Which Headphone ?

Dicehunter

Dicehunter

Resident Newb
Which Headphone ? + Which AMP/DAC ?

Ok so, I fancy getting a new set of cans, Currently all my headphones are powered off an SMSL M3 external DAC/AMP, Powers everything I have nicely, Just nice clean audio with no colouring although I will be replacing that with another more powerful external DAC/AMP in the next week or so, So it's not a problem.

My current collection is -

Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 250 Ohm

Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250 Ohm

Phillips Fidelio X2HR 30 Ohm *the new updated version*

Sennheiser HD650 300 Ohm

I also have the Corsair Void wireless headset which is surprisingly damn good and I use that the most simply because ease of use being wireless and all ^_^

My budget is £300, Any......input... :p ......is appreciated.
 
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i recently got a pair of AKG K550 reference headphones . i know there an Old model but Damm they sound so good.Open, airy, huge soundstage and very comfy. :)
 
I have a few sets of headphones. My current favourite is the bowers and wilkins p7. I got them from the recertified store for 259 and they sound great. They definitely need a dac and high quality audio
 
If you want something coloured, Massdrop's TH-00's are an awful lot of fun. I love the Mahogany's rich mids, and the Purple Hearts; which has more sparkle in the highs and a deeper sub-base, but loses in the upper and lower mids.
 
AlienALX said:
Yeah he does. Thing is all headphones sound different and suit different types of music better. Well, that's my excuse any way :D
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No it's not an excuse that's really just how it is! Some people like bass so different types of headphones suit them whereas some people like very critical/Analytical sounding headphones or ones that are super warm, etc etc. I mean even different DAC/Amps effect how they sound so it's all about the right combination
 
AlienALX said:
I want a set of B&W P7, just waiting for the right price :D
Click to expand...

I picked mine up for 220 in the B and W sale. Now they are worn in the sound is incredible. For closed back headphones they really are good.

I have tested them through a number of sources. I have a pretty good DAC/ headphone amp that shows the flaws in most headphones Alpha design labs espirit
 
Which AMP/DAC ?

Instead of starting a new thread I'll just recycle this one, So, I have an SMSL M3 AMP/DAC, It cost £70 from Amazon and so far it has been decent but I have an inkling that it's not doing my headphones justice, Apparently it can power 300 Ohm headphones no problem but after more and more testing I'm beginning to suspect that may be a bogus seeing as even my 250 Ohm headphones sound a tad lacking compared to when I tested an STXII a number of months ago **It was a birthday present for my brother and needed to make sure it worked before sending it over to Germany.**

So, My budget for an external AMP/DAC is around £200, I'm open to soundcards providing they can give a nice clean sound with lots of power.

Any recommendations are appreciated :)
 
It can drive 300ohms, but if you look at the power rating it is sooooooo low. Which means very inefficient and the sound will be very low while also losing a lot of claity, most notably in the bass.

I ALWAYS recommend the Schiit Modi/Magni combo. You see me say it every time;) But it is harder to get outside the US so I know it's not always an option. Although ebay or something you may be able to find one for a good price, also the benefit of being broken in.

That said SMSL M6 is much stronger than the M3. Although do note it says it's a 32bit DAC when it infact is not. It's just a marketing thing.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/M6-Asynchr...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TJVG261400RRJACQNWFH

But if you can extend the money for the Schiit combo, it will be a much stronger setup and imo worth the extra investment.
 
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Wait until I get my A2 clone. It only cost £90 (plus about £20 import duties) and is made to copy a £1500 amp.
 
AlienALX said:
Wait until I get my A2 clone. It only cost £90 (plus about £20 import duties) and is made to copy a £1500 amp.
Click to expand...

To be fair, the A2 is really only worth $150 USD at most. It is just the name that makes it sell for so high.
I mean they even have a new version, the A20 that cost $500 but is the exact same thing as the A2, but again marketing..
 
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NeverBackDown said:
To be fair, the A2 is really only worth $150 USD at most. It is just the name that makes it sell for so high.
I mean they even have a new version, the A20 that cost $500 but is the exact same thing as the A2, but again marketing..
Click to expand...

A2.

N3FcXDo.png


A20.

F7J7wet.png


A2 clone.

yHhAwqu.jpg


I don't see any electronic similarities between the A2 and A2 clone and the A20 at all.

The sealed Mosfet power supply for example has been replaced with a nasty looking transformer board instead.

There is no way they can sound the same.

Edit. You can't switch the OP amps on the A20 either, looks like they are soldered on.
 
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AlienALX said:
A2.

N3FcXDo.png


A20.

F7J7wet.png


A2 clone.

yHhAwqu.jpg


I don't see any electronic similarities between the A2 and A2 clone and the A20 at all.

The sealed Mosfet power supply for example has been replaced with a nasty looking transformer board instead.

There is no way they can sound the same.

Edit. You can't switch the OP amps on the A20 either, looks like they are soldered on.
Click to expand...

Exact same as in specs. They both produce the same specs. That's all that matters. It'll sound slightly different yes but not much of a difference. In addition I would have thought you would know I meant specs because obviously they are completely different shapes, the internal design is a given to be different. They more than likely use the same chip, probably AKM, which is why there specs are the same.
 
NeverBackDown said:
Exact same as in specs. They both produce the same specs. That's all that matters. It'll sound slightly different yes but not much of a difference. In addition I would have thought you would know I meant specs because obviously they are completely different shapes, the internal design is a given to be different. They more than likely use the same chip, probably AKM, which is why there specs are the same.
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong dude, none of it is worth the money. It's all a con. I mean take the Musical Fidelity X10 pre amp right. This is what it looked like inside.

WdrwDmU.jpg


Small handful of caps, few resistors and a couple of cheap valves. They used to sell that thing for over £300. I bought one as a kit for less than £10, that's how much they cost to make and sell at a profit.

Even my Graham Slee, which costs £350+ looks like this inside.

AXdDi1l.jpg


I bet old Graham is laughing all the way to the bank. I bet the hifi companies were rubbing their hands together when some one came up with the idea of a headphone amp. 10% of the components and cost of a real amp, sell it for £800 and laugh as people buy it.

Looking at the schematic for the A2 it's quite complex. What you are paying for though is that sealed mosfet power supply. It will seriously reduce any noise. I used to run mosfet power amps with similar donut style transformers and they sounded great.

I'm still not sold on Schiit (is that how it's spelled?). I almost bought one a while back but I heard they sound a bit flat. Less so when worn in, but the guy selling it was very open and honest and said it took a couple of hours to sound OK.

Given that none of it is rocket science (literally) I am either going to build my own now or just buy clones. The Little Dot cost around £450 until it was cloned, now you can get one for less than £100.

Not sure if I mentioned it (break up getting in the way) but those Beyer Tesla arrived. Seems the seller was a liar, because the left side was completely dead. Wasn't having any of that (they had been taken apart too which he swore they hadn't) so I backed them. I did give the right side a quick listen but very tinny, far too much treble and no bass. All the things I had heard, basically.
 
Yes none of it is worth ANY kind of money. It's just sad. $1500 for a freaking amp that can barely drive 600ohm headphones? Makes me speechless.

You should be sold on Schiit. They are so open about there designs and for the money there is really no competition in regards to the Modi/Magni stack. I have yet to find anything that offers more than that for around $200 and even then you'd have to step up to a whole other price segment. They are truly impressive and is why so many people buy them. I also love that there DACs are upgradeable. So instead of having to buy a whole new DAC, you can just buy the part and upgrade yourself for cheaper. Pretty big selling point for the budget market!

I don't think Dice can go wrong with any Schiit product, but like I said earlier the SMSL M6 is slightly cheaper but should suffice for his current set of phones.
In regards to the Tesla, no I don't remember you saying that. I wouldn't let it sway your opinion though, they were obviously treated poorly. It's also hard to judge a headphone with only one phone!:p
 
They were brand new (the Teslas). Well, until some one stretched the cup pad taking the left side apart lol. Right driver was fine, just what I had read them to be. Ah well, ever onward and upward.

I'll be honest with you, when it comes to hifi and so on I will always take British stuff first. Just like I guess that's why you rate Schiit so highly. Personally speaking I don't think I have ever heard an American audiophile product that sounded all that great. You lot were very late to the game (too busy making 24" subs etc) and you didn't even really get into audiophile gear until the early 2000s. The only set of speakers I have ever heard that were made in the USA which I would even consider to be audiophile were some Allisons my father in law picked up from a yard sale for $100 that turned out to have cost over $3000 when made.

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/any-vintage-allison-acoustics-owners.273079/

But even those paled in comparison to a decent set of British/European/Japanese set of speakers.

Going to try and pick up a set of P7 in a couple of weeks.
 
Them being American made has nothing to do with it. They just make great stuff. I would like to try any kind of audio gear, but I don't have the money for that and I got my schiit stuff really cheap off ebay. And I use my Beyers which are German and I like Senns too, but the Beyers were a gift. I would like some Senns but again no money for that stuff which I technically already have.

I have pretty sensitive hearing. For example in my house I can hear 95% of everything that goes on. From people whispering to people typing on soft membrane keyboards. So it's not like I am a fanboy of Schiit, I just like what I hear and to me that says something since I am very picky. Only downside of being sensitive to hearing is I have to listen to most things at a low volume(compared to others) otherwise my head will explode:p

Wonder if Dice is ever going to respond before we take up more of his thread;)
 
Dice is cool :) he likes his audio chat. It's a shame he doesn't know his electronics, because Graham Slee does the Novo as a kit for around £150 IIRC. Yeah it's basic inside but I must agree with the reviewers, it is the most neutral amp you can buy. I only paid £120 for mine on Fleabay, I guess the seller thought it may be a bit unknown to ask more for.

One thing I will say though about the A2 clone is that it's a Beyer design, so may suit his tastes? I mean when they designed and made it they did so for their headphones.

As I said, I will definitely be comparing it to the GS, and will post honestly about how I feel about it. I've got the perfect set of headphones for it too (Hifiman). They are the least sensitive of all of the cans I own, so take the most driving. Insensitive enough to make any amp cry :)
 
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