[Iknownothing1]

Hey guys!

I already made some topics here and you guys helped me with my previous headphones!

Currently I own the : Shure se215, beyerdynamic 770 pro , ath-m50x
They all have a decent bass, which I like very much because I enjoy EDM, hiphop , pop etc.

However i'm also getting more into acoustic stuff now so i'd like to try some openear headphones.
Current wishlist:
- sennheiser hd650 / 700 ( for music & movies , gonna test them soon in the shop )
- AKG k702 ( for gaming ).


I want to be futureproof with my new dac/amp combo , since I want to expand my headphone collection even more, while keeping it on a budget. So I want an amp that can run all of these and has potential to power future purchases without having to upgrade to a new amp/dac.

My current amp/dac is the fiio e10k. What I really like is the bassboost, I turn it on/off depending on the song. Is there also a possibility to have another dac/amp with this function?

I've of course did some research myself and found the following options.

1: Schiit modi 2 + magni 2 ( uber ) , price in my country for the both of them = 338 euro.
Perhaps i can get them used, the uber version go for around 70 euro second handed here, so if i'm lucky i can get them way cheaper. I just missed the modi 2 uber for 70 euro by 1 day, the seller sold it.

2: Objective2 + ODAC Combo
Not avaible in my country, but 266 euro with shipping from the usa. Would expect 100 euro customs ( yeah my country is expensive ) , so that would make it around 366 euro.

3: schiit lyr 1 used,
This guy asks 250 euro ( new price 500 euro ) , but it's the older version.
However highest offer currently is 160 euro, pretty sure I can get is for 200-225 , no idea if this is a good deal at all.

4: Your reccomendation!
I am open for all recommendations around this price point.

 

[Oscar-HiFi]

Hey guys!

I already made some topics here and you guys helped me with my previous headphones!

Currently I own the : Shure se215, beyerdynamic 770 pro , ath-m50x
They all have a decent bass, which I like very much because I enjoy EDM, hiphop , pop etc.

However i'm also getting more into acoustic stuff now so i'd like to try some openear headphones.
Current wishlist:
- sennheiser hd650 / 700 ( for music & movies , gonna test them soon in the shop )
- AKG k702 ( for gaming ).


I want to be futureproof with my new dac/amp combo , since I want to expand my headphone collection even more, while keeping it on a budget. So I want an amp that can run all of these and has potential to power future purchases without having to upgrade to a new amp/dac.

My current amp/dac is the fiio e10k. What I really like is the bassboost, I turn it on/off depending on the song. Is there also a possibility to have another dac/amp with this function?

I've of course did some research myself and found the following options.

1: Schiit modi 2 + magni 2 ( uber ) , price in my country for the both of them = 338 euro.
Perhaps i can get them used, the uber version go for around 70 euro second handed here, so if i'm lucky i can get them way cheaper. I just missed the modi 2 uber for 70 euro by 1 day, the seller sold it.

2: Objective2 + ODAC Combo
Not avaible in my country, but 266 euro with shipping from the usa. Would expect 100 euro customs ( yeah my country is expensive ) , so that would make it around 366 euro.

3: schiit lyr 1 used,
This guy asks 250 euro ( new price 500 euro ) , but it's the older version.
However highest offer currently is 160 euro, pretty sure I can get is for 200-225 , no idea if this is a good deal at all.

4: Your reccomendation!
I am open for all recommendations around this price point.

O2 + ODAC combo in the EU here: http://www.headnhifi.com/o2-odac-combo

I really like it as a combo, very clean and neutral

 

[Iknownothing1]

Wow great find thank you!
That would make it a lot less expensive.

Do you guys think that the 02 + odac would pair up well with these headphones?
Would it be future proof too? I was first leaning towards a schiit stack but that was before I knew about that link.

 

[Oscar-HiFi]

Wow great find thank you!
That would make it a lot less expensive.

Do you guys think that the 02 + odac would pair up well with these headphones?
Would it be future proof too? I was first leaning towards a schiit stack but that was before I knew about that link.

It would pair very well, you might want to ask for lower gain for the SE215, so have the gain options at 1x and 5x or something similar.

If you really wanted the best in my opinion, I would actually get the newer JDS Labs OL DAC and a standalone desktop O2 amplifier.

The O2 desktop version can be bought from HeadNHifi but the OL-DAC is not in stock in Europe yet:http://www.headsound.de/epages/6302...271/Products/JDSOLDAC/SubProducts/JDSOLDAC-bk

You can order direct from JDS Labs though, the OL-DAC in my opinion is better than the ODAC, see this article: http://blog.jdslabs.com/?p=1391

 

[Luminance]

Well I am not an audiophile, but I would like to give my input.

Few weeks ago, after some days of research, I ended up purchasing NFB 11.28 dac/amp (395 EUR), from http://www.magnahifi.com/en/webshop/product/agd-nfb11-28

Let me describe the advantages of this combo:
* new, high performance Sabre ES9028 dac, supporting high resolution audio through USB Amanero interface (known for extremely low ground noise)
* coaxial and optical inputs available, useful if you ever wanted to use the digital processing functions of your motherboard or soundcard.
* thanks to RCA outputs, NFB 11 can be used as a dac/preamp for loudspeakers
* two sound settings: neutral - for warm or reference headphones; and warm - for bright cans - this is also something I found very handy

Of course Objective2 + ODAC for €240 is also a great option, but it just doesn't offer such possibilities, so it's a matter of how much you'd like to spend.


When it comes to headphones, I would add the Beyerdynamics DT 1990 Pro to your audition list and consider them instead of 2 pairs you'd like to buy. These headphones perform excellently in both music and games.I find the Amazon price (€600) to be too high though. I managed to find these in online store in my country for equivalent of €480 which was a bargain. If you live in Germany, they might be more expensive though.

DT 1990 Pro comes with 2 pads - balanced and analytical. Balanced pads make the sound a bit V shaped, so it's a good option if you like strong, but not exaggerated bass. The analytical pads make the sound more balanced across entire frequency with bass that is better textured (but also less heard) and more balanced mid-range. However, some people may find the A pads too bright. But thanks to the NFB 11.28, I found that switching to warm setting is giving these headphones very natural, balanced and non fatiguing sound, perfect for my taste. So the A pads with a warm source or some EQ should work great.

Just my few cents ^^

 

[Iknownothing1]

Thanks for your reply!

I'm from the Netherlands and theyr retail for 479 here too!

I'll look further into that dac/amp!

One concern I have about the 1990 pro is the headband, is it easy to replace? Something I like about my 770 pro is that the headband is so easy to replace, while my ATH's really have a messed up headband.
I read that the soundstage isn't that big on the 1990 pro, I haven't tried them myself though, how would you describe the soundstage.

I've read positive things about the sound blaster x7 . Never really considered this one, but people seem to love it for gaming. Any of you guys have anything to add on the x7?

 

[Luminance]

Not sure about 1990 pro's headband, however to me it seems to be extremely durable, with steel core and soft, comfortable leather padding, so it should last for many years.

As for the soundstage, it's medium I would say. Not as wide as AKG's 701's or Fidelio X2, however 1990 pro has extremely accurate imaging, which intensifies sound immersion.
Imaging > Soundstage

Not gonna lie, I read many reviews of these headphones, but I definitely made my choice after watching Zeos' review
Here he confirms they'd be perfect for gaming: https://www.reddit.com/r/Zeos/comments/66wz27/guide_headphones_general_usemusic/
Also the review link:

Spoiler

Yes I know he's controversial and it took me a while to get used to the way he's reviewing, but after hearing his opinions, I knew I had to get them.
"I can describe the shape of the room where this music was recorded." "I don't know why T1 exists if 1990 exist." "These are the reference headphones, but you can't get enough of them."

We can take this with bit of grain of salt, but still, I can confirm I am very happy with these headphones and don't intend any upgrade for a long, long time.

When it comes to creative sound blaster x7, it seems that its advantage over NFB is the fact that it can be used as a loudspeaker amp and can do the Dolby Virtualization out of the box. Looks like it does variety of things, but I am not sure if it's very good at any of them. Certainly cannot match NFB's sound quality or HP amplification capabilities. And the NFB already supports the virtual surround processing (in many different approaches, like Windows Sonic, Razer Surround, or the virtual surround built in engine of online games, like CS:GO or Overwatatch).

Anyway, these are only my opinions, looking forward to hear from others as well ^^

 

[serman005]

You should also check out the Meier Corda Rock and Jazz and see what you think. Good prices within the EU. Outstanding amps. It is possible one of them could work for you paired with one of the other DACs.

 

[Iknownothing1]

Not sure about 1990 pro's headband, however to me it seems to be extremely durable, with steel core and soft, comfortable leather padding, so it should last for many years.

As for the soundstage, it's medium I would say. Not as wide as AKG's 701's or Fidelio X2, however 1990 pro has extremely accurate imaging, which intensifies sound immersion.
Imaging > Soundstage

Not gonna lie, I read many reviews of these headphones, but I definitely made my choice after watching Zeos' review
Here he confirms they'd be perfect for gaming: https://www.reddit.com/r/Zeos/comments/66wz27/guide_headphones_general_usemusic/
Also the review link:

Spoiler

Yes I know he's controversial and it took me a while to get used to the way he's reviewing, but after hearing his opinions, I knew I had to get them.
"I can describe the shape of the room where this music was recorded." "I don't know why T1 exists if 1990 exist." "These are the reference headphones, but you can't get enough of them."

We can take this with bit of grain of salt, but still, I can confirm I am very happy with these headphones and don't intend any upgrade for a long, long time.

When it comes to creative sound blaster x7, it seems that its advantage over NFB is the fact that it can be used as a loudspeaker amp and can do the Dolby Virtualization out of the box. Looks like it does variety of things, but I am not sure if it's very good at any of them. Certainly cannot match NFB's sound quality or HP amplification capabilities. And the NFB already supports the virtual surround processing (in many different approaches, like Windows Sonic, Razer Surround, or the virtual surround built in engine of online games, like CS:GO or Overwatatch).

Anyway, these are only my opinions, looking forward to hear from others as well ^^

Thanks! I actually watched that review when you first mentioned the dt 1990 pro . His method of reviewing is pretty silly indeed sometimes.
I'll definitely read into these some more.. you got me interested now ;p