[jdog826]

hey guys
I purchased a set of these headphones now i need some help choosing an amp/dac. I've had my eye on a little dot mkIII but haven't pulled the trigger because I've read about some hiss, could have been an old thread. has the hiss/white noise issue been resolved? 
i really would like the amp/dac to be silent. I've also looked at the yulong combo and the audio-gd fun. i just don't know what to get.
my budget is between $400-$500. i don't mind getting an amp and dac separate. the only request for the dac is it would have to have
usb, optical, and rca line in. I'm not sure what my source would be. i have a 5g ipod and ps3 and pc. most of my music is 320 mp3 and i will rip what i have on cd to flac. this is my first decent headphone setup and i guess I'm looking for the best bang for the buck. what are you guys using? any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks for looking

 

[fluffygdog95]

Tube amps popularly recommended: Schiit Valhalla, Schiit Lyr, Woo Audio Wa3, Little Dot MKIII, Bottlehead Crack (DIY), and any other OTL style amp.

Solid state amps are a bit less recommended, but: Audio-GD (anything powerful from their line-up), DIY variants with power, Matrix M-Stage,

Good DACs: Musical Fidelity V-DAC, HRT Music Streamer II, HRT Music Streamer II+, Cambridge Audio DACMagic, Matrix DACs, Yulong D100, DIY Gamma, others.

These are just a few off the top of my head. A search would yield many more.

All in all for amps you need lots of voltage swing, with power being less of a priority, and for DACs you want something that isn't crap. Don't stress too much about what to buy. Trying out things is the best way to learn what sound you like. About the hum with some amps...That is usually a result from low impedance cans being used with the wrong kind of amp, OR from what is known as a "ground loop."

If you are wanting more information, search for any Beyerdynamic amp/dac recommendation. They all take the same style of amp and DAC to make happy.

This post is based off of what little knowledge I have in my head, so take it with what you will.

Cheers,
Dan

 

[jronan2]

I have the DT 990/600 and actually ordered a Schiit Lyr and HRT MSII+ so if you wait a week or 2 depending on when I receive my Lyr ( on backorder) I can offer you my input.
 
Quick suggestion though: SS neutral amp with a warm dac, or even better Tubes with examples stated above, zombie X is a beyerdynamic guru and swears by one of the woo audio tube amps, I don't know which one off the top of my head put its all over his thread on the differences between the 770/880/990. I like Schiit though since there products are more affordable for me. Good luck.

 

[jdog826]

thanks for the responses. I'm hoping some owners will chime in with their setups. i might just get the mkIII and the e9 then choose one.
decisions, decisions

 

[jronan2]

Are you planning on just using the DT990's exclusively or are you planning on getting more headphones in the future? This should come into consideration in choosing an amp.

 

[jdog826]

no plans to get any more.

 

[jronan2]

Then I would go with a tube amp most likely, if you planned to get more headphones I'd say solid state is your safest bet. The Woo Audio tube amps are said to be amazing with the beyers. If that is out of price range I would go with something from Schiit, but I like buying American( I no I have a fiio set up ATM)

 

[driftingbunnies]

Tube amps are always favored for beyers. It just mixes well with their signature. However, the concerto is a great SS amp since it sounds kind of "tubey". I know it's out of your price range but it's just something to consider in the long run. I personally like it enough to sell my Audiotailor Jade. I don't know about other people but the use of tube makes me scared that the tubes will go out and I'll have to buy new ones. I never have that fear with SS amps. I don't think you'll find any good DAC/AMPs that will be able to power the beyers WHILE having a good DAC.