[Groog]

Hi, this is my first post here. Have been reading these forums for a few hours now, very enlightening
 
I wanted to ask people's opinion on which headphones I should buy to drive from my Xonar D2X primarily. I will use them for music and games on my PC mostly, but might end up extending my TV/PS3 setup to include some form of amp and use the headphones with this (haven't looked into this at all, for the future).
 
From looking around the internet I'm interested in the DT880s and K701s. They suit my price range and both seem to be awesome, but I'm finding it hard to decide between them. Or maybe I'm completely missing another pair out?
 
Opinions?
 
Also, would I be right in saying that high impedance headphone would be wasted on the D2X?

 

[Millsie]

Ha, funny that I would see your post after reading up on a few things...
Anyways to get to the point read through the few links I've included... Apparently(I haven't heard it myself) the DT880 are really good for gaming.
Link one
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/483802/quest-for-holy-grail-of-gaming-sound
Link Two.
http://www.head-fi.org/wiki/a-hopefully-helpful-headphone-buying-guide-for-newbies-by-boomana
 
Both very good posts.
 
Hope I helped =]

 

[maruzen]

hello there! out of curiosity, i plugged my beyer dt880 600 ohms directly to the sound out jack of the xonar d2 (the pci version), and i was surprised that the card can drive the phones to sufficient volume levels 

 
well, trying to compare it directly to the sound from the little dot mk2, i would say the mk2 adds a bit of headstage, and makes the sound less digital sounding, if ever there is such a thing... the mk2 makes the sound more natural...
 
so you can go for the 600 ohm version if you like! and these things are great for long gaming sessions because of the comfort and clarity of the sound. soundstage is also immense! 
 
although i would prefer the dt990 for gaming more because of the bass, only because i have it. the dt880 will do just darn fine if you go that route 

 

[David.M]

Quote:

although i would prefer the dt990 for gaming because of the bass. only because i have it.

only because you "have" it or because you "need" it? That is the real question

 

[Groog]

Wow! I'm surprised the xonar can drive 600 ohms, that's great news for me
 
Out of interest, why do you have the 600 ohm version? Professional reasons or otherwise?
 
I reckon I would probably get the 250 ohm version, mostly because they seem to be the easiest to get for the best price. 
 
I have been recommended this wee headphone amp to supplement headphones, does anyone have any experience of it? I can only find good things about it and I'm tempted to get it regardless.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DUAL-AMP-portable-headphone-amplifier-V-2-/140435518747?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Amplifiers&hash=item20b29bf51b#ht_3946wt_1137
 
 
I'll move onto NEEDing different headphones in time I'm sure
 

 

[maruzen]

ah, "need it" would be more proper 

 
just for that bigger bass presence to excite me!
 
it's just so annoying having to switch cans multiple times in a day just because i'm listening to music or i'm watching movies or playing games 

 sometimes i don't switch cans at all anymore. both beyers do exceptionally good for movies / games / music anyway...
 
Quote:

only because you "have" it or because you "need" it? That is the real question

 

 

[maruzen]

the 600 ohm version of the dt880 outclasses the 250 ohm version in every area in my honest opinion. i actually used the 250 ohm dt880 for almost a year before making the switch 

 
if you can, you might as well go for the 600 ohm version. they sound smoother, if i would use a single word to describe the difference. i did have problems with finding the 600 ohm version; i had to wait until my sister was able to go to hongkong as it was not available in my country...
 
as to amps for the dt880, you can do the upgrade later. the sound quality of the d2 is fine. you would probably have to spend a bigger amount of money on an amp to improve on it. that portable won't make that big an impact to your ears i think...
 
look for the tube variety of amps for the dt880 

 
Quote:

Wow! I'm surprised the xonar can drive 600 ohms, that's great news for me
 
Out of interest, why do you have the 600 ohm version? Professional reasons or otherwise?
 
I reckon I would probably get the 250 ohm version, mostly because they seem to be the easiest to get for the best price. 
 
I have been recommended this wee headphone amp to supplement headphones, does anyone have any experience of it? I can only find good things about it and I'm tempted to get it regardless.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DUAL-AMP-portable-headphone-amplifier-V-2-/140435518747?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Amplifiers&hash=item20b29bf51b#ht_3946wt_1137
 
 
I'll move onto NEEDing different headphones in time I'm sure
 

 

[Groog]

It seems the only place to get the 600 ohm version is from beyer themselves, and that would mean spending ~£300 on them (after a full manufaktur experience ).
 
As a long term plan, I might get the 250 ohm version and run them direct from my D2X for the moment, beef them up with a tube amp later on and then look into other headphones that suit different audio after that.
 
Does that sound sensible to anyone else?

 

[maruzen]

it's your wallet man! i thoroughly enjoyed the 250 ohm version before i made the transition. they are still good cans, especially if you will be having trouble sourcing the 600 ohm versions 

 

[Groog]

Just got DT880/250! WOW! If they get better after burn in I can't wait!
 
This is going to be an expensive trip down headphone audio lane

 

[maruzen]

glad to hear you are enjoying it! these asus cards are really something else good luck on your audio journey! but with forums such as these, buying blindly is at least minimized