[Stitch]

Quote:

I had to draw a line thru PC gaming when it became apparent that I was upgrading my machine every 12 months - its still the best platform, but continually buying 'future-proof' kit that quickly becomes obsolete really sucks. One of the upsides of audio is that most of the gear that sounded good 5 years ago will still sound good to most of us - imagine trying to play a current game on a 5-year old PC ......

Oooh another pc gamer, far and few between the console boys.
My rig is from september/october 2008. At that time it had some of best/fastest/most powerfull components around. I can still run everything nowadays, even crysis 2, at full settings. I am considering to tone down the gaming a bit though. With some exceptions like metro, the shooter genre is basicely ******* anyway since call of duty. Only bulletstorm is a good aim at old skool shooters. 
 
back to topic?

 

[khaos974]

I would go for the new phones either one of the top end orthos or the HD800, the GS-1 should do fine with both.

If a new DAC would be worth it? I doubt so, when your best headphones/loudspeakers struggle with THD at -5/60 dB, you entry DAC usually has a -85 dB THD level at the very least.
So better DACs have better performance, no doubt about that, but better *audible* performance, not so much.

Of course expectation bias comes into play, and you may hear improvement even if there isn't any.

If you want a better DAC, the Anedio D1, the Benchmark DAC 1 are top performers measure wise, both have received excellent review.

 

[valtopps]

not sure what you guys are talking about ? i had a hifiman ef2 amp/dac when i installed a hrt ms II+ to the ef2  the sound just opened up with more detail, cleaner highs and a larger sound stage. that's with a senn hd595 cans? have any of you compared different dac's or all guessing.

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

not sure what you guys are talking about ? i had a hifiman ef2 amp/dac when i installed a hrt ms II+ to the ef2  the sound just opened up with more detail, cleaner highs and a larger sound stage. that's with a senn hd595 cans? have any of you compared different dac's or all guessing.

I'm guessing wildly, only having owned the MSII / Musiland MD-10 / Carat Topaz / iBasso D4 and the very basic DAC in the uHA-4. Some Head-Fiers seem to collect DACs like others collect headphones, but I can only marvel at the size of the bank balance needed to do that.
 

 

[valtopps]

i 100% agree on getting better headphone then a better dac. but to say that you wont benefit for a better dac is crazy to me. just going by my experience from a pc sound card to a hifiman ef2 to a hrt msII+ every time it improves the sound.

 

[Stitch]

I'm not doubting that new dac would either chance of improve the sound. Its just that im wondering how much will it chance.

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

I'm not doubting that new dac would either chance of improve the sound. Its just that im wondering how much will it chance.

It will change - whether said 'change' is what you want after the new toy joy wears off is a tougher question. Take the Benchmark DAC1 - an A-list box of wonderment on virtually every magazine's, er, 'A-List', but a DAC which seems to split people straight down the centre out here in the real world. For all the raving about detail and resolution, many find it 'cold and sterile'. There just are no guarantees that throwing money at kit will give you what you want, but I like what project86 had to say about the D1 : end of the day, I wont know until I actually put my money where my mouth is.