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ElectronicVices
2937
Jun 21, 2017
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The one thing that 20 years in the audio enthusiast community (not a fan of the audiophile moniker) has taught me is that everyone's ears are different. What is "worth it" to one person may not be to the next. For example I have a longtime friend that has recently stuck his head down the headphone rabbit hole. He picked up a pair of M100's on my recommendation (good for people used to consumer oriented gear) and then quickly picked up some Yamaha EPH100's then jumped on the HD6XX drop. He wanted to get more out of the Senn's so he was looking at an amp and dac purchase. He came over and listened to every possible combination I have for front end (source+dac+amp). My front end configs start at $78 and top out at $1150 (not including PC cost). After listening to all of them with various headphones he decided that the Audioquest Dragonfly was his sweet spot (1.2 version and my cheapest combo). I say start small but I can't say I would go with item linked, I've never heard of them and the cost is so small I can't see it providing much benefit beyond the built in solutions in almost any audio device.. It costs less than some of the DAC chips by themselves (like the ones in my LG V20 phone, which uses four chips that cost around $25 a piece at it's launch). A great starter rig would be this: https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498078288&sr=8-1&keywords=fiio+e10k Surround Sound simulation on headphones is not a good thing... it makes terrible headphones sound better and good headphones sound worse. Your 668B's are a really solid entry level headphone, much better than most of their competition in the price class.
Jun 21, 2017
ElectronicVices" The one thing that 20 years in the audio enthusiast community (not a fan of the audiophile moniker) has taught me is that everyone's ears are different. What is "worth it" to one person may not be to the next "
God. Finally someone posting something that actually is solid advice, without linking gear that all costs 1k+
Another good point that you brought up is sheer quality. I've often found that most budget audio equipment, be it a DAC, headphones, mics, turntables, speakers, etc, (and really, any budget item) may work and function fine, even great in some cases, but often aren't built to last. I'm talking the super cheap items like the DAC the OP posted.
Investing in a solid piece of equipment is never a bad idea if you know it is something that you'll be using a lot. This often just means doing a little bit of research on your own to see what a good budget option is without busting the bank.
For audio, I think it is important to start with something on the lower end of the spectrum and work your way up, that way you can tell if something is really worth the price for you or not. I will say the first big upgrade (decent headphones + DAC + amp) instead of just listening to $10 earbuds and and iPhone will be the biggest upgrade you will ever have. Getting modular equipment, and not "all-in-one" stuff is also key, this way you can continue to upgrade your system without having to replace it all at once.
Jun 22, 2017
ElectronicVices
2937
Jun 22, 2017
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livingspeedbumpNot to make this into a reciprocating compliment string but the point you make about $10 buds and a phone to the first real "rig" being the biggest jump is 100% on point. Returns diminish from there, everyone's stopping point will vary. Sadly my stopping point has not yet been found but I have greatly slowed my upgraditis...
Jun 22, 2017
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