[Shamharoth]

Hello, I'm new here.
 
This topic has probably already been discussed hundreds of time, but I've not found my answer yet... So, I've been listening to my K701 through an old Pioneer DC-Z82 for nearly two years now, we are very far from Hi-Fi and I grew tired of this "amp". So I've been looking for a cheap amp in the $200-$250 range and found these :
 
1. Matrix M-Stage
2. Audio-gd NFB-12
3. Little Dot MKIII
4. Bottlehead Crack
 
However I can't quite decide between them. I think the Little Dot is ruled out because I've been told it will not drive the K701 properly, higher impedance headphones are fine, but not the K701, same for the Bottlehead Crack (the Smack would be adapted but is way out of my budget).
 
So we are left with the Matrix and the Audio-gd. And I have a hard time chosing one, so I will ask some questions :
1. Is a DAC *really* necessary ? I use the output from my motherboard (Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3) and it sounds ok, will a DAC be a notable improvement ?
2. Which amp drives best the K701 ?
3. I'd be inclined to choose the Matrix because of the frequency range of 10Hz-35KHz versus 20Hz-20KHz for the Audio-gd, is there a notable difference ?
 
If you have other suggestions, feel free to tell me. I don't really care if the amp is solid-state or tube based, I just want the best bang for the buck.
Thank you

 

[DomieMic65]

The Matrix is said to mate very well with the 701s... it has power and a somehow "dark" character that sound good with the 701s... (I haven't heard it so don't take my word too seriously )

Generally I would buy the most powerful amp I could afford to start with amps for them (so as you see I got the FiiO)... the 701 need a lot of power to show their full potential!!!

 

[alexsj]

Computers are noisy environments and manufacturers are not going to sink a lot of money into the internal dac since this is not really a feature most buyers care about.  So yeah, the dac in the audio gd or matrix should be an improvement over your internal sound card esp. if you've ripped your music at redbook or above.  Insofar as the choice between the audio gd nfb12 or the matrix mini, I don't think the difference you point out (the frequency range) should be a deciding factor. 

 

[Willakan]

I wouldn't put too much trust in the specs of such niche products as given by the manufacturers. Personally, I would go with the Matrix out of those two, but definitely avoid any IC opamp "rolling" or "Class A biasing" mods for it.

 

[grmnasasin0227]

Quote:

Computers are noisy environments and manufacturers are not going to sink a lot of money into the internal dac since this is not really a feature most buyers care about.  So yeah, the dac in the audio gd or matrix should be an improvement over your internal sound card esp. if you've ripped your music at redbook or above.  Insofar as the choice between the audio gd nfb12 or the matrix mini, I don't think the difference you point out (the frequency range) should be a deciding factor. 

The M-Stage has a built-in DAC? I thought it was standalone...
 
 


Quote:

I wouldn't put too much trust in the specs of such niche products as given by the manufacturers. Personally, I would go with the Matrix out of those two, but definitely avoid any IC opamp "rolling" or "Class A biasing" mods for it.

I disagree, I've read that upgrading the opamp is the first thing many people do with their M-Stages. There is quite a selection of choices to roll, and they do make a difference sonically.

 

[HaVoC-28]

 
Quote:

The M-Stage has a built-in DAC? I thought it was standalone...
 
 


I disagree, I've read that upgrading the opamp is the first thing many people do with their M-Stages. There is quite a selection of choices to roll, and they do make a difference sonically.

 
Matrix Mini and matrix M-stage are not the same product , M-Stage is a stand alone amp , and Matrix Mini a combo amp+dac



Quote:

Hello, I'm new here.
 
This topic has probably already been discussed hundreds of time, but I've not found my answer yet... So, I've been listening to my K701 through an old Pioneer DC-Z82 for nearly two years now, we are very far from Hi-Fi and I grew tired of this "amp". So I've been looking for a cheap amp in the $200-$250 range and found these :
 
1. Matrix M-Stage
2. Audio-gd NFB-12
3. Little Dot MKIII
4. Bottlehead Crack
 
However I can't quite decide between them. I think the Little Dot is ruled out because I've been told it will not drive the K701 properly, higher impedance headphones are fine, but not the K701, same for the Bottlehead Crack (the Smack would be adapted but is way out of my budget).
 
So we are left with the Matrix and the Audio-gd. And I have a hard time chosing one, so I will ask some questions :
1. Is a DAC *really* necessary ? I use the output from my motherboard (Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3) and it sounds ok, will a DAC be a notable improvement ?
2. Which amp drives best the K701 ?
3. I'd be inclined to choose the Matrix because of the frequency range of 10Hz-35KHz versus 20Hz-20KHz for the Audio-gd, is there a notable difference ?
 
If you have other suggestions, feel free to tell me. I don't really care if the amp is solid-state or tube based, I just want the best bang for the buck.
Thank you

 
K701 and M-Stage = great combo , but using your motherboard as source is a clear Bottleneck
LD MK3 and K701 for MY taste not soo well . 
Peraphs NFB-12 is a nice choice as improving DAC section and amp .

 

[DomieMic65]

Ι would get the Matrix M-Stage and later on a separate dac... you will need it for sure because 701s are also very source sensitive!!
The 701s require a very specific kind of amp, and the M-Stage seems that it is a cheap one that makes the job done... so get the amp fist! IMHO

 

[Shamharoth]

First, thank you for your answers.
Quote:

Ι would get the Matrix M-Stage and later on a separate dac... you will need it for sure because 701s are also very source sensitive!!
The 701s require a very specific kind of amp, and the M-Stage seems that it is a cheap one that makes the job done... so get the amp fist! IMHO

Yeah, I think that's what I'm going to do, a DAC would be an improvement but the amp section in the NFB-12 can't be as good as the M-Stage, and the amp is currently the main bottleneck. But there isn't many reviews of the amp section on the NFB-12 thread, let alone comparisons to the M-Stage, it revolves mostly around the DAC so I can't really tell...