How to Choose a Headphone Amp and DAC

[@vijeyv7890]

WTF why is choosing a new pair of headphones harder than building a PC

[@yungtraplord5460]

Vijey V for real

[@zBrusco]

Because its no math, its not a benchmark its not a certain thing, you go search dt990, one guy says its amazing, the other one says he prefers dt770. Just get a headphone that you read a review and you think it will bw great. If its not, return it. With pc you know you need at least 8gb of ram, you can look for a cpu and gpu depending on the resolution of your display etc. Just remember, from what ive heard, you are better off with magni 3 or another headphone amp than with those sound card things from astro, and creative soundblasting zxy things

[@cordia96]

Audio is more subjective than visuals. I would recommend going to an electronics department and trying on headphones. Then wash your ears with sanitizer, because eww.

[@21minute]

lmao!

[@Classikh]

Just buy some Philips SHP9500S's and if you game buy a V-MODA BoomPro too.

[@WAQWBrentwood]

"Threshold of Pain" is a good name for a band.

[@invertedv12powerhouse77]

a heavy metal band?

[@jamesslick4790]

Natch!

[@karikaroyt2689]

+Justin sénéchal UGH! No, Mom! It's progressive vegan slamming brutal blackened death gore grind.

[@calebrobertson5041]

Depends on how you define a good band

[@WAQWBrentwood]

A good name,not necessarily a good band.

[@austinflavio3457]

after days of research, you decided to move to Canada.

[@anothername8107]

What?

[@Dad-lu1oi]

I dont get it, care to come back and explain?

[@The7AceGaming]

I need an answer to this statement

[@austinflavio3457]

@@Dad-lu1oi honestly fam I have no fucking idea what I posted this for

[@ATK.]

Austin Flavio hi!

[@FelixTBat]

Just in case people are wondering why 10db is would be considered safe under the "threshold of pain", is because it'd actually be half the volume. Anything that increases or decreases in volume by 10db is respectively double or half as loud as the previous number. IE something that is 120 db will be TWICE as loud as 110 db. Please keep this in mind when looking at the "loudness" numbers from the headphone calculator :)

[@koanzx1]

nope, adding 3db is times 2 and adding 10db would be times 10. formula is 10 log (Power2/Power1) dB . Let's say p2 is ten times more powerful than P1 so we have 10log(10/1) = 10log(10) = 10db. If p2 is 2 times p1 we have 10log(2/1)= 10log(2) ≈ 3 (3.01029995664 exactly)

[@dracer35]

6 years later this is still good info. Thanks baby face Luke! 😂

[@briancaine9130]

Agree

[@parthibanarivalagan3119]

Going through the same now 😂

[@CrudeBrothers]

Great video ... just started getting into high-end headphones, amps, etc

[@hwah9484]

Why do you guys not upload alot anymore

[@76S30]

@ about 1:54 in ref. to Sensitivity, 99dB @ 1mW will be 102dB @2mW not double the dB. Every time you double down on power you only gain 3 decibels.

[@flos3328]

and than they listen to mp3 at 128kb/s...

[@jankristijan5889]

exactly download some flac

[@Whirlybird88]

@@jankristijan5889 This. Although if it's most typical popular music, it will probably still suck due to poor production quality.

[@juhanakaarlehto7754]

most people fail to differentiate FLAC/WAV from well compressed mp3. Especially at 320kbps which most streaming services provide nowadays.

[@jankristijan5889]

@@juhanakaarlehto7754 yes that's right but a good amplifier, player and speakers sure will make a difference

[@MrAhuraMazda]

According to ABX testing, most people cannot tell the difference between mp3 and "lossless" thats just a fact. That includes people with good gear. Unless you're a DJ blasting music, and even that is lile 128kbps vs CD quality. 330 vs lossless? Or even worse CD Quality vs Lossless? Total snakeoil. No audible difference. No human being can successfully differentiate 1400 kbps CDs with 8000kbps lossless. Regardless of $1 million equipment. ALL the "lost" frequencies are well above a human ear. A dog could tell the difference thats it

[@beatsprodbycm9455]

bro I just wanted headphones for mixing now I'm stuck searching up about dacs and headphone amps and audio interfaces I'm all over the place help lol

[@xXRoBiN21Xx]

Same 😂 just gonna get a fiio Amp for like 60$ and hope it works well

[@beatsprodbycm9455]

Absolutely peak ive been told to get a good audio interface with a good on board dac inside so if that helps you then there you go bro haha.

[@garrisonwhipple1289]

beatsprodbycm haha same. How tf am I supposed to hook up an amp if I am already using an audio interface?

[@paulm2467]

Audioquest dragonfly cobalt or audiolab M-Dac nano (dac/amp combinations) will improve any earbuds and virtually all headphones and they are both small, light powerful and very portable.

[@Tallnerdyguy]

@@paulm2467 Max limit on any USB dac/amp is 5v/1.2a. Not enough to power 250/600 ohm headphones.

[@dangerouspie0319]

Just be careful with this stuff guys. There's a lot of snake oil in the hi-fi market right now.

[@DueM]

Agree with you, always has been though.

[@lesvideodefelix]

snake oil? i don't get it

[@dangerouspie0319]

Warrox. It's a term for products that claim to do a lot, but most likely don't do much at all. It comes from when salesmen used to sell people actual oil from snakes, claiming that it was basically a cure-all. Needless to say, it isn't.

[@lesvideodefelix]

+Dangerous Pie thank you :)

[@karbehemoth]

Sony's hi-fi sdcard is good example.

[@TechGamesAU]

It's still too hard, just tell me exactly what to buy.

[@matthewdecker8739]

Music do you listen to? Open or closed? Budget and will you use these in public?

[@TechGamesAU]

+Matthew Decker yo. I listen to hardcore and death metal. Budget is $700 USD.

[@IcyFlame0]

+DylanDesign Are you looking for headphones, a dac and/or an amp?

[@TechGamesAU]

+nathaniel palmer is like something portable to use with my phone. What do you recommend? Thanks.

[@IcyFlame0]

Portable headphones? Portable amp or portable DAC/amp? You only really need the DAC if you don't like how your phone sounds through headphones or if you're going to use it on a computer/laptop and don't like how that sounds through headphones.

[@e.kent.d9561]

Very GOOD advise in this video! Also, I have an external DAC that cost $105.00 and it did wonders for the sound coming out of my computer (music). No need to go more expensive, unless you just have to, for your own reasons. We all have our own tastes. I concur with the rest of your advice too, from my own experience.

[@saintjhn8513]

Name if you still have it in you possession?

[@UnknownEAFCPlayer]

My 250 ohm DT 990 Pro sounds A-MA-ZING when I connect it directly to my 2 year old Samsung Note 9, but it's so quiet and tinny when connected to the 5 month old motherboard on my PC, so I need to get an amp. It's impressive how the phone delivers so much more power than a standard size computer motherboard.

[@soulfulfool]

I bet they are loud as fuck with phone haha

[@kaitsurugi3280]

This was actually helpful! Sometimes Techquickie leaves me with more questions than answers 😅

[@nederlandas]

Video for headphones, I like how the audio here is full of glitches xD

[@PolarBearBlue]

This video, as well as others on the channel, is a Godsend. Explained information in a fast and precise way, watered down to layman's terms so that none of it is confusing. Thank you and keep it up

[@TheBaken]

This is extremely useful and timely- I was just looking for how to figure out this info when your video came out. Thanks Luke!

[@aviadleibovich]

amazing video for starters. really liked it, but you can also amp up the sound stage by amplifiers, and obviously the main factor fpr sound stage is if the headphones is open back, semi open or closed...

[@tprice2012]

I love my Mayflower Objective2 ODAC combo, it just works and sounds great!

[@thomaswidter]

Subtracting the Freshbooks interlude, this has been a highly informative and helpful video. Thanks for making it!

[@PendragonNC]

So, if you spend more on headphones, you typically need to buy even more equipment. Logic.

[@prodjayweb3766]

So true 🤣🤣🤣

[@irun2sanaxox]

you don’t need to but you’ll get more

[@scottr7683]

I have sennheiser 558 + fiio dac/amp combo. Total price was ~170 for the full set. It's pretty neutral, and high quality.

[@SpineShank7]

In my experience, more sensitive speakers can actually pick up electrical noise from even high-end internal audio solutions. I have some KRK RP5 G3s and they would pick up a lot of noise from an Asus Xonar Essence STX that my Klipsch Promedia 2.1s and Sennheiser HD598s would not. My solution was to use an external DAC that used optical audio in (Modi 2 Uber to a Magni 2 Uber, in my case)

[@MindlessO_o]

For someone talking about Hi-Fi audio, you are blasting your sound effects to uncomfortable levels.. good job 👏🏻

[@axelanderson2030]

Welcome to LTT group: all the gear and no idea

[@deyesed]

Impedance is the reciprocal of admittance. Impedance is different from plain electrical resistance because it accounts for reactance, which is time and load dependent.

[@Brian-wy4hg]

I wear Sennheiser Orpheus headphones with my phone in public with no amp

[@Brian-wy4hg]

Jacinta Rule mad cuz broke

[@Brian-wy4hg]

Computexpert I would just buy another pair and have that guy who smashed my headpphones executed

[@Brian-wy4hg]

Computexpert I would get my hounds to track him down and have him turned into dog food

[@Brian-wy4hg]

Computexpert I can call them in from anywhere and they will come to me

[@Brian-wy4hg]

Computexpert I am above all human law. I can do whatever I want and not be punished. I actually was involved in the original making of the Sennheiser Orpheus headphones concept back in 1964. So keep talking

[@jzandlerpus4508]

DAC: Schiit Bifrost AMP: Schiit Asgard 2 Headphones: Sennheiser hd 650

[@mochidomo]

WeLL schiit.

[@Pommezul]

Good alte expensive german qualität

[@lmaoroflcopter]

Quality schiit. Been contemplating getting my hands on some of that good schiit someday soon but the schiit costs so much!

[@danielg.7176]

Sorry, i dont speak billionaire

[@thebatmanwholaughs219]

My setup is DAC: Schiit Modi 3 AMP: Schiit Magni Heresy Headphones: Sennheiser HD 660 S

[@nin6246]

It's nice to have an external DAC - I recommend it!

[@Zhiloreznik]

Audioquest Dragonfly Black or Red for more powah. Expensive but will work directly with your phone without the need for a battery pack or the need to charge your dac. Super happy with the red one with Sennheiser Momentums 2.0 over ear. But if you don't need it to be portable and just be on the desk there are cheaper options.

[@eastavin]

This is a very professionally created video. Kudos for that. Unfortunately the presentor is sharing misleading material on impedance in order to justify buying an amplifier. An audio source puts out maximum power when it is connected to a load that matches the specified output impedance in the specs. So when selecting headphones simply choose from the ones that match the output impedance of the audio source. If you do that no amplifier will be required and you save your money. For those that have a need to use a headphone with an impedance that does not match the specified impedance of the audio output the correct solution is a matching transformer. Such a matching transformer will have a spec on the input side matching the spec on the audio source. Also the spec on its output impedance will be identical to the headphone impedance. Then the headphone and amplifier will both function at maximum efficiency as intended by each engineer. So the best solution in all cases is only select headphones that match the specs of your audio source. This will result in the optimal sound, save you 💰 money and your will have less gear to power and fix.

[@mikafoxx2717]

There's a pretty big difference between an input and output circuit. For input you surely want matched impedance, but most modern speakers and headphones are designed unlike those that were designed in the tube era for matched impedance. They often use a high damping factor amp in the equations, so they can put several different impedance speakers in a box, and use that excess of current to excentuate bass frequency reproduction, acting like an inbuilt eq. If it were a "matched" impedance, the woofers would pull down the voltage rail going to the tweeters and compromise the balance of the two. Another benefit of having an excess of current behind the voltage is for things like square waves. It takes more instantaneous current to follow an impulse (especially with capacitive and reactive impedance) than the same slew rate in a sine wave, hence why low impedance amplifiers often seem more "controlled" by comparison. At least, that's my take on it having built both types of amps.

[@protoman247]

DAC: Scarlett 2i2 Amp: Schiit Magni 2 Headphones: Sennheiser HD 598se and HD 558 Mic: Modmic 4.0

[@BeatzPlay]

DAC: Scarlett 18i20 Amp: none Headphones: AKG 712 Pro Mic: Rode NT2-A have heard of Schiit multiple times now, is their stuff good?

[@BonjourMonsieurStig]

I also have the 2i2, would recommend. It's a great interface

[@nageorgiou2]

Amp + Dac: Fiio E18 Kunlun Headphone: AKG Q701 Mic: Blue Snowball My "Budget King"

[@nageorgiou2]

+BeatzPlay Some of it is, just do your research. For example, NEVER get the first gen Vali, it sucked. The Vali 2 was a major improvement

[@Ozzkuu]

DAC: Schiit Modi 2 Amp: Schiit Magni 2 Headphones: Hifiman HE-400i Mic: Modmic 4.0 IMHO there is no reason not to use external dac and amp, whether or not you are an audiophile, listening your components chirp is just annoying

[@Prodigy2100]

You spoke about the importance of an Amp having 8x lower output impedance, but didn't mention why. Can someone here enlighten me?

[@XandrowA]

Prodigy2100 Even if it's been quite a while, since you got no answer, here it is: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_divider Basically, if the impedance of the amp is too close from the impedance of the headphones, there will be a noticeable drop in output power, due to losses in the amp internal impedance. If the two impedances are the same, the voltage across the headphones is 50% of what you asked for. If they differ by a factor 8, you get 8/9th of the voltage across the headphones, which is almost 90% (not accounting for any inductance effects here that would change the ratio based on frequency).

[@brodieblain187]

My headphones are 62 Ohm An 8th of that is 7.75 how close to that number do i have to get? Is it better to round up or down ?

[@robotica34]

@@brodieblain187 Round down. You want an amp's impedance to be as low as possible.

[@pastoryoda2789]

Prodigy2100 what kind of piece of shit youtuber doesn't reply to his subs

[@RomeoYouMust]

@@pastoryoda2789 One who gets thousands of comments a day on hundreds of videos. What kind of shit question is that

[@M1ckeyD]

why can't I find any recent dac reviews

[@earlsteyn4458]

z reviews

[@Zillixdragon]

Chord Mojo+ Campfire Audio Andromeda and also recabled Sennheiser HD700 user here. There is no mention of matching certain sources with certain sound signatures... To elaborate, a DAC can be perfect from a technical standpoint (Tight bass, good sound-stage, transparent etc), but if your headphones already have hot treble for example, an ultra-revealing and ultra lean source will only make it worse. DAC's will almost always be worth an upgrade if you have say 100+USD headphones/Earphones. Amps are more useful for higher impedance as mentioned, but a quality amp can still improve low impedance earphones.

[@NullyBird]

The electronic static in your voice recording made me think my headphones were defective. Thank you for the headache I endured while testing other equipment on other devices.

[@charanpalsingh6535]

I just got a schitt jotunheim !! This schiit is so nice !!

[@sergiosokolov2521]

What's a good skit (swedish - same as schiit)? I'll tell you - a multibit skit is much better than a delta-sigma. Just try it

[@allisknu11]

I still haven't been able to figure out which AMP/DAC to get for my new Sennheiser HD6xx.

[@zak-ur6yy]

I have hd650s which are the originals of the 6xx and I'd recommend the magni Modi combo from schiit

[@zak-ur6yy]

Or the fiio e10k amp DAC combo for cheaper

[@hokayks4633]

GCSE maths: Its my time to shine Me and my terrible memory: no u

[@benp9442]

U mean GCSE Physics 😂

[@Dimo_dbx]

you guys are the only youtube channel that make good tech videos like this not like linustechtips xD

[@MMarz]

You know this show is made by LinusTechTips right?

[@bmedina000]

+MarzTV he is joking hence the "xD"

[@MoreOfVico]

Much of this flow over my head but at least Luke is a pleasure to look at as always!

[@gazm2k5]

The techquickie lighting and whitebalance is god awful.

[@AnCoSt1]

he looks so creamy

[@krimpymess]

@Who's Forty Two Just like we audiphiles care about audio, photographers care about color corrections lol

[@miguelpereira934]

Brian Morones nah bro anybody with eyes gets weird vibes out of it

[@LightningJack]

@@krimpymess Colour corrections are more viewable through the medium though compared to sound. The average person can probably tell the difference betweem good editing and bad editing, the average person on the other hand cannot tell the different between 124kb/s and lossless. I believe this is all down to what we've seen though. Most people have seen a multi-million dollar movie, not many have experience audiophile-grade sound.

[@lednerg]

I want a shirt that just says "TECH" on it, too.

[@KSPAtlas]

4:32 my laptop has these things on its built in speakers Oof

[@Tallnerdyguy]

That's why you buy external equipment and don't rely on laptops for mixing.

[@brendanhoffmann8402]

Just upgraded to a Matrix Mini-i Pro (2015), was using a $200 US DAC before, the mini I pro went for $520 US on release unlike the newer models with the fancy Roon streaming integration. (Which I much prefer thank you very much!) The upgrade was well worth it, much better sound in every way! The icing on the cake was picking up some Yamaha NS-777 speakers for an outrageously low price at a yard sale! In audio heaven now!

[@DarkPa1adin]

Do you have a How to choose a power amp for passive speakers?

[@slayerwasco]

Proper color correction has been achieved. nice job

[@PerishingFlame]

So, best Amp and DAC for Beiyerdynamic dt 770 Pro 250 ohm? within reasonable cost?

[@TheAshuV]

Lg g7

[@БогданІгнатов]

@@TheAshuV what is an answer?

[@soulfulfool]

@@БогданІгнатов he gave you bullshit

[@rezakhalvati6150]

Thank you. Finally an intelligent reviewer doing an intelligent video! I would love to get your opinion on the best possible DAC/amp for the Sennheiser IE 800 or IE 800 S. (I had the original IE 800 and I absolutely loved them. Used with Dragonfly Red & iPhone 7). Gave them to my son. Considering getting the newer IE 800 S. Questions: 1. Which portable DAC/amp is best matched to bring out maximum performance of the 800 S? 2. I am also more interested in the newer “Bluetooth” DAC/amps, for example, EarStudio ES100. Is the ES100 capable of bringing out the best of the 800 S’ performance potential? Is the ES100 more powerful, or at least, does it have the same performance level of the Dragonfly Red? Are there other “Bluetooth” DAC/amps that can bring out the full potential of the 800 S that you can recommend? Lastly, would you know if Sennheiser is planning to come out with a Bluetooth/wireless version of the IE 800? I truly look forward to your expert opinion. Thank you!

[@JJMza]

PC + Pioneer-hometheater AMP + AKG Headphones. I'm good with that setup. Having an AMP like that makes it easier to handle the audio inputs. For instance, I wanna use my headphones....all I need to do is connect the 'jack-pkug-adapter' and in that way my PC doesn't have to handle the audio input as that's all from within the AMP :)

[@swingstylez]

There's some great info. What I'm looking for is why some external audio devices are advertised as as a DAC and some as a sound card. (which of course, also has a DAC, I would think)

[@Youngsta0]

The FR (Frequency Graph) of Apples EarPods are actually quite good, however their max (sensitivity/power handling) along with soundstage could sway some to "upgrade"

[@AndrewSmith-yy4sd]

Nice review, i intend to get the FiiO BTR3 mobile amplifier, can you recommend a headphone that would work best with that to offer the best sound experience?

[@bananamustard1151]

Get an amp for your headphones, not the other way around.

[@x-techgaming]

RULE - For BEST headphone performance, you want a Damping Factor of at least 50. RULE - For MINIMUM SAFE headphone performance, you want a Damping Factor of 8. Amp output impedance x 8 = MINIMUM acceptable headphone impedance match. Amp output impedance x 50 = IDEAL (minimum) headphone impedance match. *Applies ONLY to dynamic headphone drivers, NOT to planar or electrostatic drivers. For headphones/IEMs up to ~64 ohms, buy an amp with output impedance as CLOSE TO ZERO as you can find, for best performance.

[@onetwo6039]

my computer came with beats audio, had my bose computer speaker connected to them and had alot of hissing. i connected my sony pha1a headphone / computer DAC and the hissing significantly lowered quite a bit and sound reproduction of bose speakers was incredible. A good DAC makes a big difference.

[@godtiermedic]

What dac to use with Hifiman Arya and Sennheiser Hd800 non S for the absolute most revealing sound from your flacs or CDs

[@jda457]

That bright t-shirt logo though

[@invertedv12powerhouse77]

I haven't checked the sound quality on the MSI z170a gaming m5 mobo

[@andrewskaterrr]

reposting for you I've had to temporarily move my pc and don't have my dac hooked up. My Asus Z97-AR's DAC is TERRIBLE. If I play Bad Bitches by Snow tha Product, the distortion is INSANE, it also doesn't get nearly as loud as my dac. Also my iPhone 4s, 5s, and 5se all had better DACs than the motherboard, louder and cleaner. I use Audio Technica M50Xs 38ohms www.audio-technica.com/cms/headphones/99aff89488ddd6b1/ The DAC I use is the Radio Shack Optical-to-RCA converter. The sound stage improvement was very noticeable as well. I honestly didn't expect much and I only bought it because my 1000w Gold Xcilo psu had some video display induced noise and there was literally no way to get away from it except with optical (light not electricity). It also supports 192khz/24bit which was mandatory for me with low THD%. The RS DAC is this but re-branded I believe. www.amazon.com/Digital-Optical-Analog-Converter-Adapter/dp/B003OND0N4/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1471393213&sr=8-6&keywords=192khz+dac I did find another version which is cheaper and has a headphone jack as well www.amazon.com/Digital-Analog-Converter-Optical-Toslink/dp/B005K2TXMO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1471393213&sr=8-3&keywords=192khz+dac I HIGHLY recommend at least getting one of these cheap DACs

[@thegatesoflogicx3069]

Not certain what chip the z97-AR uses, but most Z170 boards use the ALC1150 DAC chip, which I've heard is substantially better than the models commonly used in the z97 boards. It's still far better to use a DAC+Amp.

[@andrewskaterrr]

TheGatesofLogic x ALC892

[@taiefmiah]

+TheGatesofLogic x the audio isolation matters so much more than just the codec

[@FIGHTTHECABLE]

Have you checked the Gigabyte z170x Gaming G1? They use a way better DAC chip from Creative.

[@MrWalker1000]

there are like a billion different DAC/amps both solid state and tube amps. how the fuck am i supposed to pick from that?

[@dnd6379]

MrWalker1000 welp..... Entry level ones are about 70 buck and up, i have fiio e10k and a grand worth of headphones and it works great on all of the

[@MrWalker1000]

Imabitch what about amps/dac like tube or solid state

[@dnd6379]

MrWalker1000​​​ what i have is solid, what isnt tube is solid, tube and solids produce different kind of music its really just preference but solid is cheaper and prolly best for anyone also you can hear the difference on Z reviews youtube channel, zeos put a sound demo on, so check it out. For me personally tube sounds better because they are a bit warmer than the solids in audio quality i mean

[@dnd6379]

E10k is gonna drive almost everything without a problem

[@stormlord121]

MrWalker1000 Look for Zeos Pantera on KZbin and/or r/zeos on Reddit if you use it. That guy knows his stuff.

[@LevisL95]

My 250 Ohm Beyerdynamic DT880's work just fine with a phone. I find no difference comparing Oneplus X and MSI Z87 Mpower motherboard that should be "600 Ohm headphone ready". Now, moving on to my new Harman/Kardon AVR-255 home theater amp, I do hear a difference! More power on bass and a bit more open/clear sound (using the built in dac). But I'd say that the 250 Ohm Beyerdynamic's are easily passable for mobile use on the side. Even if you can't afford a dedicated amp/dac right away, I think you'll enjoy them still.

[@pimpetigo]

Thank God lol what about laptops I'd imagine if they work well on the phone wo dacs and amps then why not on laptops too

[@tredfxman]

Exactly what this doctor ordered! Thanks for explanations! 👍

[@lcs_crr]

M-50x don't need amps?

[@taiefmiah]

no

[@nextlifeonearth]

If you don't do monitoring, don't get the M50s. They sound as boring as cans can get, but with more bass and no soundstage. I don't get their popularity.

[@taiefmiah]

CapnTates exactly. No imaging too

[@nextlifeonearth]

taief miah And they're really uncomfortable for their price.

[@jdh8138]

+CapnTates I think the hype was around the older M50s, because they have more bass I think? I have a pair of the slightly newer ones and wouldn't recommend them for gaming because they aren't very good for directional audio. Music is better with a slight bass EQ boost (my opinion 😉)

[@VeselinMarkovic]

It's not a Techquickie shirt, it's Tech...?! shirt. lol

[@WhiteBoardFinance]

My dedas name is Veselin. Strong name.

[@NoorquackerInd]

I have low-end everything, and it is AMAZING

[@HeathWatts]

All of the calculators suggest that the Fiio M11 will drive Sennheiser HD800S headphones using either the unbalanced or balanced cable provided with the headphones. Thanks for this useful video.

[@Rflexion]

1:04 I HAVE THOSE ON THE LEFT :OOOO O.O

[@meeskuiper]

looking for a cheap amp for my Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro 250 Ohm.

[@BenjaminOienMB]

For the very best amp that won't cost you your retirement savings, Google: Massdrop THX 789 Monoprice THX 788

[@Whirlybird88]

Thank you for this. I'm currently using a JDS EL DAC and JDS Atom amp combo, but after seeing your post and looking into this Monolith unit I think I know what my potential upgrade path will be. And I love the way it looks. :)

[@user-zu1ix3yq2w]

I guess you could get a sound card if you want to save money.

[@BenjaminOienMB]

@@user-zu1ix3yq2w My post is for those looking to drive headphones such as HD650 and beyond. If you subscribe to the "sound is sound" school of thought, a moderately priced USB headset may give you some good bang for your buck.

[@user-zu1ix3yq2w]

@@BenjaminOienMB The impedance on those is kinda high. So I suppose an amp would be better. Impedance is a tricky subject I'm not well versed in. Some sound cards have an output impedance of 220Ohms; I'm not sure what pair of headphones would be a good match for such a high impedance. Some have 10Ohms (some sound cards have an amp built-in). I've heard really good things about THX 788. It sounds like a great choice if you believe an amp and dac makes a difference. As I understand it, headphones are the most important piece.

[@Erbilforever]

Does headphones with batteries help to like work the higher ohms required by the headphone ? if the audio source couldnt provide that power ?

[@nickparkin8527]

A tip from a speaker builder/ audio enthusiast like me, every 3 db you want to go up in volume you have to double the current wattage.. So a speaker or headphone that has a 93 db sensitivity, needs half as much power to play at 93 db, than an headphone.speaker with a 90 db sensitivity.

[@leploeo7145]

Nice thanks

[@EstebanUNSC]

LG V30 bam

[@inevetabledecline]

Hell ya. Love mine.

[@flossenking]

Bam boom pow

[@kiekko673]

Esteban Caballero What kinda headphones would you recommend with that phone? Thanks!

[@Tallnerdyguy]

@@kiekko673 150ohm headphones or less. 300 ohm 6xx barely loud enough

[@eliplank6423]

A useful episode !!!!!

[@geigster]

Very easy choice. Pick a Magni 2 and Modi 2 from Schiit. At least for any headphone in the entry point ($1000 and down). After $1000 (yes, $1000 is considered the end of entry point) you start to spend more on your DAC and AMP.

[@MrNeocortex]

Got the Schiit stack for my DT990 250ohms. They're a great combo.

[@geigster]

+ILikeHotCurrys Only thing I would change is from the 250 ohms to 600 since the Schiit Stack can handle it.

[@MrNeocortex]

+geigster I had the DT990's before the stack. Had it been the other way round I'd have definitely gone with the 600ohm version. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

[@nictheperson6709]

Actually, under $1000, you don't need a DAC.

[@rbrk161]

+Nicholas K. In some cases, maybe no. In some other cases, yeah fucking totally!

[@ashishsingh-mj1nm]

i just bought a headphone two days before video was released. thanks for making this video. now i am fully sure that i bought right stuff

[@WAQWBrentwood]

My "Serious listening" setup is a Yamaha A-760 (c.1982) driving Sennheiser HD-414 Anniversary edition (c.mid '90s), with almost any inputs, but often a "vintage" but still nice iRiver P7. or I'll plug in a Galaxy Pad for streaming.

[@obzen33]

go check out mayflower electronics. i have their o2 dac/amp combo and it's sweeeeet.

[@Kintah]

0:53 basically like beats...

[@Mandy-vd7yu]

I agree. they built cheap, and it broke easily, garbage.

[@ZEYDYTUBE]

My Logitech G633 states it is 5000ohms. Help.

[@somnia3423]

39 Ohm thats the actuall number

[@MarcusAseth]

I tried choosing a pair the other day for use with my PC, was going for the 880dt but then my head exploded when it came the time to choose AMP (constrained by budget) and figure out if I needed a dac, so in the end I got fed up and just bought a pair of gaming headphones (Cloud Orbit). I didn't found this video yet at the time, it would have helped maybe. The thing I don't get is why headphones manufacturers don't do partnership with AMP/DAC manufacturer to provide a simple package including all three that a noob like me can purchase and be assured of getting a great audio experience out of it. They all lost a client to the gaming headphones producers simply because they didn't made this shit more accessible to casuals like me.

[@stoppls1709]

it is pretty confusing but if you need great amps under 100$ that drive pretty much everything here you go: jds labs atom monoprice liquid spark schitt modi 3

[@Charlie-zj3hw]

I just got a Schitt stack and it's a huge improvement over the onboard sound

[@clay7840]

schiit stack + HD 600 or 650 = happy forever

[@Charlie-zj3hw]

love my Schitt stack

[@antonhelsgaun]

Hd600 are boring

[@balestre4141]

Once you've heard music through a DAC, there's no going back

[@nathanmartinez2630]

DAC's right! ba dum, tiss

[@jonnathan780]

Tube amp squad where u at?

[@linusesh]

Trum p bruh haha 2 years and nobody

[@REGNiZZ]

Non-existent

[@wafletfpv7419]

Have you guys been watching my family? LOL. Over the past 2 weeks we have bought Plantronics RIG515HD (with a DAC), HyperX Cloud II Pro (with a DAC), & an Audioquest Dragonfly black 1.5. We also had Astro A40+mixamp. Swapping between all of these on the same computer playing the same file, but mixing & matching the headphones with the DAC's & plugging directly into the comuter we found each device, for the most part, had distinct audio differences. The listeners were myself, & my 2 sons (that's why we have 3 headsets :) ), & I'm no audiophile & I don't think any 16 year old or 13 year old can really be called that either, but all 3 of us could hear distinct differences in most of the items. The Astro headphones seem to be incapable of reproducing a sound below 400hz or so properly & 100hz at all, so NO BASS AT ALL from them. The 515's & Clouds both sounded very good (including base ;) ) with the 515's being extremely crisp & the Clouds being very full sounding. The difference between using any of the DAC's & plugging them directly into the computer is HUGE & very OBVIOUS. I will never, ever plug another headphone into my computer. The DAC for the 515's is only marginally better than plugging it in, while the clouds are decent, but the Dragonfly & the Astro DAC's are brilliant. Both of them take something that sounds good & makes it sound great. All of that is a really long way of saying , if my kids & I can EASILY tell the difference, anyone can tell the difference. It is very much worth it to get some decent headphones & a DAC if you are going to spend any time using them on the computer.

[@prime2313]

Linus Tech tips is my favorite KZbin channel damn all I want to know is there a program to boost volume

[@NathanFernandes]

So basically the M50x doesn't need a AMP as it has 38 ohms

[@armLocalhost]

Actually yes. I have 2 amps: Schiit Magni and Fiio X3II, and also I am listening right from my MacBook Pro. And I can tell you that there is almost no hearable difference.

[@dackzy404]

Ohm doesn't freaking matter, it is all about how sensitive the headphones are, the only line up where ohm says something about how hard the headphones are to drive it the DT 770, 880 and 990, because everything else is the same.

[@Typhoon792]

The M50x's don't need an amp because whatever come into them, they force their signature onto them and don't have any real discernible differences from one thing to the next.

[@MusicRoxz23]

no but a dac is very helpful regardless, I'd still recommend a cheaper (

[@armLocalhost]

***** mein fuhrer is right. I haven't met any phone with a decent DAC and AMP. You will hear buzzing, ham, distorted frequency respond (low bass, low highs, etc). Get a portable DAC+AMP combo like FiiO's players, you can connect your to it using USB OTG cable on any Android > 5 and enjoy the experience.

[@kingnone6656]

but deez things don't got rgb lighting or say dullby digitsall 7.3 or have dragunnz on dem! !!!!

[@M4RC3L001]

Jeez, get your damn color correction right!....

[@TurboGlenn]

O2 ODAC from Mayflower electronics! I've owned it half a year now and it is an absolutely awesome product! Crystal clear and powerful, uncolored sound! Very low output impedance. I give it 10/10! Highly recommended!

[@ZaeBae22]

perfect timing... was planning on buying one on this fridays pay check! Thanks!

[@torrentails]

That reflective logo on the shirt was incredibly distracting; please don't wear that shirt again. Otherwise an informative and entertaining video though.

[@wolfetrax]

Luke looks a lot like Trump. Is it just me? He's got a weird tan and he looks a lot like trump for some reason

[@oldbalogna9926]

He just shaved and i assume this was filmed after he got back from mexico, but i dont see it lol

[@JohnDoe-uq2qd]

He looks absolutely nothing like Trump

[@LE0NSKA]

I bet that's future videorelated somehow.. channel superfun I'd guess

[@motoryzen]

Putting Luke in the same sentence as that NDAA/Rothchild untrustworthy pos Trump is as asinine as putting a tick on a healthy innocent dog. NO thanks.

[@QueenOfMud]

Hey back off man. I love your light purple hair and orange skin, Luke!

[@mjlopez6286]

no clue what luke is saying but isn't he so pretty eye candy overload 😍😍

[@OriginalCatfish42]

Jesus Lopez gay

[@Anroth98]

You forgot to say #NoHomo

[@NightlyMirror]

Everywhere I go, no one is answering my question - and it's a very simple one: Which impedance range is best for home recording with an HP ENVY m4 laptop, Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 and Yamaha MG10XU mixer for home recording or internet radio? At which end of the impedance range between 8 and 300 ohms do I need to buy? Thank you!

[@Threelives229]

I dont know what you're talking about luke, but the headphones that come with the iphone are pretty damn good for listening to music.

[@nilsw8076]

I run my 250 ohm cans from beyer dynemic with my smart phone just fine.

[@ThePrinceFDarkness]

i would suggest trying to use it with an amp and see whether that makes a difference.

[@FPSproductionsDff]

250 ohms and you run off of a smartphone. This hurts to read.

[@nilsw8076]

you guys dont understand what an amp is, it amplifies the signal, if it is loud enough, there is no reason to use it. of course I have to use my phone on maximum loudness. Also the headphones will not play like super loud but reasonalbe loud and draw quite some power, so usually i use my audio technica with lower ohms for travel cans. on the go an amp is not really an option. More often i use the Beyer Dynamics from my pc, which has dedicated output for 300 ohm headphones.

[@FPSproductionsDff]

+Nils Wolny I'm saying that it hurts to run a 250 ohm set of cans on a phone. They would be much too quiet for me and likely would lack enough kick to satisfy me.

[@nilsw8076]

+FPSproductionsDff I was surprised as well how well it works on the phone

[@ABaumstumpf]

A few things to mention: No - Audiofiles are NOT the people to listen if you want good quality audio. The only thing you learn will be how to waste money for absolutely useless shit. DAC: Most motherboards already have quite decent onboard DACs. they normally can't drive high-impedance headphones, but the noise-problem normally is no more. And cause it goes so much against what most people think: The dirty cheap 1-bit DACs are normally the best. They have perfect linearity, and no distortions what so ever. Amps: If you have high-impedance headphones you will likely need an Amp. The info here ain't too bad. just be aware - tube amps is the last thing you want. less efficient, more expensive, and worse sound. They look good but that's about it. Good amps can also be used to adjust the frequency response - but that is something most people won't be able to set up correctly.

[@captinloki2628]

Sorry mate but just because you think tube amps don't sound good doesn't mean they suck. As a matter of fact I would recommend people to listen to a nice tube amp before they purchase one to see if it is right for them.

[@ABaumstumpf]

Captin Loki It is a matter of fact that tubes are strictly inferior to Solid state designs. The are bigger, heavier, need more extra circuitry, need a heater, need more power, are less efficient, have higher distortion, are not suitable to directly drive headphones (they are comparatively high voltage only), shorter lifespan and a few other things. Tubes are nice to look at, and have some niche applications like guitar-players that want a specific clipping for cheap. But they are strictly inferior - the reason why no sane person is using them anymore.

[@Voidward]

While I would agree that tube amps essentially distort the sound and waste energy while generating a bunch of heat - some people actually like that distortion. It sounds nicer to them. They add warmth and sometimes distort some of the harshness out of the recording. This is all strictly speaking inferior and less accurate, but I don't think you can really tell people they shouldn't like it.

[@ABaumstumpf]

Stan V If they like it - nice for them. If you want to, you can still create the same distortions intentionally. But normally you want your music to sound like it was intended to sound. I like antique and classic cars. Despite that, they are still strictly inferior to modern ones. Even if we like the old stuff, we should acknowledge the facts.

[@Voidward]

ABaumstumpf "just because you think tube amps don't sound good doesn't mean they suck." Dude wasn't arguing about any facts. Preferences aren't facts. What one would normally want doesn't imply that people who want abnormal things are wrong. Your preference for classic cars is actually a good parallel for what you're arguing. Imagine someone trying to tell you that you shouldn't like classic cars because they're strictly worse and you should always like the best things. There's a case made for aesthetics, and a tube amp essentially changes the aesthetic of the sound for something more "classic" sounding.

[@audiobrew]

*talks about impedance... shows a resistor - lol

[@MoosePhorus]

Maybe headphones are different but in house and cars, speakers and subwoofers run louder at a lower ohm (impedance) so a subwoofer running at 1 ohm will be way louder but require more watts than a subwoofer running at 4 or 8 ohm. Same for speakers. Ohm is the amount of resistance so a lower ohm has a better flow of current.

[@Francomatas]

Yes but louder =/= better sound quality

[@MoosePhorus]

+Franco Matas actually no, if you have a speaker rated for high power, as long as you have an amp that can send significant power(rated power or more) then is will sound no different in quality. But quality can very from the manufacturing. If its made cheap (ex: plant audio, boss or kicker) then it will sound like shit. But if you get quality equipment (ex: sundown audio) then you don't lose quality over loudness.

[@saturnGEEK]

Any speaker has a limitation on volume. Push any speaker too much & they will not be able to produce a good tone. Too little can result in the same thing. Higher quality speakers only increase the optimal performance range. That's it. Majority don't care anyway.

[@DragoMorke]

Is it really necessary to calculate your dac/amp needs exactly? When it comes to videos on dac/amplifiers this video is the first to suggest to calculate. Directly from the integrated soundcard or phone both my HyperX Cloud and Soundmagic E80s sound stale especially in the base. All it takes for the sounds to come out - especially the base - much nicer is a cheap usb headset converter/soundcard like the Logitech G330. I guess thats nothing proper, but it does make a big difference. I'd be interested in something higher quality, but that still allows to also have a mic in so it can be used as a headset.

[@angelji2158]

Hello. I tell you, I'm new to the hi-res world, I love listening to music but I have many doubts and I hope you can help me. I listen to tidal music with aac quality 320 kbps, from the iphone 6s with the Shure SE315 headphones and in the car. I would like to make a leap in sound quality. I'm quite confused, since I've never heard music from a DAC and I do not know if there will be a lot of quality difference with the iphone. I'm looking at these options, buy the Fiio M7 and use it with tidal or take a DAC Fiio Q1 II to connect it to the phone. regards