Actually, I am looking for two different ones:
- A home office setup
- A travel and outdoor portable setup
Headphones and Portable Audio
- Thread starter cdf293
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Actually, I am looking for two different ones:
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Maybe check into something like the xDuoo XD-05 Plus DAC/amp combo for a self contained and quite portable battery powered option with decent power. It is probably unsuitable for use with super low resistance IEM's due to noise floor but should work fine for low resistance headphones. The only question is how it will perform from a power standpoint on high resistance headphones. My tube hybrid (amp only) is the xDuoo TA-20 and I have no complaints with it. It is also prone to noise with low resistance IEMs but I use a set of planar headphones at 20 ohms on the amp and I hear no background hiss whatsoever.
If you are talking legitimate electrostat headphones as opposed to planar, your options on amps will be limited to use with only electrostats and the costs will be substantial compared to amps that can be used for planar and dynamic headphones. I think that there are a couple "reasonably priced" kit options but you will end up into 4 digit territory almost immediately since lower cost options are few and far between. You may be perfectly comfortable spending $1500-$2000 or more on electrostatic headphones and an amp required to run them but because I don't know where your budget comfort level is, electrostats may not be somewhere you desire to go if working on a strict budget.
If you are talking legitimate electrostat headphones as opposed to planar, your options on amps will be limited to use with only electrostats and the costs will be substantial compared to amps that can be used for planar and dynamic headphones. I think that there are a couple "reasonably priced" kit options but you will end up into 4 digit territory almost immediately since lower cost options are few and far between. You may be perfectly comfortable spending $1500-$2000 or more on electrostatic headphones and an amp required to run them but because I don't know where your budget comfort level is, electrostats may not be somewhere you desire to go if working on a strict budget.
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$2K is a bit spendy so, it sounds like the Planar headphones are a good place to start. Electrostatic speakers and the amps to drive them were in the $10K range at the time. They sure were nice but, that house and the good acoustics for a system like that are long gone.
$200~$500 for headphones and a similar price range for a good amp is hard to match with speakers and an amp in a home stereo in terms of both cost and general acoustics in my experience. The one thing my headphones at the time never really matched was the steller bass from my JBL speakers and that wonderful amp that drove them.
$200~$500 for headphones and a similar price range for a good amp is hard to match with speakers and an amp in a home stereo in terms of both cost and general acoustics in my experience. The one thing my headphones at the time never really matched was the steller bass from my JBL speakers and that wonderful amp that drove them.
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Planars are close to the electrostatic sound without the expense although don't discount a good set of dynamic headphones either. That is the beauty of headphones- you don't have to be in the electrostatic sweet spot to get great sound. I think if you were to spend a little extra on a pair of planar headphones and a little less on an amp like a Drop 789 for $299 new, you would likely be pretty happy with what you heard, including the bass response. Of course there is always the possibility to EQ if something isn't quite to taste on the sound. I agree with your statement about finding it difficult to match reasonably priced headphones and amp to home audio speakers and amps. However, there is hope. I find that I am very happy with the sound I am getting through my headphones and I don't feel like I am missing much over the Revel speakers in the living room. I believe it's possible to get the quality of a good home system or damn close to it for around $1K if one is willing to take the time to wait for some good deals on quality used gear.
I just read a review not too long ago on the portable xDuoo suggestion I made above and the reviewer said that he used both Audeze planars and Senn 600 ohm headphones and had no issues driving either. There is also the xDuoo XD-05 (not plus model) but you lose some good features and 1/2 of the power for a $50 savings. The savings wouldn't be worth it to me personally.
During your research, if you should find that something like the Audeze LCD-2 might be something that interests you, feel free to let me know.
I just read a review not too long ago on the portable xDuoo suggestion I made above and the reviewer said that he used both Audeze planars and Senn 600 ohm headphones and had no issues driving either. There is also the xDuoo XD-05 (not plus model) but you lose some good features and 1/2 of the power for a $50 savings. The savings wouldn't be worth it to me personally.
During your research, if you should find that something like the Audeze LCD-2 might be something that interests you, feel free to let me know.
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PSA: HiFiMan HE-560 V4 planar headphones can be found on sale currently for over $600 off the $899 price. I know a lot of people like the HE-560's but I have no personal experience with any HiFiMan products so I can't answer any questions about them.
If interested, enter the headphone name into a google search and find a link at one of those slick deal sites.
If interested, enter the headphone name into a google search and find a link at one of those slick deal sites.
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Hopefully you will like them.
HiFiMan phones usually improve with amplification since they aren't super efficient so there may be room for improvement depending on what you are plugging them into. They won't likely impress you if you plug them into your phone or laptop since they will need a little juice.
These are the perfect excuse to check out the $100 JDS Labs Atom I mentioned earlier.
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The L30 or possibly even the Schiit Magnius would certainly provide plenty of usable power without breaking the bank. The Magnius will be a larger footprint than the L30 if that matters to you.
If you were considering going tube, I would recommend a hybrid over something like the Darkvoice. While the Darkvoice could be used with the 560's, I believe it would barely keep up at the amperage level. The Darkvoice, while a nice amp, would be a more likely candidate for dynamic drivers, IMO. Should you really want to try the 336SE, please read plenty of reviews and make 100% sure that the reviewer is using the amp with HiFiMan planar headphones or some other inefficient planar around 50 ohms. The reviews for the DV are really good but almost every review is talking mid/high resistance dynamic headphones.
If you are looking for something with a more "tube like" presentation that will keep up with the headphone demands, maybe look into a Garage1217 Project Polaris. It will have plenty of power and offers quite a few adjustments via jumper to fine tune the amp to your needs. The Project Polaris is at the top end of your projected price list but comes with a 5 year warranty if you purchase new. If you were interested in the Polaris and didn't mind used, I could produce one for $135 shipped and the warranty is transferable so you would still be covered under warranty until 8/2022. Just a thought.
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Thanks! Really good suggestions. Good catch on the amperage levels with the Darkvoice. I don't run high volume levels but, like a lot of headroom for jazz and classical. The tube amp I ran in the past was on high resistance headphones so I overlooked the amperage concerns. These will definitely need some more 'juice' to drive them which is why I'm looking beyond the Atom which looks like a solid choice for most people if they are running more traditional headphones.
From looking around on some Audio forums, the Schiit Asgard seems to be a better solution for "single-ended" headphones. The Magnius seems to be only recommended for "balanced headphones" and the single-ended reviews were mixed at best with a lot of people reporting really negative reviews.
The Asgard seems to offer a better amplifier and has support for built-in DAC solutions with its accessory cards. I'm wondering about pairing it with a Mobius versus adding a built-in card. Thoughts? Are the reviews I read for these suggestions good or reasonable? It looks like the Asgard is $200 with a $100 or $200 built-in card solution versus the Mobius at $200. A bit over my desired price range but, it looks like a good 'sweet spot' for this type of setup.
The Asgard seems to offer a better amplifier and has support for built-in DAC solutions with its accessory cards. I'm wondering about pairing it with a Mobius versus adding a built-in card. Thoughts? Are the reviews I read for these suggestions good or reasonable? It looks like the Asgard is $200 with a $100 or $200 built-in card solution versus the Mobius at $200. A bit over my desired price range but, it looks like a good 'sweet spot' for this type of setup.
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I reminded you about amperage from a tube amp and you reminded me about the SE output on the Magnius.
Since I run in balanced, I forgot that was supposed to be an issue and even Schitt more or less acknowledged that fact.
I honestly haven't ever used any Schitt gear. If I were to make a suggestion though, I would probably go with a separate amp and DAC in this case, even though it will cost a little more up front. My primary concern would be that if I didn't like the DAC implementation, it would require purchasing a 2nd DAC and now you are down the price of the add-on. Some people like DACs with ESS and others like AKM chips. There are other chip options out there but these are the most likely to show up in most reasonably priced DACs.
Since I run in balanced, I forgot that was supposed to be an issue and even Schitt more or less acknowledged that fact.
I honestly haven't ever used any Schitt gear. If I were to make a suggestion though, I would probably go with a separate amp and DAC in this case, even though it will cost a little more up front. My primary concern would be that if I didn't like the DAC implementation, it would require purchasing a 2nd DAC and now you are down the price of the add-on. Some people like DACs with ESS and others like AKM chips. There are other chip options out there but these are the most likely to show up in most reasonably priced DACs.
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What I mean by this statement is that you will have an easier time selling a separate DAC than the card should you not like it for some reason.
It may be a non-issue for you but I have 2 DACs, one with an ESS Sabre and a DAC with an AKM. The Apogee Duet with an ESS is only used when I record guitar to Logic Pro. When listening to headphones, I always use the AKM, which I prefer.
Thanks! I finally got moderated and approved on the HiFi forums late yesterday so, I went down the rabbit hole there a bit last night.
Lots of Schiit Asgard fans out there and like you mentioned a lot of them prefer separate DACs for various reasons. A lot of them report good results with low impedance headphones on that setup and, at $200 is reportedly one of the better options reported by users who go to those group events with lots of amps and headphones. Of course, it isn't in the same class as the ~$500 and up DACs and Amps. The large transformer and 500mW Class-A circuitry seem popular as well with the Asgard versus some of the similarly priced competition.
The Schiit brand looks like a low-risk option too as there is a pretty active demand for their lightly used entry/mid-level gear over there. I may 'test drive' one of those ~$65 options and flip it when I upgrade or if I decide I want something different. At that price, it is basically gas money to Dallas or Austin for any group meets to sample hardware options.
The DAC chip discussion sounds similar to my early CD days with my journey to the Burr Brown chips in the early premium players. Those really made a huge difference in the early days of Compact Disc players!
Lots of Schiit Asgard fans out there and like you mentioned a lot of them prefer separate DACs for various reasons. A lot of them report good results with low impedance headphones on that setup and, at $200 is reportedly one of the better options reported by users who go to those group events with lots of amps and headphones. Of course, it isn't in the same class as the ~$500 and up DACs and Amps. The large transformer and 500mW Class-A circuitry seem popular as well with the Asgard versus some of the similarly priced competition.
The Schiit brand looks like a low-risk option too as there is a pretty active demand for their lightly used entry/mid-level gear over there. I may 'test drive' one of those ~$65 options and flip it when I upgrade or if I decide I want something different. At that price, it is basically gas money to Dallas or Austin for any group meets to sample hardware options.
The DAC chip discussion sounds similar to my early CD days with my journey to the Burr Brown chips in the early premium players. Those really made a huge difference in the early days of Compact Disc players!
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Sounds like we are close to being on a similar timeline in life.
First it was MASH and then the Burr-Brown and Wolfson discussions entered the picture.
Some people simply can't tell a difference and in some cases, I wish I were one of them since it could have saved me money over the years.
I got pretty lucky finding the right DAC for me and my headphones. Of course that is pretty easy to do- if you like the sound you get, stop and don't worry about whether there is something better out there since there always will be. It only took 2 tries and my first DAC (which was purchased strictly for my guitar needs but worked for headphones too) still serves its intended purpose as a link to the digital audio workstation. It also comes in handy when I have insomnia (frequently) and decide to play guitar in the middle of the night through a set of headphones.
First it was MASH and then the Burr-Brown and Wolfson discussions entered the picture.
Some people simply can't tell a difference and in some cases, I wish I were one of them since it could have saved me money over the years.
I got pretty lucky finding the right DAC for me and my headphones. Of course that is pretty easy to do- if you like the sound you get, stop and don't worry about whether there is something better out there since there always will be. It only took 2 tries and my first DAC (which was purchased strictly for my guitar needs but worked for headphones too) still serves its intended purpose as a link to the digital audio workstation. It also comes in handy when I have insomnia (frequently) and decide to play guitar in the middle of the night through a set of headphones.