[supersonic1414]

I am a very new and uneducated audiophile and need some help. I have ordered the Beyerdynamic 880 headphones to use around my house with my ipod (ordered the ultimate ears hi fi pros for portable use)...

My question is "Do I need an amp to use with these headphones and ipod?" I read that you really need one for these "cans", but I am not sure what type to look at for use with my ipod around the house... I will not be using these headphones with my computer set up, or my stereo....So if you experts can guide me in the right direction, I would be much obliged.

thanks.

 

[K2Grey]

What do you mean by around the house? Do you mean you will walk around the house with the headphones on, with the ipod and amp in a pocket, or did you have some other meaning?

Generally, the only question with amps is whether you want it to be a portable (i.e. you can put it in your pocket), transportable (take it around with you easily, but it doesn't fit in your pocket) or home (you leave it in one place).

 

[supersonic1414]

Thanks for the reply. I would most likely be using it in bed, on the couch, so I guess fitting in my pocket would not be a necessity. I do not want a stationary, big amp....Can you or anyone offer me some good amps that might work out well for what I am looking for?

 

[dk123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by supersonic1414 Thanks for the reply. I would most likely be using it in bed, on the couch, so I guess fitting in my pocket would not be a necessity. I do not want a stationary, big amp....Can you or anyone offer me some good amps that might work out well for what I am looking for?

You'll have to try it and see how you feel about it. You may find them useable directly out of an Ipod, though it's probably likely that you won't.

 

[hyamaiata]

You should post this in the Amps forum but anyway I'll help you with this one. First you need to tell us your budget for the amp so we can reccomend the best amps in that price range. Without knowing your budget anyway I say you take a look at the Hornet, SR-71, HeadRoom Total Airhead and HeadRoom Micro Amp. All of this amps can be used both from a power supply and from batteries.

Good Luck.

 

[darkninja67]

I can use my DT880s with my iAudio X5 (which has a decent headphone out) but I have to nearly max out the volume to get it to listenable levels.

The 880s are demanding cans IMO. They definitely benefit a lot from an amp.

 

[hyamaiata]

BTW, warpdriver wrote this review about the Beyer DT 880 - Micro Amp combination and resulted in an amazing combo. I personally also own a Micro Amp and think it sounds amazingly good for the price.

 

[jdimitri]

I have xin's supermini and they sound amazing for the price that i got them ($150)
ZOMmmMmgggg I JUST CHECKED XIN's WEBSITE
NEW AMP! supermini IV supermicro IV and supermacro IV
Dude, get these, these are going to be the best
I WANt AN UPGRADE

 

[Purgatos]

They're enjoyable without an amp, but if you get one then you'll love them oh so much more!

 

[smeerkaas]

i agree. they go loud enough IMO but i like them a lot better with an amp

 

[ITZBITZ]

Without an amp, you'll never realize the full potential of the DT880. And the stronger the amp, the better.

 

[Bleeding Spark]

The DT 880's, in my experience, sound terrible without an amp. My portable amp (Headroom Total Bithead) even has trouble driving them.
Very weak sounding without a powerful amp.

 

[dhp]

for a portable amp, I would suggest the PINT for the best bang for the buck, but for a home amp, the millett hybrid or M^3 would be a good choice depending on your budget

 

[skylinedo]

there are 3 types of the new DT880s:

32 Ohm for ease of driving portables (ipod/mp3/etc)

250 Ohm for overall balance between amps and portables

600 Ohm for audiophiles, must have an amp or they sound fairly weak

not sure about the old DT880s tho

 

[smeerkaas]

the old one is 250 ohm iirc