Samson S-Amp: A Cheap Amplifier For The 600ohm Beyerdynamic DT880
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ค. 2024
- The Icon NeoAmp looks identical to the S-Amp: amzn.to/38TLl2U
Beyerdynamic DT880 (600ohm): amzn.to/2Ljoi9K
Samson S-Amp: amzn.to/3naxGJT
NEW Samson QH4: amzn.to/3pMwiyD
Sennheiser HD650: amzn.to/36JtqMj
Avantone Planar: amzn.to/3iPD4R9
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x: amzn.to/2GcS6m6
Audeze LCD-1:amzn.to/2S9DiXE
Monolith THX Desktop: amzn.to/3kWQVpG
RME ADI-2 Dac: amzn.to/2FBtd3l
Austrian Audio Hi-X55: amzn.to/2RFHE8M
Sivga Phoenix: amzn.to/35WkNy3
DT880 Balanced Mod: www.etsy.com/listing/68444263...
TIME STAMPS:
Features - 3:10
Sound Test Parameters - 4:45
Overall Sound Impressions - 5:55
Value & Conclusion - 11:45
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Your on a roll with these 600ohm Beyer DT-880 reviews
Yeah...this headphone is one of my favorites.
I’ve bought DT880 600 ohm version and the Samson S-amp just because of your video. It does sound godly. Thank you for this take on the 600 ohm impedance. Will be quite interested in more amps that can drive 880.
I'm glad it worked out for you.
What dac did you use with this?
Great recommendations , this Samson S amp , work amazing , I got used and work like charm .
Just a quick comment to say that i ve tested the Samson QH4 amp that has replaced the Samson S-Amp.
I ve tested it on a couple Beyerdynamic headphones (this is my favorite brand for headphones so far) from the DT 880 (600 Ohm), DT 990 pro (250 Ohm) and the 1990 pro (250 Ohm) and also on a Sennheiser HD 650 (300 Ohm).
Volume-wise the Samson QH4 has been able to run all of those headphones really easly. Every beyerdynamic 250 Ohm headphones were already loud with the master volume set to max and each individual volume knob set to the 2nd dot mark (max volume is reached at the 11th dot mark from left to right). The DT 880 was already loud at only the 5th dot mark of the volume knob. The Sennheiser HD 650 was already loud with the volume knob set to the 3rd dot mark.
Sound-wise i can't say if there is a difference between the QH4 and the S-Amp as far as the S-Amp isn't available in France anymore (and i don't want to order products outside of EU during these difficult times). But compared to my Magni bass felt a little bit more impactful. For the mid and treble regions i haven't noticed any meaningful change tho i must say hat i have the feeling that it boosted the overall imaging a little bit.
So to conclude i must say that i m really impressed by this product. For less than 100$/€ it does an even better job at driving headphones than amps that cost way more while offering you the option to connect up to 4 headphones without losing any power. Really impressive performance IMO.
Edit: one important improvement over my Magni 3 that i ve forgotten to mention is that when i had to use the Magni on high gain i could hear some noise when not playing any music. Same stuff when i had to adjust the Magni volume knob. This issue disappeared with the Samson QH4 which makes me think that the Magni 3 has a poor electronic noise isolation/management when the Magni starts to get hot (and it gets hot very fast).
Thanks for the info!
Nice review as always. Now i must say that i d be very interested in a Samson QH4 review for as far as the S-amp is a discontinued product. Also the QH4 design is a lot better for as far as its volume knobs are on its top, not its back/front (depending on which side you place the S-amp).
Just bought it after your recommendation. You were right! It works perfectly with my DT880 (600ohm).
Hopefully you saved some money by not buying a powerful amp
indeed!!
Thanks for the review! I bought Samson on ebay for $20 used. And I use it with a Preamp and DT 880 sounds more pleasing and corrects the treble. Best of all, I dont need another EXPENSIVE amp!
Aha! Glad it worked out
Thanks, saved me a lot of money. I found one on Ebay for 25 euro. As you say, makes the DT880 600 ohm phones sing. Bonus is that you could invite 3 friends over for a silent disco.
Thanks brother my funds are like me the bottom of the totem pole( and that's alright, no complaints here) I have to learn and start somewhere. I research daily on equipment, the technology, terminology your channel is refreshing a no nonsense approach. So, today I decided to start from your first video and work my way to the most recent, I have nothing but the time I have left on this planet so, I will see and hear you tomorrow great work on your videos, please keep them coming. Later.
Thanks, bought 1 on Ebay for my DT880 and DT990 600ohm and now bought a 2nd one.
Can you do a showcase of all hardware you have? Be it AMPs DACs or headphones, I'd love to see your collection.
Thank you for this review! I'd been looking for a cheap solid-state headphone amp for my DT 990 600 Ohm and this fits the bill just right. As a plus I have some gear from Samson already (Q2u microphone) so I'm aware of that company's good performance for the price.
Subbed! Just starting my audiophile journey and bought the DT880s on a great deal. Been searching for an amp and looks like this has answered my questions. I was about to pull the trigger on a vali 2 schiiit stack for like 200 but im glad i saw this first! I am going to order them off ebay for 40 including shipping. I was wondering, i am using this from my computer, what kind of cable would i need to connect the amp to the computer? is an aux cord good enough, or do i need something else?
Aux cord will work. If your sound card is decent (probably is) then you won’t have any issues. The concern with aux sometimes is that if you nudge the 3.5mm end you’ll hear scratchy static, but that’s usually alleviated by making sure you cable is seated properly in the socket.
I have to come here to thank you for this recommendation.
I was skeptical of how good it could be, but for 20$ + shipping I gave it a try over my UMC22 (which drives it suprisingly well compared to Fosi P2 with OPA1656, maybe 10ohm output impedence?)
After some initial issues with buzzing, headphones have literally just turned into detail monsters (seperation wtf). They still need EQ though, it doesn't fix the FR.
Soundstage stayed the same but I have to agree with you on the bass. The bass now feels cleanly seperated from the mids and like a seperate subwoofer in each ear.
Treble & midrange didn't change too much imo. It's still the dt880 FR, just in speed heaven.
PS: looking to mod these next. I have a mass loading and damping kit coming next week, along with some N50 neodymium magnets (for stacking magnets mod).
PS: when I first got these I thought these were worse than my 560S. Switching over to UMC22 made it way better, then to s-amp it's now the best headphones I've ever owned.
Very interesting. I was actually asking myself the same question but about the Fostex T50rp that are notoriously famous for being difficult to drive. I have a pair of T50rp and a pair of T60rp on the way to modhouse and I am curious what they would need to sound at their best and if there is a relatively cheap amp that would make them sound good.
Thanks for making a video about this. Just bought one.
Hope it works out for you
Just bought one too. Less than $30 is a great deal for a powerful clean and neutral amp.
@@NoThemeReviews how do you find them with dt 880 ?
@@phillipmartin3910 how do you find them with dt 880
Nice, I've been eying an a20 for awhile, but I think ill go with this instead. Great video!
I am using Aune x1s pro 2020 edition with my dt 880 250 ohm. While it sounds good, I’m planning to upgrade to a dedicated amp. The problem is here in india these amps are not available. Neither the beyer amps nor the samson. Any recommendation? The things that are available are these - Topping A30 pro, Topping A50s, Aune x7s 2021 edition. I think only the Aune has higher output impedance than the rest. I seached for schiit but only Magni is available.
I've had lots of luck using either an Asgard 3 or the Bravo Audio Ocean hybrid tube amp with my black edition DT880 600 ohms.
you probably already know but Topping in 2018 (i think) released a very good measuring amp called A30, and Amir from ASR measured the impedance of the headphone out; one has 10.8 ohms output impedance and the other 27.9 ohms, and it costs 110 USD. its nowhere close to the 100 ohms of the samson S-Amp or the A2 from beyerdynamic, but its still high enough that it could really benefit the dt880 600ohms. i think its worth checking it out.
Hey what can you say about the Beyerdynamic Headzone H1 will this fit the 600Ohm DT 880 I am from Germany and there is on a marketplace that I can get for a reasonable pricetag
A comparison video about beyerdynamic dt 880 and other headphone still missing hope yuo will do it, thank you. Your video in general are very accurate i like them!
I have a Samson stereo DI box from this series. Same build: like a tank and utilitarian. I don't recall why I passed on this one back then and chose the Aphex 4 channel Headpod instead. It's 10ohm per channel so that might have influenced the decision.
Great finding! Do you prefer the Samson or the loxjie p20 with the DT 880 (balanced) ? I really want to buy these headphones and I am really struggling to find a good budget amp...
I prefer the Samson over the P20.
Have you test it with planar?
will this be better than the xDuoo MT-602?
What preamp do you use with the Samson s amp, and what cables do you need to connect this to your phone?
Also do you know any cheaper neutral dac? (Under 150 bucks!) 200 dollars is a little bit to expensive for me, but can still consider it. I'm upgrading from my dt770 80 ohms to the dt880 600 ohms by the way!:)
Btw: I'm a little bit confused! what is that Hx3 amp thing with the text sound devices on top, is that something you need to use the Samson s amp?
I'm not using any preamp with the S-Amp. You can connect any standard dac using an RCA to 1/4" or RCA to 3.5mm cable. The HX3 is a different amp, similar to the S-Amp, but costs a lot more. I was merely comparing the two.
As for neutral dacs under $150, you've got several options: Schiit Modi, Monolith Liquid Spark Dac, Topping E30, SMSL Sanskrit, and Fiio K5 Pro are just a handful of good options.
I am one of these „back in the days“ headphone nerds. We had a guy in a german forum who built 120Ohm adapters for Beyerdynamic users and the german manufacture „Meier Audio“ had some great amps with two outputs for 0 and 120Ohm.
I am just getting back into headphones right now and found your videos on the topic really helpful. I really want to buy a T1 again but now it has 32Ohm and i dont know if the new low impedance stuff is still calibrated for 100/120Ohm because Beyer dont sell their apms anymore.
Beyer amps are quite good. eBay has knock-offs of the A2 called the "A-2 Pro", which might be worth looking into. They cost about $120.
@@NoThemeReviews wow. Thanks. I will check them out.
does the Icon NeoAmp work just as well?
Instead of my pairing the Samson amp with a DAC, if I am using motherboard audio (currently has Realtek's top audio chip, S1220A) then can I just use the audio out to connect to the S-amp? I should note that, the motherboard has its own DAC/AMP too.
Yes
Looks like a much better option than the Douk -- esp if you care about starting fires! Nice find.
Show me any other amp that could start a bon fire. It’s a multi-use product.
Should I acquire a high impedance output amp for the 250 ohm version of the DT 880s?
Nope
I've been using my JDS Atom with them and it works fine, I changed the pads because they made the highs too sharp (it's the normal "grey" edition, measurements point it has less bass than yours, probably because of the pads).
I mean, seriously, these pads are crazy, if I just try them on without pads I get a fairly balanced sound, with the stock pads it gets sharp as hell, I'm still experimenting with other pads but the improvement is noticeable.
Changing pads on any headphone means changing the sound signature. If you end up doing so then why buying the headphone as far as it means that its sound signature wasn't pleasing you? Also regarding any Beyerdynamic headphone, worn out pads drasticaly reduce the treble peaks 'issue'. Keep in mind that the sound of any headphone ll change over time when its pads get worn out.
@@GolgothFR I'll keep that in mind about the worn pads, I found them used at a good price so I didn't resist.
As to why buy them if I change the pads: headphones still sound very different from each other even when you use the same pads. I'm enjoying these a lot now, so changing pads to mold them to my taste seems like a good strategy.
Thank you very much for your insights, Sir. Your reviews are the best on YT.
I have a DT880/600 and a DT990/600 , i could´nt find a Samson S-Amp anymore.
I´m driving my HP´s with a "Douk Audio U3 Mini Class A" AMP (30-45 Bucks on Amazon ) This little thing is a beast and you can change the OPA in one minute if you want.
But you will need a seperate Power Supply cause the USB 5V connection has a lot of disturbances on pc, but with a, even, cheap PS it´s perfect., no noise and 100% quiet.
But pls don´t advertise this gem, i need some more before it will come too expensive. ;)
greetings from germany
lol thanks for the info!
If you're from Germany, the samson s amp is available on kleinanzeige. I scored mine for 20 (Paypal fees and shipping included). Pretty much for free.
@@kaemelezzine1827 Thank you very much, Sir
Would the ART HEADAMP4 AMPLIFIER or the Behringer HA400 headphone amplifier power the Beyerdynamic DT880 600 ohm?
Both have less than the 100 ohms recommended for the DT800. But, the HA400 does have double the output impedance of the Headamp. If you have a choice, the HA400 probably is the better bet.
Do you recommend the S-Amp over the schiit stack? If so what DAC would you recommend to pair with this AMP?
For this headphone, yes. Any dac is fine. You'll just need an RCA to 1/4" cable.
When using the 880 600 ohm what is a good cheap dac to pair with Samson S-Amp?
SMSL Sanskrit, Modi 3, Liquid Spark Dac
May I use this amp for beyer dynamic DT 990 (250 ohms) headphones ?
Yes you can
One reviewer on Amazon says no for the qh4, yet one on Sweetwater says yes (sweetwater didnt specify 600 ohm model). Headfonics liked it. The no review recommended an output transformerless amp. They look to cost $250 and up. Thank you no theme reviews for assisting us poor folks!
"No to 600 ohms
Reviewed in Italy 🇮🇹 on December 17, 2021
Tested with a pair of Bayerdynamic DT880's with 600 ohms.
The result is pleasing but not incisive enough.
I recommend an OTL for these high impedances."
Hello i am from germany.i used a „inLine“ Amp eq for my DT880 600 Ohm.this amp has 150 Ohm Output impedance.it sounds verry good.this amp has an 3 band eq and Loudness.
Nice research.
Have a look at the Behringer HA400, it has a 12v dc supply and can be externally battery powed.
Can you prefer anything to 770pro 250ohm with Scarlett Solo Gen4. Cuz i can't get enough volume with %100 sound..
Schiit Magni
@@NoThemeReviews one of my friend selling fiio k5 pro what you think about that? its real hi-fi or fake? and do you prefer that?
Hi!!
What do you think about the iFi Hip-dac with any 250 ohm Beyerdynamic headphone, or even with a 600 versión?
The Hip Dac is quite versatile. It'll easily drive headphones up to 300 ohms. As for 600 ohm...somewhat. I think it depends on the particular 600 ohm headphone and its sensitivity. But, if we take the T1 as an example, then yes, the Hip Dac can drive it. However, a bit more power does provide more clarity to the T1's sound signature.
@@NoThemeReviews hello! I’m new to this audio world and I have a doubt, hopefully you can help. When everyone says a “ more powerful amp” does it means more volume ? I have the DT770 pro 80 ohms with the Fiio Q1 M2. It drives my headphones fine..l at max volume for me it is loud enough but sometimes I wish for a little more. If I buy this amp for example .. as it is more powerful than the Q1 that means more volumen?? Thanks !
@@ccozzarelli Yes, when people say more power, they mean louder. This amp will very likely get your DT770 much louder than the Q1.
@@NoThemeReviews thank you !
Have you tried a Senn HD600 on it? Thanks.
No I don’t have the HD600
@@NoThemeReviews or 650
How does the AMP perform with other headphones across the board, high impedance or not?
That’s a very broad question which encapsulates a multitude of impedance sand sensitivities and driver designs. I can’t answer your question.
@@NoThemeReviews how did it perform with the headphones in your collection, did you try?
The only other headphone I tried was the HD560s, and only to check multiple outputs. The goal was to to find an amp for the 600 ohm 880 and nothing else.
when turning it past 12 my amp hisses and crackles and the sound cuts off
Could behringer ha400 do?
Maybe. Its output impedance is 80 ohms. I’m not sure it has enough power.
I have used the HA-400 with my DT0880's and it did pretty dang well. For the low price, I have *_nothing_* to complain about. I do have a better HPA, but I use the HA-400 over on my drum rehearsal rig. Plenty of volume and nice sound for the bucks. Good luck to you!
Well, MAYBE. The power output seems pretty low. So while the impedance may be correct, you may not be able to feed enough power to the headphones
Would these be decent for the akg k240 df headphones?
I'm planning to buy a Samson S-Amp for my DT880, but it says 115V and 230V at the back, does the voltage matter for the amplifier?
That’s the power adapter voltage. Yes, it does matter for powering it. If you live in the West, then 115v is the switch you want to activate
@@NoThemeReviews Thanks a lot!
Excelente
Is the headphone modification Necessary
No
hey can you connect that amp directly to laptop without dac or not
Yes.
@@NoThemeReviews want to run with dt880 250 ohm do i need seprate dac or not i mean in tearms of sound quality how would laptop dac performs if im gonna listen 320kbps track only
another questions would which cable i need to use "USB C to TRS 1/4 as stereo in or something else pls answer..
@@lochanpoudel4438 Your laptop already has a dac. You can use a USB-C to 1/4" out if there is such a thing available. Use a compliant 1/4" cable to send the analog signal to the amp, then plug your headphones in.
The Icon NeoAmp shares the exact same specs as the Samson S-Amp do you think it would work as well with the Beyerdynamics?
Nice find! Yes, it looks the same as the Samson, and there's a good chance it works just fine. amzn.to/38TLl2U
Thanks! Yea I think I’m going to try it out. I also love that the volume dial is in front for easier access.
@@oliverlam2123 Hey, have You bought it yet? Does it perform well?
Not sure if you would know the answer to this but why would you be looking for a amp with a 100 ohm output impedance? Shouldn't we be looking for a 600 ohm output amp?
should be a 1:8 ratio, not 1:1. 100ohm is 1:6 but close enough
What are your thoughts on the Chinese knockoff A2 clone? Hi-fi community treats anything knockoff as taboo but they quickly forget that some brick-and-morter and other well established brands made their start by cloning popular amps.
A review of the A2 clone would go a long way for sure!
The problem with those clones is uncertainty. There’s no warranty and I have no idea of the overall workmanship. They aren’t something I’m comfortable buying
@@NoThemeReviews Two great points, thank you!
Ok but what about a cheap dac amp thats still in production?
These are still in production but rebranded for various companies.
which amp would your recommend for the 600 ohm 880 and generaly good amp for 250 dollars?
This
@@NoThemeReviews so this in general is an amazing and quality amp?
I found the iFi Micro iDSD Black Lable for 250 dollars used, I heard it can also run 600 ohm headphones
Should have I just gotten the Samson S amplifier instead?
@@Riley_Canvessa Like the vast majority of amps in the market, this one is neutral/transparent. It doesn't have a sound signature. A lot of amps can run 600 ohm headphones. That's not the issue with THIS headphone. You need an amp that outputs 100 ohm impedance for the 600 ohm variant of the DT 880. The iDSD BL doesn't have 100 ohm output impedance.
@@NoThemeReviews so the iDSD BL can't run 600 ohm headphones like I thought
So should I just buy the Samson S amp and not the iDSD BL?
Is there a reason to why I should buy the iDSD BL?
Is it only the features?
@@Riley_Canvessa It CAN run 600 ohm headphones. The DT 880 600 ohm variant needs an amp that outputs 100 ohms impedance. If you haven't watched my 880 video about this, maybe that'll help.
You could try the DT880 with an OTL tube amp like the Darkvoice 336SE. These kind of amps seem to do quite well with high impedance loads.
I'm confused. Most of the reviews that i see say the QH4 is better. What specs are you guys looking at? QH4 is a lot easier to get. I have had my DT-880 600ohms for years now and only figured out that i'm not getting the most out of them.
I don’t know what reviews you’re referring to. The specs I’m concerned with are the output impedance of the amp, and the power output for headphones.
@@NoThemeReviews "
I still have that S-Amp (it's discontinued), but the QH4 is a better design-more power and more features-so I grabbed one to check it out. Let's see what this affordable amp offers." From www.avsforum.com/threads/samson-qh4-four-stereo-output-headphone-amp-review.2812265/
@@Blacklighting The goal with this video was to find a cheap amp for the 600 ohm DT880. Whether the QH4 is superior in some manner isn't an issue for me. I'm sure the QH4 is a good product, and clearly this person on avsforum found it helpful for him.
@@NoThemeReviews Goal achieved. You have great content and a great review process. I need to do more research on my side and gain knowledge on what high output impedance spec to look for. Thanks for bringing the love back to my DT-880's. I will wait for a used s-amp to be available here in Canada or wait for your review of the QH4 if you get to it. I have now liked and subscribed.
After talking with Samson, they advised me to get the S-amp over the QH4. S-amp is on the way.
All the other review I watched is just waste of time, this is the really place to have honest opinion!!!
When you mentioned modification by Matt, I did not understand what you meant. Are they performance, comfort, aesthetic mods? You stated "Balance", but I did not know if you meant audio channels or weight.
Sorry for all of the questions...
All of the time...
But you always seem to have a way of leaving me feeling like a younger NEO on the day he plugged into "The Construct" and learned Kung-Fu.
Yes, but Neo quickly became the master, young padawan. The balanced mod by Matt is merely internal wiring so that you can use the headphones with an amp that has a balanced connection. So, yes, audio channels.
I am getting the qh4, i will let you know what i think
Qh4 is driving them properly, i can report that. Out of my 789, the beyers sound a lil bit bit cleaner but the qh4 is delivering fuller sound. Impact is there now.
Initial impressions bdw
can you try the Riworal PH400 on the 600hom beyer?
This unit or the douk?
Either; pick one that fits your budget. The Douk has a Dac, so there’s that difference
@@NoThemeReviews thanks
🖖
thanx bro.. you saved me 500.oo you ever find yourself in Ohio look me up i will buy you a drink or two.
I’ll take you up on it if I’m ever in the region
I recommend this thread emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/48439/basx-100-amp-available?page=3
KeithL from Emotiva explain how the BasX A-100 is designed and how it works with high impedance headphones. He explains that it is not necessary to use the jumpers to bypass the resistor to drive high impedance headphones and that they do not recommend it for that use. The option to bypass the resistor is designed to drive hard to drive planar magnetic headphones.
Also check out the output power the A-100 delivers into headphones of various impedances (with and without resistors) in this link emotiva.com/products/a-100
“This product contains Chemicals, including DEHP, known to the State of California to cause birth defects and other reproductive harm.” - source Samson website
Who needs kids anyway?