How to Choose a Headphone Amp and DAC
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- čas přidán 4. 07. 2024
- High-end headphones are great, but often need an amplifier to sound their best. How should you pick one, and is getting a separate DAC a good idea?
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Thanks to HeadRoom (Headphone.com) for allowing us to use their visuals in this episode. - Věda a technologie
![If you can't hear this then you're not an audiophile [See description for link to followup video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/48PxwspDvrE/mqdefault.jpg)
WTF why is choosing a new pair of headphones harder than building a PC
Vijey V for real
Because its no math, its not a benchmark its not a certain thing, you go search dt990, one guy says its amazing, the other one says he prefers dt770. Just get a headphone that you read a review and you think it will bw great. If its not, return it. With pc you know you need at least 8gb of ram, you can look for a cpu and gpu depending on the resolution of your display etc. Just remember, from what ive heard, you are better off with magni 3 or another headphone amp than with those sound card things from astro, and creative soundblasting zxy things
Audio is more subjective than visuals. I would recommend going to an electronics department and trying on headphones. Then wash your ears with sanitizer, because eww.
lmao!
Just buy some Philips SHP9500S's and if you game buy a V-MODA BoomPro too.
"Threshold of Pain" is a good name for a band.
a heavy metal band?
Natch!
+Justin sénéchal UGH! No, Mom! It's progressive vegan slamming brutal blackened death gore grind.
Depends on how you define a good band
A good name,not necessarily a good band.
6 years later this is still good info. Thanks baby face Luke! 😂
Agree
Going through the same now 😂
after days of research, you decided to move to Canada.
What?
I dont get it, care to come back and explain?
I need an answer to this statement
@@Dad-lu1oi honestly fam I have no fucking idea what I posted this for
Austin Flavio hi!
bro I just wanted headphones for mixing now I'm stuck searching up about dacs and headphone amps and audio interfaces I'm all over the place help lol
Same 😂 just gonna get a fiio Amp for like 60$ and hope it works well
Absolutely peak ive been told to get a good audio interface with a good on board dac inside so if that helps you then there you go bro haha.
beatsprodbycm haha same. How tf am I supposed to hook up an amp if I am already using an audio interface?
Audioquest dragonfly cobalt or audiolab M-Dac nano (dac/amp combinations) will improve any earbuds and virtually all headphones and they are both small, light powerful and very portable.
@@paulm2467 Max limit on any USB dac/amp is 5v/1.2a. Not enough to power 250/600 ohm headphones.
Just in case people are wondering why 10db is would be considered safe under the "threshold of pain", is because it'd actually be half the volume. Anything that increases or decreases in volume by 10db is respectively double or half as loud as the previous number. IE something that is 120 db will be TWICE as loud as 110 db. Please keep this in mind when looking at the "loudness" numbers from the headphone calculator :)
nope, adding 3db is times 2 and adding 10db would be times 10.
formula is 10 log (Power2/Power1) dB . Let's say p2 is ten times more powerful than P1 so we have 10log(10/1) = 10log(10) = 10db. If p2 is 2 times p1 we have 10log(2/1)= 10log(2) ≈ 3 (3.01029995664 exactly)
Great video ... just started getting into high-end headphones, amps, etc
Why do you guys not upload alot anymore
and than they listen to mp3 at 128kb/s...
exactly download some flac
@@jankristijan5889 This. Although if it's most typical popular music, it will probably still suck due to poor production quality.
most people fail to differentiate FLAC/WAV from well compressed mp3. Especially at 320kbps which most streaming services provide nowadays.
@@juhanakaarlehto7754 yes that's right but a good amplifier, player and speakers sure will make a difference
According to ABX testing, most people cannot tell the difference between mp3 and "lossless" thats just a fact. That includes people with good gear. Unless you're a DJ blasting music, and even that is lile 128kbps vs CD quality. 330 vs lossless? Or even worse CD Quality vs Lossless? Total snakeoil. No audible difference.
No human being can successfully differentiate 1400 kbps CDs with 8000kbps lossless. Regardless of $1 million equipment. ALL the "lost" frequencies are well above a human ear. A dog could tell the difference thats it
@ about 1:54 in ref. to Sensitivity, 99dB @ 1mW will be 102dB @2mW not double the dB. Every time you double down on power you only gain 3 decibels.
Just be careful with this stuff guys. There's a lot of snake oil in the hi-fi market right now.
Agree with you, always has been though.
snake oil? i don't get it
Warrox. It's a term for products that claim to do a lot, but most likely don't do much at all. It comes from when salesmen used to sell people actual oil from snakes, claiming that it was basically a cure-all. Needless to say, it isn't.
+Dangerous Pie thank you :)
Sony's hi-fi sdcard is good example.
This was actually helpful!
Sometimes Techquickie leaves me with more questions than answers 😅
This is extremely useful and timely- I was just looking for how to figure out this info when your video came out. Thanks Luke!
Video for headphones, I like how the audio here is full of glitches xD
It's still too hard, just tell me exactly what to buy.
Music do you listen to? Open or closed? Budget and will you use these in public?
+Matthew Decker yo. I listen to hardcore and death metal. Budget is $700 USD.
+DylanDesign Are you looking for headphones, a dac and/or an amp?
+nathaniel palmer is like something portable to use with my phone. What do you recommend? Thanks.
Portable headphones? Portable amp or portable DAC/amp? You only really need the DAC if you don't like how your phone sounds through headphones or if you're going to use it on a computer/laptop and don't like how that sounds through headphones.
My 250 ohm DT 990 Pro sounds A-MA-ZING when I connect it directly to my 2 year old Samsung Note 9, but it's so quiet and tinny when connected to the 5 month old motherboard on my PC, so I need to get an amp. It's impressive how the phone delivers so much more power than a standard size computer motherboard.
I bet they are loud as fuck with phone haha
I love my Mayflower Objective2 ODAC combo, it just works and sounds great!
Very GOOD advise in this video! Also, I have an external DAC that cost $105.00 and it did wonders for the sound coming out of my computer (music). No need to go more expensive, unless you just have to, for your own reasons. We all have our own tastes. I concur with the rest of your advice too, from my own experience.
Name if you still have it in you possession?
Reactive impedance needs a high current, and voltage swing headphone amp. I use the Schiit Magni 2 Uber. It works great.
So, if you spend more on headphones, you typically need to buy even more equipment.
Logic.
So true 🤣🤣🤣
you don’t need to but you’ll get more
This video, as well as others on the channel, is a Godsend. Explained information in a fast and precise way, watered down to layman's terms so that none of it is confusing. Thank you and keep it up
amazing video for starters. really liked it, but you can also amp up the sound stage by amplifiers, and obviously the main factor fpr sound stage is if the headphones is open back, semi open or closed...
Audioquest Dragonfly Black or Red for more powah. Expensive but will work directly with your phone without the need for a battery pack or the need to charge your dac. Super happy with the red one with Sennheiser Momentums 2.0 over ear. But if you don't need it to be portable and just be on the desk there are cheaper options.
Subtracting the Freshbooks interlude, this has been a highly informative and helpful video. Thanks for making it!
perfect timing... was planning on buying one on this fridays pay check!
Thanks!
I have sennheiser 558 + fiio dac/amp combo. Total price was ~170 for the full set. It's pretty neutral, and high quality.
Nice review, i intend to get the FiiO BTR3 mobile amplifier, can you recommend a headphone that would work best with that to offer the best sound experience?
Get an amp for your headphones, not the other way around.
Much of this flow over my head but at least Luke is a pleasure to look at as always!
dude. this is exactly what I needed explaining to me because I was just curious about what to get with my sennheiser headphones I just got
It's nice to have an external DAC - I recommend it!
I just got a schitt jotunheim !! This schiit is so nice !!
What's a good skit (swedish - same as schiit)? I'll tell you - a multibit skit is much better than a delta-sigma. Just try it
I was just wondering why you hadn't made a video about this. Great advice Thanks!
Exactly what this doctor ordered! Thanks for explanations! 👍
In my experience, more sensitive speakers can actually pick up electrical noise from even high-end internal audio solutions. I have some KRK RP5 G3s and they would pick up a lot of noise from an Asus Xonar Essence STX that my Klipsch Promedia 2.1s and Sennheiser HD598s would not. My solution was to use an external DAC that used optical audio in (Modi 2 Uber to a Magni 2 Uber, in my case)
I want a shirt that just says "TECH" on it, too.
Finally! An easy to follow guide..thanks very much!
Linus Tech tips is my favorite CZcams channel damn all I want to know is there a program to boost volume
Thank you. Finally an intelligent reviewer doing an intelligent video! I would love to get your opinion on the best possible DAC/amp for the Sennheiser IE 800 or IE 800 S. (I had the original IE 800 and I absolutely loved them. Used with Dragonfly Red & iPhone 7).
Gave them to my son.
Considering getting the newer IE 800 S.
Questions:
1. Which portable DAC/amp is best matched to bring out maximum performance of the 800 S?
2. I am also more interested in the newer “Bluetooth” DAC/amps, for example, EarStudio ES100. Is the ES100 capable of bringing out the best of the 800 S’ performance potential?
Is the ES100 more powerful, or at least, does it have the same performance level of the Dragonfly Red?
Are there other “Bluetooth” DAC/amps that can bring out the full potential of the 800 S that you can recommend?
Lastly, would you know if Sennheiser is planning to come out with a Bluetooth/wireless version of the IE 800?
I truly look forward to your expert opinion. Thank you!
A useful episode !!!!!
i just bought a headphone two days before video was released. thanks for making this video. now i am fully sure that i bought right stuff
Awsome timing I am currently looking for a dac and qmp
I wear Sennheiser Orpheus headphones with my phone in public with no amp
Jacinta Rule mad cuz broke
Computexpert I would just buy another pair and have that guy who smashed my headpphones executed
Computexpert I would get my hounds to track him down and have him turned into dog food
Computexpert I can call them in from anywhere and they will come to me
Computexpert I am above all human law. I can do whatever I want and not be punished. I actually was involved in the original making of the Sennheiser Orpheus headphones concept back in 1964. So keep talking
why can't I find any recent dac reviews
z reviews
Thanks luke and linus media group, i really learned a lot. Please also make one for mics :)
I just got a Schitt stack and it's a huge improvement over the onboard sound
DAC: Schiit Bifrost
AMP: Schiit Asgard 2
Headphones: Sennheiser hd 650
WeLL schiit.
Good alte expensive german qualität
Quality schiit.
Been contemplating getting my hands on some of that good schiit someday soon but the schiit costs so much!
Sorry, i dont speak billionaire
My setup is
DAC: Schiit Modi 3
AMP: Schiit Magni Heresy
Headphones: Sennheiser HD 660 S
That bright t-shirt logo though
There's some great info. What I'm looking for is why some external audio devices are advertised as as a DAC and some as a sound card. (which of course, also has a DAC, I would think)
Great video! Can you recommend a mini smartphone Amp for the B&O H6 1st gen headphones? Keep up the great work!
The FR (Frequency Graph) of Apples EarPods are actually quite good, however their max (sensitivity/power handling) along with soundstage could sway some to "upgrade"
Proper color correction has been achieved. nice job
using EarStudio ES100 / iPhone XS Max (via BT) / Audeze Sine - love it!
Great video, I really need these information!!
DAC: Scarlett 2i2
Amp: Schiit Magni 2
Headphones: Sennheiser HD 598se and HD 558
Mic: Modmic 4.0
DAC: Scarlett 18i20
Amp: none
Headphones: AKG 712 Pro
Mic: Rode NT2-A
have heard of Schiit multiple times now, is their stuff good?
I also have the 2i2, would recommend. It's a great interface
Amp + Dac: Fiio E18 Kunlun
Headphone: AKG Q701
Mic: Blue Snowball
My "Budget King"
+BeatzPlay Some of it is, just do your research. For example, NEVER get the first gen Vali, it sucked. The Vali 2 was a major improvement
DAC: Schiit Modi 2
Amp: Schiit Magni 2
Headphones: Hifiman HE-400i
Mic: Modmic 4.0
IMHO there is no reason not to use external dac and amp, whether or not you are an audiophile, listening your components chirp is just annoying
I still haven't been able to figure out which AMP/DAC to get for my new Sennheiser HD6xx.
I have hd650s which are the originals of the 6xx and I'd recommend the magni Modi combo from schiit
Or the fiio e10k amp DAC combo for cheaper
I got a Fiio E10K since I was getting noise from my rig, sounds good to me.
Isn’t it deafening in gaming? I just got mine and oh boy! It’s so loud. Should I turn off the gain to low?
when I switched to an external dac/headphone amp (hegel super), I had no idea what I had missing out on. I didn't think I had any bakground noise, but my god there where a big difference. Point is that you might not have a chance to tell berfore you actuallly try one. Soundstage was a lot cleaner than my laptops integrated audio.
The hegel super was great value and high end sound (I've had Hegel HD 11 and I'm now using HD25 in my stereo setup) but the super is the one dac thar gave the best improvement for it's price.
Sadly, they're went out of production after just a couple of years, but it should be possible to find some on Ebay for a decent price (about 990 USD).
I Ended up buying three.... two for my office computers and one for my laptop/phone.
GCSE maths: Its my time to shine
Me and my terrible memory: no u
U mean GCSE Physics 😂
4:32 my laptop has these things on its built in speakers
Oof
That's why you buy external equipment and don't rely on laptops for mixing.
I listen to music mostly on my LG V10 and I know it has a great DAC and amp built in. I use a pair of Audio Technica M50x's. Is this a good combo or should I upgrade?
my headphones use 32 but they are quiet when plugged into front jack, should i get one anyway
go check out mayflower electronics. i have their o2 dac/amp combo and it's sweeeeet.
You spoke about the importance of an Amp having 8x lower output impedance, but didn't mention why. Can someone here enlighten me?
Prodigy2100 Even if it's been quite a while, since you got no answer, here it is: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_divider
Basically, if the impedance of the amp is too close from the impedance of the headphones, there will be a noticeable drop in output power, due to losses in the amp internal impedance.
If the two impedances are the same, the voltage across the headphones is 50% of what you asked for. If they differ by a factor 8, you get 8/9th of the voltage across the headphones, which is almost 90% (not accounting for any inductance effects here that would change the ratio based on frequency).
My headphones are 62 Ohm
An 8th of that is 7.75 how close to that number do i have to get? Is it better to round up or down ?
@@brodieblain187 Round down. You want an amp's impedance to be as low as possible.
Prodigy2100 what kind of piece of shit youtuber doesn't reply to his subs
@@pastoryoda2789 One who gets thousands of comments a day on hundreds of videos. What kind of shit question is that
Does headphones with batteries help to like work the higher ohms required by the headphone ? if the audio source couldnt provide that power ?
Great video, thanks!
Would you recommend an amp for earphones like Soundmagic E50C ( Impedance: 51Ω, Sensitivity: 102DB). The official website recommends using an amp but I can't quite figure out which one.
I have low-end everything, and it is AMAZING
So, best Amp and DAC for Beiyerdynamic dt 770 Pro 250 ohm? within reasonable cost?
Lg g7
@@TheAshuV what is an answer?
@@user-qu9nf8ru3e he gave you bullshit
With the high impedance, the “amp” inside the Scarlet Solo should be able to deliver enough power to sound half decent, but it won't likely deliver what those headphones are really capable of, Sir Which Headphone amplifier is best for beyerdynamics DT 770 Pro 250 ohms, which also connects to my audio interface scarlett solo 2nd generation ?
I have Blon 03 & I use my smartphone Huawei y9 prime 2019 as my source. Will I be able to get more sound quality with using btr3?
It's not a Techquickie shirt, it's Tech...?! shirt. lol
My dedas name is Veselin. Strong name.
1:04 I HAVE THOSE ON THE LEFT :OOOO O.O
This was incredibly helpful
Thanks for your good video and I fount an adapter (SAT UB-1) that can connect headphones by connecting to the amplifier speaker terminal on etsy.
I haven't checked the sound quality on the MSI z170a gaming m5 mobo
reposting for you
I've had to temporarily move my pc and don't have my dac hooked up. My Asus Z97-AR's DAC is TERRIBLE. If I play Bad Bitches by Snow tha Product, the distortion is INSANE, it also doesn't get nearly as loud as my dac. Also my iPhone 4s, 5s, and 5se all had better DACs than the motherboard, louder and cleaner. I use Audio Technica M50Xs 38ohms
www.audio-technica.com/cms/headphones/99aff89488ddd6b1/
The DAC I use is the Radio Shack Optical-to-RCA converter. The sound stage improvement was very noticeable as well. I honestly didn't expect much and I only bought it because my 1000w Gold Xcilo psu had some video display induced noise and there was literally no way to get away from it except with optical (light not electricity). It also supports 192khz/24bit which was mandatory for me with low THD%.
The RS DAC is this but re-branded I believe.
www.amazon.com/Digital-Optical-Analog-Converter-Adapter/dp/B003OND0N4/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1471393213&sr=8-6&keywords=192khz+dac
I did find another version which is cheaper and has a headphone jack as well
www.amazon.com/Digital-Analog-Converter-Optical-Toslink/dp/B005K2TXMO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1471393213&sr=8-3&keywords=192khz+dac
I HIGHLY recommend at least getting one of these cheap DACs
Not certain what chip the z97-AR uses, but most Z170 boards use the ALC1150 DAC chip, which I've heard is substantially better than the models commonly used in the z97 boards. It's still far better to use a DAC+Amp.
TheGatesofLogic x ALC892
+TheGatesofLogic x the audio isolation matters so much more than just the codec
Have you checked the Gigabyte z170x Gaming G1? They use a way better DAC chip from Creative.
looking for a cheap amp for my Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro 250 Ohm.
my computer came with beats audio, had my bose computer speaker connected to them and had alot of hissing. i connected my sony pha1a headphone / computer DAC and the hissing significantly lowered quite a bit and sound reproduction of bose speakers was incredible. A good DAC makes a big difference.
I've got dem Byerdynamic DT770 Pro 250 Ohms, still sounds quite nice with an iPhone, just not as much lows as when I am using them with my Soundblaster Omni.
LG V30 bam
Hell ya. Love mine.
Bam boom pow
Esteban Caballero
What kinda headphones would you recommend with that phone? Thanks!
@@kiekko673 150ohm headphones or less. 300 ohm 6xx barely loud enough
there are like a billion different DAC/amps both solid state and tube amps. how the fuck am i supposed to pick from that?
MrWalker1000 welp..... Entry level ones are about 70 buck and up, i have fiio e10k and a grand worth of headphones and it works great on all of the
Imabitch what about amps/dac like tube or solid state
MrWalker1000 what i have is solid, what isnt tube is solid, tube and solids produce different kind of music its really just preference but solid is cheaper and prolly best for anyone also you can hear the difference on Z reviews youtube channel, zeos put a sound demo on, so check it out. For me personally tube sounds better because they are a bit warmer than the solids in audio quality i mean
E10k is gonna drive almost everything without a problem
MrWalker1000 Look for Zeos Pantera on CZcams and/or r/zeos on Reddit if you use it. That guy knows his stuff.
Would it be worth doing an input lag test on DACs or is it a matter of no impact?
thanks for the info, time to save up for a proper setup then!
For the very best amp that won't cost you your retirement savings, Google:
Massdrop THX 789
Monoprice THX 788
Thank you for this. I'm currently using a JDS EL DAC and JDS Atom amp combo, but after seeing your post and looking into this Monolith unit I think I know what my potential upgrade path will be. And I love the way it looks. :)
I guess you could get a sound card if you want to save money.
@@user-zu1ix3yq2w My post is for those looking to drive headphones such as HD650 and beyond.
If you subscribe to the "sound is sound" school of thought, a moderately priced USB headset may give you some good bang for your buck.
@@BenjaminOienMB The impedance on those is kinda high. So I suppose an amp would be better. Impedance is a tricky subject I'm not well versed in. Some sound cards have an output impedance of 220Ohms; I'm not sure what pair of headphones would be a good match for such a high impedance. Some have 10Ohms (some sound cards have an amp built-in).
I've heard really good things about THX 788. It sounds like a great choice if you believe an amp and dac makes a difference. As I understand it, headphones are the most important piece.
The techquickie lighting and whitebalance is god awful.
he looks so creamy
@Who's Forty Two Just like we audiphiles care about audio, photographers care about color corrections lol
Brian Morones nah bro anybody with eyes gets weird vibes out of it
@@krimpymess Colour corrections are more viewable through the medium though compared to sound. The average person can probably tell the difference betweem good editing and bad editing, the average person on the other hand cannot tell the different between 124kb/s and lossless.
I believe this is all down to what we've seen though. Most people have seen a multi-million dollar movie, not many have experience audiophile-grade sound.
I still use my e17k dac/amp for my beyerdynamic dt770 pro 250 ohm headphones. Is this a good setup?
I spent the last 2 years climbing up the audiophile level (started with the Fostex TH-X00 off Xduoo XD-05), and now have settled (for now) on my amazing combo of Chord Qutest DAC to Cayin HA-300 tube amp (300b tubes are magical) to Audeze LCD-3 Fazor headphones.
Yeah, this path is addicting, that's for sure. I'll probably eventually go for the LCD-4 or LCD-24, and possibly either get the Chord M Scaler or find an even more musical, resolving DAC.
where do the dt 990 pro (250 ohms) rank in your list?
@@DimzReacts I. Never actually used it
My Logitech G633 states it is 5000ohms. Help.
39 Ohm
thats the actuall number
but deez things don't got rgb lighting or say dullby digitsall 7.3 or have dragunnz on dem! !!!!
When i go onto Beyerdynamic's website , they give me an SPL option for my headphones.
Im not sure how this would impact my listening experience, and I'm not sure if i should buy it with or without an SPL considering my primary aim is to mix and produce music with these headphones.
The electronic static in your voice recording made me think my headphones were defective. Thank you for the headache I endured while testing other equipment on other devices.
Once you've heard music through a DAC, there's no going back
DAC's right!
ba dum, tiss
schiit stack + HD 600 or 650 = happy forever
love my Schitt stack
Hd600 are boring
Uhhh.... newbie audiophile here.
Is the Fiio A1 a good enough amp for my Audio Techinca M20x?
(47 Ohms, 96 dB sensitivity)
So the Philips Shp 9500 does not need an amp? Since the Impedance is only 32 ohms? Would the sound be quite with out one, or will it be nice an load like a regular pair of headphones with out one?
I have very expensive headphones with a 30 ohms impedance (Audeze EL-8), they sound very low in volume without an amp/DAC, but I won't need a crazy expensive amp/DAC because my USB DAC Dragonfly Black does solves the whole volume and unleashes the amazing sound quality the EL-8s deliver
0:53 basically like beats...
I agree. they built cheap, and it broke easily, garbage.
RULE - For BEST headphone performance, you want a Damping Factor of at least 50.
RULE - For MINIMUM SAFE headphone performance, you want a Damping Factor of 8.
Amp output impedance x 8 = MINIMUM acceptable headphone impedance match.
Amp output impedance x 50 = IDEAL (minimum) headphone impedance match.
*Applies ONLY to dynamic headphone drivers, NOT to planar or electrostatic drivers.
For headphones/IEMs up to ~64 ohms, buy an amp with output impedance as CLOSE TO ZERO as you can find, for best performance.
Sick video thanks for the info!
O2 ODAC from Mayflower electronics! I've owned it half a year now and it is an absolutely awesome product! Crystal clear and powerful, uncolored sound! Very low output impedance. I give it 10/10! Highly recommended!
M-50x don't need amps?
no
If you don't do monitoring, don't get the M50s. They sound as boring as cans can get, but with more bass and no soundstage.
I don't get their popularity.
CapnTates exactly. No imaging too
taief miah And they're really uncomfortable for their price.
+CapnTates I think the hype was around the older M50s, because they have more bass I think? I have a pair of the slightly newer ones and wouldn't recommend them for gaming because they aren't very good for directional audio. Music is better with a slight bass EQ boost (my opinion 😉)
Tube amp squad where u at?
Trum p bruh haha 2 years and nobody
Non-existent
A funny thing. My main motivation for external audio (a "regular" sound "card" or DAC) is to have it working without drivers. But it seems only some rare ones with USB 1.0 are driverless.
great explanations, thank you !