What do I actually need?

Jul 27, 2009 at 6:45 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 6

Joza

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Hi!

Didnt really know where to post this as it got to do with a little bit of every topic, but its here now.

So I am going to buy a piece of studio head phones to be used with my computer. I currently have studio monitors attached to my computer trough this one here: EDIROL UA-1EX USB Audio Interface :: Overview

There seems to be headphone output in it too, but now I started wondering if I need somekind of amp too, if I want to buy for example these: BEYERDYNAMIC DT-880 PRO - Thomann Verkkokauppa Do I need an amp?

If I do, how does it all happen? Can I connect that headphone output to that amp somehow, or do I need to use those line output jacks there too? If so, is there some device that splits it so that I can have that output go both to my studio monitors AND my headphone amp?

I hope you understood something of what I tried to ask. Im sorry if its a bit messy, im kind of newbie with all of this.
 
Jul 27, 2009 at 7:11 AM Post #2 of 6
To answer your first question, the DT880s probably do need an amp, or at least they can benefit greatly from one. You can go a couple of directions. Since you are just starting out, the USB thing that you have would probably work fine for your purposes. You would want to connect the RCA output of the usb thing to a headphone amp, and then listen. Very simple.

It would be better if the USB thing had 2 sets of outputs, one for your speakers and one for the phones, but there are some ways around that. You could get a couple RCA splitters from Radioshack, to simply make one output into two.

Another thing that you could do is simply get a headphone amp with a set of outputs. Take a look at the Little Dot Mk III for an example of this. A phone amp with a set of outputs will allow you to daisy chain your equipment to one computer output, as well as adding a volume control for the speakers when you want it.
 
Jul 27, 2009 at 9:19 AM Post #3 of 6
Ok, thanks a lot for the answers.
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So I thought I could buy a headphone amp with multible outputs. First of all, can I really attach my active studio monitors to the headphone amp? I guess there will be two amps in series then. Does it matter? No?

If I can, I was going to make it this way:
- USB audio interface is attached to my computer
- I connect RCA end of this THE SSSNAKE YPR2030 - Thomann Verkkokauppa to the output of the interface, and the other end (TRS) to the input of this BEHRINGER HA400 - Thomann Verkkokauppa
- I connect these BEYERDYNAMIC DT-990 PRO - Thomann Verkkokauppa straight to one output of the amp.
- And I connect studio monitors (which have TRS input) to the second output of the amp with this THE SSSNAKE YPP2030 - Thomann Verkkokauppa

Im a little confused with all those different kind of cables, so I would appreciate a lot if someone could check if that goes right.
 
Jul 27, 2009 at 9:50 PM Post #4 of 6
It shouldn't matter. To a pair of speakers, a phone amp acts like a preamp, so it should just give you some volume control and maybe a little bit of a tubey sound if you choose a tube amp.

Also, your chain seems like it would be fine to me, though I would think about the phones and do some reading in the phones forum to find a phone that doesn't take much amping, as there is no dedicated phone amp in what you described. The dt990 might be perfect, but I have never heard them and I don't know how well they respond to amping.
 
Jul 28, 2009 at 6:14 AM Post #5 of 6
Oh, thanks a lot again! I found that Behringer HA400 under headphone amps, but its quite cheap at least so maybe you are right. I will give the headphones a second thought.

EDIT:
Hmm.. Could I still ask, why do you think it is not a dedicated headphone amp? It says "headphone amplifier" in it, so if that is still not a headphone amplifier, then how do I know which is?
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Do I really need an amp with a +300$ price tag if I want to buy some good headphones?
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Aug 13, 2009 at 12:33 PM Post #6 of 6
So does anyone know what kind of amp I should buy if I wouldnt like to pay more than say 100€ of it..? Can I get a one that is good enough with that or should I rather just buy less expensive headphones that do not require an amp.
 

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