Hey,
im looking for a new pair of headphones and therefore also a new microphone. The setup is for casual gaming, but also for content creation and possibly streaming.
Headphones:
I have seen that the BD dt770/dt880/dt990 gets recommended a lot. I tried the dt770 and the dt880 (only the low impedance ones, because they didn’t have the higher ones). I liked the dt770 a bit better, but the dt880 attracts me more because of its half-open style. Which one would you suggest and with which impedance?
Amp/DAC
What would I need to drive them? What are some solid recommendations that are not too expensive?
Mic
I did some research and found the Samson Q2U. I like it because it is a dynamic microphone, therefore it does not pick up too much background noise and its relatively cheap and you can upgrade/get better audio easily by using a mic amp. So yes, background noise/“loud” environment is a problem here. I also looked at the Rode NT USB, AT2020USB(+) and BD Fox. The Rode NT USB and AT2020USB(+) are definitely some solid picks as well, but yeah, I have a feeling that they would pick up a lot of background noise.
Generally, it would be recommended at the highest impedance available for the best quality of sound. What did you like and dislike about the 770 vs the 880?
it does but it definitely depends on if one is treble sensitive considering how much the treble is raised.
This depends on your preference between the 3 here. 770 is nice as it offers good isolation, nice comfort, great build quality, a large soundstage despite being a closed back, great imaging, and the sound signature is more of a U shaped as the bass and treble are raised with some slight recession in the mid vocals. 880s on the other hand are more of a straight neutral bright headphone. its semi open back so not as isolating, different kind of comfort, same build qualities, an even larger soundstage, better imaging imo, and the sound signature now has it to where the bass is right around neutral falling slightly under with the mids and highs taking more of center stage and being the ones raised in the mix. 990 on the other hand is the fully open back, lightest clamp and sometimes most comfortable, still great build quality, biggest of the soundstage, best of the imaging imo, the sound signature this time is a sharp V signature meaning the bass is raised by a lot as is the treble and the mids are recessed the sharpness of this headphone could pose sibilance if one has some slight sensitivity.
Depends, what budget are you looking to work with? Generally you want a little over $100, ideally $200, maximum $400. Also, console or pc? Amp and Dac are more of an investment into this hobby… once you have it your set for an extremely long time potentially never needing to really consider going further down the path in terms of upgrade.
ah, yeah I really enjoy samson. It’s the first microphone I started with before I went and picked up my audio interface. This is a fantastic cheap starter dynamic that lets you shave some cost until later.
probably will pick up some background noise as they are condensors, granted you can of course use push to talk this adds a bit of annoyance. Don’t forget to include the need for boom arm, pop filter, etc.
For amp and dac for 250 to 600 ohm Beyers we generally reccomend the liquid spark as a minimum as it pairs very well with beyerdynamics. It has a very unique signature in the budget range as it has a warm sound and treble roll off which helps smooth out that sharp treble. For a dac the topping d10 is pretty reliable just make sure you get a legit one their may be fakes still floating around fakes aren’t labelled with the topping logo just do a bit of research as fakes are really obvious to spot.
For a mic the q2u is really good for the price if you just wanna run a simple usb set-up I use a very similar ath 2005 it’s a bit of a darker sounding mic. But just plug and play and doesn’t pick up my cherry blues
The 770 had a bit more bass, they felt a bit nicer in that regard, but since it was a closed back, it isolated me a bit too much.
The 880 had less bass, but was a bit sharper in the treble, which doesn’t bother me too much (I own some Tin t4, so the sharp treble is nothing new for me xD).
I couldn’t try the 990, but it sounds like it’s not a headphone that I would prefer all too much in terms of sound signature.
I think I would go for the 880 then.
Buget is 100€ to 250€ (100$ to ruffly 300$) and Pc
ah okay then. I would agree with @RiceGuru suggestion if you can get your hands on the liquid spark + Topping D10 + some RCA cables to connect them. This will run you right around $200 potentially cheaper if you shop around and find some 3rd party guy selling his off. if your going with DT 880 go with the 600 ohm as its the most demanding but has the best sound. If you can’t get your hands on the spark as I know some people have trouble. Try the Magni 3+ if you can’t get that Switch to the JDS Atom stack(as in both it’s amp and it’s dac respectively). I know shipping costs and what not can be hell for those in other countries.
I will however, throw a bit of a wrench in here… You mention you like the bass and it feels nice but its closed back, yet also make a remark about less bass and sharper on the 880 sounds like thats not enjoyable to you. Perhaps consider the Tygr 300R in this case. It’s a warm headphone with treble falling between slightly under neutral and peaking above neutral a little. It’s essentially a remodified and retuned DT 990 sharing its characteristics but with a bigger soundstage alongside some great comfort. It doesn’t take much to power this headphone either. I will caution against the FOX microphone though as I think this particular microphone is trash and will make your voice much deeper than what is more realistic and feasible… its definitely not an accurate representation of the vocals and its a condensor so it picks up background noises. Not that it’s unacceptable… I just personaly find it pretty bad
Yes, if you listen to them just a little bit, the 880 just feels different, a little sharper, I might just not be used to it, but I wouldn’t say I wouldn’t enjoy it if I listened to them more. I will then look into the Tygr 300R.
I’m going to take a closer look at the Amps/DACs you two recommend and see what’s available here and make my decision based on it.
Ordered some Tygr 300R and im in love. They are really great. Same if not bigger sound stage, but definitely not as sharp as the 880. It’s definitely an improvement over my HyperX Revolver S.
Gonna need invest in an Amp/DAC later on to get even more into the audiophile/hifi gear/community.
Thanks again for the recommendations, it really helped a lot! @Falenkor