My ~$60 sennheisers broke. I went looking for a new pair and it has been many many hours and days still haven't decided, and now I'm asking here if I should get an audio interface or DAC and/or go for a high impedance headphones.
I want clear, neutral, flat headphones. I narrowed it down to Shure SRH440 or KRK KNS-8400 (~$110) but then I learned they only have 44 and 36 ohm impedance respectively.
From what I gathered on impedance so far, it's more of like a protection from blow out damage to have high impedance (100-600ohm) phones and that to even get sound out of them, you need a headphone amp (or USB audio interface?). To get them loud, you need a high-impedance output, but I don't like loud, I don't want to damage my hearing. However, some say that high impedance phones will give clearer, better sound (if not blasting volume).
You can't just use high impedance phones (100ohm+?) with a cellphone because you will get little or no sound. I rarely use my phones with cellphone and if I do, I'm okay with just getting a ~$30 low impedance pair just for that if I decide to go with high impedance for PC.
I want really clear good audio quality for general music listening and for my DAW (basically just Fruity Loops with mid-grade VST synths, and I have some hardware virtual analog synths, electric guitar, electric drum set, and might be getting an electric bass).
Based on the above what I learned about impedance, I was going to just get the 36 or 44 ohm Shure or KRK phones anyway because I didn't feel the need to hassle with getting a dedicated headphone amp to possibly get a clearer sound, and as mentioned, I don't blast the volume anyway which could blow low ohm phones. and it took me forever to get to those two choices.
But then I read If you are listening to your music on a computer a headphone amp with an internal digital to analog converters (DAC) will dramatically improve your listening.
Do my Headphones Need a Headphone Amp? - headphone.com
I just use my ~$125 GA-Z97-HD3 motherboard audio which is:
Audio
1.Realtek® ALC887 codec
2.High Definition Audio
3.2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
4.Support for S/PDIF Out
As far as DAC, if it matters, I don't have any true analog synthesizers but I probably will eventually. I don't know if making the signal digital via the computer will void it being analog in the first place though, and that I would have can only listen straight from the synth's output to get true analog audio from them.
I have this Roland duo Capture USB audio interface.
Roland - DUO-CAPTURE | USB Audio Interface
I can't find what impedance it outputs, if it even acts as a headphone amp also? Or possibly also acts like a DAC? I only bought it to connect un-amped electric guitar to PC and possibly needed it for synths. I don't know because I haven't used it in a while.
I'm willing to upgrade from that if there's good reason. I don't want to spend more than like $175 total for DAC and audio interface. Maybe I can just get a DAC and keep the Roland Duo Capture? I don't want to get rid of it for %25 more quality. Also if the DAC and/or amp need a bunch of complicated setting configuration etc, I don't think I want to even deal with it. I want basically just plug and play.
I will do some more research in the meantime but figured I'd ask yous in the meantime. thanks
and apparently my user name means butt + pssy according to urban dictionary, lol I didn't realize that when I made it, it was because with one less s was already taken. Anyway.
I want clear, neutral, flat headphones. I narrowed it down to Shure SRH440 or KRK KNS-8400 (~$110) but then I learned they only have 44 and 36 ohm impedance respectively.
From what I gathered on impedance so far, it's more of like a protection from blow out damage to have high impedance (100-600ohm) phones and that to even get sound out of them, you need a headphone amp (or USB audio interface?). To get them loud, you need a high-impedance output, but I don't like loud, I don't want to damage my hearing. However, some say that high impedance phones will give clearer, better sound (if not blasting volume).
You can't just use high impedance phones (100ohm+?) with a cellphone because you will get little or no sound. I rarely use my phones with cellphone and if I do, I'm okay with just getting a ~$30 low impedance pair just for that if I decide to go with high impedance for PC.
I want really clear good audio quality for general music listening and for my DAW (basically just Fruity Loops with mid-grade VST synths, and I have some hardware virtual analog synths, electric guitar, electric drum set, and might be getting an electric bass).
Based on the above what I learned about impedance, I was going to just get the 36 or 44 ohm Shure or KRK phones anyway because I didn't feel the need to hassle with getting a dedicated headphone amp to possibly get a clearer sound, and as mentioned, I don't blast the volume anyway which could blow low ohm phones. and it took me forever to get to those two choices.
But then I read If you are listening to your music on a computer a headphone amp with an internal digital to analog converters (DAC) will dramatically improve your listening.
Do my Headphones Need a Headphone Amp? - headphone.com
I just use my ~$125 GA-Z97-HD3 motherboard audio which is:
Audio
1.Realtek® ALC887 codec
2.High Definition Audio
3.2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
4.Support for S/PDIF Out
As far as DAC, if it matters, I don't have any true analog synthesizers but I probably will eventually. I don't know if making the signal digital via the computer will void it being analog in the first place though, and that I would have can only listen straight from the synth's output to get true analog audio from them.
I have this Roland duo Capture USB audio interface.
Roland - DUO-CAPTURE | USB Audio Interface
I can't find what impedance it outputs, if it even acts as a headphone amp also? Or possibly also acts like a DAC? I only bought it to connect un-amped electric guitar to PC and possibly needed it for synths. I don't know because I haven't used it in a while.
I'm willing to upgrade from that if there's good reason. I don't want to spend more than like $175 total for DAC and audio interface. Maybe I can just get a DAC and keep the Roland Duo Capture? I don't want to get rid of it for %25 more quality. Also if the DAC and/or amp need a bunch of complicated setting configuration etc, I don't think I want to even deal with it. I want basically just plug and play.
I will do some more research in the meantime but figured I'd ask yous in the meantime. thanks
and apparently my user name means butt + pssy according to urban dictionary, lol I didn't realize that when I made it, it was because with one less s was already taken. Anyway.