[apav]

Quote:

 
Is there any reason you didn't consider the HiFiMan HE-400?
 
It's surprisingly forgiving of underpowered sources, and has bass done right: that is, punchy, cinematic bass whenever the source calls for it, but only when the source calls for it, thus not exaggerating the bass when it shouldn't be.
 
Also, it's surprisingly comfortable, even over the long term.

I did look at those. Wayyy out of my price range. I would if I had the money
 
I'm going to go with the DT 990!! The 250 Ohm Pro is the cheapest ($175 on eBay), so what would I need to bring out it's full potential? I doubt just a sound card in the $50-$75 range will do it(correct me if I'm wrong), I'll have to get an external amp right?

 

[Evshrug]

If you want surround sound on a PC, you'll have to spend at least around $40 for a 2D surround option. Then, you'll have to spend at least like $100 more on an amp like the E9 or Magni. So, like $315 plus shipping/tax. If you can find an HE-400 for around $290, you might be happier dropping the amp and just using the HE-400 out of a soundcard. I don't actually know how much an HE-400 costs now...

Edit: NVM, just looked up the HE-400's prices, lol! Hope the DT990 treble isn't too "hot" for you!

 

[apav]

Quote:

If you want surround sound on a PC, you'll have to spend at least around $40 for a 2D surround option. Then, you'll have to spend at least like $100 more on an amp like the E9 or Magni. So, like $315 plus shipping/tax. If you can find an HE-400 for around $290, you might be happier dropping the amp and just using the HE-400 out of a soundcard. I don't actually know how much an HE-400 costs now...

Edit: NVM, just looked up the HE-400's prices, lol! Hope the treble isn't too "hot" for you!

$290? I see all of them going for $399+! That would be a steal! But for now I think the 990 is my best bet. So a $50 Asus Xonar and an external USB DAC (like the E07k) wouldn't be enough together to power this headphone? If not, then I'll grab a cheap but good headphone amplifier and skip the DAC. Hopefully that isn't cutting corners and I'll still get good sound quality!

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Sigh, the E07K is a USB DAC+AMP. And it's not enough to power the 990. It's not. You don't need a DAC assuming the soundcard you get has a line out that retains virtual surround for gaming. Hence, why I said to ask Nameless about soundcards which might do that. That is, unless you're comfy attaching the amp through the headphone jack, or audio jack (green) on the back of the soundcard.


In other news:

I posted this in the deal thread but thought there might be followers here interested. RazorDogAudio has the K702 65th Anniversary for $399 after coupon code RazorDog100. http://www.razordogaudio.com/products/akg-k702-65th-anniversary-limited-edition-headphone

 

[Evshrug]

$290? I see all of them going for $399+! That would be a steal! But for now I think the 990 is my best bet. So a $50 Asus Xonar and an external USB DAC (like the E07k) wouldn't be enough together to power this headphone? If not, then I'll grab a cheap but good headphone amplifier and skip the DAC. Hopefully that isn't cutting corners and I'll still get good sound quality!

To be fair, I saw the DT990 Premium selling for about $380 new, so I thought all else equal you would be saving money. The "Pro" models IIRC are slightly different and thus sell for a lower price, and I assumed you were looking at used on top of that. Meh.

I think you still don't understand what a DAC is... Stands for Digital-to-Analogue-Converter, it converts the digital files into analogue signals (which then need to be amplified). An iPod or MP3 player has a built-in DAC and a built-in amp, it NEEDS those to function. A soundcard or external DAC (these both have DAC functions) and external amplifiers are essentially upgrades compared to what's built-in to your computer or music player. Some Soundcards also have the added benefit of being able to process virtual surround sound for headphones, see my guide on surround sound setups: http://www.head-fi.org/t/646786/evshrugs-if-i-knew-then-what-i-know-now-discussion-journal#post_9067400

Most soundcards have decent DAC and amping built-in, but the high-end Beyerdynamics are best used with even MORE powerful amps.

Edit: the Xonar Essence STX is noted for having basically the output power of a FiiO E9 amp, Creative recently upgraded the power output of their latest Z-series cards, so if you want an all-in-one solution it would behoove you to check those out.

 

[apav]

Soundblaster Z has about the same power output as the Xonar Essence STX, but it's around the same sound quality as the Xonar D1? I'd rather just buy a sound card powerful enough to drive it well (so it doesn't underperform) and buy an external amp later for on the go. 
 
Like I said in the other thread I'm not sure how the DT 990's will sound with a $100-$150 sound card (capable of powering it) vs. an entry level sound card and a portable amp in the same range as the E10 or E11 (if that's even enough).
 
Thanks!

 

[Impulse]

Cheapest solutions would be an STX or a Xonar DGX + Schiit Magni/E9, either way you're looking at $150+... That is, if you want something powerful enough to power a pair of those Beyers and you want virtual surround processing for games. Even if you skip out the sound card and opt for an external USB DAC you'd end up spending around the same altogether (for a decent DAC anyway).

If you find the Beyers for a good enough price it's still cheaper than the HE-400 + a DAC or card, but it's not a massive difference ($50-75), Beyer DT 880/990 prices on Amazon (whether Pro or Premium) tend to swing wildly throughout the year but they can all be found for under $230 during the holiday season or elsewhere.

None of these headphones are really suited for portable use btw, due to their open nature, but they're certainly transportable... Beyer DT 770/880/990 are pretty compact for full size headphones and most come with a vinyl carrying case with foam padding.

 

[apav]

Quote:

Cheapest solutions would be an STX or a Xonar DGX + Schiit Magni/E9, either way you're looking at $150+... That is, if you want something powerful enough to power a pair of those Beyers and you want virtual surround processing for games. Even if you skip out the sound card and opt for an external USB DAC you'd end up spending around the same altogether (for a decent DAC anyway).

If you find the Beyers for a good enough price it's still cheaper than the HE-400 + a DAC or card, but it's not a massive difference ($50-75), Beyer DT 880/990 prices on Amazon (whether Pro or Premium) tend to swing wildly throughout the year but they can all be found for under $230 during the holiday season or elsewhere.

None of these headphones are really suited for portable use btw, due to their open nature, but they're certainly transportable... Beyer DT 770/880/990 are pretty compact for full size headphones and most come with a vinyl carrying case with foam padding.

Yea I am most likely going to pick up the 250 Ohm Pro version from amazon for $200. Well how about the Soundblaster Z? $100 and powerful enough to drive these headphones. If I do get that I might spend the extra $50 for that neat module, that would surely help. Don't know how those compare to any of the Xonars though, just the cheapest option I have seen so far. 
 
And I didn't mean actual on the go listening, I dorm at college so I bring my laptop there. If I bring my headphones I'd need a portable amp in order to listen to it there. I'm home now, that's why I was thinking about getting a sound card for now and saving up for a portable amp powerful enough for these headphones.
 
Edit: It's official. Snatched a DT 990 Pro off ebay with a CAD HA4 amp for $180!!

 

[Impulse]

Yeah I've read good things about the Z series, tho I've yet to hear one, the on-board amp's probably good enough to drive the Beyers if the Z has the same one as the Zx (I think it does, latter one just has the extra control pod)... CMSS-3D surround emulation (Creative Cards) vs Dolby Headphone (ASUS Xonars and others) is more a matter of personal taste.

 

[apav]

Quote:

Yeah I've read good things about the Z series, tho I've yet to hear one, the on-board amp's probably good enough to drive the Beyers if the Z has the same one as the Zx (I think it does, latter one just has the extra control pod)... CMSS-3D surround emulation (Creative Cards) vs Dolby Headphone (ASUS Xonars and others) is more a matter of personal taste.

Did some checking, the Z and the Zx are the same cards, the difference is the control module. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure they ditched the CMSS-3D (something about it being dead tech) for something called SBX surround. It's something with THX I'm pretty sure.

 

[ruuku]

Finally got around to writing the comparison/review of the Modmic V2 and the Labtec LVA 7330:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Voice clarity: ModMic 9/10, Labtec 7.5/10 The ModMic was much, much clearer than the Labtec. To be fair, the Labtec is a noise cancelling (NC from here on) mic, so this rating is situational. I’m fortunate enough to game in a location with very low ambient noise, and I feel that there is enough of a difference between environments that it is necessary to put up this disclaimer. Many of you, while gaming with headphones, are seeking to block outside noise and a NC mic will extend this courtesy to those that you’re chatting with. Right now, we are experiencing cool (for Honolulu, Hawaii) temperatures of about 65°-68° at night. In a few months I’ll start testing with a Vornado fan on to see if there’s a noticeable change (I’m expecting there should be) but for pure sound clarity the Omni-directional non-noise cancelling seems to be the winner by and far. When chatting with my friends for the first time the first words were “Wow... what the hell did you do? You’re so much louder and clearer.”


Setup: Modmic 9/10, Labtec 6.5/10. Well this is just unfair for the Labtec, after all we’re repurposing a headset mic to become a boom mic to add on to headphones, but I’ll be honest, the Labtec clearly loses in this category. After dremeling off the headband portion of the mic, you're left with a crescent shaped portion to attach to your headphones. Velcro™ seems to be the adhesive of choice, and it works well enough, but I’ve found that after repeated removal the adhesive starts coming off, and furthermore the ball joint on my Labtec started to lose its rigidity and the boom arm would flail about. The ModMic attaches with a simple plastic base clasp that has a strong rare earth magnet in the center, and a 3M™ adhesive backing. Included in the purchase is an alcohol swab, a nice touch. There are also four triangles on both the mic and the base clasp that center and interlock/align the mic when attached. The wire attached to the Modmic is very flexible and moldable, so its not too bothered by imperfect placement of the base clasp. That being said I wish these was just a little more adjustment in the rotation of the base clasp/mic. I’m thinking more like gears than the triangles used.... This would lend more rotational adjustability, but this is fairly nitpicky.

Connectors: Modmic 8/10 Labtec 9/10. Here we can see the difference between an OEM/major manufacturer versus a small boutique shop. The Labtec comes with a pink plastic encased gold plated 3.5mm connector. It’s designed as a PC mic, and it shows through its color coded connector. The modmic on the other hand has a very simple, and very slim cable and silver 3.5mm connector. Points for having a very small diameter cable, but for the price I’d like to have a gold plated connector. It might be a placebo effect, but I seem to have better luck with gold plated connections lasting longer than their regular sliver counterparts. On the mic end of the cable the Labtec strain relief is pretty nonexistent or hidden beyond the plastic circle. The wire is wedged between two interlocking pieces of plastic and will not be moving at all. (I put quite a bit of pressure tugging on it and found no visible/tactile movement/give). The Modmic has a small diameter strain relief which goes from the inner steel wire to the cable and is made up of a sturdy plastic which terminates into a soft flexible strain relief for the cable. The fit and finish through the whole product is very good. At this point I have to admit that this is being a bit nitpicky, but that’s just my personality.


Price: Modmic $37.68, Labtec $15.00, DX Clip-on $2.31: Well... yeah. The numbers don’t lie. The ModMic is expensive. However, the value depends entirely up to you. I play almost every night, usually in a party of three to four, for about 2-3 hours a day... my mic gets a fair amount of use. Struggling with the Labtec was just not an option for me anymore, and I’m very satisfied with my purchase. Come summer, and the with the use of a fan through the night, if I get complaints of background noise I may just purchase the V3... we’ll see. I think this is a testament as to how much I enjoy using the ModMic.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I'll add your comparison to the guide when I get home, Ruuku. Thanks for this.

I kinda wish I didnt give the Slyr to my aunt (she'd use it for tablet use), as I have to deal with the DX mic again. Nothing wrong with it, but having a headset for a while then going back to an external mic, lol. Ah well, I never use it, so on the off chance I do, its a minor hassle, not a major one.

If I did game a lot with voice chat, I would have definitely kept the Slyr.

 

[Vader2k]

Nice write-up Ruuku!
 
I use the LVA 7330 and had been using regular velcro on my other headphones.  However, for attaching to the Annies, I went with this stuff from 3M:

Instead of typical hook and eye attachment, it's made up of tiny plastic mushroom-shaped stalks that when pressed together interlock really nicely.  The grip is much stronger and sturdier.  The only downside is I have to press a bit to get it to latch, which means putting pressure on the outer grill of the ear cup.
 
Ok, so on a different topic, last night I was using the Annies straight off the mixamp (magni is on it's way back to Schiit for an exchange) and I went onto youtube via the Xbox 360 app.  I decided to search for sound test clips and came across this:
 

 
At about 14 seconds, a helicopter sound effect moves around.  At one point, I heard the helicopter moving up and over my head.  I was surprised to hear this, as the way I understood it, standard dolby headphone only did positional audio in a single plane and that true 3D surround (including sounds above and below you) was only achievable from PC soundcards playing content designed with 3D surround playback in mind.
 
Anyway, listening to this got me wondering about something.  Mad (or anyone, really), when you put headphones and headsets through the paces, do you have a standard set of content you try out to see how they perform in specific areas?

 

[Impulse]

Did some checking, the Z and the Zx are the same cards, the difference is the control module. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure they ditched the CMSS-3D (something about it being dead tech) for something called SBX surround. It's something with THX I'm pretty sure.

There wasn't anything dead or outdated about CMSS-3D, you might be thinking of EAX? (which pretty much died a few years ago and was only kept around for older games thru Alchemy) I don't know if SBX is merely CMSS-3D under a different name or if they've actually decided to overhaul their virtualized surround scheme for some reason, haven't seen anyone compare them yet.

 

[lubczyk]

Just took a look at the Skullcandy Plyr 2. It has no 3.5 mm output jack. That's absurd!!! The Slyr has a 3.5mm jack, why not Skullcandy's other models?  I want to get my brother the Plyr 1 when it comes out in March, but this would make it almost useless with his computer and phone.. Fix this **** Skullcandy!!! For goodness sake, the A50s have a regular 3.5 mm headphone out, why not the Plyr 1 and 2?