Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
Showing 1 of 7817 conversations about:
Kcoconut
11
Nov 9, 2017
bookmark_border
I'm so excited to get my first pair of audiophile cans! I have a few questions if you guys could help though. These are my first set of nice headphones and so I don't have an existing amp/DAC that I believe will work. right now I have : DAC: BEHRINGER U-PHORIA UMC22
AMP: HA04-4 Channel Stereo Headphone Amplifier http://www.guitarcenter.com/Livewire/HA04-4-Channel-Stereo-Headphone-Amplifier-1341239925466.gc
Will the FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier work?https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1064785-REG/fiio_e10k_fiio_e10_usb_dac.html
Or should I pair a Schiit Magni 3 with my existing BEHRINGER U-PHORIA UMC22 Thank you so much for any help in advance.
Nov 9, 2017
loadexfa
281
Nov 9, 2017
bookmark_border
KcoconutThe FiiO may be underpowered but should still work. Speaking of underpowered, some even use the HD-6XX directly with their phone.
I think the general best practice is to experiment either in stores or make sure the purchase as a good return policy. Schiit, ODAC/Objective2, and Audio-GD are often recommended as good entry-level priced options. I discovered I am a fan of tube amps and those supposedly pair well with the HD-6XX. I wasn't happy with the lowest priced Schiit options (amps and dacs) but the Modi Multibit is currently my favorite DAC. If you want to go up the scale a bit the iDSD Black Label is great at that price point. Especially if you get lucky and find it on sale for $350 which happens sometimes (normally it's $550).
Nov 9, 2017
Kcoconut
11
Nov 10, 2017
bookmark_border
loadexfaThanks Loadexfa for the advice, I've never seen a store in my area that carries these kinds of amps. Would guitar center have demo models? My price range isn't that high but I will see if I can save up for these nicer Dacs/amps :)
Nov 10, 2017
trybeingarun
137
Nov 10, 2017
bookmark_border
KcoconutThese are really good headphones. Giving a loud sound is doesn't necessarily mean you're getting the best sound. My MBP makes my 6xx sufficiently loud, but it's only marginally better than 598s. When I connect it with a better chain, MBP -> Aune X1s (not the best) -> Nuforce Ha-200, it gets significantly better. Try to get a bottlehead crack or something and enjoy yourself some music.
Nov 10, 2017
loadexfa
281
Nov 10, 2017
bookmark_border
KcoconutSure thing. I have never been to a Guitar Center so I don't know. For the brands I mentioned I think you would need to either find them at an audio meetup or happen to live in the right location (Schiit has a store where you can demo their gear in the LA area).
Alternatively eBay is an option if you don't want to deal with returning gear (shipping prices back and forth have prevented me from trying Audio-GD). Popular audio gear holds it's value pretty well. eBay is also a good option to save some money if you don't mind used gear. I agree with trybeingarun that being loud isn't the issue, the quality of the sound is way better using good gear.
I agree this is hard on the budget. I recently went a little too far with credit finding some amp/dac options that would keep me happy for a while. And there's still so many more I want to try!
Nov 10, 2017
loadexfa
281
Nov 10, 2017
bookmark_border
KcoconutOh, I almost forgot, if the SDAC ends up with good reviews from the first batch that will probably end up being a good budget DAC option ($80) when it returns to Massdrop which will probably be early next year.
Nov 10, 2017
loadexfa
281
Nov 10, 2017
bookmark_border
trybeingarunThis tube amp should pair well with the HD-6XX: ($130) https://www.massdrop.com/buy/little-dot-mkii-tube-headphone-amp
I have the MK III and love it. This is one step down but my understanding is Little Dot makes GREAT amps for the money. There is still the issue of trying out various tubes because that's how you find the sound you like the best. Read the comments to see a couple useful links about tubes for this amp.
Nov 10, 2017
Kcoconut
11
Nov 10, 2017
bookmark_border
trybeingarunThanks trybeingarun. I guess I've been so caught up in just making sure that the amp can drive the headphones properly. Are you suggesting I ditch the Behringer completely? For the meantime I will probably have to use it until I am able to splurge on a nice DAC, but I just hope it does the job.
Nov 10, 2017
Kcoconut
11
Nov 10, 2017
bookmark_border
loadexfaI've had some questionable experiences with Ebay, but they do protect the buyer quite well. It depends on how much I save, if its only 20-30$ then buying new is what I'll go with. I was just looking at the SDAC and the little dot! I'll do some more research, after all, these drops come routinely so if I miss them this round, I can always get them the next time they drop.
Nov 10, 2017
loadexfa
281
Nov 10, 2017
bookmark_border
KcoconutYeah, I've had the same with eBay. If the SDAC becomes Massdrop's new main budget DAC it should drop regularly and they seem to have the LD products often. If the LD MK III ends up being in your budget (I believe it dropped for $230-ish last time) I think it's a great amp.
Nov 10, 2017
loadexfa
281
Nov 10, 2017
bookmark_border
KcoconutOne more thing (sheesh, I'm turning into Columbo), if you go the experimentation route like I did, I noticed that the exact same audio setup (dac/amp/headphones) sound better on Mac products than they do on Windows products. I find this .... VERY weird, it kinda caught me by surprise. Same music source too, Tidal Hifi. I'm not trying to start a Mac vs Win war here, I'm mentioning this in case you test one setup on one computer and another setup on another as I have done. That will not give you an accurate comparison. Must be the exact same computer, phone, DAP, or whatever. Makes no damn sense to me but ... computers are weird.
Nov 10, 2017
trybeingarun
137
Nov 11, 2017
bookmark_border
KcoconutWhat I am saying is, if you have to buy an amp don't buy a very cheap or portable one. There won't be a massive difference b/w your pc out and a $100 amp, which makes the $100 you spent petty meaningless. Wait and buy a good one. Also, what many new comers don't realize is you don't have to always buy a dac along with the amp. You can take a rca splitter from you pc and plug it into your amp. Though you won't get the best sound quality straight away, you will get more perf. for the money you pay overall.
Nov 11, 2017
View Full Discussion
Related Products