Maybe dumb question about Beyerdynamic DT770s

Basilosauridae

Basilosauridae

Member
I just upgraded from some cheapo $30 Amazon headphones to the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros.

I’ve never had nice headphones before so I don’t really know much about them. I haven’t plugged them into my interface for direct monitoring yet, but when I plugged them into my computer to test I noticed they were a lot quieter than my cheapo $30 headphones. Is this a power issue? Is there anything I can do to increase the volume of the headphones?
 
Basilosauridae said:
. Is this a power issue? Is there anything I can do to increase the volume of the headphones?
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My headphones have different levels too. It could be the impedance is different.

If it is a problem where you cannot just turn it up somewhere, they do make headphone amplifiers.
 
T
LazerBeakShiek said:
My headphones have different levels too. It could be the impedance is different.

If it is a problem where you cannot just turn it up somewhere, they do make headphone amplifiers.
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Huh... thanks for your reply. Seems kind of BS to spend $150+ on headphones and then spend another $100 to be able to hear with them...
 
They are ruthless.

The headphone amplifiers can be less than $30. Behringer, Mackie, Ibanez..There were a few on Reverb.
 
LazerBeakShiek said:
What interface are you using? How are the headphones plugged in? Is an adapter used? What drivers are selected ? What DAW?

The interface might have a volume knob that compensates for higher impedance head sets. If you haven't tried it. Try it.
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Hmm I have it plugged into the Focusrite Scarlett Solo plugged into my laptop and using Adobe Audition.

I'll be honest I know what all the knobs do on the interface but none of the buttons 8-)
 
Basilosauridae said:
I just upgraded from some cheapo $30 Amazon headphones to the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros.

I’ve never had nice headphones before so I don’t really know much about them. I haven’t plugged them into my interface for direct monitoring yet, but when I plugged them into my computer to test I noticed they were a lot quieter than my cheapo $30 headphones. Is this a power issue? Is there anything I can do to increase the volume of the headphones?
Click to expand...
Uh, Just turn up the volume?!

Which model DT-770 did you get? As noted, they come in varying impedances.

I have the 250Ω model because I got them back when I was using a POD HD and it said high impedance headphones were recommended. (I used my set with a Focusrite interface.)

The DT-770s I see on display at GC (e.g.) are 80Ω, but there are 32-ohm (Ω) DT-770s as well. Sweetwater sells them. Maybe you just got the higher impedance ones? If you have the 32Ω version and they are quieter than your other set you must have some very efficient phones. But, really, volume is not the primary criteria you should be using to evaluate headphones. At least that's my thought.
 
Go above 32 Ohms and volume drops, Mr Ohm had a nice law to explain it. High impedance headphones can often be driven by the speaker outputs if you have a small old hifi amp laying around. There’s some thinking that the thinner more delicate wire in high Z phones reveals more detail as it can respond quicker, but I’ve never heard it myself. You made a perfectly sensible assumption that the impedance didn’t matter, and loads of people do this. If you can swap them for low Z versions that is the simplest solution.
 
Not a great fan of their business practices but I can recommend the Behringer HA400 headphone amplifier. No background noise that I can detect even with AKG K92s, which have the very high sensitivity of 113dB/V. The box also has plenty of level and no distortion AFAICT. In fact it uses the same output IC as a much more expensive headphone amplifier brand.

Dave.
 
Even the 250 ohm version should work fine with your audio interface which should provide more than enough volume for playback. Yes....they will be lower in volume than headphones with lower impedance.....but the 250 ohm DT770's are NOT a stupid purchase by any means. If your Focusrite is not delivering the volume you want......you may not have it set up or adjusted properly. Check your manual. BTW.....I assume you're not trying to listen at dangerous levels.

My 2 cents worth of been there.......done that.....still learning......

Mick
 
Basilosauridae said:
Hmm I have it plugged into the Focusrite Scarlett Solo plugged into my laptop and using Adobe Audition.
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Ok, you tried it. The volume was not enough. How quiet is it? Like defective quiet?
My phones are 64 ohm and 120 ohms , but one is not half the volume of the other.

It sounds like a setup issue. The interface should be able to support those phones.

If there was something defective inline, like a size adapter or something..An input not seated completely.

If you exchange them for the lower impedance than it should be fine. Do that if it's comfortable.
 
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I'm exchanging them for the 32 ohm lol. I'm not a big enough audiophile to tell any difference between 32 and 250 ohm, I'm sure. To answer a previous question I need the headphones to be able to work on the interface and just plugged into the computer because I like to edit real cozy like in bed. I value portability and minimization of things that need to be plugged into power sources so i'd rather avoid the headphone amp for now. Thanks everyone for your feedback. :)
 
Basilosauridae said:
I'm exchanging them for the 32 ohm lol. I'm not a big enough audiophile to tell any difference between 32 and 250 ohm, I'm sure. To answer a previous question I need the headphones to be able to work on the interface and just plugged into the computer because I like to edit real cozy like in bed. I value portability and minimization of things that need to be plugged into power sources so i'd rather avoid the headphone amp for now. Thanks everyone for your feedback. :)
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I hate to be the bearer of possibly bad news but you could find the lower impedance phones are not much louder than those you have now because in the specification of the Solo it gives the output resistance of the headphone amp as "less then 1 Ohm". Now, I am not sure I believe that because such a low z amp would need a sophisticated short circuit protection system. In the most basic AI they do? However, IF it is around an Ohm that means the usual 'compensation' you get into various cans impedances will not exist. Yes, 32R cans will pull more power but I doubt the effect will be large.

Looking at the numbers for the Solo and the D770s at around 0dBfs you should have a decent level, well over 100dB but if tracking at -18dB ish, maybe a bit quiet.

Dave.
 
Had a similar experience with a pair of 600 ohm AKG K240 headphones. Couldn't get decent volume from whatever I plugged them into. Sold them on eBay and got a pair of 55 ohm K240's and they work fine in everything.
 
I guess I ordered the 80 ohm and not 32...and amazon sent me some used headphones instead of new ones like I ordered... this is the second time this has happened this month that I swear I bought something new and the sent me something used...

ANYWAYS they are a lot louder than the 250 ohms. :) hopefully nothing wrong with them.
 
I think Amazon is using other returns for exchanges. So it’s kind of an “open box” item vs. “used” - not quite the same, and you still could return it or use the manufacturer’s warranty. I’m not an Amazon fanboy and avoid them if I can find another vendor I like, but it’s probably a reasonable business practice, especially in cases where it’s a return like this where you chose the wrong impedance and not where you got a defective set.

Glad you got a set that works. My DT770s are still my favorite set for tracking and late night (quiet) listening. (Just wish they came with both straight and coiled cord options - mine have been switched to straight.)
 
I went through some headphones and headphone amps and the 32ohm are most common across everything, so it seems.
The 180, 250...volume dropped noticeably on some amps, but some interface headphone amps handle them just fine.
I never got up to the 600 ohm which audiophiles love.

The difference between amps is interesting and like so many things some cheap ones sound as good as expensive ones to my ears. Maybe I dont have "golden ears" but there is a limit to ROI when spending doesnt seem to offer an equal increase in what Im hearing.
When recording a band the Behringer Multi-Headphone amp worked well and was like $50 for 4qty headphone amp.

I take the word from others who do pro stuff and add that into the gear purchases too (maybe they have golden ears they at l;east have golden records)....
I grabbed the Bob Ludwig headphone amp of Grace Designs first release 901 (and surprisingly kept it,) and settled on 880 250ohm Beyers because a lot of people in the biz seemed to say they are good, flat, etc.. But with my ears my interface headphone amp, which can take up to 600ohm, sounds about as good as the GD headphone amp. Comparing Behringer Multi, MOTU and a couple other amps and it wasnt night and day, imo.. However the GD 901 can handle ALL headphones and its a DAC and built like a tank, so it offers confidence of listening pleasure when testing out any type headphone.

Now getting into headphones thats where I heard a much bigger sound differences. Closed backs, open backs, brand name designs etc....some cheap Takstar 670? were a huge sound and fun for Symphony listening bliss of wide dynamic ranges where unlike a lot of pop music everything is sqaushed to some loudness radio quality, and maybe high quality isnt needed as much; so the headphones can be the largest difference imo.
Sony, Beyer, Seinheiser, Beyers...$60 to $200 ish was all I test drove. Its subjective which a person prefers, as in speakers.
A lot of the headphones are 250-600ohm so you need a better built headphone amp to even test drive them correctly. So thats a reason for having a better built headphone amp, as these amps allow all variations of impedance.

For doing HR recording and closed back, tracking, ...then low ohms rule and can be ran easily by interfaces designed with 32ohm.
Im not sure how that historical decision was made or why? Maybe its more expensive to make a amp that drives 600 ohms?
I dont know but 32ohm headphones seem to work in everything.
 
Just guessing but probably 32 ohms is about as low as you can go and still get "good enough" quality when driven by a miniscule headphone amp in a smartphone, ipod/mp3 player, Sony Walkman, transistor radio, et al, over a coupla/few feet of tiny wires. I.e., it's a consumer grade standard due to amplifier and connection limitations. Higher impedance ones are just more standard, though perhaps an artifact, of when studios were driving headphones over long cables probably from the control room, vs. now where headphone distribution systems probably use Ethernet (or digital transmitters!) to get audio to local mixers/receivers. (Did old stereo receivers even have a separate headphone amp, or was it just voltage/current dropped tap off the main amp??)
 
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