[Antonisu]

Hey everyone,
I am planning on buying the BeyerDynamic DT 770 Pro (80 or 250 Ohm), and I was wondering if my motherboard's onboard audio chip can support these headphones with such a high impedence.
My motherboard is the Gigabyte Z170x-Gaming 3, and according to its user manual , it has really great audio specs.
For example, it has the Realtek® ALC1150 codec, as well as the TI Burr Brown® OPA2134 operational amplifier, which according to this data sheet, can output upto 600 Ohm.
According to these specs, will my computer be able to optimally use them?
Also, it has a feature called gain boost, which apparently helps make high impedence headphones run better. Is this true?
Thanks.

 

[pbui44]

If a motherboard advertises that it supports up to 600 ohms, then it is almost always a gimmick. You need at least a special amplifier to power 600 ohm headphones to humanly listenable levels and it does not matter what manufacturer or model it is. With that said, since you are looking at the DT770, I highly suggest that you look at the DT880 Edition 32 ohm to use with your motherboard:

https://europe.beyerdynamic.com/dt-880-edition.html

...and if you hear interference coming from your motherboard, then get this DAC, too:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100...1;56.98;-1;-1@salePrice;USD;search-mainSearch

 

[Antonisu]

If a motherboard advertises that it supports up to 600 ohms, then it is almost always a gimmick. You need at least a special amplifier to power 600 ohm headphones to humanly listenable levels and it does not matter what manufacturer or model it is. With that said, since you are looking at the DT770, I highly suggest that you look at the DT880 Edition 32 ohm to use with your motherboard:

https://europe.beyerdynamic.com/dt-880-edition.html

...and if you hear interference coming from your motherboard, then get this DAC, too:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001865905543.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.27ce4e53CcQ0Uh&algo_pvid=124798fc-9261-45d1-ac7c-a58fcf2dd1c0&algo_exp_id=124798fc-9261-45d1-ac7c-a58fcf2dd1c0-40&pdp_ext_f={"sku_id":"12000017915913042"}&pdp_pi=-1;56.98;-1;-1@salePrice;USD;search-mainSearch

I'm sorry if I sound stupid but on the official Texas Instruments website it says that that particular amp has a High Open-Loop Gain: 120 dB (600 Ω), which is why i said that it can power 600ohm headphones, however I do not know what that actually means.
Thanks

 

[deadmanssanctum]

I'm sorry if I sound stupid but on the official Texas Instruments website it says that that particular amp has a High Open-Loop Gain: 120 dB (600 Ω), which is why i said that it can power 600ohm headphones, however I do not know what that actually means.
Thanks

Another important aspect of a headphone's performance is the power output (wattage) that can be provided to run the headphone. It can advertise the ability to produce 600 ohms but without any power behind it you won't be able to listen to music well. I'm skeptical of the idea that you'd be able to hear at a normal volume for a 250 ohm headphone. 80 is more reasonable but to be safe and actually get the most possible out of a headphone I recommend finding an option that is high sensitivity and lower impedance (less than 50 ohms).

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Hey everyone,
I am planning on buying the BeyerDynamic DT 770 Pro (80 or 250 Ohm), and I was wondering if my motherboard's onboard audio chip can support these headphones with such a high impedence.
My motherboard is the Gigabyte Z170x-Gaming 3, and according to its user manual , it has really great audio specs.
For example, it has the Realtek® ALC1150 codec, as well as the TI Burr Brown® OPA2134 operational amplifier, which according to this data sheet, can output upto 600 Ohm.
According to these specs, will my computer be able to optimally use them?
Also, it has a feature called gain boost, which apparently helps make high impedence headphones run better. Is this true?
Thanks.

No headphone driver circuit outputs "up to 600ohm." The 600ohm is one of the load characteristics of the headphone. The output will be in a combination of voltage and current, which varies depending on the impedance, resulting in different power levels in mW depending on the load impedance. Think of statements like "can drive 600ohm headphones" like how BMW sells four cylinder 5-series cars...as cabs in Munich and for downtown driving in big Asian cities, and will totally suck for highways.

Output impedance is also another factor - it won't affect power, but it affects damping factor. Think of this as the slow 4cyl 520 cab in Munich not having the kind of suspension, wheels, tyres, and brakes that an M5 has.

Specs not being wholly available otherwise, it's hard to guess...but I can give you a subjective review based on the mATX version of that board and an HD600 (300ohms). If it's just about getting loud enough in CS:GO, no problem. Heck it has a swappable op-amp version of the op-amp used on my Cantate.2 amplifier (LM6171). One problem: it has one LM6171 and that's good enough for MP3 gun shots and voice comms/SFX. You're not even going to try and pick out any difference in distortion levels when your primary objective is to pin that crosshair and shoot without getting shot. Ditto MP3 horse hooves and crashing steel/bronze and flesh+bone in Total War. The top end is fatiguing enough, but it's not like I'm craving for an LCD-2 for gaming where I'm not leaning back the entire time (even on TW), hence the weight will be a problem. Once I switch to music, even if I lower the volume, the top is sharper and the low end not as full. Switch over to the Cantate with eight of these LM6171 in an active ground circuit and the top end is smoother, even if I crank it up to hearing damage levels; the low end is fuller too. The latter though isn't just about power - it's also because of very low noise. Think of having high output like having very high horsepower, but very low noise is like having a lot of torque. Instead of cranking it up to hear the low end, you just have less electronic noise to get in the way. And this is with the Cantate.2 hooked up to the Z170M Gaming. USB out off that thing is clean enough, but if I'm using a DAP as a server in my bedroom hooked up to the Cantate.2, I won't have two Corsair 120mm fans cooling the CPU and three MSI 80mm fans on the GPU, plus two more 120mm fans to pull all that hot air out of the case plus a 120mm fan on an 80+ Gold PSU, so that low end gets even fuller and clearer and more audible.

Basically if you're just gaming, no problem. If you're listening to music, depending on your tolerance for high frequencies and need for low frequencies, chances are that motherboard (and the rest of the cooling system on that computer) can be a problem.