[Codemanster0]

  Hey there!  
    So I'm new to this forum and new to the higher-end world of audio as well.  Please bare with me while I "noob" my way through this.
I've always been a big music/movie/video game enthusiast and had always used basic audio gear for it until recently I decided to purchase the Beyerdynamic DT-990-Pro-250 headphones after reading some amazing reviews about them.
 
    I received them in the mail today but my question is what equipment do I need to make full use of them while using them with my PC as well as iPod touch?  I've been reading up on this quite a bit and I've found that with an iPod you will need a portable amp (something I lack any sort of knowledge about) in order to further power the headphones and make them sound better. Is this true?
 
    Also, will I need something like this as well for my computer?   I plugged the headphones into my computer today, via the motherboard, and quickly realized that there was no way that I was hearing their full capacity.  I was wondering if this has something to do with the fact that I was plugging them into a motherboard as opposed to a sound card or something?   
 
  Thanks for taking the time to read this and hopefully you can help me out!

 

[Boochie]

Check your motherboard for available slots. 
 
Then checkout the ASUS Xonar line of sound cards.  Very high quality at very reasonable prices.  I started with the Xonar DG card.  At less than $30, it is a steal and is 100x better than your onboard soundcard.  It has a built in headphone amp that can power headphones up to 150 Ohms (I think).  It may be a little underpowered for your DT 990s but it is WAY better than your onboard sound. 
 
However, if you can afford it, I highly recommend the Xonar Essence ST (or STX depending on your application).  It's pricey at $200 but it has a built in headphone amp that will power headphones up to 600 Ohms.  It is what I am using now and it is a beast of a soundcard.

 

[Master Shake]

For a total of 200$ you could get a schiit magni amp and a modi dac, tons of desktop performance for the price, im using mine right now. Wonderful little stack

 

[Boochie]

Meh, I tried the Magni.  Didn't like it.  It didn't work for my purposes. The Xonar Essence ST is perfect for my application.

 

[Master Shake]

I needed something put out enough wattage to power my he400's really nicely, plus i really like the sound. Just different options