[Poesjuh]

LONG STORY, see middle bullets for the tldr



Hi all,

After doing a lot of research over the past couple of days I'm at a point where I'm pretty much like "yeah I don't know anymore, way too many options"... And so my account here was made and this post followed shortly after. Yes, I also looked here, again so many things to search for it's mindblowing.

My current "setup"
1) main audio source
- Focusrite Scarlett Solo 2nd gen (bus powered, https://focusrite.com/usb-audio-interface/scarlett/scarlett-solo)
- Presonis Eris E4.5 speakers (active https://www.presonus.com/products/Eris-E45)

2) main discord use
- Sennheiser Urbanite XL / Sony MDR 950 BT (yes BT, they broke at work, had to tape one of the ears so bought a new pair for on the go)
- Antlion Mod Mic 4
Both of these are plugged in directly to the mobo, I don't have a dedicated soundcard.

How I use them
Generally I have my music/game/youtube/twitch via the speakers, and voice via the headphone. Currently the Sony's although I like the Sennheisers a bit more. Have those at work now, will probably swap that around. I rarely have my game sound via the headphone, but since I'm slowly playing a bit more FPS games I have noticed that I don't like either of them all that much for it. That, and both of them become a bit warm over time.

My music/games
To be honest I'm a bit all over the place. I listen to (deep) house, pop, classic and memes Also really enjoy great vocals. I like a bit more bass, I dislike a lot of treble. 99% of my music is played via Spotify. For games I enjoy League of Legends (nothing required for that ), Final Fantasy XIV (has a very nice soundtrack), sometimes CSGO and I recently installed but not played yet Apex Legends.

What I'm looking for
I want to up my audio game with a nice pair of open back headphones. Open because I never tried them, want to experience it and I hope and believe it might not be as warm. Also, when I only use the headphones for discord, the open back will allow me to hear the game better. Here comes the part that's interesting for the tldr among you;

• total budget of around €300 (more about this later)
• I live in the EU, recommendations that are available within the EU are preferred
• open back, over-ear headphones that are comfortable and don't have a lot of clamping (I wear glasses)
• the ability to still be able to choose where I want my audio. That means I need two seperate audio sources, one for my speakers and one for my headphones. (It's ok for me to keep using the Scarlett Solo just for the speakers to keep this working.)
• more emphasis on bass
• low footprint amp
• ac powered amp
• I'm sorry, I'm a sucker for nice looking things. If by -any- chance your recommendations look pretty it's a bonus
• an amp and a headphone that will last me a long time

About the budget
One of my hobbies is mechanical keyboards. For those of you that know something about it, spending €400> on a keyboard is, unfortunately, not an exception for me anymore. However, I'm not looking for another hobby that is as expensive as that. Therefore I set a budget for myself of €300 ($340 at this moment). I don't really care how that budget is divided though. This can be a €300 headphone that will just work of the mobo, or a €200 headphone with a €100 amp. All fine to me. I am willing to go over this budget as long as 2 conditions are met;
- the new setup will have to replace my Scarlett Solo, so it would be a dac/amp combo
- instead of somewhere under the desk the combo goes on the desk and looks nice (again, I'm a sucker for nice looking stuff, guilty as charged)

What I have looked at so far;
- hd58, hd6xx, dt 990 (pro and premium, prefer the black pro's cause pretty...), ad700x, k701,
- smsl m3, schiit stack (but don't think I can choose output with this combo), topping mx3, jds labs atom, topping a30

Plenty more that I forgot.


That's all! I hope some of you are willing to guide me in the right direction! Thanks in advance for your reply, help and time.

, Marin

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

You might want to check out the Fidelio X2.

 

[serman005]

I like the HD6XX with whatever amp you find most appealing at around 100 euros. The other Massdrop Senn you are looking at does not require an amp, so there is that (you can certainly use one, but it is not absolutely required IMO), which could save you some money.

 

[Poesjuh]

You might want to check out the Fidelio X2.

Looks nice enough for sure. I see these don't -need- an amp, would you say the sound improves with an amp or is there no difference in sound? Looking at reviews so far they appear to have a flat sound, how are the bass and treble levels in your experience? And any idea how they compare to for example the 990 pro or premium at 250 ohm?

I like the HD6XX with whatever amp you find most appealing at around 100 euros. The other Massdrop Senn you are looking at does not require an amp, so there is that (you can certainly use one, but it is not absolutely required IMO), which could save you some money.

Any recommendations for the amp that'll get the most out of it? And how do you like the oval shape compared to a round shape?

 

[serman005]

Looks nice enough for sure. I see these don't -need- an amp, would you say the sound improves with an amp or is there no difference in sound? Looking at reviews so far they appear to have a flat sound, how are the bass and treble levels in your experience? And any idea how they compare to for example the 990 pro or premium at 250 ohm?


Any recommendations for the amp that'll get the most out of it? And how do you like the oval shape compared to a round shape?

I personally really think the Magni 3 is a good pairing. It's a tank and a good value for the money, IMO. You would be pretty much on budget. I do not have a preference round vs. oval--sorry.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Looks nice enough for sure. I see these don't -need- an amp, would you say the sound improves with an amp or is there no difference in sound? Looking at reviews so far they appear to have a flat sound, how are the bass and treble levels in your experience? And any idea how they compare to for example the 990 pro or premium at 250 ohm?
Any recommendations for the amp that'll get the most out of it? And how do you like the oval shape compared to a round shape?

I own both the DT990 250-Ohm and DT990 600-Ohm and never use them, as there are better headphones and less power demanding, then a 600-Ohm headphones.
The Massdrop/Sennheiser HD58X would be great for your current setup, as the Solo should be able to at least decently drive them.
Later on you can get a headphone amplifier, that also comes with a separate line-output (RCA jacks?).
Connect the head amp to the line-output on the Solo and plug the speakers into the head amp's line-output.

 

[Poesjuh]

I personally really think the Magni 3 is a good pairing. It's a tank and a good value for the money, IMO. You would be pretty much on budget. I do not have a preference round vs. oval--sorry.

But doesn’t the Magni need a dac to work? Or can I use it on it’s own?

I own both the DT990 250-Ohm and DT990 600-Ohm and never use them, as there are better headphones and less power demanding, then a 600-Ohm headphones.
The Massdrop/Sennheiser HD58X would be great for your current setup, as the Solo should be able to at least decently drive them.
Later on you can get a headphone amplifier, that also comes with a separate line-output (RCA jacks?).
Connect the head amp to the line-output on the Solo and plug the speakers into the head amp's line-output.

Yeah the HD58 is one I consider since I can give it a try without an amp. The main question is will the sound quality increase with an amp?
Also, with your last suggestion, plugging the line-out to the solo, that would mean I’d have to switch between outputs right? So I would only have one output instead of two, wouldn’t be able to choose anymore.

Btw, I don’t think I need a 600 ohm headset, I’m confident a 250 ohm -max- would be more than sufficient for my needs. The main reason I’m also asking for amp advice and recommendations is future purpose. I’d rather get a headphone that kinda needs an amp, get a good enough amp that can power it and have the opportunity to buy a new headphone in the future without being forced to buy an amp. However, something like the HD58 that can work without an amp is also fine since I’ll have the same upgrade options in the future.

 

[serman005]

The Magni 3 does not require a dedicated/separate DAC in order to work.

 

[lfsszd]

I vote for Fidelio X2. It's one of the most comfortable headphones I have ever had. (the other one is HIFIMAN HE1000 V2).
Indeed, I will tell you that an amp will significantly improve the sound quality with respect to power and impact. Although this might be out of your current budget to also get an amp, but I think it's a good idea to get the Fidelio X2, and when you want to invest more money on your system, get the amp!

 

[Poesjuh]

The Magni 3 does not require a dedicated/separate DAC in order to work.

Good to know, thx!!

I vote for Fidelio X2. It's one of the most comfortable headphones I have ever had. (the other one is HIFIMAN HE1000 V2).
Indeed, I will tell you that an amp will significantly improve the sound quality with respect to power and impact. Although this might be out of your current budget to also get an amp, but I think it's a good idea to get the Fidelio X2, and when you want to invest more money on your system, get the amp!

After looking at some reviews it does look like a very good option. Amazon.de only has the Fidelity X2HR/00, any difference? (See here https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01N5VHLUG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cEzBCbE5BDCMD ).

So Fidelio now, Schiit Magni 3 later, would the Modi 3 work with my speakers? (Assuming I’ll connect it via optical and control the volume either using the volume knob on the speakers or via windows).

And yes that way I would connect them separately to the mobo, Magni via line-in, Modi via usb/optical.

 

[lfsszd]

X2HR would be the newer version, but I would assume overall it’s the same headphone with some upgrades.

Modi 3 would work with speakers that takes analogue input, but optical converts digital signal, so I would assume it doesn’t work. Also, most speaks below 500 would have build-in Dac and amp, so it won’t need one.

 

[Poesjuh]

X2HR would be the newer version, but I would assume overall it’s the same headphone with some upgrades.

Modi 3 would work with speakers that takes analogue input, but optical converts digital signal, so I would assume it doesn’t work. Also, most speaks below 500 would have build-in Dac and amp, so it won’t need one.

They probably have a build-in dac and amp yeah. My plan would be to connect the headphones with line-in and the speakers with either coaxial, usb or optical. Although I would simply just start with a magni then and move from there.

Would you reckon the Fidelio’s would benefit from tube amp?

 

[lfsszd]

Yes, that's a good plan to begin with.

Well, I never connected it to a tube amp. I only connected it to my portable player, but if you like warm sounding, then tube amp would be a good choice for you.
Actually, I rarely see amps at 200-300 been well made, so I would generally recommend starting a tube amp with 400- budget, which is also a good price range to pair with X1. People spend more money on the amplifier than headphones.

However, before thinking too far about amps, enjoy Fidelio X2 first!

 

[PurpleAngel]

But doesn’t the Magni need a dac to work? Or can I use it on it’s own?
Yeah the HD58 is one I consider since I can give it a try without an amp. The main question is will the sound quality increase with an amp?
Also, with your last suggestion, plugging the line-out to the solo, that would mean I’d have to switch between outputs right? So I would only have one output instead of two, wouldn’t be able to choose anymore.
However, something like the HD58 that can work without an amp is also fine since I’ll have the same upgrade options in the future.

With an external headphone amplifier, like the Magni, when you unplug the headphones, from the amp (Magni), the signal automatically get sent to the line-output (the speakers).

 

[Poesjuh]

With an external headphone amplifier, like the Magni, when you unplug the headphones, from the amp (Magni), the signal automatically get sent to the line-output (the speakers).

Well yes, but I won’t be able to have Discord over the Headphones and game over the speakers then, of the things I absolutely want to be able to do