Headphone + DAC and amp

[Yelamo]

I have 400AUD and am in the market for some headphones and if necessary an amp+DAC.

I'm not sure what to get so suggestions would be nice. Thanks.

PS I can probably go over budget to 500AUD

[laquine]

I personally havea set of Schiit magni and modi 2 with some sennheiser hd 598 SE. They work pretty well for me. 

[ShadySocks]

Do you want it to be portable?

[Logarithm]

My recommendation is that you spend more on the headphones than the DAC/Amp. I know that Massdrop is selling their K7XXs right now for 200USD, and those are a very good deal, I'm not sure what shipping to australia is, and that might kill the value. I would honestly recommend that you get a low-mid range combination DAC/Amp, the Fiio E10k is generally a good value. I'm not sure what it costs in AUS, but it'll probably be in your budget.

 

Here are some other headphones that I think would suit you:

ATH-M50x (of course)

Sennheiser HD598 (of course)

AKG K7XX (Most expensive, but best)

Beyerdynamic DT770 (The product branding is a bit confusing, but you'll probably figure it out, also the most comfortable)

 

These are some straightforward, can't-go-wrong solutions to people just starting out with headphones. They are all well-received by the audiophile community, and deliver good sound performance at great values.

[Yelamo]

49 minutes ago, ShadySocks said:

Do you want it to be portable?

Nah not really

[Yelamo]

40 minutes ago, Logarithm said:

My recommendation is that you spend more on the headphones than the DAC/Amp. I know that Massdrop is selling their K7XXs right now for 200USD, and those are a very good deal, I'm not sure what shipping to australia is, and that might kill the value. I would honestly recommend that you get a low-mid range combination DAC/Amp, the Fiio E10k is generally a good value. I'm not sure what it costs in AUS, but it'll probably be in your budget.

 

Here are some other headphones that I think would suit you:

ATH-M50x (of course)

Sennheiser HD598 (of course)

AKG K7XX (Most expensive, but best)

Beyerdynamic DT770 (The product branding is a bit confusing, but you'll probably figure it out, also the most comfortable)

 

These are some straightforward, can't-go-wrong solutions to people just starting out with headphones. They are all well-received by the audiophile community, and deliver good sound performance at great values.

I was thinking of going the beyerdynamics dt990. Good idea?

[Logarithm]

1 minute ago, Yelamo said:

I was thinking of going the beyerdynamics dt990. Good idea?

The DT990s are an open-backed headphone, so they will leak a whole bunch of sound. Do you live in a noisy environment, or will you be spending a lot of time in an environment with a lot of people while using these headphones? If that's the case, I would recommend against them.

[aithos]

8 hours ago, Logarithm said:

My recommendation is that you spend more on the headphones than the DAC/Amp. I know that Massdrop is selling their K7XXs right now for 200USD, and those are a very good deal, I'm not sure what shipping to australia is, and that might kill the value. I would honestly recommend that you get a low-mid range combination DAC/Amp, the Fiio E10k is generally a good value. I'm not sure what it costs in AUS, but it'll probably be in your budget.

 

Here are some other headphones that I think would suit you:

ATH-M50x (of course)

Sennheiser HD598 (of course)

AKG K7XX (Most expensive, but best)

Beyerdynamic DT770 (The product branding is a bit confusing, but you'll probably figure it out, also the most comfortable)

 

These are some straightforward, can't-go-wrong solutions to people just starting out with headphones. They are all well-received by the audiophile community, and deliver good sound performance at great values.

I actually recommend exactly the opposite.  You're better off spending more (to a point) on your amp/dac because people getting started with high-ish end audio tend to collect several sets of progressively more expensive headphones before they want to invest in multiple amp/dac units.  For example, I would say that a decent Schiit stack or an o2+odac is a good starting point and from there a Grace Design M9XX is an amazing unit.  It's pretty easy to buy a $100-200 set of headphones and a year later want a $400-500 pair, and if you think you'll have any inkling to upgrade at all you don't want to skimp on the amp/dac and have even MORE cost.

 

For headphones here is my take:

- Sennheiser HD598 or AKG K7XX for first pair of headphones on a budget.  The latter is in my opinion the better headphones but they have a comfort issue with the band for some people (me included) and they are pretty picky about amplification.  I wouldn't buy the AKG if you intend to get a $100 amp or use on-board sound, I would be looking at either a magni/modi (Schiit) or the o2+odac I mentioned above from JDSLabs or Mayflower.

- Sennheiser HD650 or Fostex TH-X00 for a second pair of headphones or someone with more money to spend.  The former is a better all-around headphone in my opinion, they have a nice warm sound and are incredibly light and comfortable.  The latter are some of the most gorgeous headphones I've ever seen, they are extremely comfortable (except heavy) but they are VERY loud and so can definitely cause fatigue if used for extended periods of time.  As a note: the Fostex are closed back and have considerably more bass than the other options on the list.

[SSL]

1 hour ago, aithos said:

but they are VERY loud and so can definitely cause fatigue if used for extended periods of time.

 

I think the term you're searching for is "sensitive".

[Logarithm]

7 hours ago, aithos said:

I actually recommend exactly the opposite.  You're better off spending more (to a point) on your amp/dac because people getting started with high-ish end audio tend to collect several sets of progressively more expensive headphones before they want to invest in multiple amp/dac units.  For example, I would say that a decent Schiit stack or an o2+odac is a good starting point and from there a Grace Design M9XX is an amazing unit.  It's pretty easy to buy a $100-200 set of headphones and a year later want a $400-500 pair, and if you think you'll have any inkling to upgrade at all you don't want to skimp on the amp/dac and have even MORE cost.

I think that you're missing that he only has about 300 USD to spend. Also, that he's in australia, where electronics are far more expensive. I'm recommending that he spends less on the DAC or amp because at the middle range pricing, investing more in the headphones gets far more value for the money. If he gets a higher-end DAC and Amp such as the schiit stack or the o2+odac combo, he really probably would barely have enough to afford HD598s, if that. I understand the idea of "invest now for a slightly cheaper time later" but it really doesn't translate to this situation and budget.

 

Also, the E10k is a pretty good DAC/Amp for only being 80 USD. Hell, I used it for my TH-X00s for a while and it did a pretty good job.

 

If he spends like 200 USD (which is what the schiit stack, the cheaper of the two you suggested, costs in US, not what it costs in AUS) on the DAC & Amp, he has nothing left for headphones.

[Yelamo]

17 hours ago, Logarithm said:

The DT990s are an open-backed headphone, so they will leak a whole bunch of sound. Do you live in a noisy environment, or will you be spending a lot of time in an environment with a lot of people while using these headphones? If that's the case, I would recommend against them.

Just in my bedroom with these ones, what dac/amp should I get?

[Yelamo]

10 hours ago, aithos said:

I actually recommend exactly the opposite.  You're better off spending more (to a point) on your amp/dac because people getting started with high-ish end audio tend to collect several sets of progressively more expensive headphones before they want to invest in multiple amp/dac units.  For example, I would say that a decent Schiit stack or an o2+odac is a good starting point and from there a Grace Design M9XX is an amazing unit.  It's pretty easy to buy a $100-200 set of headphones and a year later want a $400-500 pair, and if you think you'll have any inkling to upgrade at all you don't want to skimp on the amp/dac and have even MORE cost.

 

For headphones here is my take:

- Sennheiser HD598 or AKG K7XX for first pair of headphones on a budget.  The latter is in my opinion the better headphones but they have a comfort issue with the band for some people (me included) and they are pretty picky about amplification.  I wouldn't buy the AKG if you intend to get a $100 amp or use on-board sound, I would be looking at either a magni/modi (Schiit) or the o2+odac I mentioned above from JDSLabs or Mayflower.

- Sennheiser HD650 or Fostex TH-X00 for a second pair of headphones or someone with more money to spend.  The former is a better all-around headphone in my opinion, they have a nice warm sound and are incredibly light and comfortable.  The latter are some of the most gorgeous headphones I've ever seen, they are extremely comfortable (except heavy) but they are VERY loud and so can definitely cause fatigue if used for extended periods of time.  As a note: the Fostex are closed back and have considerably more bass than the other options on the list.

I'm gonna get the dt990 so now I'm just looking for an amp/dac

[Linus Theft Tips]

Schiit Magni 2 + Modi 2 are great for the DT990 but since you're using AUD, I would just go with the Magni 2 for now. Another option is to just grab the DT990 at 32 ohms and you wouldn't even need an AMP/DAC.

[Yelamo]

6 minutes ago, Linus Theft Tips said:

Schiit Magni 2 + Modi 2 are great for the DT990 but since you're using AUD, I would just go with the Magni 2 for now. Another option is to just grab the DT990 at 32 ohms and you wouldn't even need an AMP/DAC.

Bloody Aussie dollar fml

[SSL]

1 hour ago, Linus Theft Tips said:

Schiit Magni 2 + Modi 2 are great for the DT990 but since you're using AUD, I would just go with the Magni 2 for now. Another option is to just grab the DT990 at 32 ohms and you wouldn't even need an AMP/DAC.

 

54 minutes ago, Yelamo said:

Bloody Aussie dollar fml

 

Schiit Fulla 2 is half the price and perfectly appropriate.

[Yelamo]

2 hours ago, SSL said:

 

 

Schiit Fulla 2 is half the price and perfectly appropriate.

And thatll drive the 250ohm version?

Edited January 20, 2017 by Yelamo

[Yelamo]

2 hours ago, SSL said:

 

 

Schiit Fulla 2 is half the price and perfectly appropriate.

And thatll drive the 250ohm version?

[SSL]

2 minutes ago, Yelamo said:

And thatll drive the 250ohm version?

 

No, I recommended it specifically because it won't drive the 250ohm version.

[Yelamo]

1 hour ago, SSL said:

 

No, I recommended it specifically because it won't drive the 250ohm version.

Just had to make sure