techPowerUp! Forums - View Single Post - Looking for best music/gaming headset for $100

Ra97oR · May 25, 2011, 05:43 AM

I have always used a big beefy solid state class-A amp for driving headphones. All my impressions are done on class A amps and both my portable amp + full size if that headphones is designed to be portable. I am not a big fan of tube amps myself so I don't tend to use them. Maybe here is why our opinions are different. I found the headphone "amp" out on my Essence mediocre at best.

I haven't heard the HD448 and not likely to do so ever, so I won't be commenting on it.

Amps that I normally use for testing, Burson HA-160, B22, Luxman P-1u and HA5000 for Audio Technicas.

System Name:	ARiA
Processor:	Intel Core i7-2600K CPU @ 4.50GHz
Motherboard:	ASUS P8P67 Pro
Cooling:	Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme
Memory:	16GB Corsair Vengeance 1600Mhz CL-9 DDR3 (4x4GB)
Video Card:	NVIDIA GTX470
Hard Disk:	2 x Samsung F3 1TB RAID 0, Samsung F4 2TB
CRT/LCD Model:	BenQ FP92W
Case:	Fractal Design Define R3
Sound Card:	ASUS Xonar Essence ST to ATH-AD1000PRM/STAX SR-404LE
PSU:	Antec Signature 650W
Software:	Windows 7 Ultimate x64
Benchmarks:	CPU Max Stable OC (ATM, just got this): 4.7Ghz Prime95 stable

May 25, 2011, 05:43 AM	#95
Ra97oR Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 304 (0.20/day) Thanks: 7 Thanked 60 Times in 55 Posts System Specs	I have always used a big beefy solid state class-A amp for driving headphones. All my impressions are done on class A amps and both my portable amp + full size if that headphones is designed to be portable. I am not a big fan of tube amps myself so I don't tend to use them. Maybe here is why our opinions are different. I found the headphone "amp" out on my Essence mediocre at best. I haven't heard the HD448 and not likely to do so ever, so I won't be commenting on it. Amps that I normally use for testing, Burson HA-160, B22, Luxman P-1u and HA5000 for Audio Technicas.