Hi, I read around and heard that 250ohm can isn't loud enough for realtek soundcard. I'm still searching for answer if focusrite solo alone is already ok or do i need something like schiit magni for dt 770/990 pro 250ohm? How do u guys setup this can as audio output from your desktop? Do u use audio interface alone? Is amp/dac alone just enough (like schiit magni)? Or do i need both for music production use? How to plug and chain it to desktop? Can you recommend best budget way?

 

Last edited: Jan 9, 2021

Realtek is much more powerfully then any external budget soundcard.

 

I definitely would not want to run 250 ohm cans through an internal sound card, like the realtek. The focusrite (in theory) should be able to cope, but 250ohm is at the maximum so you will need to crank up the headphone volume. While the solo will work, you might want something like the Schiit Fulla

 

https://support.focusrite.com/hc/en...dphones-should-I-use-with-my-audio-interface-

I use my 990s with a Komplete Audio 6 without any issues.

 

I use Sennheiser HD600 (300 Ohm) with Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 2nd gen since a few years. PreSonus states that this interface should be powerful enough to drive 200 Ohm cans. For me it sounds OK with the volume just enough (I've never listened louder than 75% on pot, even on quiet mixes).

 

Focusrite HP output are said to be weak. For my old Saffire 6 I used a little HP amp for a HP with less than 200Ohms.
https://www.thomann.de/gb/mackie_hm...iLCJjdXJyZW5jeSI6IjQiLCJsYW5ndWFnZSI6ImVuIn0=

Of course, you can also use this with your onboard sound card.

 

cans with 250 ohm impedance are designed to work with audio interfaces, mixer headphone outputs and good quality headphone DACs, they will not perform at all well with on board soundcards. If you are in any way serious about music production with a computer you will get yourself an audio interface

 

you can buy relatively cheap a good headphone amplifier.

 

@scott and all: seems like for 250ohm, i will be needing headphone amp + audio interface for daw/recording. correct me if i'm wrong. how do i setup this later?

is it going to be something like this:
1. connect audio interface to desktop
2. connect amp/dac to audio interface HP
3. connect the 250ohm HP to amp/dac?

btw, im thinking of focusrite solo + schiit or fiio (or anything better for dt 770 250 sound and setups for daw use.. let me know if threre's better best budget option to setup this headphone while preserving its listening experience)

 

Last edited: Jan 9, 2021

In most cases, when you connect a headphone amp to an interface you have double amping, because most interfaces have headphone amplifier already inside and most of most popular headphone amps have only analog input (otherwise it's headphone amp with DAC inside), so you have amplified headphone output from interface to analog input of headphone amplifier, which will be amplified again with headphone amp volume pot. You'll need an interface with analog line out output (or digital TOSLINK/COAXIAL) and an headphone amp with DIGITAL INPUT to make it work as it should (line level input, unamplified). Most budget interfaces doesn't have it, the last one I remember it the budget is Line6 UX2, it has COAXIAL DIGITAL OUT.

 

That's exactly what these headphone amps are made for.

 

But from logic point of view, it's complete nonsense What we want to do is to amplify the source signal, not the partially amplified. It's like turntable to a pre-amp, another pre-amp and power-amp. Correct chain is turntable, preamp and poweramp. We don't need 2 preamps.

 

pretty much every half decent modern audio interface has enough power at the headphone output to sufficiently drive a pair of cans with an impedance of 250 ohms, a seperate headphone amp really isnt neccesary at all, some cans have 600 ohm impedance which is a different matter altogether ....a pair of 770's or 990's will work perfectly well with the output of an audio interface

 

www.digizoid.com/headphones-power.html

Here is a site.
I think this will help.
You will have Headphone impedance and Headphone sensitivity from the Headphone manual or Headphone's official site.
Then you will know the power output from your soundcard needed to drive this Headphone.

Here, below is the chart for Audio Technica Ath-R70X (470 Ω)
Now, my interface can produce 80 mW max and so, I use R70X happily, without making my ear bleed.

 

Last edited: Jan 9, 2021

Maybe, but that's not my logic but the way they are built.

 

@No Avenger @Anubhav Ukil and all: Thank you. Does having HP Amp + Audio Interface Vs. only Audio Interface will effect HP sound quality or just it loudness? (ie. How much gain knob i'll have to adjust?)

I just saw in Sanjay C video: Komplete Audio vs Focusrite. He's using DT 770 Pro on both for demonstartion. But no HP Amp. Seems like with Komplete Audio, he had to turn up to about 3 O'clock on gain knob. It took about 11 O'clock on Focusrite. If that setup alone is enough without Amp for DT 770 and DAW use, that saves a bit.

 

I'd never buy a HP amp without trying the interface's HP out first.
When it comes to quality, a high end interface with a low end HP amp doesn't make sense, but I don't think that's going to happen.
The quality of the Mackie matched with the Saffire 6. 12'o clock knob position on Mackie matched the Saffire 6 level (aka input = output).

 

Focusrite will not give enough power to a 250ohns headphones. I own a 18i20 and DT 880 pro. Specially if you mix into digital level safe values, -14 db or so.
When I asked to focusrite what's happening, they sent me to a hidden page of their website where they justify the lack of power of their headphones preamp, saying that they "limited it on purpose to avoid headphones to saturate" lol . In one word they decided to go cheap on it.

 

Again bro.
I shared the link.
Just go there and check how much power is needed for your particular HP to drive it to a certain dBSPL.

If your interface can supply that, then you do not need anything else.
I am using R70X with Motu 624 (Motu 624 can output 80 mW and I have already shared the chart for R70x and you can clearly see, 80 mW can easily drive R70X to painfully loud levels without distortion.
Now if you're using an interface which can supply, say, 1 mW at max, then obviously, you will get a reasonable level from R70X, if you turn the knob all the way to the right.
But if your soundcard supplies, 0.1 mW then, obviously, even with the volume knob turned all the way to the right, you will get quite levels honestly.

Just check your audio interface before buying it.