[hauntedsounds]

Brand new, got them for a great deal, but I feel like the deal blinded me from understanding what I was truly buying.
 
These are 600ohm headphones, and all I have for an amp/dac is my fiio e11 & mbox 2.
 
I'm glad that these headphones are awesome, but on the other hand i feel like I won't really get to experience the sound with my current amp setup. My question now is, will I get an enjoyable, regret-free sound with my e11? Will I be denying myself too much of the experience of the headphones to justify keeping them? Should I not even bothering opening them, and just try and sell 'em?
 
Lots to think about and I'm still a novice. Could anyone help me out?

 

[stv014]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hauntedsounds /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
My question now is, will I get an enjoyable, regret-free sound with my e11? Will I be denying myself too much of the experience of the headphones to justify keeping them?

Why not just listen to them, and decide yourself ?

In any case, it will basically work (you will need to set the voltage switch to high), but the maximum power will be low, so you cannot get very loud sound before it starts to distort. But the power is actually still at least as much as the 32 Ohm version from an iPod-like device, and with better sound quality. Only you can decide if it is enough for you, though.
 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Brand new, got them for a great deal, but I feel like the deal blinded me from understanding what I was truly buying.
These are 600ohm headphones, and all I have for an amp/dac is my fiio e11 & mbox 2.
I'm glad that these headphones are awesome, but on the other hand i feel like I won't really get to experience the sound with my current amp setup. My question now is, will I get an enjoyable, regret-free sound with my e11? Will I be denying myself too much of the experience of the headphones to justify keeping them? Should I not even bothering opening them, and just try and sell 'em?
Lots to think about and I'm still a novice. Could anyone help me out?

You can get single tube headphone amplifiers on eBay for $60-$120, should power your DT990 Premium 600-Ohm.
They ship from China, takes 10 days.
 
 
 

 

[TMRaven]

Try it out for yourself first with your current amp/dac.  The 600Ω Beyers are deceptively easy to power.

 

[stv014]

Quote:

The 600Ω Beyers are deceptively easy to power.

High impedance is actually easier to drive, as long as the source can provide the voltage needed at the intended listening level with low distortion even at the highest peaks (see this for a quick comparison). It is also less affected by output impedance, and even makes the noise floor of the amplifier less audible. But the "not enough voltage" issue can indeed be a problem for those who prefer music that is loud, or has a large dynamic range (e.g. classical).
 

 

[hauntedsounds]

 
Quote:

You can get single tube headphone amplifiers on eBay for $60-$120, should power your DT990 Premium 600-Ohm.
They ship from China, takes 10 days.
 
 
 

Any specific suggestions? I was browsing through a thread dealing with amping the 990 600ohm and saw these:
 
 

1. iBasso PB2 Pelican (Portable)
2. Burson audio HA 160 (Solid State)
3. WA3 Headphone and Pre Amplifier (Tube)

 
Kinda interested in the portable option, but as a person new to amps i don't really know what to expect.
 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Any specific suggestions? I was browsing through a thread dealing with amping the 990 600ohm and saw these:
iBasso PB2 Pelican (Portable)
Burson audio HA 160 (Solid State)
WA3 Headphone and Pre Amplifier (Tube)
Kinda interested in the portable option, but as a person new to amps i don't really know what to expect.

I really know nothing about those brands.
The brands I'm talking about on eBay are like Indeed, Muse, Bravo. I think there are over a dozen brands selling the single tube headphone amp. on eBay.
 
 

 

[macrocheesium]

I'm not familiar with the E11 but my FiiO E10 can easily drive my 600 ohm DT990.

 

[hodgjy]

My DT990/600s sound excellent out of my Asgard.  It's quite a surprising combo, actually.  I really like it.

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

Any specific suggestions? I was browsing through a thread dealing with amping the 990 600ohm and saw these:
 
 

1. iBasso PB2 Pelican (Portable)
2. Burson audio HA 160 (Solid State)
3. WA3 Headphone and Pre Amplifier (Tube)

Of those I would get the WA3 tube amp.
 
Your current amp should power them to a decent volume but they won't sound there best until paired with a good amp.

 

[hodgjy]

I have both the WA3 and the Asgard.  I may actually think the 990s sound better out of the Asgard.  There's just a little magic in there, and that's saying a lot because the WA3 is one heck of an amp for the money.
 
Quote:

Of those I would get the WA3 tube amp.
 
 

 

 

[Focker]

I had a similar issue. I had some DT880s (600) in house while I was waiting for my Meier amp to arrive. All I had was my Fiio E11. The Fiio could drive them in terms of the fact that the volume was listenable, but could they PROPERLY drive them? No. It was a pretty obvious difference when the Meier did eventually show up.

 

[bellbrass]

Quote:

Try it out for yourself first with your current amp/dac.  The 600Ω Beyers are deceptively easy to power.

I agree. My DT-990 600 ohms only need to go to 10 o'clock on my Schiit Asgard, whereas my Ultrasone HIFI 750s went to 8 o'clock for a comfy volume. Not too dramatic of a difference, but the amp design and power supply  may have something to do with that.
 

 

[bellbrass]

Quote:

My DT990/600s sound excellent out of my Asgard.  It's quite a surprising combo, actually.  I really like it.

I think this is an excellent matchup too - many here think the Asgard is supposed to work best with lo-Z cans; I have found it does great with my DT-990 600 ohm Beyerdynamics.
 

 

[nihaz]

 
Quote:

Any specific suggestions? I was browsing through a thread dealing with amping the 990 600ohm and saw these:
 
 

1. iBasso PB2 Pelican (Portable)
2. Burson audio HA 160 (Solid State)
3. WA3 Headphone and Pre Amplifier (Tube)

 
Kinda interested in the portable option, but as a person new to amps i don't really know what to expect.
 

The 990s as stated by other members here in this thread, are very easy to drive despite being 600 Ohm headphones.
 
In fact, sometimes I use my iphone (shock horror!) to power them when working at uni late at night.. the loss of fidelity is noticeable, but not so much so that I cannot enjoy the sound quality and comfort that the 990 provides. (omg head pillows)
 
If you are looking for a portable amp, I currently use a JDSlabs C421 to power my 990s when working away from home. I believe John from JDS has stated that they are capable of powering 600 ohm headphones.
 
FWIW they sound pretty good with the portable amp, but in my opinion, nothing beats a good desktop amplifier.
 
I would advise you to try them out with your current gear as they are very good headphones. If you do require an amp, purchase a good desktop amp... ie: WA3 or Asgard
 
Also, just a note in case no one has mentioned!
 
I'm not sure what listening environment you will be in when you use your 990s, however I would caution you from using them in public/working environments unless you are somewhere isolated as the 990s are open headphones. If you look at it from this point of view, there should be no need to buy a portable amp in your scenario, unless my assumptions are incorrect in which case this statement is moot.
 
Hope you have many happy hours with your 990s, I love mine dearly!