to power all the headphones to their "full potential."  So assuming you just don't want them to sound bad I'll say that there are plenty of soundcards that will sound quite good with them.

 

EDIT: That wasn't written very well, but I'm not really sure how to word it better without spending some time thinking about it.  Sorry!

Edited by xxbaker - 6/11/10 at 3:01pm

Your best bet at a decent price would be the Asus Xonar STX. But getting in those price ranges you should definitely consider an amped DAC like the Audio-GD FUN if you want to begin to drive the HD650 properly.

The HD650s sounded excellent straight out of an E-MU 1212m via a phono -> 1/4" female adapter.

I think the most Mw you will find in a soundcard amp is about 60Mw. You want 200Mw+ for HD650. I have EMU0404 USB and the internal amp is 60Mw and it can just play my DT990pro loud enough. My LunchboxPro with 220Mw can drive them easily with lots of room on the volume knob to go louder if I want. just in case you don't know Mw = miliwatts

actually, milliwatts is mW.

 

M ~ mega ~ 10^6

w ~ not an SI unit

m ~ milli ~ 10^-3

W ~ watt

What constitutes properly driving an HD-650 to it's "full potential?"

 

???

 

I like to listen at low volume levels: five to seven on a scale of zero to one hundred.

Edited by beeman458 - 7/10/10 at 3:30pm

i'm not familiar with the 650's but i thought i would chime in... the stx headphone amp is 100mw into both channels.

You listen at a volume of 7/100?  With those open headphones a mouse scampering across a carpeted floor could be heard, lol.  IMO, listening at a higher volume allows the music to mesh better and gives enough power to the nuances of the music, which wouldn't be heard otherwise.

An external USB DAC/Amp like an Aune, Zero DAC, or the uDAC would be your best bet. They act just like a sound card and are purpose built for driving headphones.

I'd just get a 0404Usb, it sounds good, the integrated hp amp is decent and will drive HD650 flawlessly, even if a dedicated amp will have a slight edge. However the quality of the emu DAC will allow you to upgrade later if you ever feel the need of an amp.

You're better off buying a used/vintage receiver to power the HD-650. Some of them sound quite good and have adequate power to drive them. Even better, an old receiver can cost much less than a soundcard and usually comes with a phono stage and a tuner. Sure, you can get sound out of a soundcard, but that's like having a room temperature Coke with a room temperature hamburger and room temperature fries. You'll get the nutrition and they're quality products, but you're not going to enjoy them.

You listen at a volume of 7/100?  With those open headphones a mouse scampering across a carpeted floor could be heard, lol.  IMO, listening at a higher volume allows the music to mesh better and gives enough power to the nuances of the music, which wouldn't be heard otherwise.

 

Thanks for the input.  Currently listening to K.D. Lang, "Hallelujah," through an Essence STX at 9/100 and it's almost too loud.  If I consistently listened at 20/100 (which I'm doing right now to give it a try) I'd be afraid of damaging the sensitivity of my hearing.

 

Edited by beeman458 - 7/14/10 at 8:06pm

Perhaps the scale of 100 is linear instead of logarithmic?