[jaken84]

Hi all, this will be my first post in this scary place, and funnily enough, it's about spending money!

I will be getting my new TV shortly (Philips 42pfl9664h, can't wait!!!), and it seems a shame not to have a decent sound setup to go with it. Unfortunately, living in a flat, a 5.1 system will be wasted on me, in particular the .1 bit, so I am now after a decent starter headphone setup. This will be bought for movies and games, but also used for music. From electro and dubstep, to indie and pop. Very little rock or metal though.

I have pretty much decided to get the dt880s 250 Ohm, as my main priorities are sound stage and comfort, and they supposedly work well with the SU-DH1 which I will also be buying. (Can anyone verify this?) From here, I have no idea where to go next, and would love to hear from some other pleased dt880 owners.

I will be running dt880s without an amp to start, just with the SU-DH1 for movies, and nothing for music. Coming from a pair of px100s, am I likely to be appalled by the unamped sound, or should I still be amazed at what a £200 pair of headphones sounds like? I am hoping the latter. The only reason to run unamped though, is to give me more time to think about which amp to go for.

With a flexible budget of £200, what do you guys think would be my best option? A £200 DAC, a £200 amp (SS or tube), or something like the Compass? I can't help but wonder if getting an amp would be a total waste without a DAC, but for all I know I should just get a DAC without an amp.

The Compass sounds great for my budget, and for a starter DAC/amp, but some have said the amp part of it will not be enough to drive the 880s, can anyone say otherwise?

I'm leaning towards the Compass for price/convenience, but do feel I would be missing out not getting a tube amp. If I get the Compass, at least I would then have a DAC for use with a seperate amp, but that would then move onto the dilemma of which tube amp for the 880s! It never ends.

Basically, if any 880 owners could give their 2cents, I would appreciate it very much. I have been through every thread I could find, but don't seem to be any wiser!

Oh, two more things. Can the SU-DH1 be used as a DAC for music, improving my onboard sound, and not distorting? And should I worry about using it with an amp(for movies) as it only has a headphone socket, and no line out?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Snatz]

I'm in the same situation, however, I'm using the DT770's.

I'm looking at either the Astro mixamp (due to it's multiple counsol/PC connectivity for gaming) or the JVC like yourself.

I'm hearing conflicting stories that both of these models can drive just fine, and others say they should only be used as a pre-amp.

Please, anyone with experience, you'd be making the two of us very happy students!

 

[asianfi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snatz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm in the same situation, however, I'm using the DT770's. I'm looking at either the Astro mixamp (due to it's multiple counsol/PC connectivity for gaming) or the JVC like yourself. I'm hearing conflicting stories that both of these models can drive just fine, and others say they should only be used as a pre-amp. Please, anyone with experience, you'd be making the two of us very happy students!

The JVC merely alters the playback into DH1-2-3, it doesnt not amp (they run only on batteries). If your 770s are the 250 version as well, i'd definitely take a look at the mixamp instead.

I've driven HD650 300Ω out of my astro mixamp, and they seem fine at a around 7/10. Although the sound is a bit lacking in terms of potential - merely increasing the sound =/= driving them properly.

 

[spartan777]

I have the 770's and 880's in 250Ω, and the 990's in 600Ω. I have a pico DAC and a Wooaudio Wa3 amp.

My favorite headphone are the 990's, but that might just be because of the 600Ω. Either way, I would suggest you either get the 880's or the 990's in 600Ω. With my amp and 990's, the bass is just beautiful and powerful. The 880's are a close second though, and have their own advantages.

Whether you just get a dac, or an amp, or both depends on what your source is. If you are using a PC for a source, and have a dedicated soundcard, then it isn't worth it to get a separate off-board DAC. If you currently have integrated sound, then I would suggest getting a soundcard like the X-Fi Xtreme Audio;

Newegg.com - Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Express x1 Interface Sound Card - Sound Cards

and then using the rest for the best amp you could get. I've never heard an SS amp, but I like my tube amp. I tube-roll too, which is useful for fine-tuning. However, at your budget, you would mostly be looking at portable amps, many of which have a built-in DAC as well, so you could go that route (instead of the soundcard).

Basically, integrated PC sound is bad, so upgrade that for sure. I think that upgrading from integrated sound is the best bang for your buck, at least judging from the integrated PC sound I've heard. The next thing is that you would need a good amp to give the 'phones more powerful bass, and cleaner highs.

Just glancing at it, the Compass looks like a good solution for you.