Hello guys.
A few days ago I got a new headphone.
It's the Fostex T50RP 50th anniversary edition.So not a T50 in a standard way because it has T60 drivers, T60 earpads and a different headband.My old headphones were audio technica ATH-M30.
I'm only driving them through my PC.
Mainboard is an AsRock B650E Steel Legends Wifi with a Realtek ALC897 Audio Codec sound chip.
The biggest difference compared to my old headphones was that the Fostex headphones were a lot quieter which is probably normal given that they are way harder to drive and given that they are planar headphones. Usually I was using 30% volume on windows and that was more than enough for me. Now with the Fostex headphones I have to use something between 40-50% but I still have the feeling that somehow punchiness is missing. They are way more clearer and more detailed compared to my old headphones but my old headphones had more punch (as in bass). At least that's what I'm thinking.
I read a few days regarding this "issue" and some people mentioned that the Nahimic sound driver could be an issue. But I tried both... With and without (completely uninstalled everything that was related to it) and it made zero difference. Now when playing songs I can hear still random noises in the background but it's at the exact same place where it was when listening with my previous headphones. That gives me the impression that a DAC would be a good idea.
My question is now: Is there something I can change on the windows settings to make my Fostex headphones fuller and louder without damaging my ears or is an amplifier the only solution here? Because originally I haven't planned to purchase amp and/or DAC and finding a good budget option is hard. Already tried looking for something on AVexchange but most people selling CONUS only or one guy doesn't even reply anymore (he sold a JDS Labs Atom stack but it seems like he is either banned or didn't came online anymore for a few days now which is a bummer). Also it's hard finding good options because I'm from Germany so majority of amps would cost extra taxes like Schiit stacks or JDS Labs stacks. But I read about quite a lot of issues with Schiit (ground issues, overheating issues, some headphones died when you did not turn them off etc.). For iFi it's a bit similar. There seems to be an issue with the autoplay function where everything is delayed somehow. I really don't know what to do at this point.
Thanks for everybody who is able to help.
It doesn't matter much now because I already sent them back but yes I did.
There was a nahimic utility software (but if you don't mean that then nevermind) which changed nothing. I even uninstalled it completely which ended up having no sound anymore so I had to install it again.
Also I checked every audio possible from windows and changed the bit rates and stuff that was changeable.
Ah okay. Just for future reference, if you're using a realtek chip. There is Realtek software than can help with hard to drive headphones. Anything 60 ohm and under will be deemed easy to drive by the driver and will go into low performance mode. In this software you can change the amplification level to better suit harder to drive headphones. This might have provided what you required but it seems like you're still on the hunt for the right pair of headphones. Also you should totally get a dac and amp setup. Have a look at the Xduoo MT-602 for amplification.
Ah you probably mean the Realtek Audio Console?
Yes I'm aware of this software but in the windows settings under system and then under sound there are exactly the same options and I tried everything there.
Originally I wanted the Denon AH-D5200 for a long time because they were reduced to 349€ for a short amount of time on a seller in germany. But I wasn't able to buy them at that time because I was buying a new PC and had no money. Now it's at 599€ again which is too much for me to justify just for headphones.
Nonetheless thank you for your tips. I will keep it in mind that an amplifier and DAC might be an option.
IMO you should first get headphones you really like and only then worry about EQ and amp/dac. People should see that you are on a budget, in that case spending hundreds on source gear gets you very low return on investment. The headphones make up so much of the total sound and while some people can get really great results with EQ, for the average person it's a bit much to get that deep into it. Most of us are just looking to boost the treble or bass a bit, or use a harman curve preset maybe, which for all of that if you don't start with headphones you already like, will be an uphill battle.
If you like bass a lot you should look into something like Meze Neo maybe, they are quite bass heavy and easy to listen to. Pads get hot though. Fidelio X2 is also pretty banger, or DT990. If you don't like bass, look into Sennheisers first. Good luck, it really can be a rabbit hole.
There are a few things I can tell for headphone requirements: