Need some help with Beyerdynamic dt-990 amplification

[SlothOnTheSpot]

Hello everyone,
as I am not the most experienced in the topic, I would ask for some help.

I have a beyerdynamic dt-990 (250ohm) headphone, and I am thinking of getting some better amp for it. The main purpouse I've bought this headphone is music production & listening. (Don't start on the ''get a monitor speaker'' thing.. I know)

Right now I have:
-an Asus Xonar Dx in my pc, which is not the best for the job (bought it a while ago, when this was not a consern)
-a Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 interface, this is what I use right now to drive my headphones

Don't get me wrong, the Scarlet is not bad at all, I really love the sound, but I know that the headphones can do more, so why the hell wouldn't I get something better if I can.

I need a solution for my desktop only.
What I have in mind right now is getting a Soundblaster Zx instead of my Xonar, but if there are any other alternatives (like the Fiio products), I would be glad to hear them.

 

[ssddx]

the dt990 is not a neutral headphone so is not as sound accurate as some other choices so perhaps not the best professional mixing choice, but its all up to preference honestly.

fiio a3 or fiio e09k high output are good low cost amplifiers. either of them are good choices and will warm up the dt990's a bit and take that cool edge off.

the creative zx would also work and if you play games you can benefit from virtual surround sound.

another great amplifier is the schiit magni though it is more transparent so you will retain that coldness they come with. often its suggested to get a warm amp with them. your choice.

the xonar dx you have right now on its own is not a good choice for any hifi headphones as its amplifier is weak. HOWEVER it is a great choice for use combined with an external amplifier since the signal is not heavily amplified out of the card so pairs well with externals. it would pair very well with a fiio or schiit amplifier though not many people go that route because of upfront cost (but you already have the dx so that is not an issue here). the dx has the same dac as the high end stx so overall you would be better off than the Z in terms of hardware. you would have virtual surround as well if you wanted it for gaming as well as an equalizer and an external volume control knob.

if you wanted to use the scarlett unit you have now, you could always use the line out jacks to an external amplifier for your headphones as well. if you do vocals and want to listen to your voice as you record (as opposed to "listen to this device" setting in windows to do the same) this may be the better route. sometimes when you use the "listen to this device" option there is a slight lag between when you speak/sing and when you hear it in headphones (experiment to see if you notice this and which option would be best for your needs)