Flat audio setup

[Davide]

I wanted to get a set of headphones, dac and amp that all produce a very flat reference sound. Around 500 is my budget but I'm looking for the best overall bag for buck. Any help at all would be appreciated. Thank you.

[STRMfrmXMN]

I wanted to get a set of headphones, dac and amp that all produce a very flat reference sound. Around 500 is my budget but I'm looking for the best overall bag for buck. Any help at all would be appreciated. Thank you.

Open or closed back headphones?

[Davide]

open

[KaminKevCrew]

open

Most natural I can think of: HD600. For the flattest that I'm aware of in the price range: Hifiman HE-500. Only caveat with with he500 is that you'll probably need an AMP and it's right there at $500 right now. If you have optical or coax out on your motherboard, add a SMSL SD 793-II. It's only 65$, and it's awesome. That's the setup I currently use with my HE-500. Imo, it's well worth going 65 over budget.

[Guest]

AKG K612 Pro and the aforementioned SMSL. DT880 would be another option.

[KaminKevCrew]

AKG K612 Pro and the aforementioned SMSL. DT880 would be another option.

Oooo, I didn't know they were that flat! Maybe I'll get one of them [emoji14] (I was actually (partially) basing my recommendation on that slide show you linked a while ago, that discusses the issues with the current state of "flagship" headphones and how many of them fall far short of where they should.

[Guest]

Oooo, I didn't know they were that flat! Maybe I'll get one of them [emoji14] (I was actually (partially) basing my recommendation on that slide show you linked a while ago, that discusses the issues with the current state of "flagship" headphones and how many of them fall far short of where they should.

 

Look up the K612 on innerfidelity datasheets. The measurements are stupidly good for the price. It just might need an amp, which is why I don't recommend it more. Subjective reviews I've read put it on par with headphones in the $200+ range.

 

The DT880 digs deeper than the HD600, so i would say it is a good contender for a reasonably flat headphone; you just trade a brighter treble for more bass extension.

 

The HE-500 is in another class altogether of course, but there's the budget to think about.

[LemonCheek]

 

 

HE-500.

 

In all seriousness, the K612 Pro or the HD600 with the SMSL would fit OP's budget nicely (that is, if OP has a source that has optical input (some motherboard manufacturers don't put it in their boards), but I'd lean more on the K612 due to its sheer price to performance.

[LemonCheek]

 

 

Look up the K612 on innerfidelity datasheets. The measurements are stupidly good for the price. It just might need an amp, which is why I don't recommend it more. Subjective reviews I've read put it on par with headphones in the $200+ range.

 

The DT880 digs deeper than the HD600, so i would say it is a good contender for a reasonably flat headphone; you just trade a brighter treble for more bass extension.

 

The HE-500 is in another class altogether of course, but there's the budget to think about.

I got the K612 and I like it for gaming and sheer neutrality. I almost wanna sell my HD600 to increase my budget for HE-500's incase someone's gonna sell it for as much as how much I bought them the first time.

[Majestic]

Doesn't the Philips Fidelio X2 fit into this budget aswell?

 

That thing doesn't really work with the SMSL though, since it doesn't have 120 ohm impedance like the K612 pro and would not fit the 1/8th rule. The SMSL is using a OPA2134 setup which, to my knowledge, usually have ~10 ohm output impedance.

 

You'd have to use something like a Fiio E10K.

[KaminKevCrew]

Doesn't the Philips Fidelio X2 fit into this budget aswell?

But they're not even close to being a flat pair of headphones, hence the lack of recommendations.

[Majestic]

I'm not finding those K612 pro results from innerfidelity SSL afformentioned.

[KaminKevCrew]

I'm not finding those K612 pro results from innerfidelity SSL afformentioned.

Regardless, here is an article that has a measured FR graph. http://en.goldenears.net/42471

[Majestic]

2K spike though. But you can EQ that out i suppose.

[KaminKevCrew]

2K spike though. But you can EQ that out i suppose.

It's only a 6db difference from the valley there. Not too terrible, really. Especially for the price.

[Guest]

I'm not finding those K612 pro results from innerfidelity SSL afformentioned.

 

Keep looking. It's literally in the first 10 on the page. That spike in the measurement above is after goldenears applies their HTRTF, which is a guess at best.

[xtroria]

DT880 and K712 are the 2 "flat" headphones that i could easily recommend.

For amp and dac, you could grab a syba dac with magni 2

[Guest]

DT880 and K712 are the 2 "flat" headphones that i could easily recommend.

For amp and dac, you could grab a syba dac with magni 2

 

I'd say either get no DAC at all at that point, unless there are obvious problems, or just get the Modi and be done with it.

[xtroria]

I'd say either get no DAC at all at that point, unless there are obvious problems, or just get the Modi and be done with it.

Would double amping be a problem?

[Guest]

Would double amping be a problem?

 

Most motherboard back audio ports are typically line-out unless they are specifically advertised as amped, so I doubt it.