ekcrisp
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2014
- Posts
- 2
- Likes
- 10
Hello, I've been reading these forums for awhile finally saved up enough to get some good gear for listening on the go so I decided to post and see what advice everyone has... I'm looking to spend between 500-1000, however it really has to be a big improvement over cheaper options to get me to the higher end of that range.
What I'm currently thinking of buying...
DAP -
iBasso DX50 ($200) + 256GB SD Card ($110) = $310
Really the two options I've seen that are still being maintained are iBasso and FiiO models. I have a big music library so I like the iBassos ability to plug plug in an external drive, it also supports larger flash drives. From what I've read they both have good sound quality and that iBasso's UI has improved with recent firmware updates. Other things that led me to lean toward iBasso, better handling of gapless playback, more neutral sound playback, replaceable battery and slightly better battery life. I considered higher end models but felt my money would be better spent on nicer headphones/amp. NOTE - I will be using this with a linux machine so if that makes upgrading firmware difficult that would be an issue.
Headphones -
Sennheiser HD25-1 II ($205)
I realize there are a lot of options at this price point. I have had good experiences with Sennheiser in the past (I really enjoyed the pair of Sennheiser HD25SP II I had awhile back, but before those I was using Bose so I had pretty low standards), however I also like the lower end Audio-Technica ATH-M40FS I have. I am not loyal to any brand, but like what I've experienced from those two. One reason I will likely change my mind about the Sennheiser HD25-1 II is that I tend to prefer over-ear headphones for comfort and sound isolation reasons. These three things are what is most important for me, neutral sound representation (don't like headphones that hype up the low end), good sound isolation (i'll be using these on the subway), and comfort. The sound isolation is the reason I'm not going with Grado's, which in my experience sound really great in a quiet room but block out no noise whatsoever. I also found these modded HD25-1 II (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Cans-Uber-HD25-1-modified-for-audiophiles-and-studio-techs-with-SPC-cable-/131276240730?pt=UK_AudioVisualElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Headphones&hash=item1e90ac775a), if anyone has any experience with these please share! If people feel they are worth the extra $125 I'd probably go with them.
Headphone Amp-
Here I'm really not sure, the only headphone amp I have is not portable and doesn't really serve the same function as the kind of amp I'm looking for (it powers multiple headphones for my home studio.) Things that would be a big plus, rechargeable battery built in, good battery life, and it'd be good if it were similar in size or smaller than the DAP i purchase. If anyone has any portable Headphone+Amp combos they're happy with please share!
Thoughts?
What I'm currently thinking of buying...
DAP -
iBasso DX50 ($200) + 256GB SD Card ($110) = $310
Really the two options I've seen that are still being maintained are iBasso and FiiO models. I have a big music library so I like the iBassos ability to plug plug in an external drive, it also supports larger flash drives. From what I've read they both have good sound quality and that iBasso's UI has improved with recent firmware updates. Other things that led me to lean toward iBasso, better handling of gapless playback, more neutral sound playback, replaceable battery and slightly better battery life. I considered higher end models but felt my money would be better spent on nicer headphones/amp. NOTE - I will be using this with a linux machine so if that makes upgrading firmware difficult that would be an issue.
Headphones -
Sennheiser HD25-1 II ($205)
I realize there are a lot of options at this price point. I have had good experiences with Sennheiser in the past (I really enjoyed the pair of Sennheiser HD25SP II I had awhile back, but before those I was using Bose so I had pretty low standards), however I also like the lower end Audio-Technica ATH-M40FS I have. I am not loyal to any brand, but like what I've experienced from those two. One reason I will likely change my mind about the Sennheiser HD25-1 II is that I tend to prefer over-ear headphones for comfort and sound isolation reasons. These three things are what is most important for me, neutral sound representation (don't like headphones that hype up the low end), good sound isolation (i'll be using these on the subway), and comfort. The sound isolation is the reason I'm not going with Grado's, which in my experience sound really great in a quiet room but block out no noise whatsoever. I also found these modded HD25-1 II (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Cans-Uber-HD25-1-modified-for-audiophiles-and-studio-techs-with-SPC-cable-/131276240730?pt=UK_AudioVisualElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Headphones&hash=item1e90ac775a), if anyone has any experience with these please share! If people feel they are worth the extra $125 I'd probably go with them.
Headphone Amp-
Here I'm really not sure, the only headphone amp I have is not portable and doesn't really serve the same function as the kind of amp I'm looking for (it powers multiple headphones for my home studio.) Things that would be a big plus, rechargeable battery built in, good battery life, and it'd be good if it were similar in size or smaller than the DAP i purchase. If anyone has any portable Headphone+Amp combos they're happy with please share!
Thoughts?
