[perestroika]

Hello!
 
I'm in the market for a new rig, and was hoping I could get some advice from you guys. I currently use (or rather, used) a Sennheiser HD595 with a Tianyun ZERO dac/amp, and found the sound a bit... lacking. I did somewhat like how the 595s sounded (the relatively neutral sound signature, and the expansive soundstage), but I just felt like I was on the cusp of true clarity, or something truly involving, something that different amplification didn't seem to fix.
 
Yesterday, my ZERO decided to kick the bucket, and since I wasn't totally satisfied with the HD595, I want to make a change. I've heard that the Beyerdynamic DT880 is similar to the HD595, but it has an additional nth degree of something that just makes it magical. I've also heard good things about the DT990 - even though it seems to emphasize a less-neutral presentation, I think it would go well with what I generally listen to (classic rock, electronica/trance and a lot of indie rock, with both good and bad recordings). I really, really like open headphones and their soundstage, as I learned from the 595s, especially compared to the Grados and Denons I tried out before picking the 595s up for a ridiculous $35.
 
What I'm looking for is a good combination of DAC, amplifier or all in one unit that will suit either the DT880 or DT990, and hopefully be suitable for a Tesla T1 down the road, if I choose to upgrade in that route. I know that these headphones are often commonly paired with tube amplifiers, but I don't think my listening habits will support that: I generally sit down and get up from my computer frequently, and with how often I'm interrupted, I don't think an amplifier that takes an hour to start sounding its best is a good match for me.
 
One big name I've seen thrown around pretty freqently is the Matrix M-Stage, and it seems to have a significant amount of power, but is it a suitable match for any of the headphones I have selected? Additionally, what DAC would be a good pairing with the Matrix?
 
Edit: Sorry if I was unclear, but the cost of the headphones are also included in this $1000 budget, so I would imagine up to $700 to work with for electronics!

 

[kboe]

Im using the RSA XP-7, sans power supply, with a uDAC, and cardas interconnects with my DT990s.  These you could nab for $700 or so.  This allows you to use the rig with your computer and to my ears, has wonderful synergy.

 

[perestroika]

Quote:

Im using the RSA XP-7, sans power supply, with a uDAC, and cardas interconnects with my DT990s.  These you could nab for $700 or so.  This allows you to use the rig with your computer and to my ears, has wonderful synergy.

Hi!
 
I had never heard about the RSA XP-7 before your post. I just looked it up now, and I don't think that a battery powered amp is what I'm looking for. I hope my original post wasn't confusing... when I say I get up from my computer frequently, what I mean is I pause the music and turn the amplifier off, not that I'm playing out of an iPod or something similar and walking around.
 
As for the uDac, I considered it, but I want to avoid USB audio if I can (plus, I think I can get something nicer within this budget!). Every computer I have ever built has had a motherboard with both toslink and s/pdif out, and from my understanding, USB audio (unless you're paying extra for the higher end chips) is inferior to both optical and coaxial.
 
Thanks for introducing me to Ray Samuels Audio though... I'm currently browsing the site, checking out things I probably can't afford.

 

[kboe]

 
I'm currently browsing the site, checking out things I probably can't afford. :)

 

 

Well... thats what you get for coming to Head-Fi!