BeyerDynamic DT100 400ohms

[amsmarle]

Hello, I have received a set of Beyerdynamic DT100 400ohms as a gift, but they seem to be a little low on volume and a bit muffled. I am trying to run them through a Behringer MicroAmp HA400 headphone amplifier.

Can anyone please advise me if I need a better headphone amp?
I am tracking through an AudioFuse version 1 audio Interface

Regards
Alan

[DupleMeter]

Yeah. Your headphone amp may not be up for the challenge of a 400 ohm load. A lot of the “louder” headphones are in the 75 ohm range.

[b1j]

I have that Behringer four-outlet amp. I've used it when tracking a vocalist and monitoring on my closed-back Sennheiser HD 360 headphones, which are something like 64 ohms, I believe. It worked fine and still does for that use. My singer uses cheap phones from who knows where, but she only needs to hear her voice and the instruments, and we're not pros! (Maybe someday I'll upgrade, but I rarely work with someone else.)

However, the Behringer doesn't have enough output wattage to power through 400 ohms of resistance in your new BD DT100 phones. For that you need a different headphone amp or some other driver.

When I recently started mixing using open-back headphones, I bought Beyerdynamic 250-ohm DT990. Nothing really drove them well: not my little AudioBox USB interface and certainly not the Behringer unit, which is really more a splitter than an amplifier.

So I bought a dedicated headphone amplifier, the compact Magni 3+ by Schiit (no, that's not a typo; look it up). The Magni did the job.

But this summer I moved up to a Motu M6 interface, which can run the DT990s just fine. So I have the Magni 3+ just sitting around and I'm wondering what to do with it.

I don't really sell stuff here, but I've been considering putting the Magni 3+ up on the Classifieds. Would you like it? Maybe we can strike a deal. Also looking for a good home for the sturdy little AudioBox USB 96, a nice starter interface for simple home multi-track recording. It stood me well for nearly ten years until it failed. I promptly bought another one (my current one, in 2021) and it's in great shape.

Here are the power specs of the Magni 3+ into headphones of various ohms:

Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 2.8W RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 2.4W RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 1.6W RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 410mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 600 ohms: 215mW RMS per channel

So, maybe 320 mW into your 400 ohm set? Should be enough; maximum power for them is 1000 mW.

[amsmarle]

Originally Posted by DupleMeter

Yeah. Your headphone amp may not be up for the challenge of a 400 ohm load. A lot of the “louder” headphones are in the 75 ohm range.

Thanks, DupleMeter

[amsmarle]

Originally Posted by b1j

I have that Behringer four-outlet amp. I've used it when tracking a vocalist and monitoring on my closed-back Sennheiser HD 360 headphones, which are something like 64 ohms, I believe. It worked fine and still does for that use. My singer uses cheap phones from who knows where, but she only needs to hear her voice and the instruments, and we're not pros! (Maybe someday I'll upgrade, but I rarely work with someone else.)

However, the Behringer doesn't have enough output wattage to power through 400 ohms of resistance in your new BD DT100 phones. For that you need a different headphone amp or some other driver.

When I recently started mixing using open-back headphones, I bought Beyerdynamic 250-ohm DT990. Nothing really drove them well: not my little AudioBox USB interface and certainly not the Behringer unit, which is really more a splitter than an amplifier.

So I bought a dedicated headphone amplifier, the compact Magni 3+ by Schiit (no, that's not a typo; look it up). The Magni did the job.

But this summer I moved up to a Motu M6 interface, which can run the DT990s just fine. So I have the Magni 3+ just sitting around and I'm wondering what to do with it.

I don't really sell stuff here, but I've been considering putting the Magni 3+ up on the Classifieds. Would you like it? Maybe we can strike a deal. Also looking for a good home for the sturdy little AudioBox USB 96, a nice starter interface for simple home multi-track recording. It stood me well for nearly ten years until it failed. I promptly bought another one (my current one, in 2021) and it's in great shape.

Here are the power specs of the Magni 3+ into headphones of various ohms:

Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 2.8W RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 2.4W RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 1.6W RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 410mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 600 ohms: 215mW RMS per channel

So, maybe 320 mW into your 400 ohm set? Should be enough; maximum power for them is 1000 mW.

Thanks, B1J, Great info much appreciated.
I take your point regarding the Behringer HA400 being a splitter rather than an amp, although it does give me some more volume but nowhere near enough, and, somewhat a muddy sound.
I am in the UK and would take your lead about the Magni 3 + so I will be interested in your Magni 3 + (UK power source 240V) if you're in the USA it will be a different power rating.. many thanks.. Alan... Sell it to me...?

[keith.rogers]

I had a Behri headphone amp, but it was their AMP800 model. I don't know how its output compares to your model, but it was more than adequate for my 250Ω DT770s. (Though, I only rarely tracked a single electric guitar, and then through a small amp. Everything else was either acoustic, direct, or virtual.)

[ChuckS]

As you get into higher impedance headphones the limiting part of the headphone amp is its maximum output voltage. Delivering power to the high impedance headphones (I.e. 400-600 ohms) requires higher voltage. The better amps will spec their output power over a range of loads (range of headphone impedance). These better amps have higher output voltage capabilities as well as higher output current capacities. Higher current is needed for headphones with low impedance and low sensitivity.

I purchased a used Violectric V100 amp.

[b1j]

Originally Posted by amsmarle

Thanks, B1J, Great info much appreciated.
I take your point regarding the Behringer HA400 being a splitter rather than an amp, although it does give me some more volume but nowhere near enough, and, somewhat a muddy sound.
I am in the UK and would take your lead about the Magni 3 + so I will be interested in your Magni 3 + (UK power source 240V) if you're in the USA it will be a different power rating.. many thanks.. Alan... Sell it to me...?

I noticed that Schiit (how about that brand name?) does offer the Magni 3+ with a choice of power blocks, including 240V. Mine has 120V, so it wouldn't work with your power. I don't know the economics of buying just the power block; it might be close to getting a whole new unit with the added security of a warrantee. I found their customer service extremely helpful when I had a question about the first unit I bought. They sent me a new one no questions asked and mailed me a return box for the old one.

I'd be happy to sell it to you and maybe bundle it with the AudioBox, but first do some checking about the cost of the power block. Also, the Magni itself isn't that expensive. And I don't know about shipping to the UK.

[jim1960]

Not sure what a headphone amp is going to run you, but another idea would be to get another set of headphones with a lower ohm spec, the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm, for example.

[amsmarle]

Originally Posted by b1j

I noticed that Schiit (how about that brand name?) does offer the Magni 3+ with a choice of power blocks, including 240V. Mine has 120V, so it wouldn't work with your power. I don't know the economics of buying just the power block; it might be close to getting a whole new unit with the added security of a warrantee. I found their customer service extremely helpful when I had a question about the first unit I bought. They sent me a new one no questions asked and mailed me a return box for the old one.

I'd be happy to sell it to you and bundle it with the AudioBox, but first do some checking about the cost of the power block. Also, the Magni itself isn't that expensive. And I don't know about shipping to the UK.

Hi b1j, I guess it wouldn't work out economically when factoring in the shipping to the UK plus the cost of the UK power supply. I think I will buy a new one with the added benefit of the warranty... I was hoping you may have been from the UK. Anyway thanks once again to all for everyone's most helpful posts

Regards
Alan

[b1j]

Sounds good, Alan. Here’s hoping you get a nice, loud volume through the headphones.

[Voxbox30]

[QUOTE=amsmarle;7355212]Hello, I have received a set of Beyerdynamic DT100 400ohms as a gift, but they seem to be a little low on volume and a bit muffled. I am trying to run them through a Behringer MicroAmp HA400 headphone amplifier.

Can anyone please advise me if I need a better headphone amp?
I am tracking through an AudioFuse version 1 audio Interface

Hi Alan,
Thats a nice gift. However, the DT100 isnt really a hifi-quality headphone, and they do sound a bit muffled. The reason they are used in studios so much is that they are good for isolation, are robust and you can get spares for every single part, even the screws. In the UK, try Canford Audio for parts.

From my own experience the Rupert Neve headphone amp is certainly good quality, if pricey. They come up second-hand on Reverb occasionally.

Where I used to work a certain guitarist used to plug his high-impedance (2k) DT100s into the output of his Mesa Boogie.....!
Hopefully you wont need a 100W amp to drive yours.

Graham Slee in the UK also does headphone amps, and can lend you one to try. He also does a kit version, which saves quite a bit. I've built one of his phono pre-amp kits and its good stuff.

All the best!
Cheers,

Colin

[amsmarle]

Originally Posted by b1j

Sounds good, Alan. Here’s hoping you get a nice, loud volume through the headphones.

Hi b1j, I reached out to Beyerdynamic, asking if they could or would point towards a headphone amplifier that would actually run their DT100 x 400 ohms... here is their answer

From:[email protected]
To:[email protected] Mon, 20 Nov at 14:40
Dear Mr. Mullin,
Thank you for your email.
Unfortunately, we cannot give you recommendations for products from third-party manufacturers. In this case, you should contact a responsible dealer and get detailed advice about the right device.
It is important that the amplifier can operate at 400 ohms.
We assume no guarantee or liability for products from third-party manufacturers and therefore do not make any recommendations.

Kind regards,
MARIE BUNTEN
KUNDENSERVICE / CUSTOMER CARE
[email protected]
www.beyerdynamic.com

[jim1960]

Is there a reason why you HAVE to use the Beyerdynamic DT100 400ohms cans? I'm asking because the simplest solution would be to buy a set of headphones with a lower ohm rating but that doesn't seem to be something you'll consider, so I'm wondering why it has to be the Beyerdynamic DT100 400ohms.

[b1j]

Originally Posted by jim1960

Is there a reason why you HAVE to use the Beyerdynamic DT100 400ohms cans? I'm asking because the simplest solution would be to buy a set of headphones with a lower ohm rating but that doesn't seem to be something you'll consider, so I'm wondering why it has to be the Beyerdynamic DT100 400ohms.

I was in the same place after I bought my 250 ohm phones. Did I need to keep them? No, but I had a sparsely informed belief that I’d get more subtlety from properly driven high impedance phones than from a low impedance version of the same or comparable product that is targeted for use with mobile devices. I never put that belief to any tests, just swallowed what I read in reviews and tech notes. (It might well be pure bunk; to this day, I don’t know.)

So I forged ahead and bought yet another piece of gear, the Magni 3+ amp. The marketing copy said all the right things. (There I go again.)

Now I suspect the high impedance phones are simply made for the higher output voltage put out by pro interfaces and intermediate gear like Motu.