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Like the title says--currently, I'm listening to Absent Lovers by King Crimson on my great DT990--connected straight to a DAC, with a volume control to cut out the hiss. Underpowered, I know, but it's still got great soundstage, balance, etc., and it sounds a lot better than my old HD555. I should have gotten it around Christmas, but breakage and money issues got in the way...and now I finally am in reach of getting one. It's not like those last five months were easy on the Beyer, either; I could have gotten one much faster, but most of my free money slipped into new CDs.
What I'm really asking is: how much of an improvement am I looking at with a decent, ~$150-250 amp? I'm considering a Portaphile V2^2 Maxxed, used Headfive, or Xenos 1HA-EPC, but I'm always open for others. Thanks for the help.
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Upon us all, a little rain must fall...
In full use: Beyerdynamic DT990, Shure SE420, Koss KSC75
The rig: foobar 192-320 MP3/FLAC -> Silverstone EB01 -> Original Master -> v.2005 Beyer DT990/250
The portable: iPod Classic -> SE420 Feedback
Yeah, what about something like the Arietta? It might be slightly out of your price range, but worth it in my opinion.
I thought that the Arietta was just a rebranded, slightly upgraded version of the Headfive. Does it offer that much over the Headfive?
Nevermind, just echoed GSurge.
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Upon us all, a little rain must fall...
In full use: Beyerdynamic DT990, Shure SE420, Koss KSC75
The rig: foobar 192-320 MP3/FLAC -> Silverstone EB01 -> Original Master -> v.2005 Beyer DT990/250
The portable: iPod Classic -> SE420 Feedback
Go used H5 @ 'bout $210 shipped should get you in! Those pieces are built for the long haul~
That's what I sold mine for recently...
Or also, keep a lookout for a Pimenta on the F/S subforums~
Good luck~
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"Tux The Mystical":
1. SB3 / 2. Cambridge Audio Azur-740c / I/Cs BlueJeans LC1s /
3. Bottlehead ForeplayII tube pre-amp ( RCA Blackplates '51) /
4.Corda Opera Custom / 5. AH-D2000, K-701, DT-990('05e), K-501s
(\___/)
(σ_@)*
//((?))\\
((TEAM)) The Dead are playin' as LIVE~
((Listen))*Music IS the Doctor of my Soul~
"" "" Head-Fi Wonderland, still, listening to hear how deep the rabbit-hole goes~
~Garcia/Dylan/Lightfoot/Taylor/Merchant/John/Hynde/Waits/VanMorrison/Knopfler~
~My Corda Opera Review Link:http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f36/me...ml#post3012097~
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One thing to consider is that you may be protecting your DAC by using a separate amp. Assuming you're using line-level outs on your DAC, and not a headphone amp, the DAC was designed to drive a very high impedance input--in the range of 10k to 100k ohms. Lower the impedance, raise the current. Some line-level output stages would see enough current to generate a damaging amount of heat when driving a low impedance circuit.
Of course, your volume control might be high impedance, and, if so, no worries on this front.
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MB Quart Phone 240; Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 Live. Triangle Electroacoustique TE-60 -> Thiel CS 1.5.
Pioneer Elite PD-52 (modified); ALAC -> M-Audio Firewire Audiophile; Parasound T/DQ-1600.
I don't really care about your hot-blooded sister,
I'm sure there's a man for to love her and miss her,
I didn't mean nothin', I just happened to kiss her,
but honey I was thinkin' about you.