[Alghazanth]

Quote:

I dunno. I didn't use the 320hm 990, but the 32ohm 880. I had the 600ohm DT990, which played fine off the Mixamp alone if game/voice is set to game 100% (meaning no voice chat). Fine as in most of the time. It did tend to clip/distort during some bass heavy scenes, but the E9 between the Mixamp and the cans helped out with that.

Eric_C, I never used the MMX300, let alone the 32ohm DT770s, so I don't know how well they perform. Can't recommend something I haven't tried myself. I only used the DT770/600 and DT770 Pro 80...

I can say now that the 600ohm 990 does indeed sound worse than the 32ohm w/ the mixamp. It was alright for shooters, had the "theater" presentation you were talking about, but with some other games like Brutal Legend, Oblivion, etc it does not sound right at all. The 32ohm I already did not like much but that was still better. Strangely enough, the T1 is also 600ohm and sounds so good through the mixamp, and the 600ohm dt990 does indeed have less recessed mids/better treble with music, but with games the mids are more recessed than ever.
 
Is there any way to hook up my HDP or E9 to a 5.8 mixamp? If not, how do you hook it up to the wired mixamp?
 


 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The Mixamp's input is super sensitive. Usually running headphones straight to it causes distortions and crackling. I tend to use an extension cable with a skinnier line, since headphones tend to have robus connections that are too heavy for the Mixamp.

In any case, of course the 32ohm is gonna sound better off the Mixamp alone. The Mixamp wasn't made to handle 600ohm cans, which is why I ran it through the E9, and it sounded great.

When I used the Dealextreme mic, I would go:

Mixamp - Y cable - Mic on one
3.5mm male/male on the other going to the E9's line in.

Yes, you're double amping, but it doesn't noticably impact SQ. Hell, I run my E9 through my PSP's hpo, and it sounds great.

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

Yes, you're double amping, but it doesn't noticably impact SQ. Hell, I run my E9 through my PSP's hpo, and it sounds great.

Pretty much any amp will sound better if you unload it by hooking it to the high input impedance of something like the input of another amp, especially small and cheap ones  Relieving tiny little opamps of their obligation to push current drastically reduces the distortion they put out.  Even though lots of people who have no idea what they're talking about frown on "double amping" it actually has a decent chance of making something sound better along with adding more power.

 

[Alghazanth]

So it's impossible to connect the E9 or HDP to the 5.8 mixamp?
 
And also, what's with the E7 doing literally NOTHING in combination with my mixamp and ANY of my headphones? Seriously, nothing changes, not maximum volume, not static, not sound quality, nothing.

 

[socksfelloff]

I found that too. The E7 doesn't do a whole lot coupled with anything utilizing the line in. DAC works great via USB however
 
Quote:

So it's impossible to connect the E9 or HDP to the 5.8 mixamp?
 
And also, what's with the E7 doing literally NOTHING in combination with my mixamp and ANY of my headphones? Seriously, nothing changes, not maximum volume, not static, not sound quality, nothing.

 

 

[Eric_C]

Update on the Aiwa clip-on mic I bought last week: 
It's great, if you can have the dang thing right next to your mouth. Pick-up is so insensitive (usually a good thing for gaming mics) that when clipped on to my t-shirt, my XBLA buddy couldn't hear a thing. I think I needed to be within an inch from the mic before it registered anything I said.
 
Edit:
Here's what it looks like.

 

[Alghazanth]

Quote:

Update on the Aiwa clip-on mic I bought last week: 
It's great, if you can have the dang thing right next to your mouth. Pick-up is so insensitive (usually a good thing for gaming mics) that when clipped on to my t-shirt, my XBLA buddy couldn't hear a thing. I think I needed to be within an inch from the mic before it registered anything I said.
 
I'll snap a picture later today, so you guys will know which model I'm talking about.

Interesting. Laying back in my recliner playing my 360, when I was using my AD700+zalman I had it clipped to my shirt too and my friends could hear me even when I was whispering. On my PC, I can put it 5 feet in front of me and people can hear (non mechanical) keyboard clicks.
 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Alg, just run a cable from the Mixamp's headphone out to the line in on your amp. I've done this for years.

 

[FliGuyRyan]

MLE,
 
So, you're saying the DT990 has more treble and more bass than the DT880? Why wouldn't I go with that then. I believe if the mids are a little more repressed, then it would sound more like the Pro Coppers I have, and that's a good thing. I can always use a little more bass (DT770 probably too much though) and I think I like "bright" treble... although, if the DT990 is completely open and verses the DT880's semi-open nature, why is there more bass? And when you say neutral, explain that more. Also, do you think the DT880 then is the jack-of-all-trades for music/gaming then? Why not the 990? And would it kill my sound if I go the 32ohm version? Are you using the E9 right now? I have the E5, love it, but I know it's not enough for 600ohm. What amp would be capable, inexpensive, awesome and good for both music/gaming and stackable with the Mixamp?
 
Sorry for the barrage of questions... please answer them all if possible.
 
Also, I'm so confused by the pathways of all these amps (plug this into this to get better of this). I'm good with pictures - are there any diagrams, lol?
 
I really appreciate all your help guys,
 
-RC

 

[Eric_C]

Hey Ryan,
 
I don't have the 990 but I'll try and answer some of your queries based on what's commonly acknowledged about it on these forums, and from my perspective as a 880 owner (who uses it almost exclusively for non-competitive gaming).
 
Quote:

if the DT990 is completely open and verses the DT880's semi-open nature, why is there more bass? And when you say neutral, explain that more. 

Open vs semi-open vs closed don't equal to zero bass vs bass light vs bassy. There isn't a fixed rule for this. It's better to think of it as: the 990 happens to be open and bassy, and the 880 happens to be semi-open and not as bassy.
(if you've heard the Sennheiser IE8, you'll also see that it is a bassy, "open" IEM due to its vented design.)
 
Neutral = the headphones don't exaggerate any part of the sound (bass, mids, highs). If a song sounds bassy on a neutral headphone, the song was bassy when it was recorded/mixed. 
In contrast, if a song sounds bassy on a bassy headphone, maybe it's because the song was bassy at the recording, or maybe it was bassy due to the headphone--nobody can say for sure.
 
General rule of thumb for gaming (as far as I can tell from MLE's guide):
Bassy phones are better for non-competitive.
Neutral phones are better for competitive.
 
 
 
Quote:

do you think the DT880 then is the jack-of-all-trades for music/gaming then? Why not the 990? 

 
Neutral phones can sound "thin" or lifeless--though this depends on how used you are to exaggerated bass. 
However, a neutral headphone just plays what's in the recording, which can be seen as not messing up the music. 
In this regard, the 880 with its big soundstage, good positioning, good comfort and relatively neutral sound make it a good all-purpose headphone. The 990 could--COULD--get tiring to listen to after prolonged sessions, though really, the only way to know is by trying them out.
 
Other reasons for 990 not being a do-it-all headphone may include it being bassy (see note above on bassy phones for gaming), and I would imagine that if you listen to music with lots of vocals, the relatively recessed mids on the 990 could hurt its performance there. Again, this still depends on what you prefer, and what specific music you listen to.
 
 
 
Quote:

Also, I'm so confused by the pathways of all these amps (plug this into this to get better of this). I'm good with pictures - are there any diagrams, lol?

 
Which setup did you want a picture for? I could dig through the thread; I remember a few good diagrams in response to some of my questions.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

He did like the DT770 Pro 80 which has a gaping void for mids compared to the DT990. The DT990 utterly decimates the DT770 Pro 80 in terms of performance. I like them for everything, but yes the treble can be quite fatiguing which is their biggest drawback. The DT990 makes a better gaming can for me too. While the mids are recessed, they are just as detailed as the DT880, so you won't be missing out details, just that they will sound distant in comparison due to the more forward bass and highs.

The E5 is a very weak amp, and shouldn't be put in the same planet in terms of how it compares to the E9.

Though I think the E5 worked fine for the DT880 32ohm I had, they deserve a little more than that.

I think you should definitely look into the DT990s over the DT880 as a fellow v shaped lover.

 

[Headfonenut123]

Another I forgot to ask was when using the pc 360 direct with the mixamp, do you have the mixamp set to full master volume and control the volume with the dial on the headphones?

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

No, because then I can't dial in voice/game chat easily. I max out the PC360's volume and control with the Mixamp. If there are volume spikes, then I'll slightly adjust the PC360's dial...barely.

 

[mizot]

Mad Lust Envy hello!

Excuse me for translation. I'm French.
I need your help and your experience.

I'm an audiophile and a player like you.
I currently use a Sennheiser HD598.

I had an Astro 40 and a PC360. I have not sold as soon as they were not quite comfortable (too tight).
I have a rather large head with glasses

I have an AMP (Yamaha RX-V550) for music and movies.
I listen to electronic music (trance, techno, house) and the sweetest music in the evening (Ambient, dow tempo, classical, new age)

I have a mixamp for PS3 and Xbox360.
I play uncharted, Battlefield, Gears of War, Oblivion, Dead Space, BioShock, etc. ...
I plug in my headphones (+ zalman mic) directly mixamp.

I hesitate between Bayer DT990 and DT880, knowing that I really like the sound of the HD598 (50 ohms).
I seek the comfort of the port for long hours.
 
The MMX300 is heaver (+110 grams) and exerts more pressure on the ears (+0.7N).
I understood: DT880 for sweet music? DT990 ideal for the game?
I must make a choice. I keep my HD598 which suits me well for music (all genres).

My priority would be the game (I'm quite a big player).

 
Should I take a 32 or 250 ohms (for the mixamp)?
The Fiio E9, is it really necessary with the 250?
 
Thank you in advance for your opinions and your advice...
 

 

[Headfonenut123]

No, because then I can't dial in voice/game chat easily. I max out the PC360's volume and control with the Mixamp. If there are volume spikes, then I'll slightly adjust the PC360's dial...barely.

Ok so for best sound quality I should max out the headphones volume dial and then set mixamp master volume at a comfortable level for me?

Only asking as im getting bits of popping from the mixamp and thats using both the dt 990 and the pc 360 so I'm thinking the mixamp must have developed a fault?