Need help choosing audio setup.

[andrewsmc]

Well as some of you may know I just won the MSI 970 that @64K gave away. Instead of purchasing a GPU, I can now splurge on something I have never been able to. I know absolutely nothing about PC audio so please bear with me.

This is the headset I'm looking at - Sennheiser HD 598

But im unsure how I should power them. I see tons of options for sound cards and on desk amplifiers. I'm no audiophile, probably because I've never got to hear good sound. So if you guys can push me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks again TPU!

Edit: I would like to add that I really only game on my PC. So is getting an AMP and 170.00 headphones a waste of $? Please let me know!

 

[Athlon2K15]

I have a set but dont use them much since I got the HE400s from @Kursah but you dont really need to "power" them persee, they are I believe 50 ohm cans which will sound rather good on stock onboard audio. If you want something nice you could grab a Magni 2 or if you want something more portable a FiiO E17K

 

[Brusfantomet]

I got the HD 595 over 9 years ago, and i still use them as my go to head phones.
They do not NEED a amplifier to sound good, but a separate DAC and amp will probably help.
They are also really nice to use for several hours.

Note that the bass in those are quite week compared to other headphones.
if you want to have something to drive it then a Schiit Fulla could be an option.
With a USB DAC the DAC will appear as a separate sound card in windows.

Otherwise you could get these two:
Magni2
Modi2

It will be a bit more expensive.

 

[PLAfiller]

Well, I don't know if you really have an open mind for suggestions, or you have somewhat set your goals. From the initial post it doesn't seem to me it is necessary to spend $170 on headphones in your case. I personally have a pair of JVC HARX700 + Creative X Fi go PRO for USB soundcard and a soundbar beneath my 2nd monitor on the desk. Honestly, that setup suits me pretty well. I realized I don't really need speaker system. Soundbar saves so much space and I still get a fair amount of audio quality there. DACs are awesome, but I think you will find better suited a USB sound card, that has a microphone integrated ( something like Creative Omni 5.1 ). It will allow you to speak without the need for a headset or an external mic and to swap it between laptop/ PC for gaming. Personal opinion of course.

 

[Dethroy]

The HD 598 is relatively easy to drive and therefor sounds pretty good on almost everything you plug it into. It is a very good & versatile entry audiophile headphone if you ask me (I own one myself). And they are a superb choice for Dolby Headphone usage thanks to its wide soundstage (more on Dolby Headphone and headphones in this awesome thread).

That doesn't necessarily mean that amplifying the HD 598 is useless. It definitely helps, especially the bass profits from proper driving and gains "body". I myself use the Asus Essence STX to drive the Sennheisers when plugged into my pc. They sport a pretty good headphone amp and support Dolby Headphone which is such a treat to listen to.

 

[OneMoar]

Audio Technica ATH-M50X if you want a closed headphone
if you really wanna jump headfirst into audio get a pair of Denon's