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.
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)
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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...
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
This is a very professionally created video. Kudos for that. Unfortunately the presentor is sharing misleading material on impedance in order to justify buying an amplifier. An audio source puts out maximum power when it is connected to a load that matches the specified output impedance in the specs. So when selecting headphones simply choose from the ones that match the output impedance of the audio source. If you do that no amplifier will be required and you save your money. For those that have a need to use a headphone with an impedance that does not match the specified impedance of the audio output the correct solution is a matching transformer. Such a matching transformer will have a spec on the input side matching the spec on the audio source. Also the spec on its output impedance will be identical to the headphone impedance. Then the headphone and amplifier will both function at maximum efficiency as intended by each engineer. So the best solution in all cases is only select headphones that match the specs of your audio source. This will result in the optimal sound, save you 💰 money and your will have less gear to power and fix.
There's a pretty big difference between an input and output circuit. For input you surely want matched impedance, but most modern speakers and headphones are designed unlike those that were designed in the tube era for matched impedance. They often use a high damping factor amp in the equations, so they can put several different impedance speakers in a box, and use that excess of current to excentuate bass frequency reproduction, acting like an inbuilt eq. If it were a "matched" impedance, the woofers would pull down the voltage rail going to the tweeters and compromise the balance of the two. Another benefit of having an excess of current behind the voltage is for things like square waves. It takes more instantaneous current to follow an impulse (especially with capacitive and reactive impedance) than the same slew rate in a sine wave, hence why low impedance amplifiers often seem more "controlled" by comparison. At least, that's my take on it having built both types of amps.
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.
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.
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).
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)
Impedance is the reciprocal of admittance. Impedance is different from plain electrical resistance because it accounts for reactance, which is time and load dependent.
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
@@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.
Just upgraded to a Matrix Mini-i Pro (2015), was using a $200 US DAC before, the mini I pro went for $520 US on release unlike the newer models with the fancy Roon streaming integration. (Which I much prefer thank you very much!) The upgrade was well worth it, much better sound in every way! The icing on the cake was picking up some Yamaha NS-777 speakers for an outrageously low price at a yard sale! In audio heaven now!
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!
Chord Mojo+ Campfire Audio Andromeda and also recabled Sennheiser HD700 user here. There is no mention of matching certain sources with certain sound signatures... To elaborate, a DAC can be perfect from a technical standpoint (Tight bass, good sound-stage, transparent etc), but if your headphones already have hot treble for example, an ultra-revealing and ultra lean source will only make it worse. DAC's will almost always be worth an upgrade if you have say 100+USD headphones/Earphones. Amps are more useful for higher impedance as mentioned, but a quality amp can still improve low impedance earphones.
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.
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?
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 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 😉)
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"
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
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)
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.
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. :)
@@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.
PC + Pioneer-hometheater AMP + AKG Headphones. I'm good with that setup. Having an AMP like that makes it easier to handle the audio inputs. For instance, I wanna use my headphones....all I need to do is connect the 'jack-pkug-adapter' and in that way my PC doesn't have to handle the audio input as that's all from within the AMP :)
those who cant appreciate what a headphone amp can do for you, are the same people who routinely listen to crappy MP3s with $2 earbuds on their phones. Some things are not snake oil, give them a try, especially since he rather beautifully explained how and why headphones are built differently than speakers or earbuds. Im an audio buff/installer, a musician and I know my audio.
I tried choosing a pair the other day for use with my PC, was going for the 880dt but then my head exploded when it came the time to choose AMP (constrained by budget) and figure out if I needed a dac, so in the end I got fed up and just bought a pair of gaming headphones (Cloud Orbit). I didn't found this video yet at the time, it would have helped maybe. The thing I don't get is why headphones manufacturers don't do partnership with AMP/DAC manufacturer to provide a simple package including all three that a noob like me can purchase and be assured of getting a great audio experience out of it. They all lost a client to the gaming headphones producers simply because they didn't made this shit more accessible to casuals like me.
it is pretty confusing but if you need great amps under 100$ that drive pretty much everything here you go: jds labs atom monoprice liquid spark schitt modi 3
I got the "SteelSeries Arctis Pro + GameDAC" gaming headphones. I'm assuming that with that "DAC", I shouldn't be hearing low buzzing and hissing in my audio, right? Well, I do, but I have found out that if I place my finger on a electrical conductor (like my pc case) most of the buzzing goes away. The quiet hissing is always there. But something I've been confused about is if I use a laptop instead of a stationary computer both the buzzing and hissing goes away. My only guess to why these sounds appear are simply too much electrical power - not sure if it has to do with the power supply or just because of voltage. Does someone know why this is and how I can remove it? Luckily, it has been quite unnoticeable at most times but it does still make quite a difference when putting my finger on my pc case..
Very easy choice. Pick a Magni 2 and Modi 2 from Schiit. At least for any headphone in the entry point ($1000 and down). After $1000 (yes, $1000 is considered the end of entry point) you start to spend more on your DAC and AMP.
+geigster I had the DT990's before the stack. Had it been the other way round I'd have definitely gone with the 600ohm version. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Actually yes. I have 2 amps: Schiit Magni and Fiio X3II, and also I am listening right from my MacBook Pro. And I can tell you that there is almost no hearable difference.
Ohm doesn't freaking matter, it is all about how sensitive the headphones are, the only line up where ohm says something about how hard the headphones are to drive it the DT 770, 880 and 990, because everything else is the same.
The M50x's don't need an amp because whatever come into them, they force their signature onto them and don't have any real discernible differences from one thing to the next.
***** mein fuhrer is right. I haven't met any phone with a decent DAC and AMP. You will hear buzzing, ham, distorted frequency respond (low bass, low highs, etc). Get a portable DAC+AMP combo like FiiO's players, you can connect your to it using USB OTG cable on any Android > 5 and enjoy the experience.
My 250 Ohm Beyerdynamic DT880's work just fine with a phone. I find no difference comparing Oneplus X and MSI Z87 Mpower motherboard that should be "600 Ohm headphone ready". Now, moving on to my new Harman/Kardon AVR-255 home theater amp, I do hear a difference! More power on bass and a bit more open/clear sound (using the built in dac). But I'd say that the 250 Ohm Beyerdynamic's are easily passable for mobile use on the side. Even if you can't afford a dedicated amp/dac right away, I think you'll enjoy them still.
That reflective logo on the shirt was incredibly distracting; please don't wear that shirt again. Otherwise an informative and entertaining video though.
Have you guys been watching my family? LOL. Over the past 2 weeks we have bought Plantronics RIG515HD (with a DAC), HyperX Cloud II Pro (with a DAC), & an Audioquest Dragonfly black 1.5. We also had Astro A40+mixamp. Swapping between all of these on the same computer playing the same file, but mixing & matching the headphones with the DAC's & plugging directly into the comuter we found each device, for the most part, had distinct audio differences. The listeners were myself, & my 2 sons (that's why we have 3 headsets :) ), & I'm no audiophile & I don't think any 16 year old or 13 year old can really be called that either, but all 3 of us could hear distinct differences in most of the items. The Astro headphones seem to be incapable of reproducing a sound below 400hz or so properly & 100hz at all, so NO BASS AT ALL from them. The 515's & Clouds both sounded very good (including base ;) ) with the 515's being extremely crisp & the Clouds being very full sounding. The difference between using any of the DAC's & plugging them directly into the computer is HUGE & very OBVIOUS. I will never, ever plug another headphone into my computer. The DAC for the 515's is only marginally better than plugging it in, while the clouds are decent, but the Dragonfly & the Astro DAC's are brilliant. Both of them take something that sounds good & makes it sound great. All of that is a really long way of saying , if my kids & I can EASILY tell the difference, anyone can tell the difference. It is very much worth it to get some decent headphones & a DAC if you are going to spend any time using them on the computer.
you guys dont understand what an amp is, it amplifies the signal, if it is loud enough, there is no reason to use it. of course I have to use my phone on maximum loudness. Also the headphones will not play like super loud but reasonalbe loud and draw quite some power, so usually i use my audio technica with lower ohms for travel cans. on the go an amp is not really an option. More often i use the Beyer Dynamics from my pc, which has dedicated output for 300 ohm headphones.
+Nils Wolny I'm saying that it hurts to run a 250 ohm set of cans on a phone. They would be much too quiet for me and likely would lack enough kick to satisfy me.
A few things to mention: No - Audiofiles are NOT the people to listen if you want good quality audio. The only thing you learn will be how to waste money for absolutely useless shit. DAC: Most motherboards already have quite decent onboard DACs. they normally can't drive high-impedance headphones, but the noise-problem normally is no more. And cause it goes so much against what most people think: The dirty cheap 1-bit DACs are normally the best. They have perfect linearity, and no distortions what so ever. Amps: If you have high-impedance headphones you will likely need an Amp. The info here ain't too bad. just be aware - tube amps is the last thing you want. less efficient, more expensive, and worse sound. They look good but that's about it. Good amps can also be used to adjust the frequency response - but that is something most people won't be able to set up correctly.
Sorry mate but just because you think tube amps don't sound good doesn't mean they suck. As a matter of fact I would recommend people to listen to a nice tube amp before they purchase one to see if it is right for them.
Captin Loki It is a matter of fact that tubes are strictly inferior to Solid state designs. The are bigger, heavier, need more extra circuitry, need a heater, need more power, are less efficient, have higher distortion, are not suitable to directly drive headphones (they are comparatively high voltage only), shorter lifespan and a few other things. Tubes are nice to look at, and have some niche applications like guitar-players that want a specific clipping for cheap. But they are strictly inferior - the reason why no sane person is using them anymore.
While I would agree that tube amps essentially distort the sound and waste energy while generating a bunch of heat - some people actually like that distortion. It sounds nicer to them. They add warmth and sometimes distort some of the harshness out of the recording. This is all strictly speaking inferior and less accurate, but I don't think you can really tell people they shouldn't like it.
Stan V If they like it - nice for them. If you want to, you can still create the same distortions intentionally. But normally you want your music to sound like it was intended to sound. I like antique and classic cars. Despite that, they are still strictly inferior to modern ones. Even if we like the old stuff, we should acknowledge the facts.
ABaumstumpf "just because you think tube amps don't sound good doesn't mean they suck." Dude wasn't arguing about any facts. Preferences aren't facts. What one would normally want doesn't imply that people who want abnormal things are wrong. Your preference for classic cars is actually a good parallel for what you're arguing. Imagine someone trying to tell you that you shouldn't like classic cars because they're strictly worse and you should always like the best things. There's a case made for aesthetics, and a tube amp essentially changes the aesthetic of the sound for something more "classic" sounding.
I just have one little disagreement with this video, not trying to be a smartass here but the maximum power transfer theorem says that output impedance must be the same as the input impedance of the following stage in order to get the best power transfer, on the other hand maximum voltage transfer is achieved by 10 times the input impedance in relation with the output of the previous stage, so which one applies here? any thoughts?. Great videos BTW Luke, im not a hater so please don't take this in a bad way. Keep it coming, cheers.
Can you do a video about different audio solutions for PC gaming/listening to music/watching movies? Like, if one would want to use a pair of gaming headphones for gaming and general computer stuff (Skype, streaming, videos etc) , while having the option to use a separate pair of high quality headphones just for listening to music. It seems pretty complicated to me when you have to connect two headphones, microphone and external speakers, all to the same sound card. Plus, I assume you'd need some sort of DAC/Amp connected to your PC, just for the Hi-Fi part of the setup. I'd love to be able to connect one amp to my PC and have all the headphones/ mic and speakers plugged into it. And then just switch to whatever device I need at a given time. Would a regular Receiver/Amplifier do the trick? If not, are there any more "elegant" solutions available on the market?
Just buy headphones with as neutral a frequency response as possible. That way you get exactly what your dac puts out without distortion from the headphones. Headphones marketed as studio monitor headphones are usually quite flat. My personal favorite in the Audiotecnica ATH-M40X, Very flat response for the price Of 80€. Yes you should get a dac but an amp in not a requirement if you buy headphones with a lower impedance which can still sound great. I would think you could just plug your speakers into your Mb because chances are they don't sound great. But the way i would do that is just keep the dac on my desk and plug the headphones in when i want to use them. I have not seen any multi output dacs but i haven't exactly been looking for them.
+Torwulf games define tell do not buy flat as possible headphones. studio monitoring cans are the most boring as fuck cans you can get. m50xs literally cocktail slap your ears
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.
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)
"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 😂
@ 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.
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!
Great video ... just started getting into high-end headphones, amps, etc
Why do you guys not upload alot anymore
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 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.
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
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?
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.
This was actually helpful!
Sometimes Techquickie leaves me with more questions than answers 😅
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
Video for headphones, I like how the audio here is full of glitches xD
This is extremely useful and timely- I was just looking for how to figure out this info when your video came out. Thanks Luke!
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
I love my Mayflower Objective2 ODAC combo, it just works and sounds great!
For someone talking about Hi-Fi audio, you are blasting your sound effects to uncomfortable levels.. good job 👏🏻
Welcome to LTT group: all the gear and no idea
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...
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
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
Subtracting the Freshbooks interlude, this has been a highly informative and helpful video. Thanks for making it!
you guys are the only youtube channel that make good tech videos like this not like linustechtips xD
You know this show is made by LinusTechTips right?
+MarzTV he is joking hence the "xD"
It's nice to have an external DAC - I recommend it!
why can't I find any recent dac reviews
z reviews
I have sennheiser 558 + fiio dac/amp combo. Total price was ~170 for the full set. It's pretty neutral, and high quality.
This is a very professionally created video. Kudos for that. Unfortunately the presentor is sharing misleading material on impedance in order to justify buying an amplifier. An audio source puts out maximum power when it is connected to a load that matches the specified output impedance in the specs. So when selecting headphones simply choose from the ones that match the output impedance of the audio source. If you do that no amplifier will be required and you save your money.
For those that have a need to use a headphone with an impedance that does not match the specified impedance of the audio output the correct solution is a matching transformer. Such a matching transformer will have a spec on the input side matching the spec on the audio source. Also the spec on its output impedance will be identical to the headphone impedance. Then the headphone and amplifier will both function at maximum efficiency as intended by each engineer.
So the best solution in all cases is only select headphones that match the specs of your audio source. This will result in the optimal sound, save you 💰 money and your will have less gear to power and fix.
There's a pretty big difference between an input and output circuit. For input you surely want matched impedance, but most modern speakers and headphones are designed unlike those that were designed in the tube era for matched impedance. They often use a high damping factor amp in the equations, so they can put several different impedance speakers in a box, and use that excess of current to excentuate bass frequency reproduction, acting like an inbuilt eq. If it were a "matched" impedance, the woofers would pull down the voltage rail going to the tweeters and compromise the balance of the two. Another benefit of having an excess of current behind the voltage is for things like square waves. It takes more instantaneous current to follow an impulse (especially with capacitive and reactive impedance) than the same slew rate in a sine wave, hence why low impedance amplifiers often seem more "controlled" by comparison.
At least, that's my take on it having built both types of amps.
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.
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.
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
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)
Much of this flow over my head but at least Luke is a pleasure to look at as always!
Impedance is the reciprocal of admittance. Impedance is different from plain electrical resistance because it accounts for reactance, which is time and load dependent.
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
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
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.
Exactly what this doctor ordered! Thanks for explanations! 👍
Just upgraded to a Matrix Mini-i Pro (2015), was using a $200 US DAC before, the mini I pro went for $520 US on release unlike the newer models with the fancy Roon streaming integration. (Which I much prefer thank you very much!) The upgrade was well worth it, much better sound in every way! The icing on the cake was picking up some Yamaha NS-777 speakers for an outrageously low price at a yard sale! In audio heaven now!
So, best Amp and DAC for Beiyerdynamic dt 770 Pro 250 ohm? within reasonable cost?
Lg g7
@@TheAshuV what is an answer?
@@БогданІгнатов he gave you bullshit
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 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
Do you have a How to choose a power amp for passive speakers?
GCSE maths: Its my time to shine
Me and my terrible memory: no u
U mean GCSE Physics 😂
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!
Proper color correction has been achieved. nice job
3:35 What was that short "bfrp" noise?
Chord Mojo+ Campfire Audio Andromeda and also recabled Sennheiser HD700 user here. There is no mention of matching certain sources with certain sound signatures... To elaborate, a DAC can be perfect from a technical standpoint (Tight bass, good sound-stage, transparent etc), but if your headphones already have hot treble for example, an ultra-revealing and ultra lean source will only make it worse.
DAC's will almost always be worth an upgrade if you have say 100+USD headphones/Earphones. Amps are more useful for higher impedance as mentioned, but a quality amp can still improve low impedance earphones.
I want a shirt that just says "TECH" on it, too.
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.
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.
perfect timing... was planning on buying one on this fridays pay check!
Thanks!
Finally! An easy to follow guide..thanks very much!
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 😉)
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"
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 UA-cam and/or r/zeos on Reddit if you use it. That guy knows his stuff.
Linus Tech tips is my favorite UA-cam channel damn all I want to know is there a program to boost volume
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)
That bright t-shirt logo though
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.
It's not a Techquickie shirt, it's Tech...?! shirt. lol
My dedas name is Veselin. Strong name.
Does headphones with batteries help to like work the higher ohms required by the headphone ? if the audio source couldnt provide that power ?
I was just wondering why you hadn't made a video about this. Great advice Thanks!
I have low-end everything, and it is AMAZING
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.
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
PC + Pioneer-hometheater AMP + AKG Headphones.
I'm good with that setup. Having an AMP like that makes it easier to handle the audio inputs.
For instance, I wanna use my headphones....all I need to do is connect the 'jack-pkug-adapter' and in that way my PC doesn't have to handle the audio input as that's all from within the AMP :)
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
A useful episode !!!!!
1:04 I HAVE THOSE ON THE LEFT :OOOO O.O
schiit stack + HD 600 or 650 = happy forever
love my Schitt stack
Hd600 are boring
Would it be worth doing an input lag test on DACs or is it a matter of no impact?
those who cant appreciate what a headphone amp can do for you, are the same people who routinely listen to crappy MP3s with $2 earbuds on their phones.
Some things are not snake oil, give them a try, especially since he rather beautifully explained how and why headphones are built differently than speakers or earbuds.
Im an audio buff/installer, a musician and I know my audio.
looking for a cheap amp for my Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro 250 Ohm.
My Logitech G633 states it is 5000ohms. Help.
39 Ohm
thats the actuall number
Once you've heard music through a DAC, there's no going back
DAC's right!
ba dum, tiss
I tried choosing a pair the other day for use with my PC, was going for the 880dt but then my head exploded when it came the time to choose AMP (constrained by budget) and figure out if I needed a dac, so in the end I got fed up and just bought a pair of gaming headphones (Cloud Orbit). I didn't found this video yet at the time, it would have helped maybe.
The thing I don't get is why headphones manufacturers don't do partnership with AMP/DAC manufacturer to provide a simple package including all three that a noob like me can purchase and be assured of getting a great audio experience out of it.
They all lost a client to the gaming headphones producers simply because they didn't made this shit more accessible to casuals like me.
it is pretty confusing but if you need great amps under 100$ that drive pretty much everything here you go:
jds labs atom
monoprice liquid spark
schitt modi 3
I got the "SteelSeries Arctis Pro + GameDAC" gaming headphones. I'm assuming that with that "DAC", I shouldn't be hearing low buzzing and hissing in my audio, right? Well, I do, but I have found out that if I place my finger on a electrical conductor (like my pc case) most of the buzzing goes away. The quiet hissing is always there. But something I've been confused about is if I use a laptop instead of a stationary computer both the buzzing and hissing goes away. My only guess to why these sounds appear are simply too much electrical power - not sure if it has to do with the power supply or just because of voltage. Does someone know why this is and how I can remove it? Luckily, it has been quite unnoticeable at most times but it does still make quite a difference when putting my finger on my pc case..
0:53 basically like beats...
I agree. they built cheap, and it broke easily, garbage.
go check out mayflower electronics. i have their o2 dac/amp combo and it's sweeeeet.
Tube amp squad where u at?
Trum p bruh haha 2 years and nobody
Non-existent
my headphones use 32 but they are quiet when plugged into front jack, should i get one anyway
I dont know what you're talking about luke, but the headphones that come with the iphone are pretty damn good for listening to music.
Very easy choice. Pick a Magni 2 and Modi 2 from Schiit. At least for any headphone in the entry point ($1000 and down). After $1000 (yes, $1000 is considered the end of entry point) you start to spend more on your DAC and AMP.
Got the Schiit stack for my DT990 250ohms. They're a great combo.
+ILikeHotCurrys Only thing I would change is from the 250 ohms to 600 since the Schiit Stack can handle it.
+geigster I had the DT990's before the stack. Had it been the other way round I'd have definitely gone with the 600ohm version. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Actually, under $1000, you don't need a DAC.
+Nicholas K. In some cases, maybe no. In some other cases, yeah fucking totally!
So basically the M50x doesn't need a AMP as it has 38 ohms
Actually yes. I have 2 amps: Schiit Magni and Fiio X3II, and also I am listening right from my MacBook Pro. And I can tell you that there is almost no hearable difference.
Ohm doesn't freaking matter, it is all about how sensitive the headphones are, the only line up where ohm says something about how hard the headphones are to drive it the DT 770, 880 and 990, because everything else is the same.
The M50x's don't need an amp because whatever come into them, they force their signature onto them and don't have any real discernible differences from one thing to the next.
no but a dac is very helpful regardless, I'd still recommend a cheaper (
***** mein fuhrer is right. I haven't met any phone with a decent DAC and AMP. You will hear buzzing, ham, distorted frequency respond (low bass, low highs, etc).
Get a portable DAC+AMP combo like FiiO's players, you can connect your to it using USB OTG cable on any Android > 5 and enjoy the experience.
but deez things don't got rgb lighting or say dullby digitsall 7.3 or have dragunnz on dem! !!!!
My 250 Ohm Beyerdynamic DT880's work just fine with a phone. I find no difference comparing Oneplus X and MSI Z87 Mpower motherboard that should be "600 Ohm headphone ready".
Now, moving on to my new Harman/Kardon AVR-255 home theater amp, I do hear a difference! More power on bass and a bit more open/clear sound (using the built in dac).
But I'd say that the 250 Ohm Beyerdynamic's are easily passable for mobile use on the side. Even if you can't afford a dedicated amp/dac right away, I think you'll enjoy them still.
Thank God lol what about laptops I'd imagine if they work well on the phone wo dacs and amps then why not on laptops too
What dac to use with Hifiman Arya and Sennheiser Hd800 non S for the absolute most revealing sound from your flacs or CDs
Luke looks a lot like Trump. Is it just me? He's got a weird tan and he looks a lot like trump for some reason
He just shaved and i assume this was filmed after he got back from mexico, but i dont see it lol
He looks absolutely nothing like Trump
I bet that's future videorelated somehow.. channel superfun I'd guess
Putting Luke in the same sentence as that NDAA/Rothchild untrustworthy pos Trump is as asinine as putting a tick on a healthy innocent dog.
NO thanks.
Hey back off man. I love your light purple hair and orange skin, Luke!
That reflective logo on the shirt was incredibly distracting; please don't wear that shirt again. Otherwise an informative and entertaining video though.
Jeez, get your damn color correction right!....
I just got a Schitt stack and it's a huge improvement over the onboard sound
Have you guys been watching my family? LOL. Over the past 2 weeks we have bought Plantronics RIG515HD (with a DAC), HyperX Cloud II Pro (with a DAC), & an Audioquest Dragonfly black 1.5. We also had Astro A40+mixamp. Swapping between all of these on the same computer playing the same file, but mixing & matching the headphones with the DAC's & plugging directly into the comuter we found each device, for the most part, had distinct audio differences. The listeners were myself, & my 2 sons (that's why we have 3 headsets :) ), & I'm no audiophile & I don't think any 16 year old or 13 year old can really be called that either, but all 3 of us could hear distinct differences in most of the items. The Astro headphones seem to be incapable of reproducing a sound below 400hz or so properly & 100hz at all, so NO BASS AT ALL from them. The 515's & Clouds both sounded very good (including base ;) ) with the 515's being extremely crisp & the Clouds being very full sounding. The difference between using any of the DAC's & plugging them directly into the computer is HUGE & very OBVIOUS. I will never, ever plug another headphone into my computer. The DAC for the 515's is only marginally better than plugging it in, while the clouds are decent, but the Dragonfly & the Astro DAC's are brilliant. Both of them take something that sounds good & makes it sound great. All of that is a really long way of saying , if my kids & I can EASILY tell the difference, anyone can tell the difference. It is very much worth it to get some decent headphones & a DAC if you are going to spend any time using them on the computer.
no clue what luke is saying but isn't he so pretty eye candy overload 😍😍
Jesus Lopez gay
You forgot to say #NoHomo
I run my 250 ohm cans from beyer dynemic with my smart phone just fine.
i would suggest trying to use it with an amp and see whether that makes a difference.
250 ohms and you run off of a smartphone.
This hurts to read.
you guys dont understand what an amp is, it amplifies the signal, if it is loud enough, there is no reason to use it. of course I have to use my phone on maximum loudness. Also the headphones will not play like super loud but reasonalbe loud and draw quite some power, so usually i use my audio technica with lower ohms for travel cans. on the go an amp is not really an option. More often i use the Beyer Dynamics from my pc, which has dedicated output for 300 ohm headphones.
+Nils Wolny I'm saying that it hurts to run a 250 ohm set of cans on a phone. They would be much too quiet for me and likely would lack enough kick to satisfy me.
+FPSproductionsDff I was surprised as well how well it works on the phone
A few things to mention:
No - Audiofiles are NOT the people to listen if you want good quality audio. The only thing you learn will be how to waste money for absolutely useless shit.
DAC:
Most motherboards already have quite decent onboard DACs. they normally can't drive high-impedance headphones, but the noise-problem normally is no more.
And cause it goes so much against what most people think:
The dirty cheap 1-bit DACs are normally the best.
They have perfect linearity, and no distortions what so ever.
Amps:
If you have high-impedance headphones you will likely need an Amp.
The info here ain't too bad.
just be aware - tube amps is the last thing you want. less efficient, more expensive, and worse sound. They look good but that's about it.
Good amps can also be used to adjust the frequency response - but that is something most people won't be able to set up correctly.
Sorry mate but just because you think tube amps don't sound good doesn't mean they suck. As a matter of fact I would recommend people to listen to a nice tube amp before they purchase one to see if it is right for them.
Captin Loki It is a matter of fact that tubes are strictly inferior to Solid state designs.
The are bigger, heavier, need more extra circuitry, need a heater, need more power, are less efficient, have higher distortion, are not suitable to directly drive headphones (they are comparatively high voltage only), shorter lifespan and a few other things.
Tubes are nice to look at, and have some niche applications like guitar-players that want a specific clipping for cheap. But they are strictly inferior - the reason why no sane person is using them anymore.
While I would agree that tube amps essentially distort the sound and waste energy while generating a bunch of heat - some people actually like that distortion.
It sounds nicer to them. They add warmth and sometimes distort some of the harshness out of the recording. This is all strictly speaking inferior and less accurate, but I don't think you can really tell people they shouldn't like it.
Stan V If they like it - nice for them.
If you want to, you can still create the same distortions intentionally.
But normally you want your music to sound like it was intended to sound.
I like antique and classic cars. Despite that, they are still strictly inferior to modern ones.
Even if we like the old stuff, we should acknowledge the facts.
ABaumstumpf "just because you think tube amps don't sound good doesn't mean they suck."
Dude wasn't arguing about any facts. Preferences aren't facts. What one would normally want doesn't imply that people who want abnormal things are wrong.
Your preference for classic cars is actually a good parallel for what you're arguing. Imagine someone trying to tell you that you shouldn't like classic cars because they're strictly worse and you should always like the best things. There's a case made for aesthetics, and a tube amp essentially changes the aesthetic of the sound for something more "classic" sounding.
I just have one little disagreement with this video, not trying to be a smartass here but the maximum power transfer theorem says that output impedance must be the same as the input impedance of the following stage in order to get the best power transfer, on the other hand maximum voltage transfer is achieved by 10 times the input impedance in relation with the output of the previous stage, so which one applies here? any thoughts?. Great videos BTW Luke, im not a hater so please don't take this in a bad way. Keep it coming, cheers.
Can you do a video about different audio solutions for PC gaming/listening to music/watching movies? Like, if one would want to use a pair of gaming headphones for gaming and general computer stuff (Skype, streaming, videos etc) , while having the option to use a separate pair of high quality headphones just for listening to music. It seems pretty complicated to me when you have to connect two headphones, microphone and external speakers, all to the same sound card. Plus, I assume you'd need some sort of DAC/Amp connected to your PC, just for the Hi-Fi part of the setup. I'd love to be able to connect one amp to my PC and have all the headphones/ mic and speakers plugged into it. And then just switch to whatever device I need at a given time. Would a regular Receiver/Amplifier do the trick? If not, are there any more "elegant" solutions available on the market?
Just buy headphones with as neutral a frequency response as possible. That way you get exactly what your dac puts out without distortion from the headphones. Headphones marketed as studio monitor headphones are usually quite flat. My personal favorite in the Audiotecnica ATH-M40X, Very flat response for the price Of 80€.
Yes you should get a dac but an amp in not a requirement if you buy headphones with a lower impedance which can still sound great. I would think you could just plug your speakers into your Mb because chances are they don't sound great. But the way i would do that is just keep the dac on my desk and plug the headphones in when i want to use them. I have not seen any multi output dacs but i haven't exactly been looking for them.
+Torwulf games define tell do not buy flat as possible headphones. studio monitoring cans are the most boring as fuck cans you can get. m50xs literally cocktail slap your ears
+taief miah definitely *
*talks about impedance... shows a resistor - lol