I currently use HyperX Could 2s and am looking to upgrade. Ive got about $500 to spend in total. I want something that is going to be overall a good headphone. I am mainly a competitive player but also like to play some single player games and be immersed in it. I live alone so I dont mind either open or closed back. I will also be listening to some music. I was looking at the DT 880 600 ohm since thats what seems to be recommended quite a bit here. But im up for any other suggestions anybody else has.
Little bit buried here. Saw it figured I would chime in case you still were needing some help.
Alright, this is a pretty easy one for me to chime in on actually so, this will depend on your preference and how much you can tolerate Treble. DT 880 is an absolute fantastic headphone for competitive gaming but of course it lacks in the bass department. If you wanted bass switch that to the DT 990 and if you feel the brightness is a bit much on those two but still wanted a touch of bass you can just use the Tygr 300R from beyer. All 3 are fantastic for your use case. Tygr doesn’t technically need an amp. If your going to go with DT 880 or 990 go with their premium versions(usually read as “edition”) as these are the consumer versions and have a straight cable instead of the coiled cable. For an amp on the beyers it will depend on how much you can score that beyer for but lets say you bought it brand new price which is $200 leaving you $300. You can either go grab a Liquid Spark + Topping D10 or Liquid Sparks new Dac pairing, or you could take it a step further increase your budget by a hair and grab an Asgard 3 and Topping E30(or D10 again) and call it a day and if you want an upgrade later just use something like a modius for pairing to the asgard 3 as a stack. With the Schiit stack later if you wanted more flexibility in your sound consider getting a loki if you have multi use cases or you can always download PEACE APO or other free equalizer software and customize your sound to your preferences. If you want 7.1 surround sound look into programs such as dolby atmos and hesuvi
If you have other questions feel free to ask on here others can help or feel free to response or directly message me. Hope that helps! Have a good one and happy gaming!
hey man… I’ve seen some of the conversations you’ve had with other people and was wondering what it is that you suggest as a good build for the sudaras… this would be my first time working with audiophile quality headphones. I’m buying the hifiman sundaras and looking as to what dac/amp to buy with it… the purchases would be with the idea that they are of good quality and will last me for a long time. so spending good money on good products isnt a problem, but would like to save as much as possible if that makes sense… lol @Falenkor
good quality for as little as possible the standard $100 amps and dacs are pretty good. something like a warmer amp like a liquid spark and magni 3+ is a good pairing for a sundara. for a dac the topping d10 non s and the liquid spark dac is pretty great. of course spending more qill bring some improvements to the sundara as the sundara can scale pretty well. some step ups to the $100 amps to consider are both geshelli amps the eirish if you get a balanced cable is pretty great, and the asgard 3. for adac step up is the enog 2 pro, modius, or topping e30 for a warmer sound
so what would you consider the best combo for the sundara? i say that i could have like a 300 to 400 budget for the dac/amp. i was thinking about going all in with the dac amp and getting some entry level headphones to start and eventually level up… but the wifey just gave me permission to spend as much as i need to make the build last as long as possible. so instead of the dt 880, im going for the sundaras and just looking for the right dac amp combo to keep for a good while…
so any suggestions are welcome @RiceGuru
the asgard’s power is pretty great for future possible headphones and the added warmth does great adding a bit more impact in the lower end of the sundara which is a plusas to me and to some people the sundara can be a bit bass light. since your budget can handle it the modius is a pretty great dac . you can spend less but the modius has nice features like balanced out that can be used if you wish to go for a balanced amp in the future.
what kind of wiring would i need to hook everything up to my pc, or would everything need would be given to me with the purchases?
Eh? Not sure if your thinking sundara is better than the 880 over there… they fit in different spots. One is definitely not better than the other imo.
As for amps and dacs, I will second @RiceGuru here on his recommendations.
As for wiring depends on the dac. You do need some short rca cables to connect the amp and dac. As for the dacs cable it should come with one for the pc connection
the modius and most of these dacs come with the usb cables needed Im just a bit undure about the geshelli gear but you would be coax or optical I believe as it doesnt come with usb. . as @Falenkor mentioned you will need a set of rca cable https://www.schiit.com/products/pyst-cables which schiit also sells
so what would be a better option? ive been following you and riceguru and learning as much as i can, but honestly, its just so much information to follow lol. but i was under the assumption that the sundara’s are a better value for headphones for a slightly higher price bracket then the dt 990/880 and the hd600 series. im a recent pc converter. ive been gaming on console for as long as i can remember and have recently ascended past gaming headsets. lol.
i just thought that cutting straight to better cans would cut the hassle of making you repeat the same headphones ive seen yall mention… just tried to make it easier to work with me. @RiceGuru @Falenkor
or what is your stand between the tygr300r, the dt 880 600 ohm or the sundara?
Neither at that price point if your searching for a bright headphone. However despite both being bright they do have different sound characteristics, comfort, build, and driver differences. It completely depends on what your looking for… for example if someone wanted a bassy headphone or just something with a good low end I probably would not recommend sundara as that’s a bit of a weak spot… 880 would do better but tygr would be better In that regard since it’s a warm headphone. Make sense? It just depends on use case and what your looking for… they are by no means bad choices.
Well, sort of… for a bright planar sundara is literally amazing like I said just depends on the person and respective preferences. 880 600 ohm and sundara practically go head to head… no correct answer on which to go with as it becomes more of a preference. As for the 990 that’s hit or miss due to that treble its extremely sharp and sennheisers are fantastic for mids and there more balanced neutral sound however to some they sound veiled or the extremely narrow soundstage is a dealbreaker.
Makes sense and you seem to have the general idea on where to look budget wise… just keep in mind price does not dictate better in this niche hobby like at all… 880 over there can best headphones even in the above $600 bracket(not all) depending on a person’s preference but also just because it’s that good of a headphone…
Use cases
I prefer a warmer signature, I’m sensitive to treble but would like a little in my sound, I’m not a big fan of vocals so I am okay with some recession, I prefer an aggressive sound, i like my headphones built sturdy, I like my bass controlled and tight so it doesnt bleed, I game casually or I’m a mix of both so placements are important to me the more accurate the better, I rather run ampless. Tygr300r
I prefer a relaxed brighter signature, I’m not a fan of alot of bass, I like a very airy or spacious sound that creates an incredibly large soundstage, I’m okay with around average imaging, when I do have bass I like speed and slam, I like alot of texture and detail, I like alot of emphasis on my mids and highs. Sundara
I prefer a mildly relaxed brighter signature, I like bass but not too much somewhere around neutral, I like bass impact, I like a hell of alot of detail, I like texture, I like mid centric sounds because I love vocals, I like brightness but a good balance to my signature, i want to be able to game in both cases but an emphasis on competitive with great placements, I want my headphone built incredible sturdy, I want a bit of isolation but still breathable, I want a headphone that scales extremely well with my equipment and can really push some gear, I like my headphone to respond well to pad swapping. Dt 880
I could type alot more but I’m on my phone lol. This hopefully gives you the general idea. They are all fantastic but it definitely boils to preference
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@Falenkor damn… that was so beautifully described. Kudos! I guess now the problem is that because I’ve never had anything past a “gaming headset” it’s really hard for me to know what I’m looking for. It’s like telling me to ask what I need to know, but how could I know what to ask if I don’t know what any of that sounds like. It’s like trying to describe a color you’ve never seen. I’d like to be as bold as possible and ask for your most honest recommendation. I mainly use my sound to play games in huge varieties from cod and apex legends, to wow and dota 2. I do watch movies and anime. I do listen to music while I play and on its on. Luckily I have the budget to back what I need to get without getting to outrageous. What would you recommend to me? I’d buy and start with what you recommend and just change as I find out if I like or don’t like something. I guess the only thing that I can tell you is that I’m ever so slightly sensitive to high notes. I’ll catch myself wincing sometimes when my music is to loud and notes get to sharp. Thanks for all of your help. And you too @RiceGuru. I’ve come to greatly respect both of your perspectives and opinions from what I’ve read… very knowledgeable.
That’s a tough one not gonna lie. I think I would say the 880 would be the best bet as it’s the middle ground here… as with the 880 you can see is it too much brightness or if theres not enough bass / too much and switch accordingly. At the same time you can generally find good return policies on the 880, which I cant say for tygr since its direct from beyer and sundara should be bought around $250 considering open box prices(its better to buy the refurbishment models due to their quality issues)
Hmm just now read that one. Which headphone was in use during this issue? If your too sensitive it would be best to go with the tygr or something else such as nighthawk carbon or a sennheiser such as 58x
it happens when the sound system in my truck is to loud. I guess that isn’t a fair example to put out there since it isn’t an even trade now that I think about it. 3 12in subwoofers wouldn’t be the same in a headphone. Lol. So I guess just recommend what you think is best.
Go with 880 make sure you get the amp and dac for it. Edition is the one you want, 600 ohms if your getting an amp at $100 or more. Make sure theres a return policy just incase. That would be my starter recommendation and potentially an endgame for you considering just how good the 880s really are
Get peace apo it’s free for an equalizer on the pc and feel free to tinker a bit. Just be sure to add some preamp which will be a bar at the top.
whats a preamp?
and do you still recommend the asgard 2 and d10 with the 880?
Asgard 3 + e30. Otherwise just run something like spark + d10. Preamplification is necessary if you equalize the sound as by changing the sound itll need a little more power to sound right. The program peace has that as a setting and just downloads its software to the dac
got it… ill let you know how it goes… my asgard is on back order
Hey real quick. What mic do you guys recommend? At2020usb+, fox, blue yeti x? Or anything? Lol. Idk.