Hello headphoneGAF!
I could really use some help. I've been using the Logitech Z-5500 sound system for years along with the Sennheiser HD 25-1 II headphones mostly for gaming. About a month ago the Z-5500 gave up the ghost and i've been connecting my headphones directly to the 3,5mm headphone jack on the TV since then. Compared to the Z-5500 the sound is now really flat and the bass is lacking. So i've been thinking about getting a headphone amp. Is that the best option for me not wanting to invest in a new sound system with speakers/reciever?
My setup is like this:
PS3 - HDMI - TV - Toslink optical out from TV
PC - HDMI - TV - Toslink optical out from TV
Would something like the Mixamp Pro do the trick, or should i invest in something more expensive?
Isn't TV-out always 2 channel sound? If that's your dedicated setup, the FiiO E17 is likely a better amp. That'll make things sound a bit better, not much, but a bit better. You'll get quite the handful of possibilities to connect with the E17, but a bit more with the Mixamp. I don't get what the big knob does, and it seems it'll mix down a 7.1 surround to translate to any headphones? Might be a good feature, might not. I don't know.
To me, there are just too many bells and whistles. Of course, if you rely on voice chat, and you have a mic-wire that you need to plug into a microphone port, the Mixamp can help you out.
To me, the Mixamp has too many bells and whistles. It could be interesting with the surround mix-down, but games that have proper support for headphones do this way better, anyway. Just search up some binaural videos on youtube (try virtual barber shop). So I can't really talk specifically for the gaming aspect of it. I'd definitely not use the EQ provided, it just seems tacky. And boosting bass for media experience? It just comes off as too much catering to the dudebro and not enough audiophile.
If you'll use these exclusively to listen to things, the FiiO E17 is probably a higher quality amp. It'll amplify what you listen to, and nothing else. You can control the EQ yourself.
I use the FiiO E17 with optical (there's an included adapter from TOS->jack optical) for gaming every day. All my gaming consoles -> HDMI -> TV -> FiiO E17 -> Headphones. Pure bliss. I use them at every computer I'm at (work, home, laptops), too. I tried a handful of other headphone amps, and I didn't get a quality difference until I tired the E17, so it seems it'll have you covered both for audio experience, and for connectivity possibilities.
They're about the same price, it seems.
So guys I'm kind of weighing up my options here but I'm bad at making a choice
I'm jumping between the Sennheiser HD-600, Beyerdynamic DT770, DT880 and DT990, and the Phillips X1 at the moment. But there seem to just be so many choices out there I can't decide
I want something that will be good for a wide variety of music. The problem I'm finding in the reviews is that a lot of them lack good bass, and the ones that do have good bass lack good treble. I'd love to listen to something like Teardrop by Massive Attack without one or the other being washed out. I don't know if this is just audiophiles exaggerating though, and that the bass or treble issues are something I won't notice at all.
I can't really buy something I've tried out either, as buying online in Australia will get you about $100 -$200 off, so I'll be going in relatively blind (or deaf).
Anyway can you guys help me make a choice? Also I'd like to use it for gaming and music
I own two pairs of DT880s, and they'll forever be a part of my arsenal. DT770 is heavy on the base, closed, but lacking in the highs. They're not neutral like the other DTs you've mentioned, and lack clarity and a certain audiophile feel. They're more akin to M50 and the sort of good for listening to music-on-the-go type headsets. M50, DT770, Shure SRH840 are in that boat. Of which I think the SRH840 are best. So for that closed, base-heavy, but not neutral and clear sound, these are definitely awesome. The 880 and 990 are what some call "not bass heavy" and I like that. They don't overdo it on the bass, and that's not a bad thing. You'll experience your music in a whole new way, since it'll feel more open and with such clarity. It's sort of like cleaning your windows and realizing how transparent they really can be. The 880s do house music as much justice as electronica, from The Album Leaf to Miles Davis to Pink Floyd, they've never let me down. The 990s are open, so they might have a better soundstage, but I'd only consider these if I knew I'd always be alone when I'd use them. You'd bother people on a bus if you used them out, you'd bother someone in the same room as you if you used them there. DT880s are semi-open, so some leaks out, but if, say, someone's watching TV in the same room where you're playing PC games, it won't be a problem.
Can't weigh in on the HD600
