I actually own a Magni, though I've never actually used it (don't ask). Have you had the opportunity to compare its imaging/soundstage to this produced by other amps? I'd be pleased to have my answer already in hand, as it were!

Howdy. Looking for a <US$300 desktop amp (or amp/DAC, but the DAC is not necessary) for my Hifiman He-400s. Main desiderata, bedsides, you know, not sucking overall, are imaging and soundstage: a sense of space—breadth and depth.    Indifferent as to tubes/hybrid/SS.    Thanks in advance for...

Thank you, Kingwa, for this very thorough answer to my question. 

Hence the appearance of the HE-400 in the "Cyber Monday" environment.   Just ordered a Vali; going to enjoy my new "old" HE-400's with that for a while before I start getting upgradeitis. 

Thinking about using one between my source and a dedicated amp, like a Little Dot.   Apologies if this is a FAQ.

So, Vali + Modi withe the 400s? Yes? No? Depends?

  Thanks. If it's any help, this would be running off of the optical out of an Apple TV v3. I could also just use the DAC chip in the ATV3, but I'm not sure of the quality.   I'm currently using an Audio-Gd NFB 12 DAC/amp combo. 

  Looking at a Little Dot for my HE-400s. Good match? If yes, what DAC would pair well with the LD, in the same-ish price range?

Howdy. About to start traveling again, and need to get new portable headphones and possibly an amp. I think I've decided on the Sennheiser HD25-1 II 'phones (though I'm interested in other recommendations for on- or over-ears—not buds or IEMS— in that general price range or below), but am...

Howdy. About to start traveling again, and need to get new portable headphones and possibly an amp. I think I've decided on the Sennheiser HD25-1 II 'phones (though I'm interested in other recommendations for on- or over-ears—not buds or IEMS— in that general price range or below), but am...

Subject line pretty much encapsulates it. Looking for a pair of headphones for working out (running, weightlifting) for less than $100. Will consider on-ear and ear-bud types; IEMs provide too much isolation when running in the city. All advice appreciated.

Subject line pretty much encapsulates it. Looking for a pair of headphones for working out (running, weightlifting) for less than $100. Will consider on-ear and ear-bud types; IEMs provide too much isolation when running in the city. All advice appreciated.

David, I'm in something of the same boat as the OP, looking to upgrade and generally casting about in the $400ish space (although that's not necessarily a hard cap). I had the chance to spend a few hours at home with a pair of HE-400s. I thought they were quite detailed, imaged beautifully...

Accent on the "semi," right? Are there options other than the FiiOs that are truly portable? And, none of the FiiOs actually bypasses the iDevice DAC? Sorry to be slow this morning.

How does that work? There are only two ways that signal gets out of an iDevice, right? The headphone jack and the docking port. How does the iDo bypass the on board DAC? Not arguing, just curious.

The O2 requires a power adapter, doesn't it?

I have three places where I use headphones: My home office, my dining room where I actually work, and my family room. I'm currently set for a DAC/amp in the latter (NFB-12), but would like something portable that I can schlep between the other two locations. I've seen the FiiO E17 recommended...

For all the talk about pad switching here...is there somewhere for a noob to learn how to do it without costing millions of lives? I currently have custody of Justin's loaners, and would be interested in trying out the velours he kindly included, but I'm certainly not going to take any chance of...

So, I'm curious about the plots that have been posted showing compression levels on various pieces of music. Apologies if I've missed this, but what program(s) are people using to generate those? I'd like to examine some of the tracks I find particularly annoying to listen to ("harsh sounding,"...

Ok, so someone up there diss'd iTunes, which I use quite happily. We all have different preferences for interface design, library organization, etc—often, it's mostly about what you're used to. Is there something technically deficient about iTunes in terms of how it reproduces music? My...

So, I'm heading towards ordering a pair of 400s; I'd be driving them with a first-gen Audio-GD NFB-12. How's that pairing? In keeping with good audio practice, I'd probaby be willing to spend around the price of the HPs for a DAC and amp, if I were to upgrade. I listen mostly to pop/rock...

Happy new year, all. I currently have a Total Bithead DAC/amp hooked up to my iMac for headphone listening. I have Senn 280 Pros and AT ATH-AD700s, but am strongly considering upgrading to HifiMan planars. How significant would be the improvement if I replaced the Bithead with the Schiit...

Fear this may be a double post; preemptive apologies if it is... Looking to upgrade from my ATH-AD700s. Their highs can be a bit harsh, their bass a bit weak, but I'm basically just looking for Something That Sounds Better. If you're reading this forum, I'm guessing that's not an unknown...

Howdy. Thinking of upgrading from my current ATH-AD700s. Using the headphone out from a decent integrated amp (Cambridge Azur) taking an analog in from an AudioGD DAC that's having bits streamed into it from my wireless network. If I have any dissatisfaction with the AD700s, it's that the highs...

Howdy. Thinking of upgrading from my current ATH-AD700s. Using the headphone out from a decent integrated amp (Cambridge Azur) taking an analog in from an AudioGD DAC that's having bits streamed into it from my wireless network. If I have any dissatisfaction with the AD700s, it's that the...