I just picked up the new Dragonfly Black after years of enjoying an older 1.2 Dragonfly, and I must say I am incredibly disappointed in the new one. It is just *WAY* too loud. With the old one, I would typically keep volume between 10 and 40 percent, for low to medium levels, with most of the...

Possibly something like the Beyerdynamic DT880 is what you are looking for. It is a very bright and forward sound, without super overpowering bass (although the bass is tight and deep). However, the DT880 does work best with a dedicated amp, in all the Ohm variations.

Sorry, I was referring to the actual headband adjustment sliders on either side of the headband. How do they compare?

Amps aren't going to significantly affect "good mids" or any EQ for that matter. An amp also won't affect your soundstage in the slightest. What are you currently plugging your DT 990's into? The detail could be affected by an amp... maybe. Most of these qualities are in the headphone...

If you are not able to get enough volume, then yes, you most likely need better amplification. I have personally only used the DT 770 with desktop amps. Hopefully someone else can chime in about portable amps here.   A lot of people seem to like FiiO amps, like this one, should be able to...

I would say almost every version of the DT 770 benefits from an amp, but I wouldn't say it is a *requirement* for the 80 Ohm version. (I have never personally tried the 32 Ohm version).   The benefits of the DT 770 - 80 Ohms is enough for me to recommend to people, even if they merely have a...

HD 380 Pro HD 598 Cs

HiFiMan HE-400 could be another option I have read about. I haven't tried them though.

I could recommend to you the AKG K712. I have owned the AKG K701 for quite some time, which has one of the best soundstages in any headphone I have ever worn. It is highly analytical, but not necessarily "bright" in my opinion. The AKG K712 is basically a K701 with juicier mids and bass. This...

In my experience the headband adjustment mechanism on my DT770/880/990 PRO models is very tight and does not slip around accidentally. However, on my PREMIUM version of the DT990, the headband adjustment length slides around quite annoyingly.   I was wondering if the newer-style headbands on...

Is this why all new threads on the Introductions, Help, and Recommendations forum are being moderated before posting? I am not a new member, but haven't posted anything in while on that particular forum in a while until last night. I was surprised to see my new thread is being held for moderation.

  I own the HD 650 and I find it to have a LOT of bass, and a very warm signature.     First of all, you are not going to be able to get any gaming positioning beside stereo panning if you don't have a Dolby or Creative soundcard with either Dolby headphone or a Creative 3D audio...

In my experience the headband adjustment mechanism on my DT770/880/990 PRO models is very tight and does not slip around accidentally. However, on my PREMIUM version of the DT990, the headband adjustment length slides around quite annoyingly.   I was wondering if the newer-style headbands on...

If you want something warm and bassy, I would almost certainly go with the Sennheiser HD 650 instead of anything Beyerdynamic makes. The HD 650 is only $315 dollars on amazon right now. With the money left over you can get an Asgard 2, and a Modi 2 Uber. You can later even get a cheap soundcard...

I own both. I wouldn't say the DT990 is better in a competitive gaming sense. It is more immersive and has a fun factor. The treble can be a bit fatiguing though. The soundstage and detail retrieval in the HD 598 is quite huge, so I find it better for competitiveness in gaming. I also find the...

In my experience the headband adjustment mechanism on my DT770/880/990 PRO models is very tight and does not slip around accidentally.   However, on my PREMIUM version of the DT990, the headband adjustment length slides around quite annoyingly. I was wondering if the newer-style headbands on...

From looking at the model online, I'm not sure if there is a line-out.

Amp volume at 75% is a LOT. Put your windows volume at 100% and adjust from the amp. Soundblaster being set to "high gain" may be running too hot of a signal into the amp though. The Soundblaster E5 is not just a DAC, it is a headphone amp as well. Ideally, you should be running a line level...

If you do have the 600 Ohm version though, the OTL Tube design of the Valhalla will play very nicely with it, from an electrical standpoint. It is what is was made for.

Some people on this website are going to write pages about how their *cables* influence sound. I choose to go off of my experiences instead. The headphone design is what influences the sound primarily. This is where the soundstage and equalization comes from. An amplifier, if properly driving...

An amplifier should not influence the equalization. Some may find tube amps to be a bit warmer sounding though.

I really like the Schiit Asgard 2. I basically can power anything you'll ever have (unless you buy an HE-6). It is versatile to power low sensitivity headphones as well, without any noise floor. It also has preamp outputs. 

What is your amp? There are some great open headphones without any sacrifices to bass as far as I'm concerned. The Beyerdynamic DT990 comes to mind. Incredible soundstage and beautiful bass. The 250 Ohm version is probably going to be a good match for a lot of amps and receivers but the 600 Ohm...

I have a pretty wide range of headphones already:   Sennheiser HD 650 AKG K701 Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO, 250 Ohms Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO, 80 Ohms Sennheiser HD 598 Sennheiser HD 380 Pro   I have tried these with other receivers in the past, and they have sounded good to me. I don't...

Hello all! So for the most part in the last few years I have been watching movies mostly on my PC by HD streaming (Amazon video and such). I would like to start watching some actual Blu-Ray discs on my TV (to hone in on that better, uncompressed video quality) but of course I am going to want...