[Mad Lust Envy]

[size=9.5pt]Received my DT 770 pro 80 ohm for a week now. Using the astro mixamp,  I compared it to my ATH A900. Honestly, I am a bit disappointed. A900 sounded much fuller compared to the DT 770. However, DT 770 edges out the A900 in the bass department. The bass has much more depth and impact. Even though I am disappointed in the DT 770, I can still see the potential of these phones for immersive gaming. From your post, you suggest using the Fiio E11 along with the mixamp when using headphones with high impedence. I read somewhere that double amping is a no-go for sound quality. Is this true? Also would using E11 along with the mixamp help the DT 770 beat the A900 in terms of both immersive and competitive gaming? Lastly, how do you hook up Fiio E11 to the mixamp? Sorry for all these questions. I am still quite new to all of this. Thanks for this great thread and the double post. [/size]

Well, the DT770 Pro 80 treads on muddy quite a bit, which is why I'm sure you're disappointed. I've mentioned it various times. It's not a very clear sounding headphone. What it excels at is bass prominence and closed soundstage/positioning. It will NEVER be good for competitive gaming due to it's bass mucking up details. I mention this on my review. Sigh. That's why competitive score isn't good. For just a little more, the DT990 Pro is noticeably better to me, though it's open.

The DT770 Pro 80 can sound full, but you need amping. The DT770 Pro 80 is easiest to drive, and I assume the E11 would be beneficial, though I'd rather get a Fiio E9/E9K. All Beyers on my guide need amping. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Double amping is the ONLY way to get hard to drive headphones to sound good off the Mixamp. Yes, it will be better than not double amping at all. Double amping is overblown on head-fi. The same is done in audiophile terms. It's called pre-amping. Just, in this case, you're amping out of a headphone jack into another.

 

[illbleed]

on my computer under sound i can change the default format from 2 channel 16 bit, 44100 Hz (cd quality).
Should i change this to the studio quality?
 
btw i just got my dt990s pros in the mail.

 

[Eric_C]

Quote:

on my computer under sound i can change the default format from 2 channel 16 bit, 44100 Hz (cd quality).
Should i change this to the studio quality?
 
btw i just got my dt990s pros in the mail.

 
No. Only change that if your data was mastered at different settings. E.g. SACD.
If you bought a standard CD then it was mastered at 16/44, and you should keep your settings to match.

 

[illbleed]

Quote:

 
No. Only change that if your data was mastered at different settings. E.g. SACD.
If you bought a standard CD then it was mastered at 16/44, and you should keep your settings to match.

okay thank you.
So i plugged my mixamp to my pc and now it just sounds like stereo with my a40 headset and the dt990s.
did i do something wrong? sounds more surround sound without it.

 

[Eric_C]

What cable are you using to connect your MixAmp to your PC?
Is your PC's soundcard capable of surround sound?

 

[illbleed]

Quote:

What cable are you using to connect your MixAmp to your PC?
Is your PC's soundcard capable of surround sound?

im using the TOSlink cable, its plugged into the back of my computer. Im pretty sure my soundcard does because it has an option for virtual surround and thats what i usually do for my a40 headset and sounds way better than with the mixamp.

 

[Eric_C]

Hm. OK did you make sure that the soundcard is not doing virtual surround? You need to feed the MixAmp a true surround sound signal, then the MixAmp itself will do the virtual surround mixing.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

im using the TOSlink cable, its plugged into the back of my computer. I'm pretty sure my sound card does because it has an option for virtual surround and that's what I usually do for my a40 headset and sounds way better than with the mix-amp.

In order to get six channels of audio to the Astro Mix-amp, thru the optical, your sound card needs to enable DDL (Dolby Digital Live).
DDL compresses 6-channel audio so it can be sent thru the optical cable.
If you do not have DDL, then all you get thru the optical connection is 2-channel PCM (uncompressed) audio.
 
What motherboard is in your computer?
Does your computer use an add-on sound card, if so what model sound card?

 

[illbleed]

Quote:

Hm. OK did you make sure that the soundcard is not doing virtual surround? You need to feed the MixAmp a true surround sound signal, then the MixAmp itself will do the virtual surround mixing.

can you put that in steps for me? lol im sorry. I understand what you are saying, but when i try it myself it sounds the same.
So first imma turn off the virtual surround sound.. btw i have all my audio devices disabled (speakers, S/PDIF, headphones, etc.) except for the mixamp one that is labled Speakers 2- ASTRO Gaming USB Mixamp Device. do you want me to disable the virtual surround on that too? under properties?

 

[illbleed]

Quote:

In order to get six channels of audio to the Astro Mix-amp, thru the optical, your sound card needs to enable DDL (Dolby Digital Live).
DDL compresses 6-channel audio so it can be sent thru the optical cable.
If you do not have DDL, then all you get thru the optical connection is 2-channel PCM (uncompressed) audio.
 
What motherboard is in your computer?
Does your computer use an add-on sound card, if so what model sound card?

bleh, i really wish i could show you what im looking at. So under sound, i have a device for audio thats labled Digital Audio (s/PIF) i go to properties and it says ... Encoded Formats: Which of the following formats is your difital receiver able to decode? then it has DTS audio and Dolby Digital checked. (doesnt say Dolby Digital Live tho?). 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

bleh, I really wish i could show you what im looking at. So under sound, i have a device for audio thats labled Digital Audio (s/PIF) i go to properties and it says ... Encoded Formats: Which of the following formats is your difital receiver able to decode? then it has DTS audio and Dolby Digital checked. (doesnt say Dolby Digital Live tho?). 

In your control panel> under sound> in the playback tab, can you list what is there.
 
I'm guessing DTS might not work with the mix-amp. please leave DTS audio disabled.
Dolby Digital, might be short for Dolby Digital Live.
So i'm guessing you do not know the model of your motherboard?
If i knew the model of your motherboard, i could download it's manual.
If you download and install a program call PC Wizard, it will provide info on your audio hardware.
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/pc-wizard.html

 

[illbleed]

Quote:

In your control panel> under sound> in the playback tab, can you list what is there.
 
I'm guessing DTS might not work with the mix-amp. please leave DTS audio disabled.
Dolby Digital, might be short for Dolby Digital Live.
So i'm guessing you do not know the model of your motherboard?
If i knew the model of your motherboard, i could download it's manual.
If you download and install a program call PC Wizard, it will provide info on your audio hardware.
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/pc-wizard.html

 

 

[illbleed]

the reason i dont know is because i bought it custom built and its not a certain computer model.
I'll download that right now. 
So i was watching a tutorial and the guy enables his reltek device guessing thats his sound card, so i enabled my digital audio thing, but the sound still comes from the speakers labled astro gaming. If i disable it, i dont get sound at all.

 

[illbleed]

this is what i got.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

The reason I don't know is because i bought it custom built and its not a certain computer model.
I'll download that right now. 
So i was watching a tutorial and the guy enables his Realtek device guessing that's his sound card, so I enabled my digital audio thing, but the sound still comes from the speakers labled astro gaming. If i disable it, I don't get sound at all.

Here is the listing for the latest Realtek audio software, download it, but wait on installing for now.
http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=24&PFid=24&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false
 
Also might want to download the latest audio driver from the motherboard maker, when we figure out the maker.