Do you need an amp for 250 ohm headphones? 

You made a great choice! Enjoy them and thanks for stopping by 😊

​@@odysseyofcuriosity I recently bought the DT 990 pro 250 ohms and my interface is giving some sort of static noise/beeping sound, when I put the headphones straight in my PC that noise is gone. Does that mean that my interface isn't strong enough? I hope u see this, because I love these headphones 😅

@@chunkyg4m3r does the static noise become louder/change when your GPU is busy (for example when you move your mouse around your screen, or when you start a game)?

You are right, I should get some plants in here :) Thanks for the tip, Oskar!

Yeah but there seems to be some audio issues which very notable if your using a headphone.

Bro this comment and the video helped me tons lmfaoooo buying my headphones now

Thank you! Glad you found it useful!

So did u buy an amp?

did you get an amp? or does it work fine without it?

@@firekg7347 I bought the headphone it's works without an amp but audio quality improves and the volume increases too (250ohm)

@@supr1920 only stupid person can think that underpowered headphones sounds best they can

a phone is not enough for 250

Hey man! So first, try this: Turn the Headphone Out of the KA6 all the way down. Do the same for the HP4. Get a 3.5mm TRS to dual 1/4" TS jacks cable (or a TRS to dual RCA splitter + 2 RCA to 1/4" jack adapters) and try feeding the HP4 from the existing headphone out of the KA6 (instead of the line out you are probably currently using). Raise the volume of the HP4 to about halfway (so that it's loud, but not ear damaging). Put on your headphones and start raising the level of the KA6 Headphone Out - do it in tiny bits and look for any sort of distortion - you want to avoid this. Keep raising it until you get enough clean, distortion free power from the HP4 set halfway. Then, for any extra volume, you can use the HP4 headphone out knob. Now you should also have direct monitoring + a louder signal. This of course isn't ideal, but will work in a pinch with your current gear. If you want to skip this and get a better interface, check out the Audient iD 14 or the Motu M2 - they have plenty of power for the DT770 250 ohm. Hope this helps!

@@odysseyofcuriosity thanks so much, that actually worked! the only thing is I do feel like the headphone volume was higher when I had the KA6 connected to the input of the amp, but this does the job. I might actually consider the Audient iD in the future. Any other interfaces you recommend that have plenty of power?

Hey Jeremy! Your X-Fi HD is a pretty good audio interface, and it should be able to drive headphones up to 330 ohms. That being said, there is no clear reason for which a higher impedance set of headphones should have a better sound compared to a lower impedance version (especially if they are of the same model). The benefits that high impedances bring are more related to the fact that you can use such headphones with older studio gear that runs on higher voltages (like vintage studio consoles) without fearing that you might damage your headphones or your ears (from high volumes). Plus you get to use the full range of the volume potentiometer instead of just the lower 10% on such a device. The main point is that there is no such rule that higher impedances always bring benefits, at least sonically. As for getting a better headphone amp that the one in your X-Fi, keep in mind the law of diminishing returns. You might pay double the cost of your X-Fi on a good amp, but will you be able to sense a clear difference in sound? It really depends on your ears, but there's a high chance you won't. Only you can decide if that upgrade is worth it.

Yes. I will be uploading a video on this subject in the future, but in a nutshell, loudness is influenced not only by the impedance, but also by the sensitivity of your headphones. The HD25 are more sensitive (or more efficient, as sensitivity is also called efficiency) than the DT770, therefore their level will be much higher at the same volume on the Focusrite interface. Hope this helps!

The UR22C actually requires higher impedance headphones, as it also has a quite high output impedance of 91 ohms. So it seems like it should play nicely with the DT990 pro. In terms of actual sound quality, it should be fine. You shouldn't need an amp like the Magni with it, unless for some reason you need your headphones to get very very loud (to the point where you're hurting your ears). Hope this helps! Good luck 🤞

@@odysseyofcuriosity Your opinion helps to me. Thank you so much!

Hey Jonne! Yes, your mic will "run" them. The only issue you might have is related to loudness - if you speak softly into the mic you might find that you would like the headphones to be louder. Unfortunately I don't have that mic around and I can't test it, but my guess is that you should be fine. Hope this helps!

Thank you, glad you found this useful! :)

To be honest, if you're doing this as a hobby and you are not searching for the perfect audio quality, you might be able to use your UMC404HD interface with your headphones directly plugged into its headphone out, as long as you are not crazy for listening at loud volumes. It is true, I do currently use this specific interface :). I think it is great in terms of the price/performance ratio - I got it some time ago when I was forced to downgrade and was low on money - but even if I told myself I was going to upgrade it at some point in the future, I stuck with it because it does the job, has decent preamps and great converters. Its main downside though is definitely the headphone output, so yes, it will bottleneck 250 ohm headphones. At low volumes, it's not that bad (that's why I said you might be able to live with them), but as you raise the volume you start hearing some ugly distortion - that's why I decided it made sense to upgrade to a dedicated headphone amp. In my case, I went with a Topping L30 (with the same price/performance return mindset), and it works really well for my current needs, so I would definitely recommend it. You can also take a look at the Schiit Magni - a great budget option that is also often praised for its price/performance ratio. Hope this helps. Good luck!

@@odysseyofcuriosity Thanks, I ended up getting an ART HeadAMP 4 preamp in the end also. Figured why risk not getting the best out of the headphones just to save an extra 80 bucks. And the additional headphone outs are worth it too. Should all arrive next week. 😀

@@odysseyofcuriosity that's great info, but one question i have about the schiit magni, if i got the magni would i also need to get the modi dac to connect them both together or can i use just the magni alone?

Yes, you should be fine going with the DT 770 Pro. Good luck :)

should work like a charm. i have the 990 pro 250ohm version plugged into the same pocket size dac (fiio e7) as i had a 50ohm teufel aureol real before. the volume difference was very slight so the beyerdynamics are very efficient and not so power hungry despite being 250ohms.

Hey Chad! You probably have a 2i2 gen 3, which is known to have a not-so-good headphone output (the gen 2 was better in this regard). To be honest, given that you want to get into reamping and need an interface upgrade anyway, I would skip having an extra piece of gear that needs wiring, power, and desk space (such as a dedicated headphone amp) and I would get a new interface with a good headphone out, instead (these do exist, of course). Look at the Audient iD14 - this one will work well with your 250 ohms DT 770s, and should have enough inputs and outputs to aid in your reamping process. You could also take a look at the MOTU M4 - this one is also known to be very good for the price, and will work well with your Beyers. Hope this helps!

@@odysseyofcuriosity I think you're right, getting a new interface probably makes the most sense. I don't have a ton of space (who does?!?!), so getting 1 piece of gear to solve both problems seems the smart play. Thanks for the response and insight!

60Ohms with lower sensibility could be enough to fuck up your experience with integrated audio, those sound chips are ususally trash.

@@yeti5857 is there a 32 ohm DT990 available? Im only able to purchase the 250 ohm one

would a GoXLR be good enough to power them?

not a lot of people would be willing to spend 100 dollars on an amp when they could get a lower impedance level headphones that are pretty good for 100 dollars

@@idkwhattoputhere5503 The nice thing about getting a good for the bang amp/dac around this price point is that it gives you consistent sound from all your different sources depending on the device you're using. I'm pretty happy with my SB X G6 for that very reason plus it has a bunch of extras to tweak around with for gaming and listening to music which are nice. But yeah if you only want to spend 100 bucks for good sound... you always got to start with the actual headphones and everything else is a very distant second.

A Schiit Magni or a Topping L30. See which one is available in your region, both are great budget amps and work well with 250 ohms Beyerdynamics. Good luck!

Thank you, Abhishek! I appreciate it!

Hey Arrtoorrn! I have the perfect video for you: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-f5y8Ii5ubPU.html . This sounds like a perfect option for your needs. Have a look and let me know what you think about it.

Your cheaper earphones might be 16 ohms with more than 100 dB/mV in terms of sensitivity, so that could explain the loudness difference. As for then being better sounding, it could be the fact that you are well used to their sound, while the Sony's are new to you. Give them at least a week or so and you will see how their sound will grow on you more and more. 24 ohms/100 dB/mV should still get loud enough with almost all sources. Hope this helps!

Hi! The Audient iD4 MKII has a very good built-in headphone amplifier, so you shouldn't need anything extra besides the interface. Hope this helps. Good luck with the voice overs!

Indeed, I tested both an OMEN by HP - 17-an006nq and a OMEN by HP 15-dc0008nq. The 250 ohms Beyers are definitely useable on these laptops - there's enough volume without the need of a dedicated amp, and overall the sound is ok. Make sure to disable any "audio enhancements" from your operating system and you should be fine (maybe even install Equalizer APO if you want to take things a step further). Of course, these headphones can really shine with a good source, so if you are interested and have the budget to spend on this, you can improve the other aspects of the sound by upgrading to a dedicated DAC/amp - but this is only if you really want to have the best possible sound quality, as sometimes you can end up paying a lot for differences you might not be even able to perceive at first. Keep an eye on the channel as I'm currently working on a video related to this, and it might pique your interest :)

Hi Elliot. If your guitar amp has a line (ideally) or headphone out (less ideal but can work), you can take that output and feed it through your dedicated amp. What guitar amp are you using?

The UR22 MKII actually works better with headphones of higher impedances (because it has a very high output impedance of ~90 ohms and you generally want the output impedance to be at least 10 times smaller than the impedance of your headphones. So the ideal headphone for the UR22 MKII would be rated at 900 ohms). The problem is that it's not extremely powerful. Some might say this is a bad design. But honestly, with the 250 ohms DT990, overall, I believe you will be able to do most things (media consumption/gaming/beat making/etc) just fine (the volume knob will probably stay close to maximum most of the time). Hope this helps!

It is a bit confusing because everyone has different standards for what "powering" some headphones means. In reality, unless you want your headphones to be crazy loud, most devices can drive 250 ohms to listenable (read as "healthy for your ears") levels under normal indoor conditions (with no loud noises around you that the headphones need to cover). Most motherboard soundcards (let's say post-2015) I've tested can also do a decent job (they go way louder than you should be listening at in long runs). Some cheaper audio interfaces, like my Behringer UMC 404HD, start distorting when pushing the headphone volume knob past 12 o'clock (which needs to be done with 250 ohms if you want to rock out), so a keen ear might sense this lack of fidelity, but honestly a lot of listeners might not. Below that volume, for moderate listening levels, it is quite ok. There are also other interactions between a headphone output and the impedance of the connected headphones that could change the frequency response. These are out of the scope of this comment, but in my tests, the changes, if present, weren't so severe to render such a setup (motherboard built-in Realtek soundcard + 250 ohms Beyers or cheap Focusrite interface + 250 ohm Beyers) completely useless. It's still an upgrade from Realtek + your random Gaming Xtreme 8.1 surround sound killer scorpion 3000 gaming headphones 😁. And you can always just upgrade the soundcard to a better-matched setup later down the line if you can settle for less than perfect in the beginning. So, to end this neverending comment, I think the Focusrite Solo will be fine 👍

Thanks a ton!

If you do have an Amp then, sure, get the 250 ohm

Hey Bob. I would say the same, get the DT770 Pro 250 ohm version👍

No problem! Did you end up getting the adapter?

Hi! This 404 is a really good package for the price, but unfortunately it doesn't have the best headphone output. It is usable with 250 ohms if you don't need a lot of volume (if you keep the knob under ~12). When you turn up the volume past that it will start distorting the sound quite noticeably. So you won't be able to squeeze all the potential out of your 250 ohms headphones with this interface, but it can be used for a while until you get to upgrade to a better dedicated amp if you are really interested in the best sound quality possible (a good amp can be fed from the 404's DAC, which is rather decent). Hope this helps!

@@odysseyofcuriosity thanks for reply. I ordered the 80 ohm

how is it loud at 1%

That should be the case, yes. You'll be fine listening to rock and death metal and playing FPS games. The sound quality will be limited by the DAC/Amp in your motherboard. Some people are fine living with that. But if you find you want more loudness, you can either check out the very cheap HA400 amp (comes in multiple flavours from many brands, I have the Behringer one for example - its sound quality is what you would expect for the price, but it does drive 250 ohms very loud) or even better, with something like the Syba Sonic DAC/Amp combo for ~$44. This should be an upgrade in terms of sound quality/max volume compared to your motherboard for a decent price. Hope this helps.

@@odysseyofcuriosity thanks for an amp i found out that an apple dongle works out so i guess ill get that , though i might go for the dt 880 im not sure tho , ill have to see. thanks for responding

@@odysseyofcuriosity hello again in the end I got the dt 770 pro's , now I have a quick question which you might not know the answer to but , can I use the hyperx cloud alpha 2 dongle with the 770 pros for them to sound as good/loud as a cheap amp or will it make no difference, if you have a hyperx cloud alpha 2 dongle could you care to try it out with the 770s pro 250 ohm and let me know (you dont have to ) . Thanks

Hey man! Check out the Schiit Magni - it should be ~100$. It has plenty of power, it's well designed and people who own it love it. Hope this helps!

@@odysseyofcuriosity excellent, thanks a lot

Yes, the HA400 works well with these in terms of volume - it can push them to where they are quite loud. Just don't expect crystal clear sound quality from it. It is obviously not comparable with a 200$ amp. But for its price & features (small size, low power, 4 outputs), it is really hard to beat it :)

Hey man! Unfortunately, the 2i2 3rd gen is known to have a weak headphone out (unlike the 2nd gen), so you will probably have some issues when using it with the DT 770 250 ohms :(

Also im using sE electronics X1S microphone with XLR cable on my Scarlett

Not really, if you don't need to use these headphones with studio equipment (that requires higher impedances), there is no clear reason to go with 250 ohms or higher. Higher impedances don't directly equate to higher sound quality. So you can go with the 80 ohms version, for example. (That being said, most modern motherboards seem to do a pretty ok job in driving even 250 ohms, so if you or someone else reading this finds a good second hand 250 ohms pair at a great price, don't avoid a good deal because of this). Hope this helps!

@@odysseyofcuriosity oh ok thank you!

Hi How has your experience been with the 80 ohms? Do they still work well without amp/dac? Any particular reason why you didn't go for the more compatible 32 ohm version? Appreciate your time

Even if you don't have a portable amp/dac, I don't think they're practical to use outside. The cable is twice the length of the 32 Ohm,. I recently bought a pair and as soon as I unboxed them I knew the cable was going to be a problem for me. I'm tall and the cable reaches the floor with quite a bit left to spare. If you wish to use these outside, I'd recommend buying the 32 Ohm version or mod your headphones to have a shorter cable or one that can be removed.

@@bala2857 I hope you don't mind me jumping in on this question. You can use these without an AMP/DAC. On my PC they perfectly fine without one, I personally feel that I don't need to spend £200 for something to use these headphones. They sound amazing to me and the volume is loud enough As for using them on a phone, they work fine, I think they are slightly a bit quieter, I had to turn it up more but max volume was still loud. I used an iPhone 13 with an Apple 3.5 to Lightning Adaptor. I would be fine with the volume outside but I wouldn't use the 80 Ohm version outside because the cable is too long. It reaches the floor with plenty of cable to spare. I bought these because I wanted to experience what flat audio sounds like. That's where you hear everything. Plus the velour earpads make these so comfortable. I had every intention of using the 80 Ohms outside, but that cable quickly changed those plans.

@@TheOmegaRiddler I'm a gamer and i love to listen to music (when im at my pc only) and i was wondering if i should go for the DT770 80 ohms without an audio interface/amp/dac or what you guys call it or if i should go for an amp/dac etc.

320 kbps mp3s? Did you come straight from back to the future?

Plug your headphones into any other device. If they sound normal, then it 100% is a problem related to your PC - the female headphone jack on your system could be damaged or there could be some software issue that's preventing the pop-up from showing up. Good luck!

It's not clear to me what Audient interface you have (there are multiple), but I don't think you'll have any issues, they are good interfaces. Hope this helps!

The 2i2 Scarlett has a rather weak headphone output unfortunately, and most people find out that the maximum volume is too low for their needs when using 250 ohm headphones. If you don't want to risk it, better stick to 32 or 80 ohms when using a Scarlett. Hope this helps!

@@odysseyofcuriosity I already own a dt 990 pro 250 ohm and shure mv. what should I get then for both of this ? also I need 2 xlr ports for 2 mics in future. and thank you for replying 😀

No problem, glad I could help :). Some great options would be the Motu M2 or the Audient iD14, if they fit your budget. They will work well without any need for a separate amp. Moreover, the Scarlett + a decent dedicated amp might end up being more expensive in the end, so I think getting a good interface right from the start is a better idea.

Hi man! Thanks for the heads up, I will try to keep that in mind for future videos✌️ As for your question, to be honest, the UMC404HD is a great budget interface that has good converters, but it doesn't have a great headphone out. I'm fine with it + 250 ohms headphones for normal usage (gaming/media consumption/music) with the volume knob staying at around 11 o'clock. I take good care of my ears, and normal content gets loud enough at this level for me, and the sound stays relatively clean. But if you need more amplification (and with 250 ohms you might need it if editing raw sound with a lot of headroom or trying to mix) you'll likely find that the headphone out in the UMC404HD starts distorting a bit when pushed. I have a separate headphone amp which I use for more serious stuff where I need the extra gain/lower THD. So depending on how loud you usually need your headphones to go, you might have a better experience with the 80 ohms version. Hope this helps!

Very helpful! Any recommendation for a good budget headphone amp?

For your use case, an amp would be great, because when editing, you're often dealing with low gain sounds, and you'll need to turn up your headphones to hear them. I use the Topping L30 and it is a great option that's also friendly enough with your pocket. As for the DT900, I didn't get a chance to try some yet, so I don't want to comment on them. Hope this helps, anyway!

To be honest, I think the processor on its own won't be powerful enough. While I don't own this specific model, I did play with various guitar and vocal processors (in stomp format) over the years and most of them had very weak headphone out signals. But this doesn't mean you can't get a good set of headphones because of this. I would get them anyway and also grab a very cheap amp like the HA400 Microamp. It's ~$20 and while it won't be audiophile level, it will do the job just fine. Plus, you have 4 headphone outputs so you can play to your whole family, lol. I can confirm the HA400 works with the 250 ohms DT770/DT990. But I would probably choose a 80 ohm version of either one for further compatibility. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Realistically, you don't. I'm more of a PC gamer, but in terms of loudness, the Xbox One controller will get the DT990 250 ohm more than loud enough. And in terms of quality, you'll be limited by the wireless signal/controller DAC anyway. Plus - I don't have a PS, but I assume the headphones plug into the controller as well, right? That would make using an amp quite cumbersome - I would much rather just plug the headphones straight into the controller and call it a day. Hope this helps!

Bad ideas turn into unforgettable memories, man! Don't be discouraged by the fact that it seems like a bad idea. Yet, I wouldn't do it if you also want to use it with some speakers, as the M-Track Duo seems to have just one stereo output.

The Motu M2 is a very good interface, and should handle the DT770 250 ohm very well, without a need for a separate amp! Good choice!👌

@@odysseyofcuriosity Awesome, thanks!

Yes, your laptop should be able to drive 80 ohm headphones well enough on its own 👍

only on this ? otherwise i can buy a doc amp with a focus too

Your iD44 has plenty of power, so no need to add an external amp for regular use. Have fun!

@@odysseyofcuriosity Thank you so much ☺

I use the Topping L30 with my DT990 250 ohms, and I definitely recommend it. You can also check out the Schiit Magni - I don't own it but people seem to love its price/performance ratio. Hope this helps!

@@odysseyofcuriosity How do I plug the Schiit Magni amp into my pc and my headphones??

If you only have your motherboard soundcard, you can take a 3.5mm jack to 2x RCA audio cable and connect the jack into the green speaker output jack of your PC. The RCA leads will connect to the Magni, on the input side. Later, you can also upgrade the soundcard by getting a dedicated DAC for better performance, if you feel the need. Hope this helps :)

Same with my 770s 250ohm powered by a new Schiit Magni Heresy...volume is at about 3 oclock and thats barely waking them up. New to headphones and wondering if this is the way it is.

Okay I got a question I want the dt700 pro but I’m not getting an amp which one do I get the 32, 80, or 250 ohms and does it matter which one pls and thank you

@@Parziivalll if you aren't interested in getting that "high high quality" you will be okay with 32 or 80 ohm headphones... it all depends in the devices you'll be using.

@@gabrielp1183 wym with the devices part

@@gabrielp1183u think i can use 80 ohms on a pc?