Massdrop x Fostex TR-X00 Purpleheart Headphones Discussions | Drop

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Massdrop x Fostex TR-X00 Purpleheart Headphones

Apr 25, 2016

I have a rather n00b question for the audiophiles here.
Is it worth picking these up if I'm going to be using them with the on-board sound card for a computer? Or would I need to get SoundBlaster or something to that effect to truly hear the difference in these headphones?
This includes listening to a variety of music, watching movies, and gaming.

Apr 25, 2016

Vote

Meru

Apr 25, 2016

UrVAITguyIf you plan to get into the whole "audiophile" blackhole, aka burn more money, it's a good deal. As reviews say TH-X00 sounds good even w/o amping, so it's gonna be ok, but it definitely sounds better with dac and amp.

Apr 25, 2016

Deathocracy

Apr 26, 2016

UrVAITguyYou dont have to drop that much money to get an edge over the integrated soundcard. Just something inside the case with a shield should do you some good. Otherwise I would really recommend Merus note and get an external dac/amp that way you can use it with a laptop or anything instead of being tethered to the PC

Apr 26, 2016

piriya33

Apr 26, 2016

UrVAITguyI'd suggest trying it out first, these cans are pretty efficient so they don't need lots of power to drive them and newer onboard - soundcards does a pretty nice job of outputting sound with very little noise.
Then you might want to look into a DAC for cleaner signal, with low noise to signal ration. Any external soundcard will be better than internal ones due to interference from other components. When considering a DAC or DAC/AMP it's best to try them out with the cans you'll be using it for and selecting based on your personal preference. For these cans you might be able to get away with a smaller dac/amp combo or just a dac (ex. Dragonfly, SB E3/ E5, ODAC+O2, etc.) as they don't need that much power.
Then when you feel like you want something a bit different you might try some other combinations in the future. The trick is to go slow and let your brain grow accustomed to the finer details of music over time.

Apr 26, 2016

UrVAITguy

484

Apr 26, 2016

DeathocracyThank you. I figured a DAC and AMP would be necessary to get the full benefit. I was looking at the soundblaster ZxR which also has a lot of positive feedback from massdrop members (and is selling at a decent price on here). Any thoughts on that soundcard and amp?

Apr 26, 2016

Vote

innaterebel

Apr 26, 2016

UrVAITguyMost soundcards in fact have the output impedance too high for low impedance headphones and IEMs, which are the main stream of modern market. They are likely going to alter the frequency response of such headphones and hurt the bass quality. The TH-X00s' amping needs are closer to that of IEMs. Some references: http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-impedance http://www.head-fi.org/t/623079/creative-sound-blaster-new-series-z-zx-zxr/2445#post_10888983 http://www.head-fi.org/products/fostex-th-x00-massdrop-exclusive/reviews/14803 (expand the Amp Pairings section) http://www.head-fi.org/t/788776/fostex-x-massdrop-th-x00-review/2070#post_12145725

Apr 26, 2016

UrVAITguy

484

Apr 26, 2016

innaterebelWow, that's all very informative. So it looks like overkill really would in fact be overkill and ruin the sound quality of these headphones. Next thing I need to find out is output impedance of the realtek onboard sound for my motherboard. Thank you!

Apr 26, 2016

Vote

UrVAITguy

484

Apr 26, 2016

innaterebelSo it turns out my on-board sound is about 32 ohms, while the ZxR is 33 (based on the massdrop specs). So it looks like these headphones aren't the best choice for computer use. I guess I'll have to use them with my phone and see if my untrained ears can hear the difference between the phone and the computer.
Yet again, thank you for those links. I'm learning quite a lot. :D

Apr 26, 2016

Vote

innaterebel

Apr 26, 2016

UrVAITguyNo problem. To be clear I am not claiming that soundcards (or any other high impedance sources) will be necessary bad. Just that in case you are to purchase a new source especially for these headphones it is a factor that could avoid risking your money.

Apr 26, 2016

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