DT990 pro + Modmic vs PC363 D

[Delhu]

Hey guys,

I am currently using a Logitech g430 for gaming and I would like to step up my game. So I am thinking about buying either a PC363 D or a DT990 pro coupled with a Modmic.
I am leaning toward the Beyerdynamic but I have a few worries:
- poor quality of the modmic ?
- I'll probably need to buy an amp (thinking about the magni) to power the dt990 pro (I don't have a dedicated soundcard and mobo is a maximus hero viii). This add more than 100$ to the bill.
- will the upgrade be noticeable (for non audiophile ears)
- I want surround sound (from what I've seen, as long as I don't use a DAC, I should be able to use the surround sound from the mobo)

What is your take on this ?
Thank you,
Delhu

 

[ssddx]

first, you're comparing apples to oranges.

the pc363d is very bass light and fairly neutral through treble and mids while the dt990 is v-shaped with peaks in treble and bass with significant bass extension for open headphones. i think before you start comparing products you need to figure out what kind of sound you expect to hear.

bass light? pc363d, adg1, ad500x/700x, k701
neutral? game zero, hd518/558/598, to some degree the dt880
v-shaped bassy? dt990, dt770

quality on the modmic is quite good for the price. youtube some voice tests if you are unsure.

depending on what you went with, yes you might need an amp. some higher end onboard audio can support hifi headphones but its hard to say to what degree as they all vary in output power. you might be fine with the dt990 on your onboard though if you want to get the most out of them certainly an amplifier is suggested. other headphones in the list above may be fine with onboard alone. i'd actually suggest fiio amps instead since they will be warmer for the dt990. the magni is very transparent so the dt990 will remain a bit cold if you used them. depends on what kind of sound you like to hear- both are good products.

the difference between bass light headphones and bassy v-shaped headphones will be immense and easily noticeable. this is why you want to think about what kind of audio you want before you go picking products out of the blue. as far as "quality" is concerned, they are going to be similar but there is much more going on than this and a simple word "quality" can not explain it all.

if your motherboard has virtual surround using just an amp will retain this feature correct.

------
what you need to answer...

you need to let us know what kind of sound you expect to hear..
bass light & advantageous in gaming but less exciting and perhaps a little bright/tinny
neutral. more tone accurate and less exciting but great for recording or for people who do not like extremes
bass heavy. not advantageous but good for bassheads who value bass over treble/mids
v-shaped. peaked treble and bass which retains treble energy and detail while also boosting bass response for that exciting feel. basically a "fun" sounding can

also if you need closed or open..
closed isolate you from the world but have smaller soundstage and can get hot
open leak in and out but tend to have larger soundstages and also breathe so are cooler

is an amplifier a big deal?
some cans can be powered fine with your onboard while others perhaps not. is buying an amplifier a make or break deal? also do you need the cans to be usable on the go (portables).

do you absolutely require a headset or would this be your preference?
products like the adg1, pc363d, mmx300, game zero (all bass light and a bit tinny.. meant for advantage in fps games not enjoyment.. consider similar to ad700x sound) exist. the game one (based on hd598) is more neutral. there are not a whole lot of good "headphone manufacturer" gaming headsets out there... hifi cans often are superior in sound quality (other than the products i listed which are similar to the headphones listed by the name).

 

[Delhu]

Hi ssddx,

Thank you for your detailed answer.
To answer your questions:
- I am more interested in a v-shaped sound with bass with an open design which is why I am looking at the dt990 pro. How is this kind of sound for gaming ?
- An amp is neither a deal maker nor a deal breaker. It just just needs to be worth the extra price over cans that don't require an amp to give their full potential.
- I am not particularly looking for a headset but it is a all-in-one solution with good sound and good mic. I was actually comparing the dt990 (with modmic) and the pc363d as I did not stumble across headsets with a similar sound signature than the dt990 and as the pc363d emerged from reviews as a (very) good headset. They are in the same price range if I don't buy an amp.

 

[ssddx]

if you want open v-shaped and bassy the dt990 is certainly the way to go. while some headsets might fit this sound signature, none of the ones made by headphone manufacturers do only gaming company ones and sound quality may be inferior.

while the pc363d may be a good headset, it would be a very bad choice for someone looking for bass or a fun sound signature as it will not provide that. this is very apparent due to the recent string of people on here asking how to get more bass out of their game zero headset (basically same thing as pc363d) and the answer to that is that there are way to make it better but its never going to be bassy or do something it is not designed to do.

as for an amp, the schiit would certainly work though is going to be transparent so you will not gain any warmth. too bad they discontinued the fiio e09k as that would have worked well. the e12 will certainly. the a3 might work though its not ideal if you're looking to push bass to the maximum.

 

[Delhu]

if you want open v-shaped and bassy the dt990 is certainly the way to go. while some headsets might fit this sound signature, none of the ones made by headphone manufacturers do only gaming company ones and sound quality may be inferior.

while the pc363d may be a good headset, it would be a very bad choice for someone looking for bass or a fun sound signature as it will not provide that. this is very apparent due to the recent string of people on here asking how to get more bass out of their game zero headset (basically same thing as pc363d) and the answer to that is that there are way to make it better but its never going to be bassy or do something it is not designed to do.

as for an amp, the schiit would certainly work though is going to be transparent so you will not gain any warmth. too bad they discontinued the fiio e09k as that would have worked well. the e12 will certainly. the a3 might work though its not ideal if you're looking to push bass to the maximum.

I am not really sure to understand what you mean by gaining "warmth". You mean it adds more colors to the sound ?
Are there drawbacks with using a portable amp instead of a desktop one ? (For instance noise if you are using them while charging)

 

[ssddx]

a warm amp would boost bass and mids a bit more and take the hard edge off treble a bit.. but its entirely optional and really depends on your preferences.

i've not heard of any issues with portable amplifiers like you mentioned.

 

[Delhu]

a warm amp would boost bass and mids a bit more and take the hard edge off treble a bit.. but its entirely optional and really depends on your preferences.

Well to be honest I don't know what I prefer

How do you connect the amp to the PC ? jack-jack (3.5mm) for the e12k and RCA-RCA for the magni ? Does it change anything ? My guess would be that RCA cables are better but I'm no expert.

 

[ssddx]

either 3.5m-3.5mm or 3.5mm-rca adapter to your front or rear headphone jack. no real difference in quality between 3.5mm and rca connectors.

 

[Delhu]

I really don't know where to go with the amp. The sound signature of the dt990 appeals to me but I don't know if I want to have more warmth. Would it be a waste to go with something more transparent like the magni ?

 

[ssddx]

its not a waste, the magni is an excellent amplifier - transparency is a good thing. i only mentioned a warm amplifier since a few people recommended one given the dt990 - to some people mind you - can sound a bit cold.

keep in mind the dt990 already is fairly bassy for open cans, adding warmth will bring out mids, midbass and subbase even more.

ultimately its a preference thing. in any case, lets say you wanted to fiddle with how they sound and you got the magni instead of a warm amp? you could always tweak the eq a bit. its not the same as a warm amp but you can sort of head that way.

 

[Delhu]

Ok, thanks a lot for your enlightenment ssddx ! I think I'll go with the magni !