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Mackie ONYX 820i series mixer/interface good as a headphone amp for monitoring?

post #1 of 3
4/25/10 at 4:36pm
Thread Starter 
I'm wondering if this mixer/firewire interface would be good enough without a headphone amp with Sennheiser HD600 and AKG 240S headphones.

Apparently it can drive any headphones at respectable levels, but what about the sound quality?
It's only 500$.

Here's the manual: http://www.mackie.com/Products/onyxi...nyx820i_OM.pdf

Oh, and thanks, and hi!
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post #2 of 3
4/26/10 at 8:08am
I have a 1404VLZ and would call the head-amp section servicable. I used it for a couple of months quite happily, though mostly with low impedance cans (ad-700's, and Rs-2's). I did get a chance to run some seriously old senns (hd-560's and 480's?), and the sound level was acceptable.

It's defintely lacking in bass extension and impact, even compared to the HP out of my DAC (modded MD-10). The high end also is not as refined.

If you need the functionality of a mixer, I say go for it and worry about the upgrade-itis when it strikes.

YMMV. Try to get to a Guitar Center or something maybe?
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post #3 of 3
9/9/10 at 10:08pm

Used to have VLZ and agree with the term "serviceable", decent yet nothing to write home about, good for amplifying iPads/iPods perhaps.

 

Onyx 820i is in a different league.  You'd need to listen and compare for yourself though. To my ears Onyx sounds much like Benchmark DAC1 but with slightly lower intermodulation distortions on heavy bass fragments (due to more massive power supply I guess) - not a scientific opinion as I didn't actually measure them both on a bench. Love it with HD650.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by dimlyLit View Post

I have a 1404VLZ and would call the head-amp section servicable. I used it for a couple of months quite happily, though mostly with low impedance cans (ad-700's, and Rs-2's). I did get a chance to run some seriously old senns (hd-560's and 480's?), and the sound level was acceptable.

It's defintely lacking in bass extension and impact, even compared to the HP out of my DAC (modded MD-10). The high end also is not as refined.

If you need the functionality of a mixer, I say go for it and worry about the upgrade-itis when it strikes.

YMMV. Try to get to a Guitar Center or something maybe?
Reply
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