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M2B999
5
Oct 1, 2016
Hey guys,
I believe most of you already know, but for the sake of sharing: without a DAC/Amp, these headphones will be rubbish compared to your $10 skullcandy headphones. Get a great DAC/Amp, ad you'll notice the difference. For me, I'm thinking of getting ifi Nano DAC/Amp.
Good luck!
Yuyuko_Saigyoji
5
Oct 1, 2016
M2B999I don't personally agree. At the moment, these unamped are overall rivaling my DT990s when amped. I haven't gotten around to trying these amped yet but I can't see them *needing* it. They drive pretty well on their own.
M2B999
5
Oct 2, 2016
Yuyuko_SaigyojiFor me,
When used with my Alienware X51 desktop, the sound was very low and the static/hissing sound is bothersome.
When used with my Aorus X3 laptop, it performed great.
When used with my OPPO phone, it performed okay.
Mainly it will be used for PC work, so I believe a DAC/Amp is needed. Don't sure how it will sound with my new Z170 MSI Gaming M5 motherboard in-board sound card, but I think it should perform okay.
Still any suggestion to a great DAC/Amp under $200? I'm looking at Audioengine D1, Micca OriGen+, and Creative G5.
Thanks!
Xudos
7
Oct 2, 2016
M2B999I have the Audioengine D1 and they work great. Although the Micca OriGen+ is more feature rich and at these prices its difficult to find a bad DAC unless its the NuForce uDAC3. So i'd say OriGen+ or D1, both are good, just go for which one you like best honestly.
EniGmA1987
607
Oct 4, 2016
M2B999Just got with a "Schiit stack" of Modi 2 +Magni 2. It seems like the best way to go for just under $200 these days. Or if you can spend a little more Id recommend moving up to the Magni 2 Uber because you get a little bit larger voltage swing, slightly more power, and preamp outputs that can be used going to another device or active speakers.
M2B999
5
Oct 5, 2016
EniGmA1987Thanks @EniGmA1987! :)
But I couldn't find it for less than $239.98 from Amazon.com since each is for $119.99.
I was going for Micca OreGin+, but from what I see now that lots of people including you are suggesting Schiit stacks.
Do you see any justification for the ~$100 difference between the two?
Much appreciated.
EniGmA1987
607
Oct 5, 2016
M2B999That OreGin+ uses a DAC chip that most dont really like very much and is not used in any midrange or high end products. It also uses a USB chip from VIA, which seems a bit low end to me as typically VIA offerings are these days. Nice that it offers 24/192 and DSD64, but that is pretty standard for any DAC these days so it really isnt anything special. I also saw on Head-fi that some said this unit does not have a 64-bit driver. Which probably doesnt matter a whole lot in the grand scheme of things as you can use the 32-bit driver, but it just shows they dont care about the development very much. In addition to those, it only offers at absolute best a half watt power output, which is not much. It uses an alright op amp for the output stage, but the unit is designed for 150 ohm and under only, and again not a lot of power capability.
The Schiit stack on the other hand uses much more well regarded modern parts for the DAC and receiver chip, as well as has more than 3x the max power output capability (more than 4x the power capability if you move to the Magni 2 uber model for the amp). It also has 15-day returns for any reason and a 5 year warranty. Amazon is a bit more expensive, but you can buy these direct through Schiit for $99 each (Modi 2 + magni 2).
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