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Before you buy amp and DAC + recommendations.

Dackzy

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51 minutes ago, Max_Settings said:

To be honest I am not sure. From what I have heard online, most people say the 600 series sounds better with a warmer tube AMP, but I am not 100% sure.

I would advice you to try them first with a tube amp and then a normal solid state amp. Yes it is true that a lot of people like the 600 series more with tube amps, but this is a personal thing.

You have about 6 months to find out what you want at least if you joined the current drop.

If you get the darkvoice and decide that you don't like them with a tube amp, then you can probably make most of your money back.

Before you buy amp and dac.  My thoughts on the M50x  Ultimate Ears Reference monitor review I might have a thing for audio...

My main Headphones and IEMs:  K612 pro, HD 25 and Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor, HD 580 with HD 600 grills

DAC and AMP: RME ADI 2 DAC

Speakers: Genelec 8040, System Audio SA205

Receiver: Denon AVR-1612

Desktop: R7 1700, GTX 1080  RX 580 8GB and other stuff

Laptop: ThinkPad P50: i7 6820HQ, M2000M. ThinkPad T420s: i7 2640M, NVS 4200M

Feel free to pm me if you have a question for me or quote me. If you want to hear what I have to say about something just tag me.

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56 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

This seems to be a good thread to ask

 

Looked at many DAC/AMP combos In December and came across this SMSL M6 which had really good reviews. I've had no problems with it and the HD6XX, I just want to make sure I'm not getting an un-optimal experience

well it isn't a good value and the HD6xx scale pretty well with higher end gear so you can basically always get more out of them, but what matters is that you are happy with them. I have seen a couple of people with the schiit yggy and feliks audio elise, that is a what a 3.1k setup alone and they said the HD650's never sounded better than they did on that setup.

Before you buy amp and dac.  My thoughts on the M50x  Ultimate Ears Reference monitor review I might have a thing for audio...

My main Headphones and IEMs:  K612 pro, HD 25 and Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor, HD 580 with HD 600 grills

DAC and AMP: RME ADI 2 DAC

Speakers: Genelec 8040, System Audio SA205

Receiver: Denon AVR-1612

Desktop: R7 1700, GTX 1080  RX 580 8GB and other stuff

Laptop: ThinkPad P50: i7 6820HQ, M2000M. ThinkPad T420s: i7 2640M, NVS 4200M

Feel free to pm me if you have a question for me or quote me. If you want to hear what I have to say about something just tag me.

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15 hours ago, Dackzy said:

well it isn't a good value and the HD6xx scale pretty well with higher end gear so you can basically always get more out of them, but what matters is that you are happy with them. I have seen a couple of people with the schiit yggy and feliks audio elise, that is a what a 3.1k setup alone and they said the HD650's never sounded better than they did on that setup.

Good to know. Yes so far I'm happy, this being my first forte into serious audiophile grade headphone setups. Perhaps in a few years I'll look into some more quality dacs and amps. Thank you for your input!

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Hi! I hope this is a good place to ask. I currently own a HE-500 and my current amp is the fiio e12 which is a portable unit. For dac I'm using a cheap dac from aliexpress which is not half bad for the price - (https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/new-HIFI-L-1543-DAC-four-TDA1543-USB-decoder-free-shipping/939205_32577466710.html)

 

Now I'm thinking about getting a proper desktop amp within $100-120. DAC is not an urgency, Which one of the following will go better with my HE-500?

 

1. Schiit Magni 2

2. Monoprice Desktop Amplifier(MDA)

3. Schiit Fulla 2

 

Thanks in advance guys.

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8 hours ago, Ork7O said:

 

1. Schiit Magni 2

2. Monoprice Desktop Amplifier(MDA)

3. Schiit Fulla 2

 

Thanks in advance guys.

the MDA is best with high impedance headphones. Planar headphones likes to get as much power as you can give them so I would say the magni 2, which also would allow you to upgrade your DAC in the future.

 

The best would be to save up another 230$ and then get a audio gd NFB 11.28, it pairs very well with HE500's.

Before you buy amp and dac.  My thoughts on the M50x  Ultimate Ears Reference monitor review I might have a thing for audio...

My main Headphones and IEMs:  K612 pro, HD 25 and Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor, HD 580 with HD 600 grills

DAC and AMP: RME ADI 2 DAC

Speakers: Genelec 8040, System Audio SA205

Receiver: Denon AVR-1612

Desktop: R7 1700, GTX 1080  RX 580 8GB and other stuff

Laptop: ThinkPad P50: i7 6820HQ, M2000M. ThinkPad T420s: i7 2640M, NVS 4200M

Feel free to pm me if you have a question for me or quote me. If you want to hear what I have to say about something just tag me.

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what does it mean when people ask how headphones scale with amplification? from the OP it seems like either your headphones are properly powered or they aren't. so does scaling simply mean how well you power your device? and would you be better off with cheaper headphones that you can easily power than headphones that aren't fully scaled? (I hope that makes sense)

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7 hours ago, Manchineel said:

what does it mean when people ask how headphones scale with amplification? from the OP it seems like either your headphones are properly powered or they aren't. so does scaling simply mean how well you power your device? and would you be better off with cheaper headphones that you can easily power than headphones that aren't fully scaled? (I hope that makes sense)

Some headphones show a more clear improvement with better gear, while other don't really care as long as they get enough power.

Before you buy amp and dac.  My thoughts on the M50x  Ultimate Ears Reference monitor review I might have a thing for audio...

My main Headphones and IEMs:  K612 pro, HD 25 and Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor, HD 580 with HD 600 grills

DAC and AMP: RME ADI 2 DAC

Speakers: Genelec 8040, System Audio SA205

Receiver: Denon AVR-1612

Desktop: R7 1700, GTX 1080  RX 580 8GB and other stuff

Laptop: ThinkPad P50: i7 6820HQ, M2000M. ThinkPad T420s: i7 2640M, NVS 4200M

Feel free to pm me if you have a question for me or quote me. If you want to hear what I have to say about something just tag me.

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8 hours ago, Manchineel said:

what does it mean when people ask how headphones scale with amplification? from the OP it seems like either your headphones are properly powered or they aren't. so does scaling simply mean how well you power your device? and would you be better off with cheaper headphones that you can easily power than headphones that aren't fully scaled? (I hope that makes sense)

Usually it's with sensitive headphones or IEM's that get better as the source improves, things like output impedance, Stereo Crosstalk, etc.

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2 hours ago, Majestic said:

Usually it's with sensitive headphones or IEM's that get better as the source improves, things like output impedance, Stereo Crosstalk, etc.

that is simply not true, there are plenty of examples of fairly hard to very hard headphones that scale very well

Before you buy amp and dac.  My thoughts on the M50x  Ultimate Ears Reference monitor review I might have a thing for audio...

My main Headphones and IEMs:  K612 pro, HD 25 and Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor, HD 580 with HD 600 grills

DAC and AMP: RME ADI 2 DAC

Speakers: Genelec 8040, System Audio SA205

Receiver: Denon AVR-1612

Desktop: R7 1700, GTX 1080  RX 580 8GB and other stuff

Laptop: ThinkPad P50: i7 6820HQ, M2000M. ThinkPad T420s: i7 2640M, NVS 4200M

Feel free to pm me if you have a question for me or quote me. If you want to hear what I have to say about something just tag me.

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Just now, Majestic said:

"usually"

just wanted to clarify and I have found the word "usually" to be a dangerous word to use around the new people that are just getting into the audio "world" since they often take it as being a 9/10 thing.

But we are all good :D again just wanted to make it clear that there are plenty examples of hard'ish/very hard headphones that scale well

Before you buy amp and dac.  My thoughts on the M50x  Ultimate Ears Reference monitor review I might have a thing for audio...

My main Headphones and IEMs:  K612 pro, HD 25 and Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor, HD 580 with HD 600 grills

DAC and AMP: RME ADI 2 DAC

Speakers: Genelec 8040, System Audio SA205

Receiver: Denon AVR-1612

Desktop: R7 1700, GTX 1080  RX 580 8GB and other stuff

Laptop: ThinkPad P50: i7 6820HQ, M2000M. ThinkPad T420s: i7 2640M, NVS 4200M

Feel free to pm me if you have a question for me or quote me. If you want to hear what I have to say about something just tag me.

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thanks for the info. just bought the 6xx and am trying to understand audio things.

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Hi, I currently use a pair of Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro with a Fiio E10 and I'm looking to upgrade. Not sure if I should get another DAC or just use an AMP. Want to know if it's worth upgrading at all, and if so what should I buy. I am based in the UK for reference. 

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1 hour ago, Cosmos_i7 said:

Hi, I currently use a pair of Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro with a Fiio E10 and I'm looking to upgrade. Not sure if I should get another DAC or just use an AMP. Want to know if it's worth upgrading at all, and if so what should I buy. I am based in the UK for reference. 

budget?

Before you buy amp and dac.  My thoughts on the M50x  Ultimate Ears Reference monitor review I might have a thing for audio...

My main Headphones and IEMs:  K612 pro, HD 25 and Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor, HD 580 with HD 600 grills

DAC and AMP: RME ADI 2 DAC

Speakers: Genelec 8040, System Audio SA205

Receiver: Denon AVR-1612

Desktop: R7 1700, GTX 1080  RX 580 8GB and other stuff

Laptop: ThinkPad P50: i7 6820HQ, M2000M. ThinkPad T420s: i7 2640M, NVS 4200M

Feel free to pm me if you have a question for me or quote me. If you want to hear what I have to say about something just tag me.

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1 hour ago, Dackzy said:

budget?

I'd say perhaps £100-£200

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4 hours ago, Cosmos_i7 said:

Hi, I currently use a pair of Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro with a Fiio E10 and I'm looking to upgrade. Not sure if I should get another DAC or just use an AMP. Want to know if it's worth upgrading at all, and if so what should I buy. I am based in the UK for reference. 

 

Get rid of the E10 as soon as possible whatever you do.

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7 hours ago, Cosmos_i7 said:

I'd say perhaps £100-£200

yep get rid of that e10k, how much does a magni 2 and modi 2 cost over there?

Before you buy amp and dac.  My thoughts on the M50x  Ultimate Ears Reference monitor review I might have a thing for audio...

My main Headphones and IEMs:  K612 pro, HD 25 and Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor, HD 580 with HD 600 grills

DAC and AMP: RME ADI 2 DAC

Speakers: Genelec 8040, System Audio SA205

Receiver: Denon AVR-1612

Desktop: R7 1700, GTX 1080  RX 580 8GB and other stuff

Laptop: ThinkPad P50: i7 6820HQ, M2000M. ThinkPad T420s: i7 2640M, NVS 4200M

Feel free to pm me if you have a question for me or quote me. If you want to hear what I have to say about something just tag me.

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13 hours ago, SSL said:

 

Get rid of the E10 as soon as possible whatever you do.

Is it really that bad? Never really thought much until I came across this thread. Been wanting to upgrade for a while

7 hours ago, Dackzy said:

yep get rid of that e10k, how much does a magni 2 and modi 2 cost over there?

About £110 each, according to the website you linked. I also noted that there is a Fulla 2 as well, or am I better off getting the magni and modi? 

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5 minutes ago, Cosmos_i7 said:

About £110 each, according to the website you linked. I also noted that there is a Fulla 2 as well, or am I better off getting the magni and modi? 

2

the modi 2 ang magni 2 are better, especially the modi 2, but it is up to you if you think it is worth 220£ over 110£ for a fulla 2.

Yeah the E10k is pretty bad

Before you buy amp and dac.  My thoughts on the M50x  Ultimate Ears Reference monitor review I might have a thing for audio...

My main Headphones and IEMs:  K612 pro, HD 25 and Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor, HD 580 with HD 600 grills

DAC and AMP: RME ADI 2 DAC

Speakers: Genelec 8040, System Audio SA205

Receiver: Denon AVR-1612

Desktop: R7 1700, GTX 1080  RX 580 8GB and other stuff

Laptop: ThinkPad P50: i7 6820HQ, M2000M. ThinkPad T420s: i7 2640M, NVS 4200M

Feel free to pm me if you have a question for me or quote me. If you want to hear what I have to say about something just tag me.

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13 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

the modi 2 ang magni 2 are better, especially the modi 2, but it is up to you if you think it is worth 220£ over 110£ for a fulla 2.

Yeah the E10k is pretty bad

Ok I think I will get the modi 2 and magni 2 then. Just curious as to how the E10 is bad, I remember it used to be recommended previously a few years back. I do notice odd blips and static pops occasionally though. Thanks for your help btw, great thread you have here. 

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38 minutes ago, Cosmos_i7 said:

Just curious as to how the E10 is bad

 

Just doesn't sound very good in the scheme of things.

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1 hour ago, Cosmos_i7 said:

Ok I think I will get the modi 2 and magni 2 then. Just curious as to how the E10 is bad, I remember it used to be recommended previously a few years back. I do notice odd blips and static pops occasionally though. Thanks for your help btw, great thread you have here. 

it doesn't offer much detail, it is not as tight or clean as other options around its price. Yeah they have some problems in the amp part, it wouldn't be unusual for it to clip if you pushed it above 60%.

 

Well thank you and no problem.

Before you buy amp and dac.  My thoughts on the M50x  Ultimate Ears Reference monitor review I might have a thing for audio...

My main Headphones and IEMs:  K612 pro, HD 25 and Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor, HD 580 with HD 600 grills

DAC and AMP: RME ADI 2 DAC

Speakers: Genelec 8040, System Audio SA205

Receiver: Denon AVR-1612

Desktop: R7 1700, GTX 1080  RX 580 8GB and other stuff

Laptop: ThinkPad P50: i7 6820HQ, M2000M. ThinkPad T420s: i7 2640M, NVS 4200M

Feel free to pm me if you have a question for me or quote me. If you want to hear what I have to say about something just tag me.

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Hey,

 

I just bought 3 headphones to test and see which one I prefer more. I bought the DT770 pro 80ohmz, Philips Fidelio x2 and akg702. I've been using HyperX headset for a year or two now and the truth is I don't see much difference listening. I thought my Motherboard would be enough(MSI Z97 Gaming 5) to power the headphones but it seems that's not the case. The volume is pretty low for my liking. I'm using Spotify to test the 3 headphones because that's what I use on day to day basis to listen to music. The question would be, what's the best options I could use to power up and make the headphones more bass heavy as im in love with edm music and like the bass and treble aspect of listening.

 

cheers.

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9 hours ago, Almond said:

Hey,

 

I just bought 3 headphones to test and see which one I prefer more. I bought the DT770 pro 80ohmz, Philips Fidelio x2 and akg702. I've been using HyperX headset for a year or two now and the truth is I don't see much difference listening. I thought my Motherboard would be enough(MSI Z97 Gaming 5) to power the headphones but it seems that's not the case. The volume is pretty low for my liking. I'm using Spotify to test the 3 headphones because that's what I use on day to day basis to listen to music. The question would be, what's the best options I could use to power up and make the headphones more bass heavy as im in love with edm music and like the bass and treble aspect of listening.

 

cheers.

if you want the headphone to be more bass heavy, then you bought the wrong headphone, it is really that simple. A DAC and amp are not suddenly going to add a lot of bass, we might talk a small bass bump from getting a DAC and amp, but nothing major at all.

 

An upgrade is less noticeable than a downgrade, I would recommend using one of the headphones for a couple of weeks or a month and then switch back to your HyperX headset.

 

and what kind of budget are we working with?

Before you buy amp and dac.  My thoughts on the M50x  Ultimate Ears Reference monitor review I might have a thing for audio...

My main Headphones and IEMs:  K612 pro, HD 25 and Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor, HD 580 with HD 600 grills

DAC and AMP: RME ADI 2 DAC

Speakers: Genelec 8040, System Audio SA205

Receiver: Denon AVR-1612

Desktop: R7 1700, GTX 1080  RX 580 8GB and other stuff

Laptop: ThinkPad P50: i7 6820HQ, M2000M. ThinkPad T420s: i7 2640M, NVS 4200M

Feel free to pm me if you have a question for me or quote me. If you want to hear what I have to say about something just tag me.

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21 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

if you want the headphone to be more bass heavy, then you bought the wrong headphone, it is really that simple. A DAC and amp are not suddenly going to add a lot of bass, we might talk a small bass bump from getting a DAC and amp, but nothing major at all.

 

An upgrade is less noticeable than a downgrade, I would recommend using one of the headphones for a couple of weeks or a month and then switch back to your HyperX headset.

 

and what kind of budget are we working with?

well I got recommended the headphones from another post I've created and the person said the bass is pretty good on the set. If we're talking about AMP then maximum £50 as I don't really want to spend more money as the headphones themselves were pretty expensive. I could return the headphones and buy a different pair but im not sure. I have 29 days left to test drive these 3 pairs and ill see at the end of the day which one I could leave behind as my day to day use.

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