[Raekna]

Hello !
 
My PC 350 (from the Xonar Xense bundle) just passed away, and I can get a refund (200€).
So I need a new soundcard, and headphones. From what I've read, the DT770 has deep basses, which is something I would like, because I mostly listen to dubstep. But I don't know anything about it apart from this ... 
Then, I need a new soundcard. Some people say something like an Essence STX is absolutly needed, some say a >100€ card will work perfectly. Can someone clarify this ?
I've heard about amps too, but I'm not sure if I need one.
 
Can you help me ? I'd like to spend max. 300€; If you have any suggestion, for the sound card or the headphones, feel free to reply !
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[devhen]

The 770s sound best amped. I would get the Asus sound card that comes with a built-in amplifier (cant remember which model it is). The 770s are awesome for gaming IMO (I assume you'll be gaming with them as well, since you're coming from the PC 350). You may want to add a clip-on mic:
 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00029MTMQ

 

[Raekna]

I'll be gaming, but I mainly want to use my headphones for music. I do not play FPS games, just some strategy games like SC2, LoL, sometimes MMOs. I think any headphones/sound card will work for that ! But it's always nice to have a great sound.
Thank you for the mic, I was going to ask which one I should buy.
 
Can you try to find the sound card you were talking about ? I think it is my main problem right now
 
Thank you a lot

 

[devhen]

Looks like its the Xonar STX.
 
You can get the 770 for about 150 euros so you should be able to get them both for around 300.
 
770 Pro 250 ohm:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/beyerdynamic_dt770pro.htm
 
770 Pro 80 ohm:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/beyerdynamic_dt770_pro80_ohm.htm
 
The Xonar STX might be a bit harder to find at a good price depending on where you're at.

 

[Raekna]

Is the Xonar STX really worth it ? It's kinda expensive, the best price I've found is 170€. Is there any other sound card good enough for the DT770 ?
What is the difference between the 250 and the 80 Ohm ?

 

[devhen]

The higher the ohms the harder it is to drive a headphone (needs a stronger amp). The Xonar STX is powerful enough for both the 80 and 250 ohm versions. If you will also be plugging the 770s into less powerful devices then the 80 ohm version might be the best choice.
 
The Xonar STX is expensive because it has a pretty powerful headphone amplifier built into it. No other sound card (that I know of) has a headphone amplifier builtin. That's why others are so much cheaper. The Beyerdynamics like the 770 don't sound their best unless they are amped so with any other sound card they won't get as loud nor sound quite as good.
 
You could get a regular sound card and get a separate amplifier later on. Another option would be to get an external sound card (typically referred to as a DAC or digital to analog converter) like the Fiio E10. It is a USB DAC and amplifier in one.
 
http://www.fiio.com.cn/product/index.aspx?ID=39&MenuID=020302
 
The E10 is less powerful than the Xonar STX so I would recommend the 80 ohm version of the 770 with it.

 

[Raekna]

Makes much more sense !
The only thing is, I don't know if the STX, compared to the E10, is worth the price. It's the first time I'm really being that careful about my audio gear.
The mic, the headphones, and the STX (163€) would cost me 330€.

 

[devhen]

Yeah if the STX is too pricey for you I think the E10 would be a great choice. There are a lot of people around here that have it and quite like it, especially for how inexpensive it is. Fiio is generally regarded as great equipment for the price.

 

[NamelessPFG]

Wait a minute-you bought a Xonar Xense bundle, and the PC350 headset is what failed, leaving the sound card intact? Is your plan to get a refund on the whole bundle and buy a different sound card and headphone?
 
I was just wondering since the Xense soundcard appears to be a slightly altered Essence STX with 8-channel analog output through a breakout cable. You wouldn't really need to replace it with the Essence STX in that case.

 

[Raekna]

Well, the thing is I can only get a refund if I send back the whole product (both the sound card and the headset); so yes
If I just buy the DT770, I would spend 150€ (+16 for the mic) : 166€
If I get a refund, and buy DT770 + Xonar Essence STX + mic : 330-200€ = 130€
 
That's why it is better -at least for my wallet- to do so.
 
The only thing I don't really like with the e10 is the lack of an equalizer. I don't know if the bass boost switch is good enough compared to the one I was using with the xonar xense.

 

[Doc-holliday]

Is the E10 not powerful enough to run the 770 poperly? I have the 250 ohm on the way and that is my amp on my desk. Otherwise I was planning on using my e11 with my ipod classic 160gb.

 

[stv014]

It is about enough, but it really depends on your preferred listening volume and the dynamic range of your music. Many will find it plenty enough, while for others it is not sufficient. As you can see on the graph below, the E10 is capable of slightly less than 2.5 Vrms on high gain when driving a high impedance headphone. The E11 increases that to about 2.75 Vrms, while the Xonar STX can output about 6.7 into 250 Ω. For comparison, I normally do not need more than 1 Vrms for the DT770-250, and less than 0.5 for typical heavily compressed popular music. But again, this depends largely on personal preferences, and the E10 is likely not enough for some people.
 

 

[Doc-holliday]

Thank you for a very informaive answer. Yes it sounds like my amps will be fine (for now at least). I listen to alac's at a relatively low volume. I still want to be able to hear by the time I reach my next birthday. Great answer.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Well, the thing is I can only get a refund if I send back the whole product (both the sound card and the headset); so yes
If I just buy the DT770, I would spend 150€ (+16 for the mic) : 166€
If I get a refund, and buy DT770 + Xonar Essence STX + mic : 330-200€ = 130€
That's why it is better -at least for my wallet- to do so.
The only thing I don't really like with the e10 is the lack of an equalizer. I don't know if the bass boost switch is good enough compared to the one I was using with the Xonar Xense.

Unless you have a need for a closed headphone, I would recommend the DT990 Pro 250-Ohm.
Personally I like open headphone because it's easier on the ears.
 
You can get a used Asus Xonar DX or D1 sound card (39 Euros) and a single tube headphone amplifier (sold on eBay & Amazon), prices for these tube amps start at 39 Euros.
The Xonar DX & D1 come with the same audio processor (CMI8788) as the Xonar Xence, Essence STX & ST.
And a $50 tube amps can easily drive 250-Ohm headphones.

 

[Doc-holliday]

Unless you have a need for a closed headphone, I would recommend the DT990 Pro 250-Ohm.
Personally I like open headphone because it's easier on the ears.

You can get a used Asus Xonar DX or D1 sound card (39 Euros) and a single tube headphone amplifier (sold on eBay & Amazon), prices for these tube amps start at 39 Euros.
The Xonar DX & D1 come with the same audio processor (CMI8788) as the Xonar Xence, Essence STX & ST.
And a $50 tube amps can easily drive 250-Ohm headphones.

I have the dt990 premium 32ohm and they are my favorite, I'll stick with those. Just looking for a different sound out of the 770. Thanks.

Oh yea and thanxs for the suggestions on the amps. I should be gettin the 770s in the mail today or monday. I guess I'll see how they sound with the gear I have and then go from there.