[gpworks]

Hey guys, so i want to buy a new dac/amp for around 200€ for my Beyerdynamics DT990 600Ohm headphones. I´ve been searching alot and found the SMSL M6 and SMSL M8, which i find pretty interesting, but don´t know how they sound with my headphones. Are there any better DACs in this price point? I also found the Asus Essence STX 2, which should also be pretty good, but is it better than, for example, the M6/M8?
 
for me the most important things in terms of sound are:
-good mids
-wide soundstage
-detailed sound with no harsh highs. 
 
The headphones are used mainly for hearing Lossless music and rarely gaming, mostly Racing games. 
 
I really appreciate any help!

 

[TwelveTrains]

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 themselves, amps can augment certain characteristics to various degrees, but you really shouldn't be looking for the sound you want by trying to buy an *amp* first.
 
I personally like Schiit stuff. The Asgard 2 is extremely versatile and would power the DT 990 just fine. I use mine with the DT 990. They are very analytical sounding and detailed with this amp. Something like the Valhalla 2 might give them even more synergy, breathing a certain "warmth" into them. It might make them less sibilant in the highs. The Valhalla 2, however will be less versatile with more efficient and more sensitive headphones.
 
That's the amp part. If you think you need a DAC, just throw in a Modi.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
An amp also won't affect your soundstage in the slightest. 

 

An exotic amp won't improve it but a badly designed amp that has low channel separation would have a different image from a normal one, and likewise, if the amp (or the source) was boosting bass response, you can hear the bass drum for example being imaged farther to the front. Past these it's a matter of how loud can a particular amp go on a particular headphone before piling on distortion.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
for me the most important things in terms of sound are:
-good mids
-wide soundstage
-detailed sound with no harsh highs. 

 

Meir Corda Rock and any soundcard. or DAC. Meier amps when they pile on distortion err on getting slightly warmer than slightly brighter, so pushing a Meier amp and an O2 amp gets them sounding differently at some point (otherwise they're both really good low noise amps).

 

If you want virtual surround, check and make sure that the virtual surround-modified signal can go through the 2ch FL-FR output and not just the headphone output. Otherwise, just get a soundcard - at least your headphones are 600ohm so no issues with the output impedance.

 

Just note that even if the Meier gets warmer when pushed it's not like it will make a bright headphone sound like an LCD-2 - all it will do is not make it worse.