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Noob looking for guidance on headphone + portable amp under $250 (pref $200)

post #1 of 7
11/15/12 at 7:51am
Thread Starter 

So I am having a hard time figuring out what portable amp to buy with the headphone types I am considering buying and how I'll be using them. In terms of the headphones I plan to buy, I've narrowed my selection down to the ATHM50 and the DT770. I just recently lost my V-MODAS - I love the sound and the bass but my god did they hurt my ears so my new pair will have to be excellent in terms of comfort. I will be using my new headphones mostly through a laptop that makes every headphone sound like tin cans, my office desktop and my iphone. So my question is what fiio should I get for this combination of headphones and usage? I just want the absolute best bass sound I can get for under 250 with an amp (if that will even help my laptop sound better) so I am open to other headphone suggestions. I appreciate any help. Thanks. 

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post #2 of 7
11/15/12 at 8:21am
Thread Starter 

Another question I have is can I only really improve my laptop's sound with a DAC portable amp?

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post #3 of 7
11/15/12 at 8:55am
Between the two, I would strongly suggest the DT 770. It is by far the most comfortable pair of headphones ive ever put on. the bass on the 770 is much better than that of the M50(from what ive read). In terms of which amp you should get, if you were looking for just an amp, i would suggest the FiiO E11, it easily drives my DT770. If you wanted an amp and dac, you could look at the E17. I dont know what the differences in SQ would be between the two as ive never used the E17, i went for the E11 because its smaller and i mainly use my headphones on the go.
Hope this helps.
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post #4 of 7
11/15/12 at 10:19am
Thread Starter 

Thanks for the info - I listen to music mostly through my laptop so I guess more specifically now my question is will a DAC amp improve sound over an amp without it. And if yes whats the difference between the E7 and the E17 besides one being 80 dollars cheaper. And if I got the athm50 is an amp even needed with that low amount of impedance. 

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post #5 of 7
11/15/12 at 10:51am
I dont have much experience with DACs, as far as i know, it depends on the soundcard in your laptop. youll have to wait for some one else to chime on that and on the differences between the E7 and E17.
No the M50 doesnt need an amp, it will improve slightly with an amp(all headphones would) but the difference is so slight(from what ive read), i would say its not worth it to get an amp. as you might not even hear any difference at all.
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post #6 of 7
11/16/12 at 4:54am

E17 is ahead E7 in terms of sound quality

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post #7 of 7
11/16/12 at 9:10am

I would vote for the DT770. Love those things to death. I one had an e17 and loved it. 

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