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Headphone + amp for 600$

JohnnyAlmi

Hi, looking to buy headphone, and amp if it would be required. Budget is for both.

Budget: 600$

Source: almost exclusively PC

Requirements for Isolation: no isolation required

Preferred Type: full sized

Preferred Music: Rock / Metal

Location: European Union
Also, would be using them for like 7 hours in 8 hour interval, so need them to be very comfortable.

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Im not really anyone to give great advice when it comes to headphones but i've the Steelseries Arctics 3, and so far they've been great. The HyperX Cloud 2 and Bose QuietComfort 35 shouldnt be bad either. Dont know if that helped :)

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5 hours ago, JohnnyAlmi said:

Hi, looking to buy headphone, and amp if it would be required. Budget is for both.

Budget: 600$

Source: almost exclusively PC

Requirements for Isolation: no isolation required

Preferred Type: full sized

Preferred Music: Rock / Metal

Location: European Union
Also, would be using them for like 7 hours in 8 hour interval, so need them to be very comfortable.

Fidelio X2 are fun and doesn't need an amp. Another plus side it can use v-moda boompro if so you desire to game on it..

More headphones for reference please do have a look here:

 

Cpu R5 1600 @3.7ghz - MB Gigabyte AB350 Gaming 3 - RAM Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GBx2 @3000mhz - GPU Palit GTX 1070ti Dual - Storage Kingston FuryX 120GB SSD, WD 500GB Green HDD, Seagate 1TB HDD - PSU Seasonic X650 - Case Sharkoon S25-W - Display Zowie XL2411 - Peripherals Filco Ninja Browns, Zowie FK2 & Qck Hyperbeast Ed.

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PSB is a little know brand in head phones but the best sub 500$ head phones i have heard, as for an amp their is a lot of secret sauce and suggest looking at www.head-fi.org

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HEADPHONES-----------------HD650----------315 USD

AMP--------------------------------Vali 2-----------169 USD

DAC--------------------------------Modi 2 multibit--250 USD

 

Dac isn't needed, but many say is a great improvement, and goes very well with this system.

Skip the dac if you want, and get it later.

 

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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4 minutes ago, spwath said:

HEADPHONES-----------------HD650----------315 USD

AMP--------------------------------Vali 2-----------169 USD

DAC--------------------------------Modi 2 multibit--250 USD

 

Dac isn't needed, but many say is a great improvement, and goes very well with this system.

Skip the dac if you want, and get it later.

 

DAC is needed and easily worth having over a amp for those headphones.

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Just now, Marshnt said:

DAC is needed and easily worth having over a amp for those headphones.

No, You cant get a dac with no amp. YOu need an amp if you have a dac. I have the headphones, and the Valhalla 2. Dac isn't needed. I have one, makes it sound better, but is still very good without one.

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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Just now, spwath said:

No, You cant get a dac with no amp. YOu need an amp if you have a dac. I have the headphones, and the Valhalla 2. Dac isn't needed. I have one, makes it sound better, but is still very good without one.

Yes and no, a good DAC will handle most headphones unless the require studio amount of power and great standard is Fiio products.

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Just now, Marshnt said:

Yes and no, a good DAC will handle most headphones unless the require studio amount of power and great standard is Fiio products.

No. That's just not true at all. A DAC can NOT power headphones. Period. Fiio makes dac amp combos. They CAN power headphones, because they have an amp built in. However, most Fiio products are pretty bad, and I would not recommend any of them, especially with a budget like the Op has.

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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3 minutes ago, spwath said:

No. That's just not true at all. A DAC can NOT power headphones. Period. Fiio makes dac amp combos. They CAN power headphones, because they have an amp built in. However, most Fiio products are pretty bad, and I would not recommend any of them, especially with a budget like the Op has.

LOL, yes a DAC in theory cant alone power headphones but all DACs you buy have amps built in, it just depends how powerfully they are. I sorry you dont like Fiio products but they have a strong following in the HI-Fi community.

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Just now, Marshnt said:

LOL, yes a DAC in theory cant alone power headphones but all DACs you buy have amps built in, it just depends how powerfully they are. I sorry you dont like Fiio products but they have a strong following in the HI-Fi community.

No. That's just not true at all. Dac amp combos have amps built in. Dacs do not. That's just the truth. Dacs will only have an rca (or XLR if they are fancy) out. Non amplified. No volume knob. No headphone port. Just a dac.

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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2 minutes ago, spwath said:

No. That's just not true at all. Dac amp combos have amps built in. Dacs do not. That's just the truth. Dacs will only have an rca (or XLR if they are fancy) out. Non amplified. No volume knob. No headphone port. Just a dac.

You misunderstand my post but all commercial DACs have a amplifier circuit in them, if you dont understand this go build one.

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Just now, Marshnt said:

You misunderstand my post but all commercial DACs have a amplifier circuit in them, if you dont understand this go build one.

I'm pretty sure, (but not certain), that they don't. Either way, you DO NOT want to run headphones off a DAC with no other amplifier. Period. It will sound bad. DACs output a line level signal. Not an amplified signal to drive headphones. That's just the facts. If you could run headphones of a DAC, they would put a headphone port in.

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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5 hours ago, Marshnt said:

You misunderstand my post but all commercial DACs have a amplifier circuit in them, if you dont understand this go build one.

Not a single one of the Schiit DACs has a headphone amp.

Auralic doesn't make a DAC with a headphone amp.

The ODAC doesn't have an amp.

 

There are tons of companies that make standalone DACs. Sure, they're less common on the lower end of the market, but they sure as hell exist. I really enjoy the fact that you told @spwath to build one, as it's really not that hard to build a DAC without a headphone amp - you build one without the amp.

 

It's especially funny that you're trying to argue with Spwath on this, as the DAC that he mentioned doesn't have a headphone amp.

 

Literally any DAC with a headphone out has some sort of headphone amp in it, no exceptions. It's not even an arguable point. The FACT is that you cannot have a DAC without an amp. Not for any sort of listening.

6 hours ago, spwath said:

HEADPHONES-----------------HD650----------315 USD

AMP--------------------------------Vali 2-----------169 USD

DAC--------------------------------Modi 2 multibit--250 USD

 

Dac isn't needed, but many say is a great improvement, and goes very well with this system.

Skip the dac if you want, and get it later.

 

Also, this is a really good setup. well worth going for. Also, T00bs!

Hey! New SIgnature! 

 

I'm supposedly a person on the Internet, but you'll never know if I'm human or not ;)

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8 hours ago, spwath said:

HEADPHONES-----------------HD650----------315 USD

AMP--------------------------------Vali 2-----------169 USD

DAC--------------------------------Modi 2 multibit--250 USD

 

Dac isn't needed, but many say is a great improvement, and goes very well with this system.

Skip the dac if you want, and get it later.

 

Thanks!

Also, n00bish question - it will all work good with MacBook?

 

Some questions for future improvements:
- Would Asgard 2 or Valhalla 2 be improvement and how big? Which one better?
- Anything better than HD 650 under 1000$?

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TIL my Yggy has an inbuilt amp

8 hours ago, spwath said:

No. That's just not true at all. Dac amp combos have amps built in. Dacs do not. That's just the truth. Dacs will only have an rca (or XLR if they are fancy) out. Non amplified. No volume knob. No headphone port. Just a dac.

 

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At your budget I think you should be spending way more on headphones than Amp/DAC. I'd probably allocate 100 bucks for the amp and dac.

 

The difference between a 100 dollar amp/dac and a 300 dollar might be audible, but it won't be as big an improvement as a going up from 300 dollar head phones to 500 dollar headphones.

 

Personally I want all my audio gear to be flat except for speakers and headphones (ie I don't go for tube pre amps or vintage gear). I guarantee you can find an amp/DAC that's within half a dB from 20 Hz to 20 KHz and can drive whatever headphones you want. Good luck noticing a difference beyond that in a double blind test.

 

The Micca OriGen looks like a good choice for cans under 600 Ohms.

 

Pair that with Sennheiser's HD 700s (currently 500 on amazon, at least in US) and you will be very pleased with the results.

 

 

Hell of a deal really.

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2 hours ago, The_Gingineer said:

snip

The Micca Origen + wasn't amazing for powering headphones like my DT770s or my HD600s, so I'd be leery of using it with anything that isn't terribly sensitive (not sure where the HD700 falls in terms of sensitivity off hand...)

 

Also, I wouldn't recommend the HD700 to anyone without having them listen to the headphones fairly extensively first, as they're a very polarizing headphone in terms of sound signature.

Hey! New SIgnature! 

 

I'm supposedly a person on the Internet, but you'll never know if I'm human or not ;)

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14 hours ago, KaminKevCrew said:

Not a single one of the Schiit DACs has a headphone amp.

Auralic doesn't make a DAC with a headphone amp.

The ODAC doesn't have an amp.

 

There are tons of companies that make standalone DACs. Sure, they're less common on the lower end of the market, but they sure as hell exist. I really enjoy the fact that you told @spwath to build one, as it's really not that hard to build a DAC without a headphone amp - you build one without the amp.

 

It's especially funny that you're trying to argue with Spwath on this, as the DAC that he mentioned doesn't have a headphone amp.

 

Literally any DAC with a headphone out has some sort of headphone amp in it, no exceptions. It's not even an arguable point. The FACT is that you cannot have a DAC without an amp. Not for any sort of listening.

Also, this is a really good setup. well worth going for. Also, T00bs!

Any DAC on the circuit level had a amp in it and yes i know what a combo unit is.

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5 hours ago, xtroria said:

My recommendation is to go with HE-400i & magni modi stack. Once you go ortho you never go back

 until you try dynamic again and realize all you are missing...

12 hours ago, JohnnyAlmi said:

Thanks!

Also, n00bish question - it will all work good with MacBook?

 

Some questions for future improvements:
- Would Asgard 2 or Valhalla 2 be improvement and how big? Which one better?
- Anything better than HD 650 under 1000$?

Valhalla is a significant improvement. Would Not recommend asgard.

hd650 is a great starting point for value.

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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11 hours ago, spwath said:

 until you try dynamic again and realize all you are missing...

Valhalla is a significant improvement. Would Not recommend asgard.

hd650 is a great starting point for value.

Just wondering, why hd650 and not hd600? What's the difference?

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2 hours ago, JohnnyAlmi said:

Just wondering, why hd650 and not hd600? What's the difference?

Apart from frequency response differences, with the hd650 having a midbass hump, and the hd600 being more flat, people say that the hd650 is generally more refined, and has lest distortion. Overall better, supposedly. I have not heard the hd600, but I have the hd650 and love them.

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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1 hour ago, spwath said:

Apart from frequency response differences, with the hd650 having a midbass hump, and the hd600 being more flat, people say that the hd650 is generally more refined, and has lest distortion. Overall better, supposedly. I have not heard the hd600, but I have the hd650 and love them.

Thanks! One more to compare, ATH-R70x?

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