So I did a little research and picked out the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (250 ohms) along with a Fiio E10 USB DAC amp. I'm assuming I wont need a sound card to go along with this but I could be wrong. Right now I just have some USB Bose Companion 5's for all my audio. Will the Fiio E10 be enough to power the headphones? I haven't seen anything that says otherwise. I've done a lot of headphone shopping and have bought too many shitty pairs of headphones. I want a audio set up that wont disappoint. I mostly play games and listen to music. I am anticipating this set up will provide plenty of bass and clarity to the sound. I really enjoy punchy bass, almost that audio you can feel. I would appreciate some assistance as I am new to the headphone world. Also just to add, I'm not a huge fan of leather ear cups. It wouldn't be the end of the world if my headphones are but I would just prefer to avoid it.
A USB DAC/AMP will not require a sound card at all. It will appear as a separate playback device in Windows. The E10 is pretty much plug-and-play. You don't even have to put a CD in or go online to get drivers. It just works out of the box.
I own a pair of DT 880 Pros (250 ohms) and the Fiio E10 DAC/AMP. I have had zero issues with the setup, aside from the blue LED on the E10 dying after the first month. Not a major issue obviously, but I was still a bit disappointed since I dropped $75 on it. Other than that it feels really solid and looks nice, and powers my 880s just fine for audio creation (electronic music in my case). I game with them and listen to genres of music like melodic death metal and electronic music, and they perform well across the board.
The E10 gets the job done, for sure, but I would stay away from using the Bass-boost switch on it. All it really seems to do is make the bass sound muddier. I didn't buy it for that, though. It's supposed to be a good starter DAC/AMP for the money.
However, I would consider saving up for the standard O2 DAC/AMP from Mayflower. It's probably much better than the E10. I've heard nothing but good things about it. But if you've got a tight budget to work with, the E10 is probably your best bet. You shouldn't be disappointed either way.
As for the 770s, I can't really say much about them since I've never used them. I love my 880s because the sound stage they have appeals to me, and they're incredibly comfortable. I forget I'm wearing them sometimes. I'm sure the 770s are just as comfortable since they're built pretty much the same way. The major difference is that they use a closed design. You get better isolation, but not as broad of a sound stage. The 880s are semi-open, so they have a broader sound stage, but you can pick up on ambient noise much easier. I prefer my headphones to be more open, which was why I chose the 880s. Since the 770s use a closed design, they probably have more bass. You should enjoy them in that case.
I hope that helps you with your decision. Always get multiple opinions before dropping a couple hundred bucks or more on something you aren't totally familiar with.
Thanks for your post. I think for now I'll stick with the E10 for a start, then in the future move up to something better. I'm currently looking at the different Beyerdynamic headphones and the differences between them. As well as reviews.
If you decide to step up your game and spend $200 or so on a pair of Beyerdynamic headphones, I would highly recommend looking at the DT 880 Premiums. You can pick up an unused pair of them on Ebay for around $240 if you look around enough. They're normally $350...
That's if you decide to splurge a bit more. I don't know how they sound. They're semi-open though, so they might not have the beefed up low end you're looking for. But otherwise they're supposed to sound superb.
I have had a pair a DT880 Pros paired with a FiiO E10 for a while and it is amazing. I would suspect that the DT770s paired with one would also be pretty great! Highly recommend the FiiO E10.