Hello
Does anyone can tell does my UR 28M inteface can drive 250 Ohm headphones? Would I need some preamp or would it be ok for mixing. I know that speakers are the way to go, but for now I have to stay with good headphones.
I was looking at Beyerdynamic DT990 PRO 250OHM, but there is also 80 Ohm version. However I have found 250 Ohm in better price.
It can… 250 Ohm DT990 are a little bit lower in volume than 80 Ohms but should sound more detailed…
At least my 250 Ohm DT770 sound better than the 80 Ohms
UR28M headphone Amp is too weak to drive Headphones with 250 ohm loud enough. if you want to drive the headphones with 250ohm or more (600 ohm) you will need an external powerful headphone_amp. Without external Amp you have to satisfied yourself with 80 ohm headphone.
for better sonic capabilities I will recommend you to go with headphones with less than 40 Ohm with your interface. without any problem. Using 16 or 32ohm headphones will not interrupt and makes your project go smooth.
Also with Ohm there are other factors like sensitivity and maximum input level you should be aware of . If the sensitivity of your headphones with same ohm are low the output sound will be low. If the sensitivity is same of two different headphones with different ohm then the headphone with maximum ohm will deliver best results. The factor “maximum input level” determine how loud the cans can get, without distortion.
So if you are looking for best results then you should consider this all three factors. The DT990 pro with 250 ohm will work best according to me. But your interface should support 250 ohm, otherwise use external powerful amp.
It also depends on your work and your needs to decide which headphone to opt for. Gather information from people with same interface of your and find out which headphone will work best for you.
Explaining about audio stuff is not too easy. The more I will explain the more you will get confused. I explained in simple and detailed here. Hope you understand it and hope it is helpful for you. Forgive me for poor English language.
Thank you all. I appreciate your comments. I have small, home studio, mainly for myself. I’m not world music producer 
it’s just for fun. I’ve had heard that Steinberg interfaces are not so powerful to drive high impedance headphones… So, I have to think and reconsider my budget - one option is to buy DT 990 Pro 80 ohm and it should work with UR28M and second - buy 250 ohm version (better sounding) and preamp , witch should be high class I guess. It won’t be cheap. The Question is would I hear much a difference or maybe do I need this difference during mix & master.
Don’t worry about your language. I’m not a native as well, but I think we can communicate quite well
Yes, steinberg interfaces may not powerful to drive headphones with 250 ohm or more. According to me, DT990 pro 80 ohm will work with UR28M. If your are opting 250ohm version the sound will be fine an louder as compared to 80 ohm version. But for that you need external powerful amp which would definitely increase your budget too. You need this difference during mix and master.
My poor English wont affect or communication that’s a compliment for me from myself.
What you mean… my UR22 works with my DT770 250 Ohm very well
ohh…I just hard that…That was not my view. I have to say “may be”.
hmmmmm that is important I really would like to buy 250 ohm but need to know I can drive it. Does preamp in UR22 is the same as in UR28M?
You can check does your UR28M can drive 250 ohm headphone by using online tools. I think there is difference in UR22 and UR28M headphones Amp. You can check will it work for you or not. By connecting the Headphones to your amp you need to test your headphones. The 250 ohm are more for steinberg interface.
In additional If you want to test your headphones microphone then you can do this using tools available online. This tools will help you to check your microphone functioning before use. Using such tools is safe as you do not need to login and even you do not need to download the third party application for this. carry a spammed link removed and make sure your headphones mic working properly. This tools will provide you over all data about your headphones so that you can identify that are they compatible with the interface you are going to use.
What are you trying to say?
there is no online test that will verify if the headphone amp is strong enough to match the loudness you need…
The UR28M can drive 250Ohm headphones very well, the question still is, is it loud enough without distortion…
Headphones are no microphones and a “mictest” has nothing to do with the original question.
At least the headphones in question have no microphone attached at all…
they are both D-PRE so I think they are the same or at least close to each other
Thank you @st10ss , and can you confirm that with your interface you can drive 250ohm headphones without strange distortions? (I assume that audio level is OK)
I asked Steinberg support and waiting for an answer. Let you know what they say.
hmmm… my UR-22 is connected to my office PC so the provided volume with the headphone amp inside the interface is more then enough for the office environment.
Didn’t tried it with drum recordings or in front of guitar speaker stacks… have different tools for this situations.
My DT-770Pro 250 Ohms did his job quite well at different FOH positions in the past,
but I changed to ATH-M60X and ATH-M50X for live sound since these provide more isolation to the environment and sound more linear than the DT-770.
I was speaking with support in my country, and the guy told me 250ohm will be to much for my interface, that I should go for 32 or max 80 ohm.
After some research I have found AKG k701 (in very good price) and tried them out. After bas mod I bought them. Used. Made in Austria, very good condition, and they are 62 ohms. I find them very clear in mids and highs, with nice controlled bass (but lows are not equivalent of what you have got in the speakers for sure, maybe after some EQ on mix bus) . They are very analytical in their sound indeed, as you can read on the Internet. With their 62 ohms I can drive them ok, but I can feel that max for my interface would be 80ohms. With some room on the tracks (about -12dB) I need to amplify them at 3/4 of my preamp to hear everything well. In the final mix everything is easier for sure.
Thx anyone for helping here.
This is simply not true.
The impedance is only one part that affect the possible loudness.
A general advice on headphone impedance without a specific model in mind is inappropriate and dubious.
AKG headphones are the quietest phones I know, no matter which impedance.
I’ve decided to reply to this thread trying to help future potential of UR28Ms.
After a long time not using my UR28m which, mind you, has served me well when I was beginning my journey in audio, I have needed to put it to use again, for editing and light mixing duties at home.
I am completely shocked with the low quality of the headphone outputs in this interface.
Since I had stopped using it, I have worked with my RME Fireface UFX and Steinberg UR816c and coming back to it was absolutely impossible. I very much prefer using my Elektron Analog Rytm as a soundcard than the UR28M, unfortunately. It is night and day between them.
With both a DT990 pro (250ohms) and a HD28 pro (64ohms) the UR is a mushy shrilly mess, very distorted and very fatiguing, with indiscernible lows and terrible imaging. I dunno if the unit’s outs are faulty (since the preamps don`t work anymore), but it doesn’t seem so - it’s not THAT bad that I think its defective… I guess it really just sucks… =(
Its still very dear to me, because I have learned a lot through it, but am very disappointed.
I haven’t tested its main outs to see if they are as bad, and I don’t think I will so I don’t spoil even more of my fond memories.
EDIT: to be clear, I didn’t set up and went about comparing the Elektron to the UR28m to decide. I started using the UR, thought “damn this is bad” and then went to the Elektron.