[THeFastCat]

Hello my nephew is turning 14 in November. He has Beat headphones and I was thinking about giving him a Schiit Modi and Magni - also wanted to upgrade his headphones so that he could notice the difference. Suggestions for phones that he will notice an improvement from but still leave plenty of room to upgrade down the line?

 

[MrTechAgent]

No budget mentioned ?

 

[THeFastCat]

Well - I guess the budget would be defined by 
 
"less expensive, fun phones that are noticeably better than beats"
 
Already going to drop $200 on the Schiit stack and I don't want this kid to be spoiled, but I also want him to notice the difference and maybe becoming interested in audio.
 
hope that helps?

 

[MrTechAgent]

Sure... that helps
A HiFiMAN HE-400 with Velour Pads , the Magni pushes around 1W into 50Ohms , that should be enough to drive those Planars , that'll be a significant upgrade.

 

[fabio-fi]

Beyer COP (custom one pro) he will never miss the beats. 

 

[THeFastCat]

Hey thanks guys - those Beyers look good - HiFiMAN too - but I think the cheaper Beyers are what a 14 year old should be using

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Hey thanks guys - those Beyers look good - HiFiMAN too - but I think the cheaper Beyers are what a 14 year old should be using

 
If it's about him taking good care of it, I wouldn't be too confident about handing over two other pieces of equipment in aluminum cases tiny enough that they can be pulled off the desk easily, like if he bolts upright with the headphones on.

 

[THeFastCat]

Good point - no I just meant I don't think he should be using lots of expensive gear at such a young age. I mean if a kid a porsche at 16 -- what's the incentive to be successful, earn money to buy your own??
 

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Good point - no I just meant I don't think he should be using lots of expensive gear at such a young age. I mean if a kid a porsche at 16 -- what's the incentive to be successful, earn money to buy your own??
 

 
Something better? This is a forum where people say "sorry about your wallet" when you join. Give him a $200 DAC and amp now and if he likes better sound he'll start aspiring for a $10,000 system, even if you discuss diminishing returns.

And the thing with the Porsche is, well, you can't exactly take your gear out and impress chicks with your headphones, which is why kids who get a Porsche in their teens turn out for the worst. Or if it's their own money, the only way to have that much money that early is in many ways getting huge sums while someone else handles the actual finances - just look at how many AMG's Lindsay Lohan has crashed.

 

[BigTerminator]

Chances are that your nephew will only be using his phone to power the headphones and will want something portable, not just to sit at the computer. Get him a real set of headphones that can be driven at least volume wise by a phone. Then maybe for his next birthday you can get him the Schiit stack. Get a DT990, HD 598, etc. He probably does not even know what a DAC and headphone amp are and with Beats the Schiit stack won't make much difference. 

 

[TripBitShooter]

Well... im 14 and my parents allow me to buy all the gear i want, mostly because i am a professional musician, and that i also own my own review site.

And i also happen to understand basically everything to do with DACs and amps

 

[TripBitShooter]

your son may also want to listen to good sound on the go, and the schiit stack will not help. i suggest a good DAP (iBasso DX50) or android/iOS compatible DAC and amp (FiiO E18 )

the PSB M4U1 will do as very good portable cans

 

[zunehdrocks]

I would get him something like the topping nx1 or fiio e11 + yamaha pro 400/500 (can be found new on ebay for around $200), donscorpio dolphin, or polk audio ultrafocus 8000.
They're portable for the most part, supposedly have really good isolation, and look good.
What beats headphone does he have?

 

[Hifisnubben]

Are'nt we all missing the most obious choise ? Beats Solo 2. Im guessing he likes the design of his beats ?. Now he can have that and sound to match it. Win, win i say Then further up the line a fiio x1 for his portable enjoyment ?

Best regards

 

[TripBitShooter]

problem is, the beats solo 2 (i have heard it personally) are not good enough to reveal what a FiiO X1 are capable of. It has a nice, smooth and bassy sound, but lacks space and transparency like say, a much cheaper ATH-WS55X