End game headphone setup discussion

[rich1051414]

This is just a discussion about opinions people have about 'end game' solutions to headphone setups. If anyone has a setup that they feel cannot be noticeably improved in any way, and thus, you have hit the end of the road and don't see yourself using anything else, let us know. I am currently in that situation, but would like more perspective. My current setup is this:

SMSL SD793-II
Philips Fidelio X2

V-MODA BoomPro Mic

[Tacanacy]

How is Fidelio X2 with SMSL SD793-II? I currently use it with Magni 2U and it adds slight sibilance and sparkly highs to it.

When someone is looking for an external DAC and amp on consoles, I usually tell them to check out SMSL SD793-II as it's the cheapest decent DAC-amp with optical input that I know of.

[aithos]

This is a trick question... there is no headphone setup that can't be improved upon.

 

I'm looking at (eventually) a pair of Focal Utopia's or Audeze LCD-4's and some as of yet to be determined amp/dac setup.  Currently I'm really digging my CustomArt Ei.XX custom in-ear monitors that I got from Massdrop paired with a Chord Mojo for use at work, but they also sound fantastic with my Grace Design M9XX.  For closed headphones I don't think it gets much better than the Ebony Fostex TH-X00's, but I'm not sure what the ideal amp/dac setup would be for it...

[Dackzy]

well once I get a pair of HD 800's, a corda classic and a very good R2R DAC (not sure which yet) plus maybe the feliks audio Elise, then I am done with headphones and after that I am going to go all in on speakers, but that is at least 3-4 years into the future. Oh yeah forgot about closed headphones, there I am probably just getting a pair of Shure 1540's or something like that, nothing too fancy or expensive.

[seduce_me]

Yggy + A tube amp from EC or DNA > HD650 / HD800 / Utopia and maybe some speakers for me.

[rich1051414]

14 hours ago, Tacanacy said:

How is Fidelio X2 with SMSL SD793-II? I currently use it with Magni 2U and it adds slight sibilance and sparkly highs to it.

When someone is looking for an external DAC and amp on consoles, I usually tell them to check out SMSL SD793-II as it's the cheapest decent DAC-amp with optical input that I know of.

I own a Magni 2U as well, it gathers dust, fyi. It does tend to be on the 'cold' side(audio wise, the amp itself gets as hot at the surface of the sun), while the SMSL stays balanced, but the SMSL seems to be slightly detrimental to stereo separation, but only when quickly switching from the magni to the SMSL. 

However, if you hook up to the line out in the back, which is the unamped analog audio after it goes through the dac but before the headphone amp, the stereo separation is unaffected, lending to conclusion that the amp portion itself is affecting the stereo separation, but either way, it is so minor that you can't hear it anymore after mere seconds. FYI, the SMSL SD793-II has the cleanest DAC I have ever heard. The amp portion, imo, could be improved, but the magni didn't impress me. 

I do understand how this is a 'trick question', but that is intentional. It is not a discussion on fact, but one on gathering perspective

[JR1911]

I'm currently very satisfied with my Marantz HD-DAC1 + HD800 combo, I find that they work very well together with the Marantz taming the brightness of the 800's a bit.

 

An end game solution for me might be something like a Stax SR-009 with the SRM-007tII amp.