Need help on headphone amp

Wanna get my future headphones (Beyer 770 Pro/80) powered nicely, but I'm getting overwhelmed with info on Head-fi, can't find simple explanation to it all

My laptop is a desktop replacement, so are my headphones and the future amp, so they will stay in place for good.
I can't figure out what I need, I know there's amp, I know there's dac ? i'm guessing it's not one and the same ?
Then there's features like dolby and probably something else I don't know about.

Anyone willing to spend some time with me, cuz I'm getting frustrated how much info there is to this Budget probably up to $150

 

For 150 I would get nothing other than an Echo AudioFire2. The only downside is that it uses firewire instead of USB, but that is part of the reason it performs so well.

It is a DAC, which means Digital-Audio-Converter. Its what takes the digital signal from your PC and changes it to voltages that make an analog line level signal. But it also has a built in headphone and with a volume knob right on the front.

I've spent much more money on cards that don't perform as nice as that one does, it is professional grade equipment and it sounds like it.

And it looks half decent, which is surprisingly difficult to find in most professional grade sound equipment.

The store I linked to will price match and beat nearly any other competitor, and they have a 30-day return policy with no stocking fee's. I've bought and returned many items from them no hassle.

Edit: Because you are using a notebook you will have to use the provided wall wart power adapter for the Echo. Even if you go the route of a expresscard firewire(which I suggest for best performance) then you will probably still need to get power from the wall for it as most of them don't have a true powered 6-pin firewire port.

 

if your willing to stretch your budget a little you can get a FiiO E7 and E9 bundle for only 189.99$, the E7 will act as a DAC and the E9 will be your desktop AMP, i a m currently using this combination with my Sennheiser HD650 and i absolutely am in love with it. this AMP provides so much juice for my high end demanding cans that i never go above 40% volume at the most. also another plus side with this setup is if you decide you need an portable DAC/AMP you can use undock the E7 from the E9 and use it with your portable MP3 player

 

Assuming you're using it solely with your laptop, then the NuForce uDAC2-HP ($99) should be sufficient for your needs and fit within your price range.

 

What about the Astro Mixamp ? I saw few mentions of it on Head-fi ?

Mixamp Pro | 7.1 Dolby Digital Mixamp | AstroGaming.com

Edit.
Just bought Fiio E9 as amazon has price error and seems to be selling for $28, we'll see what will happen, hopefully I will get e9.
http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Desktop-...72FY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321278459&sr=8-1

 

I'll try to explain what I know. There are three things you mention in this thread:

1) DAC = Digital-to-Audio Converter. This takes the audio from your computer (in a digital format) and converts it into a format that plays over your headphones (analog format).

This DAC job is typically handled by your sound card / onboard sound. However, some audio purists will choose to buy a separate aftermarket DAC, because they feel that aftermarket DAC produces better sound quality than their sound card / onboard sound.


2) Headphone Amplifier (amp) - This device does two jobs. The first job is that it provides higher possible volume for your headphones. The second job is that it delivers that higher possible volume at greater audio quality than the cheap built-in amplifiers on MP3 players or computer sound cards / onboard sound.

Audio purists tend to like headphone amplifiers because the headphone amplifier itself will tend to subtly influence the sound signature (by emphasizing warmth, clarity, bass, etc). They also like headphone amplifiers because it is quite common for high-end headphones to have high impedance, and therefore require the extra power that a headphone amplifier delivers to listen at acceptable volumes.



3) Dolby Headphone Support - This is a completely separate feature, which tries to emulate directional (surround) sound in a pair of 2.0 stereo headphones.

Humans perceive directional sound because the sound hits one ear slightly before it hits the other ear (a sound coming from your right will enter the right ear, and then enter your left ear). The sound also echos / reflects off of surfaces like your earlobes, walls, the ground, ceiling, etc. Your brain uses the slight difference in left-ear / right-ear timing, and the echo, to determine directional audio.

This directional sound effect is relatively easy to replicate in a 5.1 surround speaker setup, because sound from a single speaker will actually enter both ears (albeit with different timings and echos). This directional sound effect is hard to replicate in 2.0 stereo headphone speakers, because sound going into one ear (right) will never be heard by the other ear (left).

Dolby Headphone is a software algorithm that tries to overcome this. Dolby Headphone takes an audio signal intended for a 5.1 surround speaker setup, calculates what the human ear SHOULD be hearing in the left/right ears, and then sends that calculated sound into your 2.0 stereo headphones.

The practical application for Dolby Headphone support is when you're playing games or watching movies using 2.0 stereo headphones, but still want the surround sound effect you would get from a 5.1 surround speaker setup. Audio purists tend to dislike Dolby Headphone support for music, because it alters the way that the music sounds. But then again, audio purists (including many of the people on Head-Fi.org forums) tend to focus solely on music, and have very little interest in gaming or watching movies. Just be aware that your audio needs as a computer user, may be different than the needs of an audio purist looking for the best music-listening experience.



What does this all mean?

The recommendations so far in this thread are:

* The Echo AudioFire series mentioned by Syndrome is a combination of a Firewire-based DAC and headphone amplifier combined in one device.

* The Astro Mixamp Pro mentioned by Sumik is a combination of a USB-based DAC, headphone amplifier, and Dolby Headphone processor in a single device.

* The Fiio E7 is a portable-sized USB-based DAC and headphone amplifier in a single device. The Fiio E9 is a dedicated desktop-sized headphone amplifier that acts as a dock for the Fiio E7 (which it uses as a DAC).



My recommendation is:

1) If you play games and want surround sound support, get an Astro MixAmp Pro for $130, and be done with it. The Dolby Headphone surround sound support far outweighs any other differences you could find between DACs or headphone amplifiers from other manufacturers.

2) If you don't care about surround sound support, get a Fiio E7 (DAC + headphone amp). If you want to upgrade to a better headphone amplifier in the future, get the Fiio E9 desktop amp to act as a dock.

 

the E9 wont work on your laptop without the E7 docked into it, because the E9 is just a AMP and you need the E7 docked into it and act as a DAC. so if you do get the E9 you will also need to get the E7.

 

The Fiio E9 can be used standalone as just a headphone amplifier. You can feed an analog audio signal directly into the Fiio E9 (your onboard sound card would handle the job of the DAC).

 

I'll try to see if they will honor the e9 and if zI receive the right one, if so I'll get the e7 after.

Otherwise you're saying that Mixamp would be good candidate ?

 

Well, the Mixamp is a good candidate if you want Dolby Headphone surround sound.

The amp you're looking at (Fiio E9) is just a pure headphone amp, and is intended for people who don't care about Dolby Headphone surround sound. If that is the route you want to go down, then there are better choices than an Astro MixAmp.

 

So which sound will be better e9 & e7 combo or something else that will produce dolby surround ?

 

SQ wise the e9/e7, dolby surround is just an effect and really only good for games and maybe movies.

 

Well I'm buying this combo just for games
What would you buy ??

 

If you're gaming, then get the Astro MixAmp.

End of story.

 

Id personally go with a pure dac/amp solution. I dont care for virutal surround since any game I have played has its own 3d sound engine built into the game.

I did like 3DCMSS from the x-fi card series for a few games like battlefield 2 but that was long before I had high quality headphones and a dac. These days I enjoy "pure" sound much more than any sort of artificial enhancement.

In the end it will have to be up to you.

 

No problem, thanks for the fast info guys.
I'll give the Fiio combo a try and see how I like the sound.

 

Hey all, very informative so far.
2 questions from my end:

1. ---> The E7/E9 combo, can I run around with that (aka walking through city) for better sound
2. I am thinking of getting a proper Asio card for my system (had an external for my old system but messed it up/party...broke...) - any thoughts on that? Usage is essentially music production, Cubase etc.

 

If you want portable get the Fiio E10, no real reason to get the E7/E9 combo IMO unless you plan to buy some really power hungry headphones.

 

I'm set with FiiO E7 and I'm powering some hungry headphones too 3500mW power handling and 53mm diameter drivers. I find the best setting is Bass 1 from E7 and 18db or 21db Bass Boost from Volume Control Enhancements. When you choose Bass 2 or 3 you seem to gain a lot of bass and dimm the voice and highs in exchange. In my opinion E7 has more features than E9. I always think of E9 as a docking station. Does E9 have more power than E7? My opinion try the E7 first and then add the E9 if you consider there's something still missing. Am I missing something without the E9?

 

I use a FiiO E11 with my Cowon J3, and they pair really well. (though the J3 is little too thin to use with the supplied FiiO band). A lot of power for a portable amp, and I can drive my headphones to damaging levels - or just enough to block out outside noise.

 

i notice a huge difference when i use the E7+E9 than with just the E7. first of all the E9 provides alot more power than E7. i am using Sennheiser HD650 and when bundled with E7+E9 combo, if i turn the volume up to 60% i can hear the sound coming outta the headphones 2 rooms away, if i turn it 100% LOL i can hear the volume from downstairs in my kitchen which is just ridiculous. the E7 can power them moderatly but no where near the full potential of these headphones. some facts here, the E7 is a GOOD DAC! it is not meant to be a AMP, even tho they say its a DAC/AMP the E7 primary function is to be a excellent DAC, and the primary function of the E9 is to be a GOOD AMP, so by docking the E7 with the E9 you get the best of both worlds. E7 will act as the DAC and E9 will takeover as the your AMP. also i notice a huge difference in the highs and mids when you change the gain on the E9 from low to high, sounds become much more bright and sound incredible, they are just PURE FUN to listen too, this is purely from my experience with using HD650 with FiiOE7,E9 combo.

 

Wow I am getting confused with the number of Fiio models... Can anyone sum this up?

So E7+E9 is a combo
E10 is portable?
what is E11 and E5?

Sorry~ im confused

 

Check out Fiio's website:
FIIO-Amplifier

Anything with a giant round knob on the front (E1 and E9) is a desktop amp.
Anything that looks like a small rectangle (E7, E6, E5, etc) is a portable amp.

 

I love my cmoy. Price, quality, and customization... nothing beats it

 

I wouldn't say nothing beats it, but a cmoy does has a good price/performance ratio.

 

Seems for portable it be best to way until feb and get the upcoming E17...

 

Amazon shows that a Fiio E9 amp that I bought a few days ago for $27 has shipped.

 

congrats solid purchase, and a steal of a bargain

 

I'm using an iBasso D10 ( iBasso) with a Beyerdynamic DT880. Granted, a bit outside your price idea, but it's a fantastic little thing, hong kong made by a few young hifi fans down there. Worth every dollar and as good as other units double in price. Also lots of features (i.e. USB DAC etc).

 

iBasso looks like a good series as well, if money doesnt matter too much, which device to pick from them for portable? Any thoughts?

 

For not-really-portable laptops (desktop replacement) I'm pretty happy with my Matrix Cube DAC/Amp. It has USB, optical and coax digital input, unbalanced RCA analog input, a jitter removal/upsampling option, and copes with up to 192kHz/24bit (limited to 48kHz/16bit on the USB input). It also has a digital output, so that multi-channel stuff like DTS can be routed to an external decoder, and unbalanced RCA analog outputs so you can connect to amp/speakers as well as headphones. It has a 1/4" headphone jack.

Although the case is fairly small, its mains powered hence the not-really-portable.

I'm not a card-carrying audiophile but the sound is rich, detailed and articulate (with Audio Technica ATH M50s headphones). This is for listening to music, and some gaming. I don't use it for music production so I don't know if the latency is low enough for music monitoring.

A more in-depth and audiophile review:
REVIEW: Matrix Cube DAC

 

I ended up buying Denon D2000 headphones and will be ordering Fiio e7 + e9 combo.
Hoping for good sound in BF3

 

^ D2000 is very low impedance, no need for an amp. Using one might even introduce more noise.

You should have stuck with the DT770 (250ohm) if your gonna purchase the E7/9 combo.

Try the D2+ Boa for starters. It has a built-in battery which can be charged with a flick of a switch. Good value for money.

http://www.ibasso.com/en/products/show.asp?ID=42