[davidsh]

If you have the budget, go for the fiio e17 IMO. But which amp you need, also depends on how you are going to use it. If you get an amp, get the 250 ohm version.
 
Else, if you won't buy an amp, go for the 80 ohm, or even better, the 32 ohm
 
Remember, that the dt-990 is not a neutral phone.

 

[erincamera]

Quote:

If you have the budget, go for the fiio e17 IMO. But which amp you need, also depends on how you are going to use it. If you get an amp, get the 250 ohm version.
 
Else, if you won't buy an amp, go for the 80 ohm, or even better, the 32 ohm
 
Remember, that the dt-990 is not a neutral phone.

Yeah I know. So if I get the 250ohm, I'll have to get an amp? Would it sound bad without one?

 

[davidsh]

You will get enough volume, but what you might miss compared to the lower impedance versions, is a big dynamic range. This means, that if you turn up your phone on the loudest volume, it might not be able to put out enough power for the loudest sounds (could be a very energetic passage), and thereby it will clip, and sound unnatural and unbalanced.
This is what will happen, and i don't think it will sound extremely bad or anything, but idk... IF you go buy the 250 ohm edition you should get an amp some time. If you won't get an amp, go for the low impedances.
But the phone really does improve with an amp, at least my dt-880 does. You get a more full and more musical sound, the highs improve a bit, the lows a bit more, and the phone seems more transparent and the soundstage improves.
 
This alone might not justify spending 150$ on an amp, but if you eventually will get another phone, or going deeper into head-fi, it will definetely be worth it. Also cheaper amps could be a solution

 

[erincamera]

Alright. So I've decided on the dt990 250ohm pro, with a cheap amp and a fiio l9 cable. Am I missing anything else?

 

[fizzix]

If you don't mind me chiming in even though I'm new and this is my first post, I just got my ath-m50s with a fiio e6 amp. I use my iphone 4 as well to listen to music and so far it's incredible. Being that I'm a noobie to this community you might appreciate a little more to what I'm saying. Any set of cans you choose to buy will sound amazing since it will be your first "higher end" experience. For the ath-m50s I've heard mix reviews about them being over rated or not, and like you, I did a ton of research before choosing. I'm convinced you will experience your music like you never have before once you put your headphones on and pick your favorite song by Mr. Hendrix. If you decide to get a pair of m50s you will not be disappointed, trust me.

 

[erincamera]

Quote:

If you don't mind me chiming in even though I'm new and this is my first post, I just got my ath-m50s with a fiio e6 amp. I use my iphone 4 as well to listen to music and so far it's incredible. Being that I'm a noobie to this community you might appreciate a little more to what I'm saying. Any set of cans you choose to buy will sound amazing since it will be your first "higher end" experience. For the ath-m50s I've heard mix reviews about them being over rated or not, and like you, I did a ton of research before choosing. I'm convinced you will experience your music like you never have before once you put your headphones on and pick your favorite song by Mr. Hendrix. If you decide to get a pair of m50s you will not be disappointed, trust me.

Thanks for the input fizzix My boyfriend is getting the m50s, so I'll be sure to try them out when he gets them. If I like them well enough, I'll save up for them too! haha

 

[fizzix]

Nice, well the only thing I can think of to add to your order would to be a headphone stand.

 

[erincamera]

Sigh... my wallet ;___;

 

[fizzix]

I feel you. After getting the ath-m50 in white, I decided to pick up the Limited Edition and two headphone stands. -_-

 

[erincamera]

Haha! But it's worth it right?

 

[fizzix]

Every cent. I hope you order those Beyers tomorrow. I've been eyeing those up and will probably order them soon.

 

[davidsh]

How will you use the amp? Only with your iDevices, or also with a computer? If you only use with iPhone etc, you could get the fiio e11, which is a pretty good amp.

 

[davidsh]

You are not missing anything, that is all you need btw.

 

[erincamera]

Yeah I'll just be using it with my iPhone. Sigh... that's like 260 right there.

 

[davidsh]

I have no experience with lower priced amps... If you want something good on budget you could pick up a jds labs cmoy amp from ebay or amazon http://www.jdslabs.com/item.php?fetchitem=cMoyBB203
And it is quite cool, makes you stand out