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Recording and mixing music - need a DAC/AMP for K701's
Jan 28, 2014 at 10:49 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 21
jbandy10

jbandy10

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So I have a pair of K701's I'm going to be mixing on.
 
When I got them I noticed the bass was quite lacking.  I've been using a Fractal Audio Axe-fx II as a sound card. (very high quality converters) and since it has a parametric EQ in it, I used some pink noise to try to flatten the response a bit.
 
Now the Fractal device has a TON of power on tap and the EQ did help a lot.  But it's no substitute for a good amplifier.
 
Do you think I should get a standalone DAC/Amp device or should I get just an amp and use it with the Fractal?  I'm leaning toward just getting a DAC.
 
I'd like something with a pretty flat response since I'm gonna be mixing on these.  But I would like some more bass as well.
 
My budget is around $200.  Hopefully less though.
 
Jan 28, 2014 at 11:49 PM Post #2 of 21
Placing an EQ across your output is one of the worst things you can do for mixing as it gives a false representation of the actual music. You'd be much better off buying a DAC and amp. You'd be surprised on the difference, the headphone out of the AXE-FX isn't that good. It's a great modeler and processor though!
 
Jan 29, 2014 at 9:36 AM Post #6 of 21
If the Fractal Audio device has a ton of power, then why would a dedicated headphone amp help? IMHO, you simply have the wrong headphones, or the bass you want to be there isn't in the source music. K701's are not bass heavy headphones - they are fairly neutral with a bit of roll-off in the bass.

 
Jan 29, 2014 at 9:45 AM Post #7 of 21
It's not so much the lack of bass. It's the harshness in the upper mids. There's a lot of listening fatique. I used an eq with pink noise to attempt to flatten their response even more, and that made listening a lot better.
 
I was assuming the right amp would help with that and allow me to forgo the eq.  I'm not looking for power.
 
Jan 29, 2014 at 12:03 PM Post #9 of 21
adupree said:
  For what you want the K701 are perfect. You want a neutral headphone for mixing. The Axe-FX's output is the issue. 
Click to expand...


That's fine and well, and I agree with you.  But I'm not really sure what kind of amp/dac I should get for them.
 
I've been looking at the Fiio E17 a lot.
 
The 02 amp + DAC looks great but it's out of my price range.
 
Jan 29, 2014 at 12:41 PM Post #10 of 21
I have no experience with that one, maybe someone that does will chime in. Have you though about a DIY the O2 diy is like $80, and then you can find a DAC with the rest. Or the Schiit, Magni and Modi will be right at $200.
 
Jan 29, 2014 at 12:58 PM Post #11 of 21
jbandy10 said:
  So I have a pair of K701's I'm going to be mixing on.
 
When I got them I noticed the bass was quite lacking.  I've been using a Fractal Audio Axe-fx II as a sound card. (very high quality converters) and since it has a parametric EQ in it, I used some pink noise to try to flatten the response a bit.
 
Now the Fractal device has a TON of power on tap and the EQ did help a lot.  But it's no substitute for a good amplifier.
 
Do you think I should get a standalone DAC/Amp device or should I get just an amp and use it with the Fractal?  I'm leaning toward just getting a DAC.
 
I'd like something with a pretty flat response since I'm gonna be mixing on these.  But I would like some more bass as well.
 
My budget is around $200.  Hopefully less though.
Click to expand...


If you only get a DAC, what will you plug the headphones into? You need some kind of amp (or a DAC that includes an amp in the same product). 

I would not expect a DAC/ amp combo to reduce your need for EQ. I used a Q701 with a variety of DACs and amps, and as long as the amp had enough power, the Q701 sounded like a Q701 on all of them. The differences are mostly in detail retrieval and soundstage. Maybe some small differences in frequency balance, but I don't think the harshness will change much unless you get a really colored amp. 

There is no reason not to use EQ. If the headphones have a coloration, removing that coloration through EQ will give a more accurate representation of the music. You want a flat response -- the headphones are not perfectly flat on their own. EQ can make them flatter. If you are careful with your EQ settings at least. 
 
Jan 29, 2014 at 1:04 PM Post #12 of 21
manbear said:
 
If you only get a DAC, what will you plug the headphones into? You need some kind of amp (or a DAC that includes an amp in the same product). 

I would not expect a DAC/ amp combo to reduce your need for EQ. I used a Q701 with a variety of DACs and amps, and as long as the amp had enough power, the Q701 sounded like a Q701 on all of them. The differences are mostly in detail retrieval and soundstage. Maybe some small differences in frequency balance, but I don't think the harshness will change much unless you get a really colored amp. 

There is no reason not to use EQ. If the headphones have a coloration, removing that coloration through EQ will give a more accurate representation of the music. You want a flat response -- the headphones are not perfectly flat on their own. EQ can make them flatter. If you are careful with your EQ settings at least. 
Click to expand...


This is what I thought as well.
 
Unfortunately someone said that the hardware I was using to EQ isn't very good.  And I'm not wanting to mess with a software EQ solution.
 
Jan 29, 2014 at 3:20 PM Post #15 of 21
Nevermind, I searched for a while and found Equalizer APO.
 
So what is the consensus on the Axe-fx as a driver?  Sure it has enough volume but are the converters going to cut it do you guys think?
 
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