Best DAC/AMP for Sennheiser HD 201 headphones
Tags:
- Audio
- HD
Last response: in Home Audio
Leonell12
August 4, 2014 11:14:26 AM
So I got a new pair of HD 201s and after listening to them I don't feel that my iphone or my Asus X550CA laptop is doing them justice in terms of audio performance. So I wanted to know what would be the best ( maybe cheapest) DAC that will provide the audio that they deserve. I don't think an AMP is entirely necessary since these are only 24 ohms I think. So any recommendations are welcome. I want to get the best audio experience these cans can provide. I live on the UK so that's something to consider as well. I want the best audio for the least amount of money. I will be listening to them on my laptop mainly so a portable usb DAC would be nice. listening to them on the iPhone really doesn't matter much to me. I do listen to them, sometimes on the iPad mini as well though.
More about : dac amp sennheiser 201 headphones
-
Reply to Leonell12
I love this one: http://www.raysamuelsaudio.com/products/predator , but it set me back $500. So I guess that's not on your to-do list.
It tends to be a very personal choice. Any major audio store nearby where you could listen to a few and make your own choice?
It tends to be a very personal choice. Any major audio store nearby where you could listen to a few and make your own choice?
-
Reply to WyomingKnott
m
0
l
Cristi72
August 4, 2014 12:37:53 PM
Hello,
You can check this:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_ucontrol_uca_202.htm
You can't go any lower than this and it has a decent audio quality (the headphone volume wheel though tend to degrade rather quickly, so be sure not to use it intensively)
You can check this:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_ucontrol_uca_202.htm
You can't go any lower than this and it has a decent audio quality (the headphone volume wheel though tend to degrade rather quickly, so be sure not to use it intensively)
-
Reply to Cristi72
m
0
l
Related resources
- Sennheiser HD 650 seeks matching DAC/AMP for external sound for PC - Forum
- ATH-m50 or sennheiser hd 558? Or best headphones for $150? - Forum
- Sennheiser HD201 review needed - Forum
- Sennheiser HD 598 Headphones help - Forum
- Sennheiser HD201 vs HD202 - Forum
Leonell12
August 4, 2014 2:24:53 PM
right Cristi72's recommendation seems to be an interesting enough choice. Very cheap and reviews are good. WyomingKnott, no i do not have any major stores near me that i can use, I will be ordering online, namely amazon, ebuyer, scan etc. the lot.
Any other recommendations by any one else before i make my purchase? I want to make sure that any 'bottlenecks' are eliminated. A DAC that goes perfectly with my HD 201s. BTW, i will be using them mainly for music listening, with some gaming also involved but thats not the top priority.
Also, can i use the volume buttons (fn+f11 or f12) for me, to control the volume of the headphones when they're plugged in through the DAC? also, what do you exactly mean by 'you cant go any lower than this?'
Any other recommendations by any one else before i make my purchase? I want to make sure that any 'bottlenecks' are eliminated. A DAC that goes perfectly with my HD 201s. BTW, i will be using them mainly for music listening, with some gaming also involved but thats not the top priority.
Also, can i use the volume buttons (fn+f11 or f12) for me, to control the volume of the headphones when they're plugged in through the DAC? also, what do you exactly mean by 'you cant go any lower than this?'
-
Reply to Leonell12
m
0
l
Cristi72
August 4, 2014 3:08:06 PM
Leonell12 said:
right Cristi72's recommendation seems to be an interesting enough choice. Very cheap and reviews are good. WyomingKnott, no i do not have any major stores near me that i can use, I will be ordering online, namely amazon, ebuyer, scan etc. the lot.Any other recommendations by any one else before i make my purchase? I want to make sure that any 'bottlenecks' are eliminated. A DAC that goes perfectly with my HD 201s. BTW, i will be using them mainly for music listening, with some gaming also involved but thats not the top priority.
Also, can i use the volume buttons (fn+f11 or f12) for me, to control the volume of the headphones when they're plugged in through the DAC? also, what do you exactly mean by 'you cant go any lower than this?'
I meant "any lower on price", sorry for not being very specific... As for the volume, it can be controlled by "Function" buttons if you put the USB sound card as the default audio playback device; just be sure the volume knob from the USB device is set at least 50% (I put it at 75% and I never felt the urge to go beyond that point on my HPX4000).
-
Reply to Cristi72
m
0
l
ien2222
August 4, 2014 3:55:34 PM
Cambridge Audio's DACMagic would be another choice, I'm not sure what price point you were looking at but a cursory look at Amazon UK lists them at 100 pounds.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/DacMagic-Digital-Analogue-Conve...
It gets very good reviews and is smaller than the Behringer, though that is a decent choice as well.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/DacMagic-Digital-Analogue-Conve...
It gets very good reviews and is smaller than the Behringer, though that is a decent choice as well.
-
Reply to ien2222
m
0
l
sora
August 4, 2014 8:51:02 PM
ien2222 said:
Cambridge Audio's DACMagic would be another choice, I'm not sure what price point you were looking at but a cursory look at Amazon UK lists them at 100 pounds.http://www.amazon.co.uk/DacMagic-Digital-Analogue-Conve...
It gets very good reviews and is smaller than the Behringer, though that is a decent choice as well.
This performs pretty great and it is at a decent price. You pay for what you get.
-
Reply to sora
m
0
l
Leonell12
August 5, 2014 6:24:23 AM
haha well i got my HD 201s for £15 off Amazon, i think they're originally for £25 or something, i dont want to buy a DAC that costs more than the headphones themselves, because then the headphone drivers simply wont be capable of (good enough) producing the sound that the DAC is providing right?
It seems like i'll go with the Behringer, one more thing i've been told that listening to mp3 music and just youtube music videos does not give you the best audio experience, is that true? if it is, then what other formats are there?
It seems like i'll go with the Behringer, one more thing i've been told that listening to mp3 music and just youtube music videos does not give you the best audio experience, is that true? if it is, then what other formats are there?
-
Reply to Leonell12
m
0
l
RazerZ
August 5, 2014 6:49:10 AM
RazerZ
August 5, 2014 6:53:39 AM
Leonell12 said:
haha well i got my HD 201s for £15 off Amazon, i think they're originally for £25 or something, i dont want to buy a DAC that costs more than the headphones themselves, because then the headphone drivers simply wont be capable of (good enough) producing the sound that the DAC is providing right?It seems like i'll go with the Behringer, one more thing i've been told that listening to mp3 music and just youtube music videos does not give you the best audio experience, is that true? if it is, then what other formats are there?
ALAC, APE, and FLAC are the ones you can look into. The other option is raw audio files but they can take up tons of space.
If you're looking for something to change your listening experience you could look into getting an equalizer for your laptop/ iphone.
-
Reply to RazerZ
m
0
l
Leonell12
August 5, 2014 7:30:25 AM
RazerZ said:
Leonell12 said:
haha well i got my HD 201s for £15 off Amazon, i think they're originally for £25 or something, i dont want to buy a DAC that costs more than the headphones themselves, because then the headphone drivers simply wont be capable of (good enough) producing the sound that the DAC is providing right?It seems like i'll go with the Behringer, one more thing i've been told that listening to mp3 music and just youtube music videos does not give you the best audio experience, is that true? if it is, then what other formats are there?
ALAC, APE, and FLAC are the ones you can look into. The other option is raw audio files but they can take up tons of space.
If you're looking for something to change your listening experience you could look into getting an equalizer for your laptop/ iphone.
an equalizer? you mean something like Razer Surround? because i am currently using that
Also, thats the dilemma i have, i'm not sure if the audio the laptop or iphone is providing is good enough for the headphones, i want to get the most out of these headphones, so what do you think of the Behringer DAC recommended earlier in this thread? will it be just a waste of money without any significant change in audio? are my headphones already at top audio performance with the iphone and laptop?
and about the other audio formats you said, can i just convert mp3 to FLAC and get better audio or do i need to download the music in FLAC form?
-
Reply to Leonell12
m
0
l
RazerZ
August 5, 2014 7:55:57 AM
Leonell12 said:
RazerZ said:
Leonell12 said:
haha well i got my HD 201s for £15 off Amazon, i think they're originally for £25 or something, i dont want to buy a DAC that costs more than the headphones themselves, because then the headphone drivers simply wont be capable of (good enough) producing the sound that the DAC is providing right?It seems like i'll go with the Behringer, one more thing i've been told that listening to mp3 music and just youtube music videos does not give you the best audio experience, is that true? if it is, then what other formats are there?
ALAC, APE, and FLAC are the ones you can look into. The other option is raw audio files but they can take up tons of space.
If you're looking for something to change your listening experience you could look into getting an equalizer for your laptop/ iphone.
an equalizer? you mean something like Razer Surround? because i am currently using that
Also, thats the dilemma i have, i'm not sure if the audio the laptop or iphone is providing is good enough for the headphones, i want to get the most out of these headphones, so what do you think of the Behringer DAC recommended earlier in this thread? will it be just a waste of money without any significant change in audio? are my headphones already at top audio performance with the iphone and laptop?
and about the other audio formats you said, can i just convert mp3 to FLAC and get better audio or do i need to download the music in FLAC form?
No, I mean an equalizer which you can add or take away from the db level of each frequency that should look like this (here's the iTunes eq):

And no you can not convert mp3 to FLAC and see a change in sound quality. You would have to download the FLAC file.
Usually the headphones that can see noticeable changes in sound quality from a different source tend to be high-end.
-
Reply to RazerZ
m
0
l
Leonell12
August 5, 2014 8:10:00 AM
yeah Razer surround also has that thing
![]()
anyways, so converting to FLAC wont make much of a difference, the headphones probably wont be able to hear it.
Now that leaves the question of the DAC, is that £20 Behringer DAC worth it? this one http://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_ucontrol_uca_202.htm
are these headphones good enough tot he hear the difference? thats the question

anyways, so converting to FLAC wont make much of a difference, the headphones probably wont be able to hear it.
Now that leaves the question of the DAC, is that £20 Behringer DAC worth it? this one http://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_ucontrol_uca_202.htm
are these headphones good enough tot he hear the difference? thats the question
-
Reply to Leonell12
m
0
l
RazerZ
August 5, 2014 8:15:30 AM
Ok so it does have it, I thought razer surround was just for surround sound.
Since these are low-end headphones I'm going to say you won't see a noticeable difference with buying a new DAC. I'd suggest to return them if you're not satisfied with them, or if it's too late for that, save up for a better pair.
Since these are low-end headphones I'm going to say you won't see a noticeable difference with buying a new DAC. I'd suggest to return them if you're not satisfied with them, or if it's too late for that, save up for a better pair.
-
Reply to RazerZ
m
0
l
Leonell12
August 5, 2014 4:11:24 PM
Cristi72 said:
Leonell12 said:
right Cristi72's recommendation seems to be an interesting enough choice. Very cheap and reviews are good. WyomingKnott, no i do not have any major stores near me that i can use, I will be ordering online, namely amazon, ebuyer, scan etc. the lot.Any other recommendations by any one else before i make my purchase? I want to make sure that any 'bottlenecks' are eliminated. A DAC that goes perfectly with my HD 201s. BTW, i will be using them mainly for music listening, with some gaming also involved but thats not the top priority.
Also, can i use the volume buttons (fn+f11 or f12) for me, to control the volume of the headphones when they're plugged in through the DAC? also, what do you exactly mean by 'you cant go any lower than this?'
I meant "any lower on price", sorry for not being very specific... As for the volume, it can be controlled by "Function" buttons if you put the USB sound card as the default audio playback device; just be sure the volume knob from the USB device is set at least 50% (I put it at 75% and I never felt the urge to go beyond that point on my HPX4000).
ok thanks RazerZ, Cristi, the headphones you have, the HPX4000s, these seem to be in a similar price bracket (and therefore performance bracket?) and you also use the DAC you recommended, so if you could tell me your listening experience with these phones using the DAC and without the DAC, is there any real audio difference? if so, how much? I appreciate RazerZ's advice (which is probably right) but since i have someone who can do a little test then why not?
-
Reply to Leonell12
m
0
l
Cristi72
August 6, 2014 1:40:02 AM
Leonell12 said:
ok thanks RazerZ, Cristi, the headphones you have, the HPX4000s, these seem to be in a similar price bracket (and therefore performance bracket?) and you also use the DAC you recommended, so if you could tell me your listening experience with these phones using the DAC and without the DAC, is there any real audio difference? if so, how much? I appreciate RazerZ's advice (which is probably right) but since i have someone who can do a little test then why not?
They are at the similar price point now, but they are not in the same performance bracket by any means; the HPX4000, while being marketed as DJ headphones, was actually a semi-pro headset.
Back to our case: usually, the onboard audio' output stage can also drive a pair of headsets, but they are rated for 32 Ohm headsets. You have 24 Ohm headphones, so they should work; the real problem is that you drive the onboard amplifier to its maximum and you will have a distorted sound.
From just the specs, the DAC Magic XS ien2222 suggested is a much better choice: they can work from 12 Ohm up, while UCA202 seem to properly drive headsets no less than 50 Ohm (HPX4000 being 32 Ohm were OK I guess, but I don't know if your 24 Ohm will work properly; I will try with a Sennheiser 16 Ohm pair and see -well, hear- how it works).
-
Reply to Cristi72
m
0
l
Cristi72
August 6, 2014 1:46:00 PM
I just tested the UCA202 again with my HPX4000 and also with a pair of 16-Ohm Sennheiser (in-ear CX 280) and unfortunately the signal is heavily distorted when using the Sennheiser at much lower volume than HPX, so UCA202 indeed cannot cope with less than 32 Ohm loads...
If the solution suggested by ien2222 is not compelling, you can consider this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Syba-24-Bit-96KHz-Headphone-Amp... (it has a very good output stage for 16 - 600 Ohm loads, using LM4562 power IC);
http://www.amazon.co.uk/DeLOCK-USB-2-0-Sound-Kopfh%C3%B... (quite the same as above, driving 16 - 150 Ohm loads, the same output stage);
http://www.amazon.co.uk/MUSILAND-LILO-ENJOY-External-El...
or this "monster":
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TOPPING-TA2024B-Tripath-headpho... , which has quite a punch and allows you to use some external speakers.
If the solution suggested by ien2222 is not compelling, you can consider this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Syba-24-Bit-96KHz-Headphone-Amp... (it has a very good output stage for 16 - 600 Ohm loads, using LM4562 power IC);
http://www.amazon.co.uk/DeLOCK-USB-2-0-Sound-Kopfh%C3%B... (quite the same as above, driving 16 - 150 Ohm loads, the same output stage);
http://www.amazon.co.uk/MUSILAND-LILO-ENJOY-External-El...
or this "monster":
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TOPPING-TA2024B-Tripath-headpho... , which has quite a punch and allows you to use some external speakers.
-
Reply to Cristi72
m
0
l
RazerZ
August 6, 2014 1:57:03 PM
Cristi72
August 6, 2014 2:37:07 PM
RazerZ said:
Instead of spending around 50 or more pounds on a dac wouldn't it be better to just get new headphones?I think with some new headphones he will end up in the same situation, because good passive headphones are hard to drive using an average audio codec as the one from his laptop, and amplified headphones are much more expensive.
-
Reply to Cristi72
m
0
l
Leonell12
August 6, 2014 3:14:34 PM
yeah i could get new headphones, something that is usb, maybe like a plantronics gamecom 380 or 780, i just wont use the mic and call it headphones. But the thing is, i also have a spare turtlebeach X12 lying around, i'm not a fan of those though and my brother uses them mostly, not, me but he could always use the DAC as well, although he is by no means fond of 'great audio'. Anyways, someone said this about the first DAC you posted Cristi, the Syba
''We tried it with his Sennheiser HD202 headphones -- admittedly, they are not high end, but the amp really makes them come alive. Crisp and powerful, with very little interference (heard mainly when source volume was turned up).''
now as far as i know the HD 201s are very similar to the 202s so a sound performance increase is bound, right?
Also, Cristi i appreciate you trying the DAC with the earphones, that DAC is obviously not meant for my headphones
and also, RazerZ, i can manage to spend about £30 maximum (which is why the Syba DAC is a compelling choice) and this way, this also gives me headroom to get better headphones in the future, as it hasnt been long since i've bought the HD 201s, and still have something to drive them, the X12s could also use the DAC
''We tried it with his Sennheiser HD202 headphones -- admittedly, they are not high end, but the amp really makes them come alive. Crisp and powerful, with very little interference (heard mainly when source volume was turned up).''
now as far as i know the HD 201s are very similar to the 202s so a sound performance increase is bound, right?
Also, Cristi i appreciate you trying the DAC with the earphones, that DAC is obviously not meant for my headphones
and also, RazerZ, i can manage to spend about £30 maximum (which is why the Syba DAC is a compelling choice) and this way, this also gives me headroom to get better headphones in the future, as it hasnt been long since i've bought the HD 201s, and still have something to drive them, the X12s could also use the DAC
-
Reply to Leonell12
m
0
l
Cristi72
August 6, 2014 3:35:21 PM
Leonell12 said:
now as far as i know the HD 201s are very similar to the 202s so a sound performance increase is bound, right?
Unfortunately no, they are not very similar. Form the specs: 201 has 24 Ohm and 108 dB SPL; 202 has 115 dB SPL and 32 Ohm. Using the same volume, 202's sound will be two times more powerful than 201's (the sound pressure level doubles at every 3 dB). So it is possible that HD 202 sounds good on almost any device (and is more compatible, having 32 Ohm impedance).
-
Reply to Cristi72
m
0
l
RazerZ
August 6, 2014 4:04:24 PM
Cristi72 said:
RazerZ said:
Instead of spending around 50 or more pounds on a dac wouldn't it be better to just get new headphones?I think with some new headphones he will end up in the same situation, because good passive headphones are hard to drive using an average audio codec as the one from his laptop, and amplified headphones are much more expensive.
I have an Audio Technica ATH m50s and a pair of Panasonic RP HTF600-S. They sound great with my laptop, iPad, and iPhone without the need of an amp or dac.
-
Reply to RazerZ
m
0
l
Leonell12
August 6, 2014 5:17:06 PM
From what RazerZ has been saying, it wont be worth it, from what Cristi's been saying driving the onboard audio near their maximum might create distortion in the sound quality but i doubt the HD 201s are good enough to even pick up on that
hmm well then that settles it i guess, i wont be getting an amp/ dac unless i get a better headphone that is sure to take advantage of an external DAC. For the time being, i should be content with the HD 201s and my onboard audio. thanks guys for all your help!
hmm well then that settles it i guess, i wont be getting an amp/ dac unless i get a better headphone that is sure to take advantage of an external DAC. For the time being, i should be content with the HD 201s and my onboard audio. thanks guys for all your help!
-
Reply to Leonell12
m
0
l
Cristi72
August 6, 2014 6:40:56 PM
RazerZ said:
I have an Audio Technica ATH m50s and a pair of Panasonic RP HTF600-S. They sound great with my laptop, iPad, and iPhone without the need of an amp or dac.
Is the laptop also an Apple one? Because all Apple products are well known for their quality of the output stage (well, except some old MacBooks).
-
Reply to Cristi72
m
0
l
RazerZ
August 6, 2014 7:44:25 PM
No, it's a toshiba. Its still sounds decent, but without the eq the apple products do sound better.
Your laptop might sound different compared to mine, but your ipad mini should sound similar to my iphone 4s and ipad 3/4?(The one before the lightning connector came out). I'm definitely satisfied with apple's audio.
Your laptop might sound different compared to mine, but your ipad mini should sound similar to my iphone 4s and ipad 3/4?(The one before the lightning connector came out). I'm definitely satisfied with apple's audio.
-
Reply to RazerZ
m
0
l
RazerZ
August 6, 2014 7:50:23 PM
Leonell12
August 7, 2014 6:46:57 AM
RazerZ said:
@OP What exactly was the problem... you didn't find them clear enough? Lacking bass? Too quiet?well i already knew that the headphones lack bass, but that is not a problem, infact this is part of the reason i chose these headphones, bassy headphones give me headaches (which is why i dont like the Turtlebeach X12s). Anyways, if you look at the reviews here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-Closed-Dynamic-Stere... you would expect for these to sound 'absolutely amazing', but for the matter they dont sound amazing. From the reviews i was expecting really comfy, great sounding headphones that have rich audio fidelity, but they dont sound amazing. I mean before these i was using these earphones http://www.bagsandluggage.co.uk/p/1110187/Travel-Earpho... and the HD 201s dont sound much different, they just sound 'bigger'. I would've been happy with that if the headphones were actually comfortable, they're not that comfy. The pleather/ leatherette ear cups are way too thin and pinchy. I guess i cant change the comfort, but getting better audio out of these would've sufficed to compensate. Which is what left me wondering if my laptop/ iphone/ ipad audio is whats letting them down. Do you recommend me burning these in for a night or something? some people say its good for the headphones, others dis agree, what do you think?
-
Reply to Leonell12
m
0
l
RazerZ
August 7, 2014 7:21:36 AM
Regarding burn in, I burned in both of my headphones. With the ATH-M50 I heard no difference. With the Panasonic's I think I may of heard a small difference, but it could of just been my ears adjusting to its sound. You can try leaving them on in a burn in ( I used pink noise, but playing random music on a loop would work) and see if anything happens. I wouldn't expect any miracles however.
If you do it properly at the right volume ( slightly above listening level) you have nothing to lose.
The source on your ipad and iphone should sound great, not sure about the laptop however. If you don't like the sound quality coming from the apple products it's the headphones that aren't living up to your expectations.
If you do it properly at the right volume ( slightly above listening level) you have nothing to lose.
The source on your ipad and iphone should sound great, not sure about the laptop however. If you don't like the sound quality coming from the apple products it's the headphones that aren't living up to your expectations.
-
Reply to RazerZ
m
0
l
Cristi72
August 7, 2014 7:42:43 AM
Leonell12 said:
you would expect for these to sound 'absolutely amazing', but for the matter they dont sound amazing.Maybe they do sound amazing, but you must give them a little bit more audio power (if you or your friends have a stand-alone amplifier, receiver or home theatre with headphone output, test your HD201 and I'm positively sure that you will be very pleased).
If you still want to change them, please try to find an audio store where you can test the new headphones next to your HD 201.
-
Reply to Cristi72
m
0
l
Leonell12
August 7, 2014 8:02:04 AM
hmm ok ill try burning them in using ''pink noise'' and ill also try them with an amp or something, a friend of mine is a music enthusiast and he's sure to have some amps lying around. I'll give it a go. If i am pleased, then i guess i'll get a new amp/ dac (the Syba seems a good choice) and if im not pleased then ill just save up for a better headphone. Thanks guys for all your help. Really appreciate it.
-
Reply to Leonell12
m
0
l
Related resources
- Sennheiser PX100, HD201, HD202 Forum
- SolvedASUS Xonar essence STX enough for the sennheiser hd700 headphones? Forum
- Solvedwhat headphones should I buy?Sennheiser hd380 or the audio technica ath m50?i listen to classical rock and hard rock80 Forum
- SolvedSennheiser HD 598 Headphones for gaming? Forum
- Are Sennheiser HD 558 headphones good? Forum
- Which Sennheiser Headphones Should I Get: HD 429s, HD 439, or HD 449? Forum
- SolvedHeadphone Amp for Sennheiser HD 598 Forum
- Best Sennheiser Headphones under $200? Forum
- Which Sound Card to get with Sennheiser HD 555 Headphones (ASRock Z77 Pro4 Mobo) Forum
- Sennheiser HD420 Headphones Forum
- Sennheiser Hd419 Headphone Forum
- SolvedBest Sennheiser headphone under $150? Forum
- What do I need for best sound /w Sennheiser HD 555's? Forum
- More resources
Read discussions in other Home Audio categories
!