My current setup: Bayerdynamics MMX300 Gen2 + Arc MK2. I use it primarily for Spotify listening while working and playing competitive FPS games.
I’m thinking of buying Sennheiser HD 800 S plus a separate attachable mic for it as my “end game” setup and want to clarify few questions before I pull the trigger:
HD 800 S has 4.4 mm jack, while Arc MK2 supports only 3.5 mm jack. If I buy an adapter 4.4mm female to 3.5mm male would it work? Any suggestions?
If Arc MK2 won’t work due to 3.5mm limitation what AMP/DAC with mic support you’d recommend?
Well, working 8-10 hours a day and listen music for the most part while coding. 2-4 hours of gaming. Apart from FPS I also play single player RPGs and action games.
I went through loads of reviews and these headphones are considered having the widest sound stage, which certainly helps with positioning.
Apart from that they’re lightweight. MMX 300 causing fatigue and headaches if I wear them a lot. I recently got tinnitus and given they’re closed type it causes tinnitus to appear more often which annoys me af.
I don’t care about price at this point (with reasonable limit ofc) and just want to know if I’d need to replace ark mk2 (I’d prefer to keep it) or adapter or 3.5 mm compatible cable will do the trick to marry them together.
I do calls / meetings at work too, so having a decent mic is also essential. Due to this I bought mmx300 in the first place as it combines 2 in 1.
Yes. It will work fine. You can always like short balanced/differential connection to single ended (unbalanced). The 4.4mm to 3.5mm adaptor basically combines the negative of both L and R so you end up with 3 (L+, R+, G) instead of 4 (L+, L-, R+, R-) connections, which then you can run with any normal 3.5mm TRS (Ground, Right, Left) connection. It’s just that you can’t do the inverse (run unbalanced headphones on a balanced output). So this is fine for you.
As for the amp you can use what you have for now, and always have the option to upgrade later.
IMHO I always consider the headphone/speaker upgrade FIRST and then the follow-up. So don’t worry about the DAC/Amp NOW, of course you can just get the HD800S now, and worry about the amp later. You’re current amp will already run them fine - it is possible it may not run the HD800s to their BEST ABILITIES, of course, but even what it will do will trump your Beyerdynamic by a long margin.
The HD800s not being as loud enough or as best as it could, is still better than your BD running at its best.
You always upgrade the cans first, and then if things feel inadequate, you can always make changes to the rest of the chain later.
It’s like this: would I rather have an HD560S with a $350 amp, or a Focal Elex/Clear with a $50 dongle? The latter. Always, for me.
So go right ahead.
Can’t say much about the mic thing though as I’m not much aware of the options. So just for the cans, you have my opinion and recommendation.
Oh and I just read the tinnitus and closed back part just now.
You might find this interesting that I have since converted the following closed backs to open back BECAUSE of the damn tinnitus, fatigue and ringing (for me, it’s my right year): EMU Teak Monoprice M1060C BeyerDynamic Custom Studio Pro
I didn’t even care about forgoing the wooden cups for two of the above. Also, open back just sounds better.
Out of dozen cans (Sennheiser, Focal, Hifimans etc.) there’s only one closed back left, and that is also ported (modded): the Denon AH-MM400.
I must also mention that I have but one IEM left, and I don’t use IEMs for the same reason - I use earbuds, instead.
So I think it would surely help you just change over to a good open back instead of the Beyerdynamic that you have.
