DAC/AMP for DT 1990 Pro

Gaming Audio Competitive
#1

I have decided to purchase a pair of DT 1990 Pro after reading the forums for several hours. It seems to fit my needs the most. I don’t have problems with bright sounds and this seems like a good fit for the games I play particularly Rainbow Six Siege, COD Warzone, Rust, and Apex Legends on PC. I can change the ear muffs at any time whenever I feel like playing Single Player games based on my understanding for a more immersive experience.

I wanted to ask the fellow audiophile’s what is a good beginner investment into AMPS/DACS. I heard some recommending the Schiit Magni 3 as an AMP and the TOPPING E30 as a DAC. Is this a good setup for the DT 1990’s?
Also Labor Day is approaching in 3 weeks and was wondering if I should hold off on buying any of these products and waiting for possible sales or discounts. Thanks in advance!

I would also take other headphones suggestions if the DT 1990’s don’t fit for the games I play

#2

The magni 3+ is decent with the 1990. But personally in that price range I like the liquid spark with an earmen donald dac for the 1990 because imo it still gives the accurate and brighter sound, but reduces harshness which is good to prevent potential fatigue.

Going a bit higher, the schiit asgard 3 is a very nice amp with the 1990, an improvement over the budget amps and really lets the 1990 shine well. You could grab the same dac with this one or a topping e30

There might be some deals that pop up, so waiting might be a good idea imo

It’s a pretty solid headphone, very high preforming for your use case imo, I think it is a good fit from what you have mentioned so far

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#3

Sat here just waiting for you to type this up lol. +1. though no experience with donald dac love the E30 with it though.

well, more like overkill but still fantastic yes lol.

Yes actually, it comes with balanced pads which make it more bassy but you can also get Dekoni elite velour to make it sort of balanced out more… Suede pads are nice too as it brings up the bass and depletes the harsher treble.

Yeah, I would recommend the wait as well.

Just depends on how serious you are imo and if you prefer the aggressive approach that the 1990s provide. If thats okay then I think you are just fine.

#4

I saw you waiting in line lol.

My alternative was the DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm but based on the forums the DT 1990’s look like a long term investment. I want them to last 7-10 years hopefully!

I will definitely check those out.

Do you guys use amazon or ebay, B&H, headphones.com or does it vary based on lowest price?

#5

Pretty much all of the above depending on Price. I will check Hifishark to search for better deals from like head-fi, ebay, usa audio mart, reddit, etc.

Well, they both will last just fine beyers are build extremely solid. 990 though is worse than 1990 for competitive due to the fact its V signatured and has a ton more bass than the 1990’s analytical pads. DT 880 would be better for straight competitive though 1990 has a bit more flexibility in my opinion while still maintaining that large sound stage and very accurate imaging.

those or the suedes work fine… I own both for my own 1990. I tend to use the Suedes a bit more on my T1 though lol

M0N has an extreme amount of experience and good recommendations. When it comes to my own setup he helped me find mine. I figured he would generally have the same recommendation I would have typed up so I waited lol.

#6

Sorry I’m a little bit confused about the wording :roll_eyes: If I wanted to spend a little more would I buy the Schiit Asgard 3 and the topping E30?

The DT 880 is currently out of stock on Amazon but I might take a look during Labor Day to see changes in prices. Would the same DAC/AMP recommendations still apply for both headphones?

I can tell you two are both quite experienced as I was reading the forums all day and saw you guys in almost every forum. You guys are doing a great job

#7

well 1990 is better just in general but asgard or liquid spark would be fine here as well. I would recommend the 1990 over the 880 in most general cases especially if one wants both competitive and casual use out of it. I don’t particularly like the lack of fullness the 880 has in its sound. I just agree its very good for competitive gaming.

Experiened? me? Barily. Him? Ridiculous amounts.

Asgard 3 would be an upgrade over the liquid spark or magni 3+. E30 would be a good alternative to the donald dac.

Personally I would also recommend the spark over the magni 3+ for the beyers sounds better and deals with that brightness very well. Asgard 3 definitely if you have the budget to pick it up instead as your amp. Dac I cant speak on donald but I can definitely recommend the E30 as well for your dac choice. The only reason I would change that 1990 in this regard is if someone wanted a more relaxed bit bassier approach without a pad swap… which I would say T1 in that regard. all 3 are good. Would recommend from best to worst as 1990 -> T1 -> DT 880 -> DT 990.

#8

Yes

Hmmmm, idk, I think the 1990 ends up being something I feel is better for straight competitive as it is more precise in imaging and soundstage, but the 880 isn’t far behind

Yes

The reason I recommend the donald dac with the liquid spark as the e30 can get a tad too smooth with the spark, where the donald dac gives a bit more forwardness which is nice and doesn’t lean too colored

#9

I thought so, I’ll just stick to the 1990 for competitive and casual.

#10

I should have said that better… I meant to say compared to the dt 990 the dt 880 is better for competitive.

#11

Ahh gotcha my bad

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#12

Thank you for the suggestions.
This may be off topic but my current stand microphone is a yeti pro and it comes with an XLR Cable. Would I be able to connect it to the AMP or DAC or to enhance audio quality or is USB plug and play just as effective in terms of quality of auditory audio?

#13

So this won’t be able to connect to the setup you have planned right not, but it could if you change it up a bit. You would need an audio interface like a focusrite scarlett solo to hook up an xlr mic. You could grab one of these, and actually use it in place of your dac (so it would replace the e30 or donald dac), you just need slightly different cables. While you take a slight hit on dac quality compared to the earmen or topping, you do get a nicer mic input and more mic flexibility

#14

Come to think of it I actually just did this setup yesterday after I asked you about how to connect my scarlet solo. Yeah agreed it’s not -as- good as the e30 but works fine in my opinion still sounds great.

Would need an audio interface like M0N mentioned for the xlr otherwise you’d have to use the USB connection. Stand to gain better quality of sound through an interface for the microphone though.

#15

So it’s a decision to lose a bit of dac quality but improved mic input. Decisions, decisions

#16

I think I decided on the Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen for the DAC and the Schiit Asgard 3 for the AMP.

Is there any particular cables I need to purchase or are they all included in the packaging?

#17

You would need 1/4 inch to rca cables like these

https://www.amazon.com/PD-R1406-Dual-Male-Mono-Cable/dp/B017Y449LA/ref=sr_1_8

The focusrite should come with a usb cable and asgard 3 should come with the power cable, so other than this, that should be all if you already have the xlr to connect the microphone

#18

I will order that now. Thanks for all your help
@M0N & @Falenkor

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#19

@M0N @Falenkor

shopping
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asgard 3 rear 1920
asgard 3 rear 19201920×1195 238 KB

My Asgard 3 came in today and I need help connecting it. Where do I plug in the rca cables for the DAC and AMP? Do I also need to install any drivers for the AMP?

#20

You’ll plug the 1/4" cables into your outputs of the Focusrite, then plug the RCA connectors on the other side of cable to the INPUT on your Asgard 3.

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