PanzerIV
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2009
- Posts
- 155
- Likes
- 29
Here's what I currently use with my headphone while it's on my computer:
Headphone = Beyerdynamic T90
DAC = NAD M51 "USB"
Source = High-end Computer
Amp = Fiio E12 or Soundblaster ZXR "Headphone Output"
There is really way too much choice as for desktop amps, much more than portable stuff though you can still reduce by a lot the choice if you narrow it down to straight amplifiers without a DAC as I don't want to pay much more for useless extra whistles I won't be using or have a cheaper amp built-in since it's always better when it's seperate.
Anyway I don't see the point of bypassing my current Dac when I have something worth 2500$ that I've paid 1100$ + Taxes since a month. It's obviously gonna be better than using my Soundblaster ZXR which I used to use. That is why I'm wondering what I could be using... and I already wanted to upgrade my portable (Fiio E12) for the new (Fiio A5) as I've seen it is even better than most amps under 100$ or even 150$CAD so that's another thing, I wouldn't want to have a second amp that wouldn't be any better but less pratical and portable, just like swapping 4x25¢ for 1$. Here's a few models I've seen that seemed good enough:
- Objective 2 ~100-115$USD
- Fiio K5 150$CAD so 25$ less than the A5.
- Little Dot MKII from Massdrop at currently 115$USD
I also never tryed any tube amps, and I wonder if it just looks nicer or if it's just different rather than better. The way I read people it's like that even if they've paid a lot for it, their stock tubes never seem to be good enough for them and then you have to add at least +50$ just to swap the tubes... I dunno if I want to get into that and into trial and errors, I have no money to waste. Does the tube always have more treble, is that what they mean by being "warmer" so they're less neutral than solid state amps?
Important Question: I just tryed something for the hell of it and surprisingly it worked better than I've expected, I took a 3.5mm to RCA cable to use the RCA output of my (NAD M51) since the XLR are already being used for my (Rotel RB-1552 MKII) which powers the (KEF Q900) speakers, and then I thought it wouldn't had been loud enough considering I have 250Ohm headphone and the linelevel of this Dac is 2.34v only but it was way loud enough at Volume 0dB and I even stayed most of the time while playing Battlefield 1, at -15dB I'd say. How come was it loud enough and does that mean I don't need an amp or I should still get one, not for higher volume output but for higher current to reach the headphone's full potential and better dynamic? O_o
Headphone = Beyerdynamic T90
DAC = NAD M51 "USB"
Source = High-end Computer
Amp = Fiio E12 or Soundblaster ZXR "Headphone Output"
There is really way too much choice as for desktop amps, much more than portable stuff though you can still reduce by a lot the choice if you narrow it down to straight amplifiers without a DAC as I don't want to pay much more for useless extra whistles I won't be using or have a cheaper amp built-in since it's always better when it's seperate.
Anyway I don't see the point of bypassing my current Dac when I have something worth 2500$ that I've paid 1100$ + Taxes since a month. It's obviously gonna be better than using my Soundblaster ZXR which I used to use. That is why I'm wondering what I could be using... and I already wanted to upgrade my portable (Fiio E12) for the new (Fiio A5) as I've seen it is even better than most amps under 100$ or even 150$CAD so that's another thing, I wouldn't want to have a second amp that wouldn't be any better but less pratical and portable, just like swapping 4x25¢ for 1$. Here's a few models I've seen that seemed good enough:
- Objective 2 ~100-115$USD
- Fiio K5 150$CAD so 25$ less than the A5.
- Little Dot MKII from Massdrop at currently 115$USD
I also never tryed any tube amps, and I wonder if it just looks nicer or if it's just different rather than better. The way I read people it's like that even if they've paid a lot for it, their stock tubes never seem to be good enough for them and then you have to add at least +50$ just to swap the tubes... I dunno if I want to get into that and into trial and errors, I have no money to waste. Does the tube always have more treble, is that what they mean by being "warmer" so they're less neutral than solid state amps?
Important Question: I just tryed something for the hell of it and surprisingly it worked better than I've expected, I took a 3.5mm to RCA cable to use the RCA output of my (NAD M51) since the XLR are already being used for my (Rotel RB-1552 MKII) which powers the (KEF Q900) speakers, and then I thought it wouldn't had been loud enough considering I have 250Ohm headphone and the linelevel of this Dac is 2.34v only but it was way loud enough at Volume 0dB and I even stayed most of the time while playing Battlefield 1, at -15dB I'd say. How come was it loud enough and does that mean I don't need an amp or I should still get one, not for higher volume output but for higher current to reach the headphone's full potential and better dynamic? O_o
