[EdwardNotingham]

Hi all,
 
I'm new here and have been looking around the site for a few hours already
 
I'm looking to get a new external sound card for voice over stuff for work and have been looking at the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 2nd Gen. At the same time, I thought it would be interesting to invest in a good pair of headphones, for listening to music, gaming, and some simple mixing (for corporate video, nothing that requires too much precision). 
 
What I don't know is whether a sound card like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 2nd Gen is enough to drive a set of headphones like the two I have in mind, the AKG K702 open headphones or the Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro open headphones. How much would I gain from investing in an amp? (Basically I have a budget of around 300€ to get the sound from my computer to my ears. So sound card, amp or no amp, and headphones.)
 
I know that these two headphones have quite a different ohm rating, so maybe the answer will be a little complicated. But, thanks for any help on the subject!
 
Eddy

 

[PurpleAngel]

The Scarlett is usually referred to as an Audio Interface, not a sound card.
A sound card and Audio Interface have a lot in common, but each is tweaked for a different use.
 
In a very basic and simple way, for the audio budget you have.
A modern sound card is more for dealing with up to 6 or 8-channels of audio (surround sound), for enjoyment of the end user.
Audio Interface is more for audio production or creation or mixing, with 2-channel audio (zero support for surround sound processing).
 
The 250-Ohm DT990 have a strong bass/treble, audio production/creation/mixing is better done by neutral (boring) headphones.
The 62-Ohm AKG K702 like a lot of power to sound their best, which the 2i2 might not provide?
The 62-Ohm AKG is slightly more power demanding then the 250-Ohm Beyer.
 
Check out the 32-Ohm Soundmagic HP200 headphones, slightly more balanced sound then the DT990.

 

[EdwardNotingham]

Thanks for all the info and the lesson on sound card/audio interface
 
So yeah, my goal is mostly to enjoy music etc, and secondary (or maybe even less important, as I have some pretty flat monitors already) is mixing audio for video creations. Therefore the DT990s do look like the better choice for me.
 
However I'm still looking for info on whether an audio interface like the Scarlett is likely to be enough to power these headphones, and how much I would gain by having an amp.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Thanks for all the info and the lesson on sound card/audio interface
 
So yeah, my goal is mostly to enjoy music etc, and secondary (or maybe even less important, as I have some pretty flat monitors already) is mixing audio for video creations. Therefore the DT990s do look like the better choice for me.
 
However I'm still looking for info on whether an audio interface like the Scarlett is likely to be enough to power these headphones, and how much I would gain by having an amp.

 
I would expect the 2i2 to at least drive the DT990 decently,
A Bravo Ocean tube (hybrid) headphone amplifier ($80?), should get the DT990 nice and loud.
The 2i2 only has one set of line-outputs, which would be hooked up to your studio monitors.
So you would have to swap cables, when switching between the monitors and an add-on headphone amplifier.