Amp/DAC for Beyerdynamic DT990 PRO (250Ohm)

[FedeArce3]

Hello everyone, i'm new in this topic, i bought the DT990PRO 250Ohm and i have them connected to my Asus XONAR DG soundcard in my computer, i dont know if this is enough to get the most out of these headphones, if not id like to take it a bit further and i've been considering to get either an amp or a dac, thats why im here, i need some help and instructions to decide what to buy and what would be the best choice based on my setup. Thanks everyone.

*The xonar dg drives these headphones fairly well (i think so) , i find myself listening them comfortably at half volume (windows)

*I have some flac audio files and i use the highest quality in spotify when listening to music

 

[Deleted member 217926]

The card has a pretty good amp and DAC. How much are you wanting to spend? I'm thinking you'd need to move to the ~$300 range to get a noticeable increase in sound quality with something like an O2/ODAC or Schiit stack ( Magni 3 / Modi 2 ).

I've got a Xonar STX and a Mayflower O2/ODAC Rev. B and the O2 is more neutral and has a little better separation but the STX actually holds up quite well in comparison. It's just a little bright vs the true neutral of the O2. I actually like my HD 650s on the STX better.

 

[jamappi]

The card has a pretty good amp and DAC. How much are you wanting to spend? I'm thinking you'd need to move to the ~$300 range to get a noticeable increase in sound quality with something like an O2/ODAC or Schiit stack ( Magni 3 / Modi 2 ).

I've got a Xonar STX and a Mayflower O2/ODAC Rev. B and the O2 is more neutral and has a little better separation but the STX actually holds up quite well in comparison. It's just a little bright vs the true neutral of the O2. I actually like my HD 650s on the STX better.

Would a Schiit Fulla 2 provide a similar boost as it seems to be based on the Modi 2?

 

[Deleted member 217926]

The Modi 2 is a DAC not an amp.

Fulla 2:

Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.1db, 2Hz-200KHz, -3dB

Maximum Power, 16 Ohms: 550mW
Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 360mW
Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 230mW
Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 40mW

THD: <0.003%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 1V RMS
IMD: <0.002%, CCIR
SNR: >105db, A-weighted, referenced to 1V RMS


Magni 3:

Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.1db, 2Hz-900KHz, -3dB
Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 3W RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 2W RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 1.3W RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 430mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 600 ohms: 230mW RMS per channel

THD: Less than 0.001%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 1V RMS, less than 0.02% at 5V RMS into 32 ohms
IMD: Less than 0.001%, CCIF

SNR: Greater than 108db, unweighted, referenced to 1V RMS


It's not even close.

 

[jamappi]

The Modi 2 is a DAC not an amp.

Fulla 2:

Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.1db, 2Hz-200KHz, -3dB

Maximum Power, 16 Ohms: 550mW
Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 360mW
Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 230mW
Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 40mW

THD: <0.003%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 1V RMS
IMD: <0.002%, CCIR
SNR: >105db, A-weighted, referenced to 1V RMS


Magni 3:

Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.1db, 2Hz-900KHz, -3dB
Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 3W RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 2W RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 1.3W RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 430mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 600 ohms: 230mW RMS per channel

THD: Less than 0.001%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 1V RMS, less than 0.02% at 5V RMS into 32 ohms
IMD: Less than 0.001%, CCIF

SNR: Greater than 108db, unweighted, referenced to 1V RMS


It's not even close.

I'm aware of that, I should have phrased my sentence differently.

What I'm wondering about is if the Fulla 2 would do the DT990 Pro 250 Ohm full justice. The Fulla comes as a DAC+Amp package for around $100 whereas the Magni 3 is just an amp and needs a DAC like the Modi 2 to provide the same functionality as the Fulla 2 but for a much steeper price of combined like $250. So my question is, would you notice a big difference if you went for the pricier set-up? The 40mW at 300 ohms for the Fulla 2 sound to me like they would do the job for the DT990 - like get up to 100dB or so? If you provide too many mW you might also damage your headphones, something that the Magni 3 is surely capable of. But maybe I'm mistaken about the Fulla 2 being appropriate for the DT990 Pro? Maybe there's still a big perceptible difference and the Fulla 2 can't actually drive the DT990 Pro properly? What mW number should we be looking for? Or am I approaching the subject from the wrong perspective?

 

[Deleted member 217926]

That's a good question and something I had to google.

HeadFi seems to think the Fulla 2 is plenty for the 250 ohm 990 Pro. Their collected knowledge is WAY more than mine. I'm somewhat new to good headphone setups and I'm learning as I go.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-fulla-2-impressions-thread.828228/page-8

I'd have to agree. I have a little Fiio Q1 that when plugged into a laptop or PC provides plenty of volume with my HD 600s and HD 650s. And I only paid about $55 for the Q1. Now it's not as clean as my STX or O2 but the Fulla 2 is probably a step up and my Sennheisers are probably a little bit harder to drive than the 990 Pros.

The OP had a pretty good soundcard and was asking about an upgrade though not a sidegrade which is what I'd consider the Fulla 2. That's why I was recommending the stack or O2. All in all the Fulla 2 looks like a nice little amp and DAC for the price though.