[money4me247]

  Oh, and another thing - I've read somewhere that I could use an equalizer to help balance out the sound if needed. Is this true? And if so, would this be a software based thing or separate hardware?

EQ is generally software-based, though you can get hardware EQ. For example, the Bravo V3 (entry-level hybrid tube amp) has hardware EQ built in.
 
Software EQ is generally more precise and gives you more options though. Many free options for all devices.

 

[someguynamedave]

  EQ is generally software-based, though you can get hardware EQ. For example, the Bravo V3 (entry-level hybrid tube amp) has hardware EQ built in.
 
Software EQ is generally more precise and gives you more options though. Many free options for all devices.

 
I see. Does Windows have any equalizer software built in? Or perhaps my onboard audio drivers might have equalizer controls hidden somewhere? I know my music player (Winamp) has equalizer settings but I would like to find something system-wide to have the most control over my sound.

 

[Youth]

If you need to eq your headphones you should change to a different pair, IMHO.

 

[someguynamedave]

  If you need to eq your headphones you should change to a different pair, IMHO.

I don't know if I'll need to or not as I haven't placed my order yet. 
 
 
Man I am way in over my head in this. I feel like my first pair of audiophile headphones is going to turn out wrong in one way or another...
 
 
 
Maybe I will get the ATH-a900x since people seem to think it has a more neutral sound than the DT770 (I realize both are V shaped but the a900x is also rated neutral on the buyers guide.)  Man what a headache.

 

[money4me247]

  I don't know if I'll need to or not as I haven't placed my order yet. Man I am way in over my head in this. I feel like my first pair of audiophile headphones is going to turn out wrong in one way or another... Maybe I will get the ATH-a900x since people seem to think it has a more neutral sound than the DT770 (I realize both are V shaped but the a900x is also rated neutral on the buyers guide.)  Man what a headache.

 
If you can wait until you have your full $250+$200 budget, your headphone choices are a lot easier I think. Many great options in the $300 price bracket. Perhaps for open easy-to-drive headphones where you don't need to worry so much about an amp, consider the HE-400S or Phillips X2 or AKG K7xx or low impedance version of the dt770/880. Can really get any cheap amplifier for those or even run them direct out of source. I haven't heard the ath-a900x. For closed, the For $150ish ATH-M50x (for v-shaped) or Soundmagic 150, AKG K545 at sub-$200, NAD HP50 at $300, or Oppo PM-3 at $400 (none of those need any external amp/dac to play).
 
I would drop the dac if you have a limited budget.
 
Cheers!

 

[EagleWings]

+1 on Nad Viso HP50. And you can get them for $250 from Amazon. Fits your budget, comfortable and wont need an amp but still leaves the $200 in your pocket in case you want the DAC/Amp setup. It's not a bass heavy headphone but does have clear punchy bass and you can use the EQ to add some extra bass if you'd like.
 
Regarding your early question about if you will see an improvement in SQ(sound quality) with closed back low impedance headphones:
1. It's a debatable topic 
2. Technically there should not be any difference as long as the amp does not introduce any additional noise or distortion to the electrical signal
3. Some listeners claim that they notice an improvement
4. Few listeners claim they notice an improvement even on easy-to-drive, sensitive IEMs by adding an amp like Fiio E12A or Cayin C5
 
Here is my hypothesis on why some listeners notice an improvement by adding an Amp. I think it could be because one or more of the following reasons.
 
Disclaimer: **Like mentioned, just my hypothesis and does not have any technical backing but rather a theory based on my understanding of how things work.  Please feel free to point out any incorrect terms or statements. I am open to learning. Thanks!
 
a) The listener's PC/Player/DAP's internal amp adds slight distortions or noise to the signal which affects the quality of the sound output. Such a sound may lack quality compared to a better amplified output signal. And may be adding a good external amp solves this issue
b) The listener's PC/Player/DAP's internal amp does not add appropriate energy to different signals that the output sound lacks texture and brilliance. And may be adding a good external amp solves this issue
c) The listener is able to pick up even the slightest improvements and is appreciative about it
d) The listener is using nicely mastered lossless file formats, in which certain signals(notes or instruments) are not heard with poor amplification and only shows up with good amplification. This may offer a more detailed sound that the listener perceives as an improvement in quality
 
And the same applies for the external DACs. (The external DACs perform slighly better compared to the one inside the listener's Player/PC).
 
So to answer your question; as long as you have a good sound card in your PC you should be fine with a low impedance closed back cans. But if you feel that the sound can be improved further and you are someone who can appreciate slightest improvements, then Yes, adding an external DAC/Amp makes sense. That brings us to the question: 'Is the slight improvement in sound worth the extra $200?'. That depends on your needs and your personal preference and how heavy your wallet is

. 
 
Hope this helps.

 

[money4me247]

at above, in addition to your thoughts, a lot of times perceived sonic improvements from adding an amp can just be due to louder listening levels. our brains perceive louder music to sound 'better.' need to run volume-matched comparisons to really see if it really does add subtle enhancements or if its just due to differences in volume.

 

[someguynamedave]

I apologize for the late response, I had to replace some computer hardware. Anyway, I ordered the DT 770s though I got the 250 ohm version thinking that it would sound clearer and help eliminate noise from inside my machine. I've noticed some songs sound pretty good with these but most don't. I don't know if that's because of the 250 ohms and lack of amp or if the DT 770s just don't handle most of these music genres very well.
 
 
I'm finding it difficult to describe how these sound. The volume is fine but the tracks don't sound as they should, even my crappy earbuds sound better on some tracks. I don't know if it's resistance thing from the 250 ohm version or what.  Right now I'm trying to decide if I should return these and grab an 80 ohm version instead or opt for another set of headphones completely.
 
edit- I think I would describe the sound difference like comparing a very low quality song upload on youtube to a proper mp3 on your computer.

 

[canetsbe]

  I apologize for the late response, I had to replace some computer hardware. Anyway, I ordered the DT 770s though I got the 250 ohm version thinking that it would sound clearer and help eliminate noise from inside my machine. I've noticed some songs sound pretty good with these but most don't. I don't know if that's because of the 250 ohms and lack of amp or if the DT 770s just don't handle most of these music genres very well.
 
 
I'm finding it difficult to describe how these sound. The volume is fine but the tracks don't sound as they should, even my crappy earbuds sound better on some tracks. I don't know if it's resistance thing from the 250 ohm version or what.  Right now I'm trying to decide if I should return these and grab an 80 ohm version instead or opt for another set of headphones completely.
 
edit- I think I would describe the sound difference like comparing a very low quality song upload on youtube to a proper mp3 on your computer.

 
This being your first pair of decent headphones, you're probably realizing that you can hear the difference between poorly mastered / high compression music vs. high quality mastering and less lossy files.  Do you happen to know much about audio file types and compression?  
 
With more accurate reproduction of the data in your music files, it's much easier to hear the difference between crummy and good files.  That's my guess for what you're experiencing.  Are you using mp3s, streaming via something like Spotify, etc?  
 
BTW had I seen this thread earlier, I could have chimed in on the DT770 32ohm vs HP150... I own both.
 
They're both great headphones; the HP150 is better out and about, isolates better, is probably better without an amp... However I think the DT770s have a little more magic to them.  They are best in a controlled environment as they really don't isolate well at all, they're awful outside or if there's noise around.  You basically lose the low end if there's anything happening around you.  However when you've got them home you can really enjoy them the way they're meant to be enjoyed.  They scale better with better source and amp compared to the HP150 IMO.  
 
I would say you should postpone judgement until you get that amp / dac setup rigged and make sure you've got some shiny clean files to play through your headphones.  I think you'll find that the DT770 really shine.

 

[someguynamedave]

edit - made a new thread to start fresh http://www.head-fi.org/t/782002/looking-for-new-headphones-again-want-opinions-advice-300-or-less

 

Spoiler: old post... moving to new thread

 
I'm finding it difficult to describe how this sounds, so this may not make much sense but here it goes anyway. I would describe the sound as "colored", as if I had an equalizer going with terrible settings. This is not the case, in fact I'm not using any equalizer anywhere - not in Winamp, not in my Realtek audio manager, and not in my EqualizerAPO(I installed this to try "fixing" the sound to no avail). I have also noticed most sounds are "scratchy" and also lack bass. (Could this be due to a lack of an amplifier?)
 
I have also noticed this in video games too, so it's not just music.
 
 

   
This being your first pair of decent headphones, you're probably realizing that you can hear the difference between poorly mastered / high compression music vs. high quality mastering and less lossy files.  Do you happen to know much about audio file types and compression?  
 
With more accurate reproduction of the data in your music files, it's much easier to hear the difference between crummy and good files.  That's my guess for what you're experiencing.  Are you using mp3s, streaming via something like Spotify, etc?  
 
BTW had I seen this thread earlier, I could have chimed in on the DT770 32ohm vs HP150... I own both.
 
They're both great headphones; the HP150 is better out and about, isolates better, is probably better without an amp... However I think the DT770s have a little more magic to them.  They are best in a controlled environment as they really don't isolate well at all, they're awful outside or if there's noise around.  You basically lose the low end if there's anything happening around you.  However when you've got them home you can really enjoy them the way they're meant to be enjoyed.  They scale better with better source and amp compared to the HP150 IMO.  
 
I would say you should postpone judgement until you get that amp / dac setup rigged and make sure you've got some shiny clean files to play through your headphones.  I think you'll find that the DT770 really shine.

 
I don't think it's a matter of poor mastering. I've listened to many different songs already with these from different artists and completely different genres. As for the file formats, the majority of my playlist is in mp3 format with 320 kbps bitrate and 48,000 Hz joint stereo. I also have a fair amount of lossless flac. I do not use online radio, though I do sometimes listen to music on Youtube (HD videos preferred because the audio tends to scale up with the video quality).
 
 

Right now, Amazon currently has these headphones flagged for review, which makes me wonder if I may have just received a bad set.
 

Item Under Review
While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it's described here. (Thanks for the tip!)
We're working to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

 
 
At this point I am willing to consider something else up to $300 total granted that they allow me to refund this (which they probably will.) I also am considering the option of open back headphones now that the weather is getting cooler (I didn't consider this before...) and I do not need to use my horribly loud air conditioner, and I now have a very quite computer thanks to my new Noctua heatsink. Those were the two main sources of noise in my apartment and they are no longer an issue. 

I am looking at the DT 880s("semi open") and the HE-400s(open), both of those I found on a video from Tek Syndicate (https://youtu.be/VgTnJ3JQQ0E). I google'd these for a little bit and people are saying they're both pretty comfortable (880 maybe a bit more so) and both are great quality. The 880s are supposedly a little bit more detailed and the HE-400s are supposedly "more fun" (whatever that means). That all being said, I'm open to other suggestions too. I will read through all the replies here again after work and double check everything. I may also make a new thread for this though I'm not sure yet.
 
edit - according to the headphone buying guide, the dt 880s are marked neutral with treb emphasis, and the HE-400 doesn't appear to be listed here though.
 
 
PS. I apologize for any typos and lack of clarity as I made this post while pulling a rather bad all-nighter...