i know nothing of heaphones and have very little to work with (an ipod touch and mp3 music files). I am interested in buying high quality headphones, solely for the purpose of listening to music. I listen to everything and need headphones that will be capable of playing everything with crystal...

Hello im a complete newbie to audio area for PC so I came to ask... I have an overall good PC, but desperately need an audio upgrade I was able to fish out 600$ total to spend and I already have decided to buy  AKG Q701 and Titanium HD The question here is: Will getting an external amp...

There's the deal for the Aune T1 and from what I've read, it's a nice dac/amp for these headphones so long as a get a different bulb. But really, it's not a great deal after the duties and taxes, and shipping to Canada. It will easily come to $160-$190 CAD. Up until tomorrow I can still cancel...

When using an amp (Objective 2) connected to laptop, should you set amp's volume to max and the computer's volume to a low level. Or should you, say, set the amp's volume to mid and set the laptop's volume to a higher level? Does it make any difference?   Thanks. Just curious how experts do...

I have thought hard before writing this review whether this is the right time for it as I am still waiting for an important piece of my set-up puzzle, the DNA Stratus. But heck, if my current less-than-perfect set-up can yield a performance that I have never experienced before, I have no doubt...

Title says it all. What is better and why?   O2+ODAC 2 in 1 combo is 295 including shipping.   Schiit Magni+Modi is 275 including shipping.   Other recommendations are welcome. To me though, these seem like the two best sub 300$ solutions for a Sennheiser HD 650.

I'm a newbie when it comes to audiophile and high end equipment, but for the last couple of months I've enjoyed my new stereo system I put together to play vinyl records. My next purchase I'm looking to make is on a DAC. I recently ripped my entire CD collection to flac on my desktop. I'm not...

I'm wondering if it would be possible to use this thread to list Desktop amplifiers, which run on battery power ?   I know Blue Audio does this, but am not sure about others.

    I want to thank JDS Labs for the fantastic Objective2 (O2) Amp that they've hand-built and kept to NwAvGuy specifications. John is a very nice guy who sent the O2 much faster than he had quoted and also quickly responded to my emails. I highly recommend JDS Labs if you're considering...

Hi ALL   (First time poster, long time lurker.)   I've just recently upgraded (from a CMOY) to this brilliant piece of electronics.   I just had to post SOMETHING, SOMEWHERE about the extreme joy I am having listening to music through this amp (which I've had for only a couple of...

These amps are hard to find in the UK, it says it comes with a 12 month warranty though so I'm not sure. What do you guys think?  ...

More specifically, I'm just looking to weigh as many options for a new amp as possible. Of course I'm not asking anyone here to list every amp in the world in that range, but hopefully a brief list with reputable/popular amps. Tube or SS is no difference to me, since I will most likely end up...

Hi, Can anyone who might have heard both O2 and NFB-15.32 provide some impressions of the sound of these 2 products. I realize NFB-15.32 is a DAC/AMP, but  wondering if the sound of it would be an upgrade to my O2 with the purchase of an ODAC, or if they are comparable.  I had...

Hello all head-fiers, I need some help about my new system.   I'm so interesting about the HE-500 in these days. I think I will get the HE-500 soon.   So now I'm considering about dac, and amp. I heard the HE-500 needs some powerful amp. But, the thing is I'm totally newbie in this area...

Hi Guys,   I've been researching on Head-Fi for the past couple of weeks. I'm looking to invest in a $500ish portable amp/dac combo for my Grado PS500s.    Music I enjoy listening to: Jazz     I have my choices down to   1) Alo Pan Am (I heard the amp is amazing, but the DAC...

Would the fiio E17 be enough to drive the headphones reasonably well?

Hey,   Just bought my first full size after years of IEMs. It is the AKG q701, and my current amp - fiio e6 - isn't enough. Im thinking of getting an amp+dac combo. why? because I want a single device for home & on the road use. mostly budget wise. For the portable use, my source is...

Hey so I'm a complete, utter noob in the world of audio. I have a HD-598, and I usually just plug it into my PC to listen to it, I don't think I have a soundcard.   Should I get a Nuforce ICON uDAC2, e10, something like that?   And how would I use it? Do I plug the DAC into the pc and...

I am mainly looking for audio quality. The price can go up to $300 for a portable amp. I would highly appreciate it if you guys help me to finally make up my mind.

Before I get into this, I'm relatively new to the whole audiophile world (and a first time poster) so I apologize for any noobness! I am looking for a rig to get me started, but I also want it to be something that I won't be ashamed to still use a few years down the road. The very top of my...

Is there a significant difference in features between the entry level Xonar cards like the DGX vs the higher end cards like the Xonar Essence STX or the Creative Xi-Fi Titanium HD if all you care about it sound through headphones?     While I do have an analog output to a receiver to power...

I listen to all genres except for classical and jazz if that matters. Source will be a computer either a PC or a Macbook Pro. Using a variety of headphones. To be clear I say a variety of headphones because I never know what headphones I am going to buy and I am looking for a amp that will sound...

Hey guys.   My first quality headphone hasn't arrived yet, but I can't stop doing research about the next upgrade to go along with it. I'm totally over the first idea of getting a standalone DAC, people who knows a lot more than I do convinced me here (...

I was so tempted into getting the nwavguy O2 amp but because I was only going to use it as a desktop amp I have opted to wait for the ODA...but does anyone know when it will be released? 

I have the AKG K702, Denon D2000, Grado SR80i, and Sennheiser HD-280 pro. Any amps and dacs that will play nice with all of these sets of headphones? I'm  just looking for something that sounds good so I have no solid state or tube preference - just something that pairs well with what i have. My...