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Best DAC AMP Combo

iPC

I want to step up my game from my closed back qc25s to some hd6xx cans when I realized they had a 300 ohm impedance. I was wondering which DAC amp combos around 300$ would be good with the hd6xx. I am looking at the schiit stack or the mayflower odac+objective 2 amp but I am open to suggestions beyond those and even alternative headphones for under 300$ thank you!

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Get a NFB 11.28, it is just the better combo at this price point. I think it is going to run you 320$, but it is worth every penny.

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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12 hours ago, Dackzy said:

Get a NFB 11.28, it is just the better combo at this price point. I think it is going to run you 320$, but it is worth every penny.

Better than the Magni and Modi Uber editions and the objective 2?

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2 minutes ago, iPC said:

Better than the Magni and Modi Uber editions and the objective 2?

yes. It has more features and a bit higher audio quality.

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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16 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

yes. It has more features and a bit higher audio quality.

Are the headphones good for that price range? I know they have been around for 15 years and was wondering if other headphones are now better

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41 minutes ago, iPC said:

Are the headphones good for that price range? I know they have been around for 15 years and was wondering if other headphones are now better

on the technical side not really, but there might be a headphone you enjoy more, but only personal testing can show you if there are some that you enjoy more.

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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Ok

1 hour ago, Dackzy said:

on the technical side not really, but there might be a headphone you enjoy more, but only personal testing can show you if there are some that you enjoy more.

Ok thank you.

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12 hours ago, Dackzy said:

on the technical side not really, but there might be a headphone you enjoy more, but only personal testing can show you if there are some that you enjoy more.

Off topic question: do you think I should get YouTube music premium or Spotify premium?

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35 minutes ago, iPC said:

Off topic question: do you think I should get YouTube music premium or Spotify premium?

eh, if I was you then I would just buy CD's and then rip them. I can't really answer if Spotify premium is worth it for you.

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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17 hours ago, iPC said:

Off topic question: do you think I should get YouTube music premium or Spotify premium?

I've began collecting CDs when Spotify became a thing, as the years passed the price of CDs in my area began to drop and they even did some crazy sales like a dollar for a greatest hits collection album. They're almost all gone now and I didn't even get a lot of them.

 

Also, since you're getting a good bunch of equipment, you should only stick to CD quality and above as much as possible and start exploring other alternatives for music on mobile like some Hi-Fi players like some Fiio players or the newer Sony Walkman, etc.

You can bark like a dog, but that won't make you a dog.

You can act like someone you're not, but that won't change who you are.

 

Finished Crysis without a discrete GPU,15 FPS average, and a lot of heart

 

How I plan my builds -

Spoiler

For me I start with the "There's no way I'm not gonna spend $1,000 on a system."

Followed by the "Wow I need to buy the OS for a $100!?"

Then "Let's start with the 'best budget GPU' and 'best budget CPU' that actually fits what I think is my budget."

Realizing my budget is a lot less, I work my way to "I think these new games will run on a cheap ass CPU."

Then end with "The new parts launching next year is probably gonna be better and faster for the same price so I'll just buy next year."

 

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1 hour ago, YoloSwag said:

I've began collecting CDs when Spotify became a thing, as the years passed the price of CDs in my area began to drop and they even did some crazy sales like a dollar for a greatest hits collection album. They're almost all gone now and I didn't even get a lot of them.

 

Also, since you're getting a good bunch of equipment, you should only stick to CD quality and above as much as possible and start exploring other alternatives for music on mobile like some Hi-Fi players like some Fiio players or the newer Sony Walkman, etc.

I'm new at this audio thing, but I'm assuming downloading youtube wav and using a fiio player would not be hifi?

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31 minutes ago, iPC said:

I'm new at this audio thing, but I'm assuming downloading youtube mp3 and using a fiio player would not be hifi?

Yes. It would be disappointing to have such good equipment paired with a low quality source.

 

However, there are alternatives to buying CDs and ripping them yourself, but this would be slightly more expensive - 

 

There are streaming sites and apps for some Hi-Res Audio like Tidal. (Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Tidal in any way. I just read about it in some website.)

I'm not sure if you can get Hi-Res Audio for mobile yet but it works for desktop.

 

By the way, itunes downloads are not ALAC (Lossless) they are using Apple's own audo codec which is better than MP3.

 

You can google a list of other sites that stream or where you can purchase lossless audio. Keep a lookout for sites that do offer 24-bit 192KHz audio.

Given the choice, I'd rather buy it than subscribe for streams.

You can bark like a dog, but that won't make you a dog.

You can act like someone you're not, but that won't change who you are.

 

Finished Crysis without a discrete GPU,15 FPS average, and a lot of heart

 

How I plan my builds -

Spoiler

For me I start with the "There's no way I'm not gonna spend $1,000 on a system."

Followed by the "Wow I need to buy the OS for a $100!?"

Then "Let's start with the 'best budget GPU' and 'best budget CPU' that actually fits what I think is my budget."

Realizing my budget is a lot less, I work my way to "I think these new games will run on a cheap ass CPU."

Then end with "The new parts launching next year is probably gonna be better and faster for the same price so I'll just buy next year."

 

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50 minutes ago, YoloSwag said:

Yes. It would be disappointing to have such good equipment paired with a low quality source.

 

However, there are alternatives to buying CDs and ripping them yourself, but this would be slightly more expensive - 

 

There are streaming sites and apps for some Hi-Res Audio like Tidal. (Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Tidal in any way. I just read about it in some website.)

I'm not sure if you can get Hi-Res Audio for mobile yet but it works for desktop.

 

By the way, itunes downloads are not ALAC (Lossless) they are using Apple's own audo codec which is better than MP3.

 

You can google a list of other sites that stream or where you can purchase lossless audio. Keep a lookout for sites that do offer 24-bit 192KHz audio.

Given the choice, I'd rather buy it than subscribe for streams.

Is Spotify extreme quality downloads 24 bit 192khz?

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1 hour ago, iPC said:

Is Spotify extreme quality downloads 24 bit 192khz?

No.

You can bark like a dog, but that won't make you a dog.

You can act like someone you're not, but that won't change who you are.

 

Finished Crysis without a discrete GPU,15 FPS average, and a lot of heart

 

How I plan my builds -

Spoiler

For me I start with the "There's no way I'm not gonna spend $1,000 on a system."

Followed by the "Wow I need to buy the OS for a $100!?"

Then "Let's start with the 'best budget GPU' and 'best budget CPU' that actually fits what I think is my budget."

Realizing my budget is a lot less, I work my way to "I think these new games will run on a cheap ass CPU."

Then end with "The new parts launching next year is probably gonna be better and faster for the same price so I'll just buy next year."

 

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16 minutes ago, YoloSwag said:

No.

Does tidal have the same kind of audio library as Spotify? Can I download 24 bit 192 khz music that I can use with a good player?

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42 minutes ago, iPC said:

Does tidal have the same kind of audio library as Spotify? Can I download 24 bit 192 khz music that I can use with a good player?

Not sure. You could check their website though and look for what packages they offer. Alternatively you could go to hdtracks.co.uk as I think this has one of the biggest portfolios out there. I don't think they stream though but they do offer downloads. You could also check out Onkyo Music.

You can bark like a dog, but that won't make you a dog.

You can act like someone you're not, but that won't change who you are.

 

Finished Crysis without a discrete GPU,15 FPS average, and a lot of heart

 

How I plan my builds -

Spoiler

For me I start with the "There's no way I'm not gonna spend $1,000 on a system."

Followed by the "Wow I need to buy the OS for a $100!?"

Then "Let's start with the 'best budget GPU' and 'best budget CPU' that actually fits what I think is my budget."

Realizing my budget is a lot less, I work my way to "I think these new games will run on a cheap ass CPU."

Then end with "The new parts launching next year is probably gonna be better and faster for the same price so I'll just buy next year."

 

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9 minutes ago, YoloSwag said:

Not sure. You could check their website though and look for what packages they offer. Alternatively you could go to hdtracks.co.uk as I think this has one of the biggest portfolios out there. I don't think they stream though but they do offer downloads. You could also check out Onkyo Music.

Money is kind of an issue, though. Would Spotify premiums 320kb rate make use of, to some extent, the hd6xx s and the nbf 11.28?

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16 minutes ago, iPC said:

Money is kind of an issue, though. Would Spotify premiums 320kb rate make use of, to some extent, the hd6xx s and the nbf 11.28?

Not really, if your phone has a decent DAC, some $100 headphones would work just fine.

 

Here's a tip, don't spend too much in one go. If you're new I'd say spend that $100 on some good in-ear headphones first. If you can notice a difference between that and some $50 and below once, then try some $200. If you notice something significant then move up a notch.

 

if you can't tell the difference between $100 and $200 products in terms of sound quality then just stop there and you won't regret big time.

 

For music quality if you can't tell the difference between MP3, AAC, and other lossy codecs vs lossless ones like FLAC, ALAC, WAV, WMA and the rest then stop. Test this with a CD you already own and rip the tracks in MP3 then FLAC.

You can bark like a dog, but that won't make you a dog.

You can act like someone you're not, but that won't change who you are.

 

Finished Crysis without a discrete GPU,15 FPS average, and a lot of heart

 

How I plan my builds -

Spoiler

For me I start with the "There's no way I'm not gonna spend $1,000 on a system."

Followed by the "Wow I need to buy the OS for a $100!?"

Then "Let's start with the 'best budget GPU' and 'best budget CPU' that actually fits what I think is my budget."

Realizing my budget is a lot less, I work my way to "I think these new games will run on a cheap ass CPU."

Then end with "The new parts launching next year is probably gonna be better and faster for the same price so I'll just buy next year."

 

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1 hour ago, YoloSwag said:

Not really, if your phone has a decent DAC, some $100 headphones would work just fine.

 

Here's a tip, don't spend too much in one go. If you're new I'd say spend that $100 on some good in-ear headphones first. If you can notice a difference between that and some $50 and below once, then try some $200. If you notice something significant then move up a notch.

 

if you can't tell the difference between $100 and $200 products in terms of sound quality then just stop there and you won't regret big time.

 

For music quality if you can't tell the difference between MP3, AAC, and other lossy codecs vs lossless ones like FLAC, ALAC, WAV, WMA and the rest then stop. Test this with a CD you already own and rip the tracks in MP3 then FLAC.

I'm just asking, will I be able to enjoy these headphones with less than lossless audio?

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14 minutes ago, iPC said:

I'm just asking, will I be able to enjoy these headphones with less than lossless audio?

What you have in mind is overkill For lossy sound IMO. Don't get me wrong, HD 6XX in Mass Drop is a sweet deal it's just that if you want to maximize usage, you'd have to exert a little more and look for lossless audio and trust me, when you can tell the difference you'd understand why people spend much money and time on these.

You can bark like a dog, but that won't make you a dog.

You can act like someone you're not, but that won't change who you are.

 

Finished Crysis without a discrete GPU,15 FPS average, and a lot of heart

 

How I plan my builds -

Spoiler

For me I start with the "There's no way I'm not gonna spend $1,000 on a system."

Followed by the "Wow I need to buy the OS for a $100!?"

Then "Let's start with the 'best budget GPU' and 'best budget CPU' that actually fits what I think is my budget."

Realizing my budget is a lot less, I work my way to "I think these new games will run on a cheap ass CPU."

Then end with "The new parts launching next year is probably gonna be better and faster for the same price so I'll just buy next year."

 

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4 hours ago, iPC said:

I'm just asking, will I be able to enjoy these headphones with less than lossless audio?

Yes. The difference in lossy and lossless audio is way over-exaggerated, and 320kbps is NEAR indistinguishable with critical listening, and even then the differences can be attributed to placebo.

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6 hours ago, YoloSwag said:

What you have in mind is overkill For lossy sound IMO. Don't get me wrong, HD 6XX in Mass Drop is a sweet deal it's just that if you want to maximize usage, you'd have to exert a little more and look for lossless audio and trust me, when you can tell the difference you'd understand why people spend much money and time on these.

I do want to get into lossless audio, but don't have the money to spend for a 20$ subscription on tidal. Do you think it would be a good or okay idea to get this setup and invest in lossless audio further down the road? Also, if I wanted to plug in the nbf 11.28 to an iPhone, could I? And do you like the amp that dackzy is the best I can get for that price range? Thank you.

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Lossless/lossy, it does not matter if the mastering is complete crap, the NFB is a good value. Get that. Stop caring about bitrate/bit depth and enjoy your music.

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1 hour ago, iPC said:

I do want to get into lossless audio, but don't have the money to spend for a 20$ subscription on tidal. Do you think it would be a good or okay idea to get this setup and invest in lossless audio further down the road? Also, if I wanted to plug in the nbf 11.28 to an iPhone, could I? And do you like the amp that dackzy is the best I can get for that price range? Thank you.

Sure. It isn't mandatory, all I'm saying is the higher quality samples will generally sound better. Especially a lot of live recordings sound better with higher quality samples.

 

You do need a good amp to drive those HD 6XX nicely as some onboard chips won't do.

You can bark like a dog, but that won't make you a dog.

You can act like someone you're not, but that won't change who you are.

 

Finished Crysis without a discrete GPU,15 FPS average, and a lot of heart

 

How I plan my builds -

Spoiler

For me I start with the "There's no way I'm not gonna spend $1,000 on a system."

Followed by the "Wow I need to buy the OS for a $100!?"

Then "Let's start with the 'best budget GPU' and 'best budget CPU' that actually fits what I think is my budget."

Realizing my budget is a lot less, I work my way to "I think these new games will run on a cheap ass CPU."

Then end with "The new parts launching next year is probably gonna be better and faster for the same price so I'll just buy next year."

 

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4 hours ago, seduce_me said:

Yes. The difference in lossy and lossless audio is way over-exaggerated, and 320kbps is NEAR indistinguishable with critical listening, and even then the differences can be attributed to placebo.

 

1 hour ago, seduce_me said:

Lossless/lossy, it does not matter if the mastering is complete crap, the NFB is a good value. Get that. Stop caring about bitrate/bit depth and enjoy your music.

I find your lack of judgement for lossless vs lossy disturbing when the matter itself is subjective to the listener and you just generalized it with your first comment.

 

To help you a bit, you could try getting a CD of that contains Nicki Minaj's 'Super Bass' (Not a fan by the way) and try ripping it in MP3 then try ripping in any lossless audio codec after. Even with arguably trash music, the difference is very apparent.

 

Again, keep the grounds neutral and up to the listener. What I said awhile ago is that if the listener (OP) couldn't tell the difference between $100 and $200 equipment in terms of audio quality, then OP doesn't need to spend more. The same thing goes for lossless and lossy audio, if OP can't tell the difference (like you) then OP should stop wasting time and be fine with what OP has.

You can bark like a dog, but that won't make you a dog.

You can act like someone you're not, but that won't change who you are.

 

Finished Crysis without a discrete GPU,15 FPS average, and a lot of heart

 

How I plan my builds -

Spoiler

For me I start with the "There's no way I'm not gonna spend $1,000 on a system."

Followed by the "Wow I need to buy the OS for a $100!?"

Then "Let's start with the 'best budget GPU' and 'best budget CPU' that actually fits what I think is my budget."

Realizing my budget is a lot less, I work my way to "I think these new games will run on a cheap ass CPU."

Then end with "The new parts launching next year is probably gonna be better and faster for the same price so I'll just buy next year."

 

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