Headphone and Mic Setup

Hello!


I am so confused on which devices I should get for my future audio setup!  I am looking to get on Open back pair of headphones primarily for gaming and monitoring audio but also for listening to music (Rock and Roll and Electronic are the genres I listen to).  I am having a hard time deciding between the Beyerdynamic DT880s and 990s and whether I should get then 250 Ohm or 600 Ohm versions of them.  I am also having a hard time on deciding what amp and dac I should use for them.

I would like an amp and a dac built into the same unit and have a mic input if possible.  I already know what mic I would like to get, Audio Technica AT2020, but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!  Keep in mind I live in Ireland so any amps and dacs distributed form America or outside the EU are pretty much a no go.

 

Any advice and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

 

Thank you.

I don't know of any amp dacs that accept a mic in as that pretty much falls under the sound card category, amp/dacs do only what they are called.  Most onboard inputs for mics sound fine but to get an external hookup you would either get a usb soundcard or something geared more towards audio recording (some usb interface) which would honestly be a dumb buy just for a mic input.

I don't really know what is available for dac/amps but you can't really go wrong with the o2 amp/dac as its reasonably priced and very neutral. As for headphones try and get whichever has a sound characteristic that you like I believe that they have pretty similar frequency graphs with the 990 having a little more bass and treble while the 880 having a little more of a neutral sound, so it really depends on your preference.

I own a pair of the DT880 pros (250 ohms), and I can say they're fantastic headphones. However, they may not be for you. They're relatively neutral in sound, and if you are sensitive to treble, you may not like them.

I bought these headphones because they are known to be rather analytic and don't color the audio much at all. The reason being is because I make music, and don't want headphones that accentuate the bass, mids, or treble. They are studio monitors though, so that's their intent. The DT990s are considered the "fun" headphones from Beyerdynamic. They have, like Nihilyst mentioned, more bass and possibly slightly rolled off highs.

As for your question about ohms. 250 ohms is usually enough for the average user seeking good audio, but the 600 ohm models have somewhat "fuller" sound. More power driving the audio and all. The downside is you need to purchase an amp that can power such things. From what I've seen, amps that support up to 600 ohms are generally more expensive than those that only go up to 250-300 ohms. But the O2 DAC/amp is a fantastic option if you can afford it. I personally only use a FiiO e10 since it was only $75 and is sufficient for my headphones, but I can definitely say that it isn't the greatest thing out there, but you get what you pay for. I hope to move up to my own O2 DAC/amp down the road when I can afford it. Baby steps.

 

Lastly, the AT2020 is a USB mic and you probably don't need anything fancy to hook it up to aside from an unoccupied USB port on your PC. I doubt getting some fancy receiver or whatever with a usb mic input is at all necessary.

Thanks for all the advice guys!

 

I am currently looking for an AMP/DAC that can power 600 Ohm DT990.  The Monoprice Desktop AMP/Dac seems like a cheap option although I am still searching for the best bang for buck.  http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=120&cp_id=12008&cs_id=1200801&p_id=11567&seq=1&format=2

 

Again, thank you all very much!

You can't go wrong with the 990s. The 990s are a very "fun" sounding can. I wouldn't go so far as to say they have a V shaped signature, but they're good for what you're listening to. 

 

You don't really need the 600 ohm cans, but if you're looking for a cheap dac/amp stack/combo, look at the schiit magni and modi. They're the absolute best in the price-range, hands down/ 

http://www.soundblaster.com/X7/  <-- this thing is supposed to be coming out soon - looking forward to it to replace my giant receiver. probably a little bit bigger then what you were thinking of getting

Thanks for the link Cavemanbangs.  That seems like a bit of a beast for me like you said however it is not crossed off my list.  I will look into it further.

Thank you for the advice Standards.  I have heard of them both before and they do seem like a really great combo, however they might be a little out of my price range and they will take up a little too much space on my desk.  I might just go for the 250 Ohm version of the DT990s  with a amp and dac like the fiio e10k but if I have enough money and I get a bigger desk then I will try and go for a nice audio set up like the one you suggested.

 

Again, thank you very much :)