I don’t nor did I state this… I stated that in terms of getting to a more equal power and sound quality of the entry levels something like mayflower would be needed… which annoys me as hel is quite a bit weaker than the standard $100 entry level amplifier
Hel is alright I don’t like that mayflower offers a bit of a darker warmer thicker tone to it as thats my not kinda sound. Mk2 isn’t bad… but I wouldn’t ever recommending spending that much on combo units like that
comparing them lets se…
magni Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 410mW RMS per channel
Hel 2 Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 200mW RMS * M
Mayflower max Output (150 Ohms): 365 mW (THD+N < 0.003%)
Max Output (600 Ohms): 92 mW
Magni at 600 ohms 600 ohms: 215mW RMS per channel
regardless of how you swing it… the dedicates are going to stand out on top
im more annoyed in just how much money your paying for that mic input in comparison to the loss in power and overall sound qualities… the hel is around half as strong as the magni where the magni is a $100 unit $70 on the used market… the modi sounds cleaner than the hels dac and both are supposed to be categorized as $100 units… however modi too can be found for $70. So at $140 you can have that dedicated stack… thats cheaper than the hel… so your paying $60 for less power, less sound quality, but you added a mic port… that extra 60 bucks could go to just going to grab a dedicated microphone less your playing couch console of which throw a bit extra in there and you got a usb modmic
Hel’s problem is that it’s basically an very expensive audio interface, with dramatically inferior microphone input with the only real benefits being the better headphone amp, small form factor, and console connectivity.
Something like a Modi3+ with a good XLR mic input/ADC/Preamp/Phantom power and called a Gaming Interface or similar would be a great product.
I mean, theres plenty of audio interfaces with decent amp power to them they just aren’t that cheap lol.
It’s a niche area really… as I stated above… the mic input I don’t feel is worth while considering the price… if it was less than $150 than it’d be different
As someone with a PS5, my options are limited. I’ve been using a Soundblaster G6 but I’m looking to upgrade. In my case, would you recommend the Schiit Hel 2 or would I be better off with an Atom Stack?
Falenkor, first of all thank you for this guide. There is so much information out there and you gave me a great starting point. After reading your reviews, I believe that the TYGR 300R is best for me. Very good soundstage and imaging, but still warm enough to be used for casual gaming and other applications.
I have a question about amps though. You said in your review that they don’t need much power, and that the soundblaster x3 works decent with them. What about the other amps you mention in this guide, specifically the IFI Zen combo and the Schiit Fulla? Seems like they should be fine but I wanted to see what you think before I commit.
The real question is, do you need a mic, and are you okay with leading the mic into your controller? Are you okay to keep the G6 connected just as mic input?
If you don’t need a mic the atom is the clear choice. If you are okay with plugging the mic in your controller, the atom might be the better choice. If you are okay with using another device as mic input, like the G6 you already own? The atom might still be the better choice.
IF those scenarios don’t apply to you (as they don’t for me), I think the Hel 2 is the clear choice. No hassle with cables is worth money. I game almost every day, and during each sesion, I have to put down my controller/headset a couple of times. Every time I need to do that, the cable connected to my controller bothers me. Hence I ordered the hel 2 without any doubts, will let you know how it fares once I get it.
Be warned the UAC1 firmware update limits the atom dac bitrate (I personally don’t care at all but some people like to have the highest bitrates possible). It doesn’t switch like the Hel 2 does, so even for music listening you will be “limited” to 24-bit/96kHz.
I’m looking to sell the G6 once I upgrade. For the mic, I was planning on getting a mod mic usb and just plugging it into the PS5 directly. As for UAC1 and the inferior bitrate, do you think it will make a noticeable difference in sound quality? @Joost_Eijkenboom
If you are going to use a modmic, the hel is simply not worth it. The atom stack is the same price and has more power.
For the inferior bitrate, I personally don’t think it really matters. There is a lot of debate on it in the audio community, just look up MQA and DSD discussions. I personally think it is safe to say you won’t notice anyway unless you have $500+ headphones. But personally, I think a good recorded 24/96 file is just fine.
What would be your source of music anyway? Most sources don’t even reach the 24-bit/96kHz. AFAIK all common streaming services are still well within the 24/96 range, Tidal hifi setting for example, is still “only” 16 bits 44.1 kHz.
Actually, upon further research, it appears I won’t be able to use the modmic usb because the cables not long enough to reach from my couch to my system. So it appears I’m stuck with the mod mic uni and I can either plug it into the controller and go with the Atom Stack or go with the Hel 2 and buy a 3.5 extension cable. In this instance, what would you suggest is the better option? As for my headphones, I currently have a pair of Tygr 300 R’s and my source of music is Spotify.
So in your setup, where would the amp sit? next to your couch, or next to your console?
If next to your couch, the hel 2 is a solid choice. 1 long USB C cable (which can be very long without risk of loosing quality, since it is a digital signal) between console and Hell. You could run it all the way over the plinth etc.
If the dac/amp is going to be next to your system, you are probably best off with plugging the modmic uni into your controller, or buying a modmic wireless. 1 cable from system to couch is bad enough imho, you really don’t want 2 assuming you have a coffee table in between etc etc. Additonally, you might want to look into an amp with a remote control…
In the past I have used my AV receiver for my headphones gaming, and plugging the mic into the controller, and it just makes a cable mess in your living room.
Really, the first thing I would figure out in your situation is what kind of cables/placement you want. And whether you can be flexible there. People tend to min/max their system towards saving a couple of bucks, but using user friendly solution for years is also worth money.
both zen and fulla should drive them fine… fulla would be the weakest in that regard as it only drives up to around like 250 ohms of power and then falls short while others like zen drive a little bit further more so if the headphone can make use of the balanced ports of them. Personally, id say if your going to spend around $200 just go with a dedicated stack less your on consoles… you stand to gain more from them and you can just search the used markets and drop the cost to around $140 for the full stack. spark stack, atom stac, magni stack, maybe a topping stack all work well.
Tygr however, doesn’t respond to a large degree to higher end headphones… if you do not plan to upgrade you more than likely will not really need a higher grade amp and dac so something like a g6 or x3 or one of the cheaper budget friendly solutions will suit you just fine.
as I said in the DM, its worth trying others. I think a good alternative in this case would be trying one of the regular DT series beyers such as 880 or 990. 58x jubilee or one of the sennheisers like 598, 6xx, or 660s would be worth a shot as well… these are more of a balanced signature. If you liked the approach and sound of a penrose but had other issues such as comfort then nighthawk carbon may be worth looking into however, you more than likely wont be able to find a return policy or trial on that particular headphone. Warm headphone would be something like tygr but thats a slight V shape… the lesser option there would be like an x2hr.
all in all within like the $200 margin the beyers stand above in terms of soundstage and imaging performance. After that price bracket it becomes more preference mixed with performance
So I contacted Beyer to see if the Tygr 300s will be back in stock soon. They didn’t seem optimistic and suggested that I instead look into the DT 990 pros, which “are the 250 Ohm version of the TYGR 300” (direct quote from them). In your experience, are the 990s actually good alternatives for the Tygr?
PS I picked up a Atom stack. found it used like you suggested
that honestly makes me quite mad at them as that’s some rather poor customer service. The tygr is indeed the 990 however, it’s not exactly the same headphone. The 32 ohm 990 sounds pretty bad in comparison and tygr has its treble dealt with.
only if you can handle that much treble, if your at all treble intolerant I would say a hard no on that… Since you own an atom I would point to the 600 ohm 990 in that regard anyway as it has the more refined sound and atom can drive that
I received my dt 990 600Ω two months ago, pluged on my G6.
They sound so much better than my previous game zero, much more deep and "alive"sounds.
However, i feel something missing, i could have more feelings, so i’ll go for a true amp with my G6 as dac.
Due to disponibility issue (and price being a factor too) i’m going for a L30 but i’m asking about this one xduoo mt-602 (saw zeos review). Could it drive my headphones?
haven’t tried it myself but it should be able to drive them, though I caution against tubes for competitive gaming… tubes add distortion and warmth… both of which can get in the way of placements. If it’s for casual use sure why not but just not so much for competitives. L30 is a questionable choice as while strong, its on the sterile side and can make the 990s sound even brighter, provided your okay with that then its fine.
you will have to find whats missing then, lol careful with that though itll pull you down the rabbit hole.
Most likely with the 990s? its the mids your hearing that are missing as they are recessive. place it on the equalizer and bump up your mids see if thats the issue.
bruh i still cant decide which earpads to get from Brainwavz (the only brand made available to me rn). Which will offer a better soundstage and good imaging? sheepskin, micro suede, or velour? (all from brainwavz round xl). I just wan comfortable earpads i can use for my beyer custom studio (gaming and music listening). Can you also give pros and cons of each?
I use the Brainwavz Gaming earpads (round pads, OG designed as Razer Kraken replacements) on my SHP9500s. They do bring up the low end without a noticeable drop in the mids. I dont know what they would do to other HPs but the cooling gel is good enough for hours of gaming at a time. Side note they are pretty heavy pads and will add extra weight to already heavy HPs. Still a solid recommend from me just for softness and comfort alone but YMMV.
