Quote:
Originally Posted by
citrus 
Hello Head-fiers,
I've been using this site for about a year now to help me in my search for a great listening experience. Currently I own the ATH-M50s without any amplifiers of any sort. I am embarrassed to admit that my knowledge of amplifiers is extremely limited. And in this case, I am confused as to what I would need to power the HD650s.
Could I, for example, purchase a Little Dot MKIII and the phones and be set? Or would I need a 'DAC?' Not really even sure what a DAC is really. Let me just summarize my questions in a few points here:
1. Can I just purchase an amp and the headphones, or do I need something else (DAC)?
2. Could anyone recommend amplifiers in the 200-250 dollar price range? I'm looking at the Little Dot MKIII and the Matrix M.
Alright, let's do the basics.
What is a DAC?:
-A DAC is a Digital to Analog Converter. When music is stored in files, it's data, 1s and 0s. Your headphones can't see 1s and 0s, they can only see electricity. A DAC converts 1s and 0s into an electrical signal that is used to move a transducer in your headphone.
-A DAC can be implemented in one of two ways: As a chip in a device, or as a dedicated box that sits on your desk. Your PMP of choice (iPod, Zune, Cowon, iRiver, whatever) has a DAC chip in it. Same with your laptop motherboard, and same with a dedicated soundcard. In short, anything that has a headphone jack that you can plug your headphones directly into has a DAC.
-So, if everything you can plug your headphones into has a DAC already, why get an external DAC solution, vis-a-vis a box that sits on your desk? Well, some people just don't find the sound quality of the onboard DAC chip suited to their tastes, leaving something to be desired. Hence, he/she invests in aforementioned standalone DAC box. The DAC accepts digital signals, via USB, optical and coaxial, and whatever other digital inputs it may have.
So whether or not you need a DAC is really a personal choice. The HD 650 are damn good headphones, and I believe they are deserving of a DAC.
I am going to go ahead and assume, at my own peril of course, that you know what an amplifier does, at least in the most basic rudiments of its function. If this is not the case, please let me know, and I'll do my best to explain that too. Suffice it to say, headphones that are not adequately driven by the headphone jack on a laptop, PMP, etc. (i.e. high-impedance headphones) will sound far better with amplification. The HD 650 will need amplification to sound anywhere near as good as they can. You've already caught onto this, hence asking for advice on what to amp it with.
If you're looking for a good quality DAC/amp all-in-one solution, I'd recommend the Audio-gd NFB-12 (Link: http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB12/NFB12EN.htm). It's a pretty well-regarded piece of gear on Head-Fi, and it comes at an absolutely staggering performance-to-price ratio. The only thing that might be a slight sticking point with Audio-gd right now is that demand is outstripping supply, so some people have been forced to wait for their orders. I'd get in touch with them before ordering anything to see if they'll be able to ship it out in any timely fashion.
If you'd still rather stick with buying only an amplifier right now, then you have a ton of choices. The world is your oyster. At your price range, though, I'd probably pick something solid-state over something that uses tubes. You'll get much better bang for your buck.
Welcome to Head-Fi and sorry about your wallet!
Or you could get a decent DAC/Amp combo, IMHO.
