[Me x3]

  the output of the stx has the output settings for different headphones could you please explain the 10ohm part?

 
You can set the gain of your STX to make it more suitable to your headphones.

If you are using DT880 600 Ohm then the higher gain setting is probably the way to go since you need plenty of voltage to drive that particular headphone.
 
On the other hand if you pick a Fidelio, the lower gain setting might work better, since Fidelio need very little voltage to sound at the same level as the DT880 600 Ohm..
 
The output impedance of the built in amp on the STX is the same for all settings, and it's 10.7 Ohm for the headphone jack.
http://www.stereophile.com/content/asus-xonar-essence-ststx-soundcards-measurements
 
The ratio of the load's impedance to the amp's output impedance is called the "damping factor."
 
A damping factor over 8 is desirable, in that case the amp will exert good control over the drivers and won't change the frequency response of the headphone.
 
With a 35 Ohm Fidelio X2, you get a poor damping factor = 3,5
With a 300 Ohm Senn, the damping factor is close to 30, well over 8, so you'll hear the headphone as it was intended.
 
Hope this helps!

 

[sureshot1234]

You can set the gain of your STX to make it more suitable to your headphones.


If you are using DT880 600 Ohm then the higher gain setting is probably the way to go since you need plenty of voltage to drive that particular headphone.

On the other hand if you pick a Fidelio, the lower gain setting might work better, since Fidelio need very little voltage to sound at the same level as the DT880 600 Ohm..

The output impedance of the built in amp on the STX is the same for all settings, and it's 10.7 Ohm for the headphone jack.
http://www.stereophile.com/content/asus-xonar-essence-ststx-soundcards-measurements

The ratio of the load's impedance to the amp's output impedance is called the "damping factor."

A damping factor over 8 is desirable, in that case the amp will exert good control over the drivers and won't change the frequency response of the headphone.

With a 35 Ohm Fidelio X2, you get a poor damping factor = 3,5
With a 300 Ohm Senn, the damping factor is close to 30, well over 8, so you'll hear the headphone as it was intended.

Hope this helps!

Is there a good headphone amp that would work for either under 100 or $200 preferably 100 though just curious

 

[Me x3]

Is there a good headphone amp that would work for either under 100 or $200 preferably 100 though just curious

Yes.
 
Schiit Magni 2
Schiit Magni 2 Uber
JDS O2

 

[BobMonkhouse]

Both X2 and HD 600 sounded very good with O2+ODAC to me, when I tried them together.

 

[Darkseth]

 

Still. Thats just some measurements, that has nothing to do with real life listening. Did you Listen to that specific setup, and heared the difference you have stated?
 
I have Used my old Shure SE 215 inears with 20 Ohm on my old Asus Xonar DX (97~ Ohm output impedance). I heared like zero difference to my smartphone (back then, Galaxy S3 with wolfson audio chip)
 
If its hearable: Fine. If its not, who cares.
Just from the impedance you will NEVER be able to say which sounds more precise.
Soundquality comes from 70-90% from the headphone, rest from Soundcard/DAC/AMP + Soundfile. (Yes, i have tried. My DT 880 600 Ohm sounded pretty much the same (maybe 2% difference) on my Xonar DX and on my Yulong u100)
And i think, you are weighting a Number way too high
 
imho: The output impedance matters for sensitive BA-inears, with multiple drivers (where each driver can have a different impedance).
For my 250 Ohm T90, i use an asus Phobeus (same AMp like essence, so also 10~ ohm output impedance).
So far, so good. I have a DIY adapter, with a potentiometer built in, that lets me chose the "output impedance" between 0 and 470 Ohm.
I use 470 Ohm, because that makes the treble more smooth, and the bass/mids slightly more warm. The difference between 0 and 470 Ohm (after my 10 Ohm Phoebus) is pretty small, but hearable. 100 Ohm and 0 Ohm is almost not hearable for me.

Edit: And no, dont misunderstand me, i am noway doubting your knowledge or anything. I am just stating my experience with headphone impedances + output impedances from DAC/AMPs, and think its not really important for full size headphones^^
But as always, the best will be, to experience it, and just try different things out.
What might be slightly problematic with headphone 1, can be completely negitable with Headphone b. (like my example. My T90 doesnt care about an Amp. An AKG K701, or Sennheiser HD 600/650 probably will be happy with a stronger amp)

 

[Me x3]

  Still. Thats just some measurements, that has nothing to do with real life listening. Did you Listen to that specific setup, and heared the difference you have stated?
 
I have Used my old Shure SE 215 inears with 20 Ohm on my old Asus Xonar DX (97~ Ohm output impedance). I heared like zero difference to my smartphone (back then, Galaxy S3 with wolfson audio chip)
 
If its hearable: Fine. If its not, who cares.
 
Me x3: I can't put on other person's ears and try before commenting.
  Just from the impedance you will NEVER be able to say which sounds more precise.
 
Me x3: I'm not comparing the two headphones, I'm saying that there's a less than perfect damping factor with STX and Fidelio X2, so there WILL be a slight boost in the mid bass and a slight loss in terms of overall control. On the other hand, the STX is a very good match for the HD600, that's it.
Can't say if Sureshot1234 will prefer the Fidelio or the Senn after all.
 
You may also like BA IEMs with 470 Ohm output impedance, and that's all right, I have nothing against personal preferences.
 
I've also enjoyed my Beyer DTs plugged into the headphone jack on my Yamaha integrated amp (470 Ohm), but can't deny they sound tighter when plugged into an amp with low output impedance.
 
Soundquality comes from 70-90% from the headphone, rest from Soundcard/DAC/AMP + Soundfile. (Yes, i have tried. My DT 880 600 Ohm sounded pretty much the same (maybe 2% difference) on my Xonar DX and on my Yulong u100)
 
Me x3: In my experience the recording is almost as important as the headphone.
 
And i think, you are weighting a Number way too high
 
Me x3: The impedance plot is not a number.
 
From Innerfidelity:
"With a high output impedance amp, the headphones will get a little more gain as the impedance goes up. Therefore, you can think of the impedance curve as an EQ curve with high impedance amplifiers. The higher the amp output impedance, the more the headphones will be EQ'd toward the shape of the impedance curve."
 
I'm not overstating here, just saying that 3.5 is not the ideal damping factor from a technical point of view, +0,5dB here and there won't make a big difference that's sure. Whether someone cares or not, that's not my business.
 
imho: The output impedance matters for sensitive BA-inears, with multiple drivers (where each driver can have a different impedance).
For my 250 Ohm T90, i use an asus Phobeus (same AMp like essence, so also 10~ ohm output impedance).
So far, so good. I have a DIY adapter, with a potentiometer built in, that lets me chose the "output impedance" between 0 and 470 Ohm.
I use 470 Ohm, because that makes the treble more smooth, and the bass/mids slightly more warm. The difference between 0 and 470 Ohm (after my 10 Ohm Phoebus) is pretty small, but hearable. 100 Ohm and 0 Ohm is almost not hearable for me.

Edit: And no, dont misunderstand me, i am noway doubting your knowledge or anything. I am just stating my experience with headphone impedances + output impedances from DAC/AMPs, and think its not really important for full size headphones^^
But as always, the best will be, to experience it, and just try different things out.
What might be slightly problematic with headphone 1, can be completely negitable with Headphone b. (like my example. My T90 doesnt care about an Amp. An AKG K701, or Sennheiser HD 600/650 probably will be happy with a stronger amp)
 
Me x3: I agree, trying before buying is usually the best one can do although sometimes it's not a possibility.
 
            The Sennheiser HD600 is as hard to drive as the Beyer T90.
            The HD650 is slightly easier to drive.
            The AKG K702 needs 50% more voltage and almost 10 times the power to sound at the same level (vs HD600/T90).

 
 
 

 

[sureshot1234]

 
Yes.
 
Schiit Magni 2
Schiit Magni 2 Uber
JDS O2

i like the look of the JDS 02 and seems like more positive reviews as well but would still be purchased at a later date

 

[apaar123]

Out of these 2 which is perfect for gaming and music?

 

[youurayy]

HD600 won't render the bass in the following song: https://soundcloud.com/platform/branko-batida
 
While X2 will shake the house.
 
HD600 is awesome and its smaller and lighter build makes for more comfortable wearing (you are able to turn your head a bit while resting it on the recliner, with X2 you can't), but there are songs where it won't give you 100% representation due to the bass limitation, like the above.
 
X2 is a beast one has to be very careful with the volume -- otherwise it's like a semi truck running over your eardrums -- and I'd go as far as say that if you like to listen to loud music, HD600 is better and much safer.
 
However on low volumes, in a quiet environment, X2 gives absolutely incredible presentation / soundstage / dynamics.
 
X2 also softens the harshness of solid-state, more so than HD600.
 
X2 gave me hard time breaking it in, not exactly sure why, could be the initial clamping force and around-ear presure, the massive drivers being initially too hard on the ears, me not careful with the volume, or a combination of these, all I remember there was some pain HD600 was much more polite.
 
X2 suffers from some quality check problems -- I had a crackling headband -- solved that by greasing it with an odorless bike grease.
 
I love going back and forth between HD600 and X2, but if I had to own only one, it would be X2.
 
EDIT: oh and don't get HD600 if you don't have a proper AMP, 300 Ohm cans will not sound their best if not properly amped.

 

[Monsterzero]

Out of these 2 which is perfect for gaming and music?

I used an HD600 for gaming for years,then "upgraded" to an X1.......

For gaming I chose the X1....for music,I think it depends on what type of music you like...bass heavy stuff,X1/X2 all day

 

[apaar123]

I used an HD600 for gaming for years,then "upgraded" to an X1.......


For gaming I chose the X1....for music,I think it depends on what type of music you like...bass heavy stuff,X1/X2 all day

i listen to songs with less bass

 

[Monsterzero]

i listen to songs with less bass

I think most folks would say that the HD600 is a better all around headphone,but after a couple years with it i found it "boring" for a lack of a better term.

I use my X1s 100% for gaming,as I have better headphones for music.If hard pressed to keep only one pair for all around duty,I'd have kept the 600,but the X1 is too much fun for gaming.

 

[apaar123]

I think most folks would say that the HD600 is a better all around headphone,but after a couple years with it i found it "boring" for a lack of a better term.


I use my X1s 100% for gaming,as I have better headphones for music.If hard pressed to keep only one pair for all around duty,I'd have kept the 600,but the X1 is too much fun for gaming.

how is x2 for music?

 

[Monsterzero]

Have not heard them TBH,the countless horror stories of the quality of some batches scared me away.

From my understanding there is some difference,but not night and day.i listen primarily to metal and guitar rock/classic rock so the bass heavy/recessed mids of the X1 doesnt lend itself to those genres IMO.However if youre into rap,EDM,modern pop then id assume theyd be great...I tried my X1s with some older deep/goa trance and they were quite nice for that,but I get around to that type of music about 2-3 times a year.