What would be a good portable Dac/Amp to use with my HD6xx and Sony Xperia 1 V cell phone?
I am new to this hobby. I purchased a HD6XX and plan to use it with my Sony Xperia 1 V cell phone, that has a 3.5mm jack. I was wondering if I needed a portable dac/amp or just a portable amp and if so what would one recommend? Any assistance one could provide, would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards, Haz
Mar 7, 2024
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.
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).
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!
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.