[hj576]

So i ordered audio technica ATH-M40X.
I mostly plan to listen music on them using my cell phone (One Plus 3T) or my Macbook Pro. What i wanted to ask was, do these particular set of can require external Amp to be powered properly. Their impedance is 35 ohm so that would suggest otherwise, but I guess there is more to it than just impedance.

I am not sure about the quality of DAC in one plus 3T so any help in this regard would be great.
Plus if you would to recommend a under 30 dollar portable amp/dac to help drive these better (If needed), what would you recommend ? Some one recommended M-Audio Bass Traveler

Any suggestions and help in this regard would be greatly appreciated

 

[cossix]

I doubt a $30 dollar amp dac would be as good as a typical cell phone solution. Honestly those are very easy to drive and I would recommend saving your money instead of buying gear for your M40X. Perhaps if you upgrade to a more hungry pair of headphones you can get an amp then. I don't think the M40x would benefit from a portable amp at the price you mentioned. The cheapest amp dac I would ever recommend is the FiiO E10K (Olympus 2). It's tiny and pretty good for the 70 or 80 bucks it costs, but it's not portable. A step up from there is the FiiO A5 portable amp. I use it with my X3 II player and it's amazing, but I don't think you'll need one unless you get higher-impedance headphones 50ohms and up.

 

[serman005]

What @cossix said. There is no need for an external amp with these cans. Your phone and the Macbook can drive then just fine.

 

[hj576]

I doubt a $30 dollar amp dac would be as good as a typical cell phone solution. Honestly those are very easy to drive and I would recommend saving your money instead of buying gear for your M40X. Perhaps if you upgrade to a more hungry pair of headphones you can get an amp then. I don't think the M40x would benefit from a portable amp at the price you mentioned. The cheapest amp dac I would ever recommend is the FiiO E10K (Olympus 2). It's tiny and pretty good for the 70 or 80 bucks it costs, but it's not portable. A step up from there is the FiiO A5 portable amp. I use it with my X3 II player and it's amazing, but I don't think you'll need one unless you get higher-impedance headphones 50ohms and up.

Thank you so much for the detailed reply