Alright so let me explain. I tried to rap my head around the basics of high end headphones in a few hours and I think I have a decent grasp of it for the most part. I wanted an open back set for gaming, voice over, and music production so I picked up the DT 990 pro 250ohms. I get that they aren’t truly neutral and the sound is colored towards treble and bass but going into the purchase I knew that and am pleased with the choice. Now here is where I am uncertain, I have them running straight out of the motherboard and the sound is being processed by the onboard card. Yeah I know all about the circle jerk that condemns that by and large but hear me out. My board supports up to 600 ohm cans and the soundblaster software actually EQs it decently for my taste but I have a feeling I am missing out and that more could be had here. The volume reaches a fairly loud level and the bass definitely punches but I have to use the drivers to make that happen, with the driver’s EQ off it sounds drab and quiet. I am trying to figure whether I need to get an external amp and dac or one or the other to make it sound better. I understand that onboard solutions are never really gonna cut it but if the addition of an amp or dac or both wouldn’t improve it significantly then I don’t wanna drop a couple hundred bucks on it.
Gigabyte z97 Gaming G3
I used an external DAC+Amp and with the right one (I've tried a few), the difference is very noticeable over your motherboard, even the audio enthusiast MBs. One of the the key differences is motherboard dac/amps tend to drop off on the highs and lows. A good DAC/Amp gives you level output across the full range. Bass hits harder, mids are less muddy, and treble is crisper.
Personally, I've settled on using the OBJECTIVE2+ODAC REV B to drive my headphones. Have used stuff like fiio, modii, and various tube amps. Not sure why but the O2 seems to preform better than DAC/Amps twice the price. It might be the fact that it uses AC power, rather than DC like everything else. IDK.
BTW, if you get an O2, make sure to customize it and select "Standard - 2.5x, 6.5x" output gain. Would be a shame to spend all that money on a DAC/amp and not have it output enough power to properly push those 250ohm DT990s.
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Thank you, I just really don't want to fork over that cash if it aint worth it. What cans do you have?
I have a pair of DT 990 pros that I used to use directly from my onboard audio. I thought it was alright, just a bit quiet. Once I got the Schiit Magni and Modi amp/DAC combo (Schiit stack), I haven't looked back since. The bass is a little muted for my taste on some music that I listen to, but everything is crystal clear all the way through the volume range.
Granted my motherboard has terrible onboard audio and I can't speak for how it compares to yours, but I've enjoyed the change immensely at least and won't be going back.
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Awesome, after hearing that probably gonna buy that specific combo with the next pay check or two.
a DAC is usually just a compatibility device for people that want A. a way to route sound away from the onboard systems, thus providing a cleaner sound and in most cases, a USB option instead of some audio specific cables. and/or B. something to actually plug the amp into. i have mine plugged into a separate sound card that supports RCA cables, but unless your amp has a USB option built in, you're going to need a DAC just in order to use your amp.
then there's the preamp thing, which i've never found to be massively important.
Take what these motherboard manufacturers say with a grain of salt. I've ran my 250ohm DT990s through an ASUS Z97-A/USB 3.1 & Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming 5 motherboard and neither one were even close to providing ample power to these headphones.
Hell I have an SMSL SD-793II amp that is IMO underpowered for them as well. I plan on picking up a Monoprice headphone amp once they're back in stock.
I strongly believe that anything at 250ohms should get a dac/amp, or at least an amp. Otherwise the headphones can't reach their full potential.
I highly recommend the Aune T1. You can get it on massdrop for a really low price of around $130 when its available or get it for $250 USD. Its a great beginners dac/amp combo.
If you want a really cheap solution, get a Hifimediy Dac for $50 (Very good price/performance), and get a bravo amp for another $50 dollars. I haven't tried out this combo yet, but I'm assume it should be good for the money.