Amp/Dac Recommendation for Beyerdynamic dt 1770

[Spaghettipaletti]

Hi all,

total newb here. Looking for an amp/dac combination for my desktop computer to replace the onboard audio. Some time ago I had an Asus xonar stx soundcard and subjectively it felt like listening to music was more fun, had more punch to it. Objectively speaking there are no issues with the onboard audio. Currently I am driving them at 30% - 50% of max volume in windows?

My Budget is 150€ max, I will not be moving to balanced headphones or modding the dt 1770 in the near future. No external volume knob necessary.

Currently stuck on these three:
- Topping dx1 for 65€
- Fiio k11 for 100€
- Fosi ZH3 for 150€

I remember ground loop being an issue on my setup with a really cheap device back then? Even though amp and Computer were supplied from the same outlet. But I also bought one of those plugs which solved the issues, no idea if that is important here? Whether I should be prefering one of the Usb options?

 

[DVDdoug]

Some time ago I had an Asus xonar stx soundcard and subjectively it felt like listening to music was more fun, had more punch to it.

Whatever that means... It's NOT the electronics.. It could be EQ, or different headphones will sound different. Or sometimes we perceive all kinds of differences when the only real difference is loudness.

The electronics ONLY affect noise (hum hiss or whine in the background), frequency response, and distortion. Sometimes there is audible noise but frequency response is usually flat over the audio range (ignoring EQ/tone controls) and distortion is normally inaudible unless you overdrive an amplifier (or something) into clipping. Headphones or speakers in a room are far more imperfect and it's mostly frequency response. (See Audiophoolery.)

I will not be moving to balanced headphones

That's just a gimmick anyway. Often you get twice the voltage (depending on the circuit) which is 6dB louder but there are easier ways to get double the voltage (or more).

I remember ground loop being an issue on my setup with a really cheap device back then?

It probably wasn't because it was a "cheap device". Luckily, ground loop problems are rare but they can be difficult to solve.

or modding the dt 1770

I'd only recommend that if you have before and after measurements (frequency response) and you know what you're after. Most hobbyists doing that kind of thing don't have a proper (expensive) test set-up to make those measurements so you'll probably just get meaningless-flowery-poetic (and biased) descriptions of the "improvement".

...Personally, I wouldn't attempt a modification. If I wanted better/different sound I'd buy different headphones. And that doesn't necessarily mean spending more money. With headphones (unlike speakers) there is very little correlation between sound quality and price. There are excellent headphones for a couple hundred dollars and bad-sounding headphones for more than a thousand!

 

[Aryzon]

Hi all,

total newb here. Looking for an amp/dac combination for my desktop computer to replace the onboard audio. Some time ago I had an Asus xonar stx soundcard and subjectively it felt like listening to music was more fun, had more punch to it. Objectively speaking there are no issues with the onboard audio. Currently I am driving them at 30% - 50% of max volume in windows?

My Budget is 150€ max, I will not be moving to balanced headphones or modding the dt 1770 in the near future. No external volume knob necessary.

Currently stuck on these three:
- Topping dx1 for 65€
- Fiio k11 for 100€
- Fosi ZH3 for 150€

I remember ground loop being an issue on my setup with a really cheap device back then? Even though amp and Computer were supplied from the same outlet. But I also bought one of those plugs which solved the issues, no idea if that is important here? Whether I should be prefering one of the Usb options?

Fiio K11 has issues with it's optical output where it will randomly briefly reduce the volume. Found out the hard way, so even at 100 EUR I'd recommend against it. Power and soundwise however it's not bad.

If you want to save money I recommend just getting the Fiio KA11 dongle. It will have enough power for your Beyers with plenty of room for EQ.

 

[Libette]

Maybe Fosi K7? Sounds warmer bit then my SB Ae-9 so that might help little bit with elevated trebles.