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DAC/Amp for DT990 pro

sanderr2002

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Hey,
I am new here so please tell me if this is the wrong subforum.
I just bought the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro. But I still need an Amp for it.
What DAC/Amp combo would you suggest for around €100? (I live in the Netherlands.)
Is the Fiio K3 powerful enough? Maybe the Fiio E10k?
 

bravomail

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Fiio K3 did really weak amplification showing. Easier to get? Aliexpress sends to Europe. Maybe some brits will have say. DACMagic, Chord and such - I only really know Chinese and US products.
 
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sanderr2002

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Fiio K3 did really weak amplification showing. Easier to get? Aliexpress sends to Europe. Maybe some brits will have say. DACMagic, Chord and such - I only really know Chinese and US products.
The Fiio E10k should perform better with higher impedance, right?
I am not really comfortable with ordering a product of around €100,- from Aliexpres.
I could get it from amazon.de, but I don't know how they handle returns/warranty from the Netherlands.

Edit: I am leaning a lot towards Fiio because of the price, size, design and bass boost switch.
 
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sanderr2002

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This FIIO (like the Q1mkII) doesn't put out much power unless you use balanced cables and its balanced output. I don't know your headphones, but if you can't go balanced I'd avoid.
The Fiio E10k is an older model and doesn't have a balanced output.
 

solderdude

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I assume its the 250 Ohm version ?

The E10k puts out max 2.6V = 30mW in 250 Ohm
This will get you to 108dB peak levels, this seems loud but they are peaks.
This means average 95 average levels can be reached which is good enough for most circumstances but will be a bit short when playing loud.
The DT990 is rated for 100mW which is only 5dB louder.
Of course this rating is continuous so when playing music you could feed it short 1W peaks...

An alternative could be the Fulla which would reach 50mW which will give you 2dB more power but the FiiO is better looking.
 
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sanderr2002

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I assume its the 250 Ohm version ?

The E10k puts out max 2.6V = 30mW in 250 Ohm
This will get you to 108dB peak levels, this seems loud but they are peaks.
This means average 95 average levels can be reached which is good enough for most circumstances but will be a bit short when playing loud.
The DT990 is rated for 100mW which is only 5dB louder.
Of course this rating is continuous so when playing music you could feed it short 1W peaks...

An alternative could be the Fulla which would reach 50mW which will give you 2dB more power but the FiiO is better looking.
Great answer!
Correct me if I'm wrong. I used this tool to calculate the power needed (of the DT990 pro):
http://www.digizoid.com/power.php

I filled in 250 for the impedance and 96 DB SPL/mW.
The output is: 25,2 mW for 110 DB.

Edit: Does "not enough power" impact sound quality or just the loudness?
 
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sanderr2002

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What do you guys think about the dac-x6? (Compared to the E10K)

It's not for sale in the Netherlands and shipping time is long. Is it worth it? Or should I just buy the E10k?
 

Artem_ALI

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My choice of dac/amp for dt990 pro is a Mayflower Objective-2. I had to set the correct settings in windows to work normally. the bitrate/frequency output up to 24/96 and everything will be OK. The sound is much nicer than the standard one. There are still other options for dac/amp for dt990 in the review
 

Magnifico

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I don´t think the E10K is suitable for HPs with 250ohms.
It´s Okay for anything up to 80ohms max I think.
Not enough power has it´s ways into the sound quality of course.
Problem is the power....those integrated things usually don´t have beefy HP amps.

So I´d sugguest TWO devices.

1. SMSL M100
2. Sabaj pha2

alternative dac is a S.M.S.L Sanskrit 10th. (77€)
Can´t think something decent cheaper than that.
Maybe lucky shot on a Khadas board ?

I´ts a bit more....but way up in quality.

The higher price is easily justified with the huge quality boost.
Of course this setup has more power for headphones too. I´ve got the Pha2 here and tested with my DT1990s.
Get´s very loud and sounds pretty good but of course my main setup with SMSL SP200 is another story which is damn fine considering the price ;)
I had time and was able to get the Pha2 for 40€ for example But even the usual 60€ price is really justified. The M100 is and was always around 75€.

Then there is the SMSL M6. If you can get one for around 100€...good device too. Not a powerhouse though. But remembering it...it was able to drive my DT1990 fairly well. Pha2 is clearly stronger though.

Topping DX3pro is of course pretty much the best you could think of...but I understand that is out of your budget.

/EDIT: Then I found this one....but don´t even ask me anything about that thing...Information given is really good looking at the price.
https://www.amazon.de/FX-Audio-Verstärker-Bluetooth-Koaxialer-Schwarz/dp/B08BHP4JXD/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=FX+Audio&qid=1594602674&s=ce-de&search-type=ss&sr=1-3
 
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Rayman30

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Is this for a desktop? This may be the rare case where I would recommend a Sound Blaster Z, it has a good enough DAC with a really powerful headphone amp that will power those easily.
 
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