Any way to use Sennheiser HD650s / BeyerDynamic DT 880s with an Xbox One?

[DangerDan]

Hello , I'm looking at buying either the HD650s or the DT880s to combine with an amp for Pc use ( Gaming, Movies and Music mainly EDM). Firstly which do you think is more suitable for my uses?Also is there any way to drive these on an Xbox One as I would like to not have to buy another pair of headphones specifically for an Xbox?. If so I would have around a £100 budget for the setup.

Thank you for any help as I'm new to headphones and don't want to waste money on a "gaming headset"

 

[Dunlop0078]

Hmm my Fiio E10K AMP/DAC plugs in via usb and needs a driver to work, So I doubt anything that needs to plug into a computer via usb would work as I doubt your Xbox one is going to install the driver it needs. So you would need an amp that gets its power from the wall, make sure of that. But yeah it should work, you would plug the amp into your controller with the adapter I linked below then plug your headphones into the amp.

http/www.bestbuy.com/site/microsoft-xbox-one-stereo-headset-adapter-black/9008243.p?skuId=9008243&ref=212&loc=1&ksid=ef1f8bf4-110c-47cd-a0a7-2c326e744093&ksprof_id=15&ksaffcode=pg184055&ksdevice=c&lsft=ref:212,loc:2

 

[Dunlop0078]

As for HD 650s vs DT880s they are both good, I have tried the 650s and thought they were amazing but I have heard good things about the 880s as well. If it were me I would probably go with the 650s. Sound is very subjective, if possible I would say try them both before you buy if you have a good audio store near you. Head-fi.org are more geared towards these types of questions, here is a thread with people discussing hd 650 vs dt880.

http/www.head-fi.org/t/505580/beyerdynamic-dt880-pro-vs-sennheiser-hd650

 

[DarkSable]

Not wanting to waste money on a gaming headset is absolutely correct.

However, I'll say this:

1) For gaming, the Sennheiser 598's are about as good as it possibly gets; I've tried supposedly higher tier Sennheisers, and for music they're amazing, but for gaming, nothing beats the 598's.

2) Specifically because you mentioned listening to EDM... you don't want really high fidelity, audiophile headphones. They're simply not going to let you experience the base the way you want for EDM. As painful as it is for me to say this, look at more mainstream options; the only complaint Sennheisers ever get is that they're so balanced that most people think they're lacking in base.

EDIT: As far as an amp that works well with both the xbox and PC, from what I've seen, Astro's preamp works pretty well.

 

[Dunlop0078]

Not wanting to waste money on a gaming headset is absolutely correct.

However, I'll say this:

1) For gaming, the Sennheiser 598's are about as good as it possibly gets; I've tried supposedly higher tier Sennheisers, and for music they're amazing, but for gaming, nothing beats the 598's.

2) Specifically because you mentioned listening to EDM... you don't want really high fidelity, audiophile headphones. They're simply not going to let you experience the base the way you want for EDM. As painful as it is for me to say this, look at more mainstream options; the only complaint Sennheisers ever get is that they're so balanced that most people think they're lacking in base.

EDIT: As far as an amp that works well with both the xbox and PC, from what I've seen, Astro's preamp works pretty well.

If you ask me the HD558 and 598 are both quite bass light for gaming, my 558s leave a lot to be desired in the bass department for particularly gaming. If all you want is high quality sound with good sound stage for being able to figure out which direction sound is coming from the 558s/598s are great. But if you want to "feel" for lack of a better word every time you fire a gun or an explosion goes off I would not recommend 598s.But again sound is very subjective.

 

[DangerDan]

I've heard good things about this amp, would this be supplied via wall plug?
http/schiit.com/products/magni-2

I know this amp is designed for Xbox but I thought it wouldn't be powerful enough.
http/www.astrogaming.com/mixamps/MIXAMP-TR-XB1.html?dwvar_MIXAMP-TR-XB1_color=White#start=1

Also I was looking at those headphones as I didn't want something with overwhelming base like most "gaming headsets" and wanted a balanced sound that would suit most purposes. Do you think any of these headphones/amps will be reduced during Black Friday?

 

[Dunlop0078]

The magni is an excellent amp I thought about getting it actually but it does not have a DAC only an amp, most people get the "shiit stack" lol which is the magni and modi both $100 a piece which I could not afford at the time. But yes it does plug into the wall, whether you need a DAC is up to you I would do a little research before you decide.

 

[ssddx]

the 598 is not the creme of the crop. there are many products which beat the hd598 depending on your taste... it is a good product however.

the 518/558/598 are neutral sound signature. not bass light, not bass heavy. the hd650 will offer a bit more bass and fullness while keeping the laid back sound.

the dt990 is a v-shaped signature which you might enjoy even more than the dt880. the dt880 is a bit more neutral with not as much bass or treble emphasis as the dt990.

you can use any amplifier with the xbox or ps4.. just connect up to the analog ouptut on the controller to a decent amplifier. the schiiit magni 2 is an excellent amp. analog input from controller to the amp and you would be fine. as an alternative, you might be able to use an optical to rca/3.5mm adapter (optical audio extractor) for audio output if you did not want to use the controller or you may be able to get a usb soundcard stick thats supported (youtube or google will tell you what ones work) to change usb to analog (optical will sound better than the cheap usb adapter.. or just use the controller output)

mixamp is a so-so product. if you want virtual surround sound it and the dss2 and maybe one or two other products are the only ones capable of it. i cannot say if its strong enough for the dt880 or hd650 though. i'm thinking its going to be a little light on power.

black friday sales are generally for cheap items or random items not so much what you're looking for. there could be some deals but i would not hold my breath.

it sounds like you dont want a neutral product but instead want something with a bit more bass than neutral. that makes me think the dt990, hd650 or dt770 are worth considering.

 

[Dunlop0078]

I've heard good things about this amp, would this be supplied via wall plug?
http/schiit.com/products/magni-2

I know this amp is designed for Xbox but I thought it wouldn't be powerful enough.
http/www.astrogaming.com/mixamps/MIXAMP-TR-XB1.html?dwvar_MIXAMP-TR-XB1_color=White#start=1

Also I was looking at those headphones as I didn't want something with overwhelming base like most "gaming headsets" and wanted a balanced sound that would suit most purposes. Do you think any of these headphones/amps will be reduced during Black Friday?

In my opinion and I cant overstate "opinion" enough when it comes to sound. The HD650s are just right when it comes to bass, however I will say that they are a bit pricy to use primarly for gaming. The HD 558/598 I find to be quite underwhelming when it comes to bass especially in gaming where I like a good amount of bass. Have you looked at the fostex t50rp's? I have been eyeing those for a while they might suit you well.

 

[DangerDan]

the 598 is not the creme of the crop. there are many products which beat the hd598 depending on your taste... it is a good product however.

the 518/558/598 are neutral sound signature. not bass light, not bass heavy. the hd650 will offer a bit more bass and fullness while keeping the laid back sound.

the dt990 is a v-shaped signature which you might enjoy even more than the dt880. the dt880 is a bit more neutral with not as much bass or treble emphasis as the dt990.

you can use any amplifier with the xbox or ps4.. just connect up to the analog ouptut on the controller to a decent amplifier. the schiiit magni 2 is an excellent amp. analog input from controller to the amp and you would be fine. as an alternative, you might be able to use an optical to rca/3.5mm adapter (optical audio extractor) for audio output if you did not want to use the controller or you may be able to get a usb soundcard stick thats supported (youtube or google will tell you what ones work) to change usb to analog (optical will sound better than the cheap usb adapter.. or just use the controller output)

mixamp is a so-so product. if you want virtual surround sound it and the dss2 and maybe one or two other products are the only ones capable of it. i cannot say if its strong enough for the dt880 or hd650 though. i'm thinking its going to be a little light on power.

black friday sales are generally for cheap items or random items not so much what you're looking for. there could be some deals but i would not hold my breath.

it sounds like you dont want a neutral product but instead want something with a bit more bass than neutral. that makes me think the dt990, hd650 or dt770 are worth considering.

For me its definitely between the HD650s and DT990 with the Magni amp and maybe the modi in the future. But its just whether the 650s are worth the extra money.

 

[ssddx]

honestly it depends on preference. both are good cans in their own right and one is not better than the other depending on what you like.

if you want something more laid back and easy listening (some may call that a bit slow sounding) then the hd650 would be great. if you want something with quite a bit of treble energy and clarity/detail (some may call this bright or fatiguing) then the dt990 would be great.

 

[Wibble121423]

1) For gaming, the Sennheiser 598's are about as good as it possibly gets; I've tried supposedly higher tier Sennheisers, and for music they're amazing, but for gaming, nothing beats the 598's.

Hi all,
I have these headphones now (HD598SE) and they are great... but I'm getting really confused when it comes to combining this with party chat on Xbox One. Do I need a DAC? Do I need an Amp? Do I need both???

(I have ordered the official Stereo Adapter and a cable (Y splitter?) that separates mic and audio).
I am considering getting a Modmic (although there seems to be a lot of different types of these! Omni/Uni??

What do I need to actually get the proper spatial awareness of sound that the headphones deliver when plugged into the TV (xbox one games) and yet also allows me to use party chat through the same headphones?
Thanks!!!

 

[madmatt30]

Just the adapter , splitter & modmic mate.

Just not sure how well the pad output itself will power those.

Runs my ath-m50s & my klipsch phones OK but they're honestly not that hard to drive.

 

[ssddx]

@wibble

start your own thread instead of hijacking a thread from november.

closed.