[loki993]

What Im trying to see is if there is an issue with my setup or its just got a sound signature that I don't like.

so currently I am running a full schiit stack, Magni 3, Mimby and an Eitr.
Headphones are AKGK7xx, Beyer DT770 pro 80s and TH-x00 PHs.
Its all run from my computer on win 10.

Some background. Ive had the Beyers the longest, probably 10 years now...got the K7xxs when they came out a couple years ago and the PHs I've only had a couple months.

Amps have been Fiio E10k, JDS Element and the stack.

I had the element for a long time and it did nothing wrong, but I felt it didn't do anything particularly well either. It wasn't a fun amp, I wanted a fun amp. My Fiio is a fun amp, I still use it at work. I moved on from it at home because I needed more power for higher impedance phones and I was also trying to find an improvement.

So this brings us to the shiit stack

The schiit stack is very resolving, more resolving than either of the other two. it is very clear, it has good bass.

What I an finding lacking though is the highs, the treble or maybe its the higher end ends of the mids.

They are recessed, or at the very least they sound like they are placed behind everything else, farther away. They should clear and are well defined they just physically sound farther away than everything else.

The Fiio has a relatively forward treble presentation, but not fatiguing, or at least it is far more forward with the Fiio than the stack and I like that. the Fiio I guess is what I sort of expect the stack to sound like, but better

So basically is the schiit stack supposed to sound like that or is there something wrong with my set up? Is it the headphones Im using...I dont think thats it because the Beyers and the PHs should be v shaped so if anything I should have the mids right in my face or at least balanced out because the shiit amp is a bit on the warm side, but that's not what is happening.

Im going to try everything out of my linux box to see if its windows messing with things, but even if thats the case I would have no idea what to chase in windows to fix any issue it may be causing.

 

[ergopower]

I own a Mimby & DT880s, haven't heard anything else you've got so keep that in mind.
I'm struggling a bit with your comments - treble or maybe upper midrange is recessed - you need to be more detailed about what you hear that sounds recessed. Vocals? Whose? Instruments? Which?

The DT770s are maybe not quite as bright in the treble as my DT880s, but they are more recessed in the mids per many reviewers. I don't think any reviewer has said the Schiit stack has a recessed top end. Maybe very slightly on the warm side, but it would be a pretty subtle difference. So one of 2 things - you might just be hearing your headphones on a more accurate system and that's what they sound like; or the character of the Schiit stack will change somewhat with some burn-in since it's new to you. Burn-in is pretty contentious, but there are studies that capacitors will change over time, and even after burned in, can take hours to settle in again after they've been off for hours. Never tested it myself, but I don't really do any listening to new gear without letting it run unattended for a few days just in case. And I leave the Mimby turned on all the time. It's a no-cost test you can do to see if that's the problem.