DT 770 connected to PS4 controller but volume too low. Amp questions

[C.44]

Hi all, I recently bought a DT 770 at 80Ω and have been loving it to bits. Connected directly to my iPhone 6S+ set to max volume it is loud enough. However, I mostly use it connected to my PS4 controller and that's where it just doesn't quite get loud enough. In a quiet room it's mostly fine but I'd still like a bit of amplification for when said room isn't that quiet.
 
Initially I had been looking at the FiiO E11K / A3 but Amazon(.de) suggested the Topping NX1 as an alternative. I found a enormous thread on that very amp right here on Head-Fi praising it sky high and I was about to buy one on Amazon when I saw that new stock would arrive on the 4th. Then on the 9th. And now on the 16th. I'm impatient, I hate waiting. So I started looking for the Topping amps on local classifieds sites and found the NX2. Now, the price I've found it for isn't too bad, in fact it's rather cheap, but from what I remember reading is that the amp part of the NX2 isn't all that spectacular or even almost non-existant. Now, I'm aware that this depends heavily on the type of headphone those people are trying to drive so that offers me little to no real info.
 
Is there anyone that has any sort of experience with the NX2 in combination with 80Ω headphones that can tell me if the NX2 can actually drive the volume up a little louder than what the PS4 controller can? I'm also open to suggestions for other portable amps in that price range btw.
 
Thanks in advance =)

 

[crispswish]

Fiio E6 or equivalents should get the job done. They aren't expensive, plus they are tiny. You controller also won't feel that much heavier.

 

[C.44]

Fiio E6 or equivalents should get the job done. They aren't expensive, plus they are tiny. You controller also won't feel that much heavier.

 
I've been able to find that one locally as the FiiO A1 so I quickly looked up some reviews on it. It seems however that the general consensus is that they sound muffled / muddy, and don't actually amplify all that much. However, like I said before, I'm aware that that is highly dependent on the headset you're driving with it.

 

[C.44]

Got the NX1 about a week ago. Mostly because I really have no use for a DAC. The NX1 is able to drive the DT770 a bit harder but it has to be on high gain and turned up to about 70-80%. It has a little bit extra left but it isn't all that much.

That said, I like that it doesn't alter the sound itself. It doesn't add and it doesn't take away, although I feel mid bass might be a little more present now than before.


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[crispswish]

Glad your NX1 helped, but I'm a little surprised that you don't have much room and had to use the high gain to drive the 770. Did you make sure you turn the volume on the ps4 controller all the way up (1x2 is only 2, but 10x2 is 20)?

Honestly, I feel that your PS4 controller is the weakest link here. You should be able to drive the 770 more efficiently straight from the PS4 system itself rather than its controller. You can try plugging your amp and headphones to your TV's 3.5mm out with your ps4 connected to the TV through HDMI.

Give those two a try and let me know how it works.

 

[C.44]

Volume on the controller is all the way up indeed, otherwise you'd practically hear zilch without the NX1. Connecting straight to the PS4 would've been the preferred option but I'd like to retain some sense of not being tied to the console. Even though I have about 10ft of cables connected to the controller lol.

I'm not at all unhappy with the current volume level, I just hoped I wouldn't have to set it quite that high. With the NX1 not connected to the controller I've adjusted it to just below the point where it starts getting noisy and that seems to be fine for now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[crispswish]

That's what the 10ft of cable is for, lol. To walk around the room with your headphones on like a vacuum cleaner.

Well, when you have time, give it a try. The difference might change your mind about your current setup.