Audio Clarification

NeverBackDown

AMD Enthusiast
So my weakest technological area when it comes to computers is audio, I can tell the difference between higher end and lower end products but I just get confused by all the audio products out there and how everything is actually connected. So here I am asking for help!

I want to get either a Fiio e10 or e17. Now i'm only using this for desktop purposes and it'll never leave my desk so no need to point out the e17 is portable. Now i chose this over a STX 2 simply because they cost 1/3rd the price and are probably better than anything else out there(excluding the STX1 probably). I want to use these either one of these that can connect to my speakers and my headphones, i plan on getting DT990s 250ohm or 80ohm if need be. Now i'm just confused on how would i connect all that up? I couldn't find anything on google about using both so I assume you can't. Now the e17 can also be combined with the Fiio Eo9K and combines the DAC/AMP to provide stronger outputs(up to 600ohm). Does this combo make me able to connect my speakers and headphones? I just feel thats not worth since they are almost the same price as a STX2 which can do both natively.

So really can either the e10 or e17 do both? I know the e10 probably can't push the 250ohm well so would i need the 80ohm version, or can it run it fine at low levels or something? Its not that i need it but more because i really don't feel like unplugging one and then switch over my default audio to the speakers. I would rather just have something that does it for me when i put away the cans or turn off the speakers. So if does indeed do both, how would i connect it?

I remember Feronix had an e10 iirc? If anyone knows how he managed it that would be a big help!

edit: Should probably mention i tend to not listen to audio that loud. If that helps at all regarding the Dt990s.
 
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im just going to assume your speakers use a 3.5mm plug because you haven't said anything else

E10 + 250Ohm headphones is perfectly fine

3163E7PzfYL.jpg
 
First of all there is a new version of the Fio E10 the E10K http://www.fiio.net/en/products/27.
You shouldn't need a splitter, cause you can connect your speakers to the line out on the back and whenever you want to use your headphones you can plug them in the headphone jack in the front.
In specs it says 16~150 Ω so if you choose the E10(k) you would fare better with the 80 ohm version.
 
I currently use a FiiO E18 for my PC Audio and portable audio... Unfortunately I have never had any high impedence headphones but it should drive them just fine, so should the E17 and E10(k).
If you want some good PC Audio, nothing beats ODAC+O2, but they're rather pricey at prices between $200 and $300... If you can solder, you can probably order an unassembled kit and get it much cheaper than that tho. Other than that maybe Magni+Modi ($200). But that really is just some lower-high-end audio stuff.

On a sidenote: The FiiO websites doesn't recommend headphones with over 150ohm for any of the AMP/DACs I mentioned here (E10, E17 and E18).

Edit: You can get an ODAC+O2 for ~113GBP if you solder the O2 yourself... Here's the link:
http://www.headnhifi.com/dac/odac-board
http://www.headnhifi.com/diy-kits/o2-kit-full

Edit2: I know you didn't ask for anything aside from those 2 FiiO devices, pardon my thinking out of the box ;)
 
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First off thanks for the replies!

im just going to assume your speakers use a 3.5mm plug because you haven't said anything else

E10 + 250Ohm headphones is perfectly fine

3163E7PzfYL.jpg

Why would i need a splitter? And yes its a 3.5mm jack from its PC input. I have it hooked up to my mobo.

First of all there is a new version of the Fio E10 the E10K http://www.fiio.net/en/products/27.
You shouldn't need a splitter, cause you can connect your speakers to the line out on the back and whenever you want to use your headphones you can plug them in the headphone jack in the front.
In specs it says 16~150 Ω so if you choose the E10(k) you would fare better with the 80 ohm version.

All new? I wasn't aware of that. I haven't been able to find it anywhere online. How would I connect that all up?I got the stereo to the back and headphones in the front but how would i connect my pc? Or does it send the audio through the USB?

I currently use a FiiO E18 for my PC Audio and portable audio... Unfortunately I have never had any high impedence headphones but it should drive them just fine, so should the E17 and E10(k).
If you want some good PC Audio, nothing beats ODAC+O2, but they're rather pricey at prices between $200 and $300... If you can solder, you can probably order an unassembled kit and get it much cheaper than that tho. Other than that maybe Magni+Modi ($200). But that really is just some lower-high-end audio stuff.

On a sidenote: The FiiO websites doesn't recommend headphones with over 150ohm for any of the AMP/DACs I mentioned here (E10, E17 and E18).

Edit: You can get an ODAC+O2 for ~113GBP if you solder the O2 yourself... Here's the link:
http://www.headnhifi.com/dac/odac-board
http://www.headnhifi.com/diy-kits/o2-kit-full

Edit2: I know you didn't ask for anything aside from those 2 FiiO devices, pardon my thinking out of the box ;)

No i'm glad you bring up the ODAC+O2. I'm only sticking with Fiio because i like the products but I have heard about the ODAC and everyone raves about it.
http://dijitalfix.com/products/jds-o2amp
Found this link. Its over half the price cheaper than buying it from JDS labs for example.. Is this the same product as the more expensive versions?

The box of my E10 says up to 300 Ohm

The website does say 150ohm. Maybe it can do 300ohm but i don't think it'll be very loud.
 
guess i misunderstood your problem

lots of people use the E10 with 250Ohm headphones without any issues

Hmm well is it worth getting E10 or the ODAC+02? I linked this in my last post. This just says its an AMP but it looks the same as the ones that say are DAC and AMP? Its a little bit more expensive than the E10 but if it is better i could consider it.
 
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The one you linked is only the AMP. ODAC+O2 are two independent devices. Since they're open source DAC and AMP, there are many companies manufacturing those, and they have been designed, so that you can fit both of them inside the same casing, or in seperate cases.

If you buy the E10 from Amazon, I guess it doesn't really matter, you can buy it and try how well it works with your headphones. If it doesn't work very well, you could always sell it again or return it to amazon (not that returning to amazon is the nice way of doing things tho).

Cru says he owns an E10, so I think his first-hand experience is worth more, than my theoretical knowledge.
 
Well after putting everything together the ODAC+O2 are out of my budget anyways. Right now i'm looking at the E10k Olympus 2(newest model), Dt 990s 250ohm Pros, and a modmic. Puts me at about $300.

Though on Amazon i found the Kingston HyperX headsets on sale for only $59 vs being $99. I'm also tempted to get those instead with the E10K and i'll save a lot of money, about $140. I just don't know if it is worth the audio difference? Comparing $99 headsets to $200 headphones isn't really a comparison so its down to what i want to spend but i also want the best i can afford.
 
Depends... Are you an audiophile, or are you a PC enthusiast who happens to like listening to music?

From what I've heard the HyperX are supposed to provide exceptional audio-quality for a headset.

I'm the latter btw. but I have a lot of bitcoins to spend, so I've invested some in audio hardware, but tbh. I can barely tell the difference. Before I had my E18, I used the USB Soundcard that came with my Sennheiser PC323D headset and the only notable difference is that the E18s Volume can go to 11, where my old usb soundcard was pretty quiet. (Tested with AKG Q701 and beyerdynamic Custom One Pro)

Also had my hands on ODAC+O2 for a while... They're pretty sweet looking and I couldn't for the love of it notice any noise/distortions in the sound it produced, but I don't have ears that are good enough to distinguish between 320kbit/s mp3, 320kbit/s ogg and FLAC so yeah.

Most important thing I would say: Don't buy beats and buy something comfortable. Most of the time you'll get used to the sound of your headphones anyways... I can't believe how long I thought my 15€ Creative earbuds sounded amazing...
 
Not an audiophile. I don't listen to music on my PC. I use it for gaming and internet mostly.

Unlike you i can tell the differences but only to a certain point because i don't know what the best sound in the world sounds like so it's hard to say. I'd probably be able to tell the difference between these two though. I'm looking for a neutral sound with no added bass or anything by the manufacture. That's why i wanted the DT990s.
 
I have an E10, so I believe I can offer some insight. The way I understand it you want to know 1) what ''ohm-age'' would be suitable and 2) how to connect to speakers without switching cables.

1) Honestly the E10 is a very powerful amp. It powers my HD600's (300 ohm) to decent levels at 7/8 on the volume pot, on high gain. My SRH440's (44ohm) sound LOUD on 3/8, on high gain. In my opinion the 80ohm would be a better match, just because you would have the headroom to go to crazy volumes if you wanted to, but if for whatever reason you can only get a hold of the 250ohm I would still suggest you buy it because 6, maybe 7/8 will likely be as high as your ears will allow. As I mentioned, a very powerful amp.

2) Powered speakers are very easy to have connected as the E10 has a line-out port. This means you can connect the speakers and a pair of headphones at the same time, and they will both play. If you're using the speakers, just turn the pot to 0/8 and the headphones will be ''off''. If you're just using your headphones, use your speaker's volume setting or turn the speakers off, simple. It all works seamlessly, the fiio connects to your PC via USB and comes up in windows without drivers, so you can basically have the entire setup good to go in a matter of minutes.
 
Thank you for that second part! Really cleared it up. I guess its simple but i love to over complicate things:p

Do you think its still worth getting the DT990s over the HyperX? Considering I can get the Hyperx and E10k for less than DT990s alone? The only thing with the DTs is that i have to get a modmic to actually communicate with others. Which adds another $50 on top of the DT/E10k. I almost feel like i should get both the DT and HyperX. Its only $4 more than getting the modmic alternative. So i can use the DTs when i'm gaming alone and when i play with others use the HyperX? Probably overthinking this again... lol

Edit: So here are my 3 options as they go through my mind.
1) Get the Dt990s, Modmic, and E10k for about $300
2) Get the Dt990s, HyperX, and e10k for about $325
3) Get only the HyperX and e10k for about $140

The third option is being considered to save money really. Also allows me to put money towards Xmas gifts :p
 
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Honestly mate it all depends on how serious you want to get about audio... The HyperX headset is very good, especially for the price, but it's not hi-fi. You won't get the same detail and there will be more mud because of the ''gaming'' branding. Also, the E10 will be slightly wasted on the headset, it'll warm up the sound even more making the mud even worse...

The experiance of having a hi-fi level setup such as the DTs + E10 is something that I personally feel is well worth the money, because if you're interested enough to dabble in the first place, it'll change your life enough so that you never go back. Ultimately it all comes down to how serious you are about your audio, and how many weeks of living off noodles it'll take to buy the DT + E10 :P
 
Honestly mate it all depends on how serious you want to get about audio... The HyperX headset is very good, especially for the price, but it's not hi-fi. You won't get the same detail and there will be more mud because of the ''gaming'' branding. Also, the E10 will be slightly wasted on the headset, it'll warm up the sound even more making the mud even worse...

The experiance of having a hi-fi level setup such as the DTs + E10 is something that I personally feel is well worth the money, because if you're interested enough to dabble in the first place, it'll change your life enough so that you never go back. Ultimately it all comes down to how serious you are about your audio, and how many weeks of living off noodles it'll take to buy the DT + E10 :P

True but then i have to get a modmic in top of all that so its still right at the budget limit like the other option. I'm trying to get the most out of my money tbh:)
 
Wow, if it isn't even about Music, I wouldn't give half a damn about what kind of headset/headphones I'd get. As I said earlier the HyperX are supposed to be known for extraordinarily good audio quality and as far as gaming goes, even lower quality headphones allow accurate footstep-tracking and decent sounding game sounds. You don't need a Hi-Fi setup just for Gaming and Browsing the net. I'd go with the cheapest possible method of not even buying an E10, if I didn't care about music. Onboard sound is pretty good nowadays and if onboard isn't an option, any cheap external soundcard should do the trick... (Example: http://audioengineusa.com/Store/D3-24-Bit-DAC )

Edit: NOTE: The Audioengine device I linked is NOT sufficient to power DT 990! This was a suggestion for the HyperX

Edit: I take back the earlier note, apparently the Audioengine D3 can power DT 990s just fine. And is less ideal for the HyperX headset...

Helpful blogpost (and blog) concerning the relationship between output impedence and headphone impedance: http://nwavguy.blogspot.ca/2011/02/headphone-amp-impedance.html
This is the guy who designed the O2 and ODAC btw.
 
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Wow, if it isn't even about Music, I wouldn't give half a damn about what kind of headset/headphones I'd get. As I said earlier the HyperX are supposed to be known for extraordinarily good audio quality and as far as gaming goes, even lower quality headphones allow accurate footstep-tracking and decent sounding game sounds. You don't need a Hi-Fi setup just for Gaming and Browsing the net. I'd go with the cheapest possible method of not even buying an E10, if I didn't care about music. Onboard sound is pretty good nowadays and if onboard isn't an option, any cheap external soundcard should do the trick... (Example: http://audioengineusa.com/Store/D3-24-Bit-DAC )

Why is something like the DT990s not worth it for gaming? I've seen other people on forums use them for it. It is better?

Besides how would i get music on the pc? I don't use itunes(its apple i won't touch it) and all my music i get for free on my phone using apps.
 
Why is something like the DT990s not worth it for gaming? I've seen other people on forums use them for it. It is better?

Besides how would i get music on the pc? I don't use itunes(its apple i won't touch it) and all my music i get for free on my phone using apps.

Again, depends how serious about your gaming audio you are. If you play games like cs:go competitively the difference is night and day because the soundstage created by the headphones will let you pinpoint sounds that would otherwise just be ''over there''. If you play more casual games and just want to talk to your mates while you have the bf4 game sound on 30% then the DTs will be a pretty big waste, and the HyperX starts to make a lot more sense, especially if you get a cheap soundcard... something like a Xonar DG or DX would do wonders for a budget setup.

As for music, the best way is to buy actual music in CD form, and then rip it to FLAC so you've got the best quality. If not too keen on this, there are always ''those sites'' where you can download albums, and even there they usually have FLAC versions. Then you get a decent audio player like Foobar2000 and enjoy the tunes.

It all comes down to you as a person mate, we can give you options but ultimately it depends on which is best for you.
 
Again, depends how serious about your gaming audio you are. If you play games like cs:go competitively the difference is night and day because the soundstage created by the headphones will let you pinpoint sounds that would otherwise just be ''over there''. If you play more casual games and just want to talk to your mates while you have the bf4 game sound on 30% then the DTs will be a pretty big waste, and the HyperX starts to make a lot more sense, especially if you get a cheap soundcard... something like a Xonar DG or DX would do wonders for a budget setup.

As for music, the best way is to buy actual music in CD form, and then rip it to FLAC so you've got the best quality. If not too keen on this, there are always ''those sites'' where you can download albums, and even there they usually have FLAC versions. Then you get a decent audio player like Foobar2000 and enjoy the tunes. Edit: Is spotify on pc good? Never used it before but if it supports FLAC downloads i'd like to get that!

It all comes down to you as a person mate, we can give you options but ultimately it depends on which is best for you.


In regards to the gaming audio, i want to become fully immersed and hear every little detail, i feel the fiio would do that just as well as a DG/DX but with less hassle tbh with drivers and etc. For music i can look into getting it onto the pc in some way. Might have to actually use bittorent then lol

I just want the best i can get. I understand the HyperX is the better choice for pure gaming but i can still have the future expansion with the DTs. Though if everyone hear honestly believes its just not worth it in my case then i will no go with that. I'm the one with little audio experience so it'd take your guys knowledge over mine.

So if anyone agrees its best to go down the HyperX route and not the DTs, what would be the best audio setup i could get? Budget around $300. I'd like to get a Fiio over a soundcard because i feel its easier to manage and no drivers but if the soundcards are actually that much better and drivers aren't a pain i would go with that.


Edit: Just wanted to say thank you everyone for the help. I realize we have gone in sort of a circle. Thanks for the advice anyways but just understand i am an audio noob so bear with me:p
 
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