[Epsilon95]

Hi

I have just purchased a pair of dt 770s and the 250 ohm version .i was wondering how well do these do without an amp? I will only be connecting them to my pc. I wont be able to afford a good amp for a while so i was just wondering are these still good without one?


Many thanks

 

[d34dj3d1]

I plan on getting a pair of these too and i'm going to be doing the same thing with them so i'd also like to know this

 

[Spangles]

I think it depends on how good the soundcard on your motherboard is?

In most situations a headphone with such a high impedance will need the volume cranked up much higher than low impedence. From what I've read your headphones would benefit greatly from a dedicated amp.

I don't know a lot about headphones and amps but I've read a little bit.

If you've got $40 spare before you buy a more sophisticated amp you can get this which will drive headphones up to 600 ohm:

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy FX PCIe 5.1 Sound Card with High Performance Headphone Amp.

 

[armink]

Obviously, they will work without an amp, but the sound will be weak and distant. Highly recommended that you get an amp for these in the future.
You will definitely want to look into Schiit's Magni 3, it's a 99$ amp that can even power HD 600's. It's a great starting point

You could also look into the Fulla 2's or the Fiilo e10k, is are both great and cheap dac+amp option, but I'm not sure if they can power your headphone (I think they can though), you will have to look into it for sure.

 

[d34dj3d1]

I'm planning on buying an Asgard 2.

 

[armink]

I'm planning on buying an Asgard 2.

Oh yeah, that's more than enough. Great future-proof option.

 

[Me x3]

A quality DAC/Amp typically improves the overall performance.
More often than not it's not just about the power. The quality of the components in your chain matters and good headphones can show those differentials.

(...) it's a 99$ amp that can even power HD 600's. (...)

Just for the sake of clarifying things: DT770 (250 Ohm) is slightly harder to drive than HD600.
(Magni can drive both fine)

 

[d34dj3d1]

I was going to buy a Modi Multibit but instead i'm just going to get a Onkyo A-9010 Integrated Amp because from what I've heard/read it has a really nice Wolfson DAC and i'm going to need it to power the speakers and Sub I plan on buying.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Hi
I have just purchased a pair of dt 770s and the 250 ohm version .i was wondering how well do these do without an amp? I will only be connecting them to my pc. I wont be able to afford a good amp for a while so i was just wondering are these still good without one?
Many thanks

Creative Labs Sound Blaster Z sound card, buy used off eBay.
Comes with a nice DAC chip and a decent build in headphone amplifier.
It's about the best value for trying to improve audio quality and to drive the headphones.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I was going to buy a Modi Multibit but instead i'm just going to get a Onkyo A-9010 Integrated Amp because from what I've heard/read it has a really nice Wolfson DAC and i'm going to need it to power the speakers and Sub I plan on buying.

It's not going to power the sub. It just send a line signal to the sub, which has its own amplifier built into it. And no you can't build a sub like what's used on a car where you just have the subwoofer in a box and just connect that to the A9010 without an amp. The A9050 sends out a preamp signal to the sub, ie, variable voltage. When you move the volume knob on the 9050 it also changes the voltage of the signal going to the subwoofer, so you don't have to reach over to the sub everytime you adjust the volume on the speakers.

Are you going to use these on a desk? You might as well use the NAD D3020 v2. Subwoofer output is preamp controlled, and the headphone amp circuit has a 50ohm output impedance. That's high compared to headphone amps other than OTL amps, but I'd much rather take my chances on an integrated amp with a published 50ohm output impedance than an integrated amp too large for a desk that doesn't even publish the output impedance (old standard was 120ohms and Rotels today still sue 138ohms).

Even if space wasn't a problem I'd still bet on the NAD. I've heard it pounding with a couple of 6in PSBs. Plus I had the old 304 and it was the reference amp my friends and I used when they shopped for other gear, even when it was HT, to gauge how well an HT receiver would drive speakers. And the hilarious part was that up until the early 2010 models the NAD 304 was doing a lot better than the bigger brands' stereo (save for Marantz) and HT receivers up until you get to flagship models. They were either too lean or too bright (Yamaha) or good midrange but the low end lacked definition (Denon) if not outright running out of steam; Marantz and Onkyo were the best receivers but Marantz HT receivers and all the Onkyos were behind the NAD.