Any audiofags? (Headphone advice, pls)

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Hoplite

Hoplite

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Thinking of getting some new cans, and this time actually investing in some nice headphones. I currently have a set of G35s, but I'm going to ditch the headset idea and just go for the headphones on their own. I was looking at Beyerdynamic's DT770 80 ohm headphones and from the research I did they seem to be pretty decent. Good sound stage, nice bit of base, good for both gaming and other applications too. What I wanted to know was if I would need an amp/dac with this setup. I've heard a lot of mixed opinions on the subject from the trawling I've done.

I currently have no soundcard, so I assume if it'll benefit greatly to drive the headphones then I'll need a dac/amp combo (the Fiio E7 looks OK) or a soundcard that has the amp built in. Any advice you guys have would be fantastic, as I'm a little out of my depth with some of the technical specifics of all this audio-stuffs.
 
For best headphones, shop Bowers or Sennheiser. Don't buy Skullcandy or Bose. Ever. Or I will hunt you down and touch you in places.

Get a stand-up microphone if you can, headset mics have a shorter shelf life. I bought a Blue Snowball USB mic five years ago and I'm still getting the same sound quality as when it came out of the box. They were a hundred and twenty dollars then but they're only 70 or 80 now.

Since I noticed you were shopping Amazon, I went and checked the Amazon price for a Blue Snowball. 63 bucks! 7 dollars cheaper than the Best Buy price of 70, which was lower than average of 80.

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-White/dp/B000EOPQ7E

Now if you're like me, you want sound quality and good surround. Sennheiser is the best company to go to if you want as much bang as you're shelling out buck, these haven't failed me for HD/Blu-Ray movies or competitive gaming. Amazon price was 20 dollars less than the net average of 50 at $29.99!

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD203-Closed-Back-DJ-Headphones/dp/B003LRN53I

Enjoy!

I also have no solutions to your sound card issue. When I built mine I just had the guys doing it install whatever they were going to recommend because that's one field of computers I don't know about.

EDIT: Oh dear, you may want to phone about the mic. It's supposed to come with a detachable tripod stand. Mine's chrome:

6TAqa.jpg
 
Skullcandy headphones are designed for music, please don't buy them.
Higher price doesn't mean higher quality. I got a cheap headset and its good quality for its price.
Enemy has you covered overall.
 
The microphone isn't really important right now, but thanks for the information on that anyway!

It's pretty much a given that headsets aren't really the best way to go, as they're not often worth the money, and a lot of the cost is invested into the microphone instead of the audio quality of the drivers. I'm also looking for something a bit more robust that is going to last me and also is going to give me some great sound, which is why I posted the DT770s. Ideally I want something that's not going to be a pain to drive, but I'll be willing to shell out some extra cash on that also; probably just in terms of getting this soundcard which will drive the cans also http://www.scan.co.uk/products/asus-xonar-dg-51-pci-sound-card-and-headphone-ampifier-oem

Just a heads up also, I'm British, so it'd be awesome if you could take that into consideration if you have any suggestions.

E: I wasn't planning on buying skullcandy or beats or whatever else either, by the way. I'm not a complete moron! :) I'm also very prone to breaking my headsets, and they rarely last longer than 6months to a year, even if I do try and take a great deal of care of them.
 
It was more directed towards everyone who viewed, because Skullcandy are so awful. They break in weeks- months if you're lucky. The headset I suggested is the same one I've been wearing for three years (and a half almost). Dropped it plenty of times, nothing wrong with it, and it's also very, very comfortable. I imagine the price factor will let you buy a good sound card too (and help out with future budgeting).
 
I only really want a soundcard if I'm going to get some headphones that are worth using one. Even then, it'll only be a cheap one that has a built in amp (if needed) or a amp/dac external package type deal thing like the E7 I mentioned.
 
Ah well. Like I said I have no idea about soundcards but I wish you good luck and I apologize about not being able to help. :(
 
All sub tier. Every single one of you. Stay with the glorious G35 master race
 
dr dre beats i wear them everywhere and people look at me and think 'hes a cool guy'
 
the only thing youre paying for with dre beats is a black faggots name
 
Hoplite said:
The microphone isn't really important right now, but thanks for the information on that anyway!

It's pretty much a given that headsets aren't really the best way to go, as they're not often worth the money, and a lot of the cost is invested into the microphone instead of the audio quality of the drivers. I'm also looking for something a bit more robust that is going to last me and also is going to give me some great sound, which is why I posted the DT770s. Ideally I want something that's not going to be a pain to drive, but I'll be willing to shell out some extra cash on that also; probably just in terms of getting this soundcard which will drive the cans also http://www.scan.co.uk/products/asus-xonar-dg-51-pci-sound-card-and-headphone-ampifier-oem

Just a heads up also, I'm British, so it'd be awesome if you could take that into consideration if you have any suggestions.

E: I wasn't planning on buying skullcandy or beats or whatever else either, by the way. I'm not a complete moron! :) I'm also very prone to breaking my headsets, and they rarely last longer than 6months to a year, even if I do try and take a great deal of care of them.
Click to expand...
I've been doing some research on headphones recently as well. 4Chan.org/g/ usually has 5 guides a day. However, I picked up this guide recently.
www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-e...ide-updated-12-21-12-skullcandy-slyr-reviewed
Great headphones guide. The ones you're looking at is one of his favorites.

If you notice, he also uses some kind of 3d positioning amplifier device called Dolby Headphones. For a computer, a soundcard or DAC will do the same thing. I personally have a soundcard, and all of the ones worth looking at have built in amps.
 
He also comments on Sennheiser. They are kind of in the same boat as Bose, missing good subs. Also, from my personal experience, pleather pads are more comfortable and sound isolating than velour, although many people disagree.
 
When I see someone with beats I think "Wow he must have a load of money but he's still a fucking idiot"
 
I feel bad, because the majority cans that we sell to people at Best Buy end up being Beats.

"I think your daughter would end up liking these Pioneer headphones more, they're the same price and sound much better."
"But they don't look like beats!"

Skull candy and Beats sell because of peer pressure and teen angst that seems to like hip hop.
Bose sells because they're overhyped to everyone who has just enough time to type headphones on a website and search by highest price first and find the brand they know.

Everything else sells to middle class white people who want to hear criticism.

They're the people I like.
 
gamingcow said:
I've been doing some research on headphones recently as well. 4Chan.org/g/ usually has 5 guides a day. However, I picked up this guide recently.
www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-e...ide-updated-12-21-12-skullcandy-slyr-reviewed
Great headphones guide. The ones you're looking at is one of his favorites.

If you notice, he also uses some kind of 3d positioning amplifier device called Dolby Headphones. For a computer, a soundcard or DAC will do the same thing. I personally have a soundcard, and all of the ones worth looking at have built in amps.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I remember looking at that guide. I may very well end up getting a DAC later on down the line, or sooner rather than later.
 
I've read that DAC devices use better algorithms for their sound production..
Though, I prefer sound cards because they're internal.
 
The one I got.was the creative soundblaster professional that I got almost 50% off...stay away from that. Yours looks much better for the price point, though it's lacking the libraries required foe true 3d positional audio. Which is OK...seeing that hardly any games use it these days..
 
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