[Tommy C]

i have a meizu pro 6 which sounds almost identical to my brother's iphone 6s. the meizu has a tiny bit more of treble sparkle, but they are very close indeed. the n40 is very much enjoyable out of my phone: airy, creamy, very smooth, yet powerful and dynamic. i wonder what they would sound like with a proper source.

Thank you, this is very helpful since I'm also using an iPhone 6s and find it a capable source with my current set up.

 

[Vanheim]

Thinking of getting these. I wonder if my magni 2 and modi multibit can drive them proper.

 

[Lurk650]

Yes, they are easy to drive. They just scale well

 

[Tommy C]

AKG N40 vs. Noble X anyone?

 

[TwinACStacks]

You mean the one that was on MassDrop? I've heard it.

IMHO N40 is Way better

TWIN

 

[Stevell57]

Hi guys I just got mine for a week. In terms of SQ, I have no complain. I have tried some other things like N3AP, T20i, IT03, Oriolus, Orion (overrated), Hem4 (weird), etc. And N40 is the best among them. However I do find the stock cable a bit hard and I cannot find a good ear tips. The stock medium is a bit too small and the large is way too big. Since the bore of N40 is really large, I can't find many options here, what ear tips are you using?

Hi,
I bought the N40 a couple of weeks ago as a discreet alternative to my over ear headphones for outdoor use. They sounded very promising but I couldn't get a consistent seal with the stock buds so tried some tip rolling. Well, after trying the usual suspects e.g. Comply, Sony Hybrids, Spinfits I fitted the JVC Spiral Dots and not only found a perfect and comfortable seal but also a substantial across the board improvement in sound quality.

 

[s4tch]

i'm looking for a portable dac/amp to unleash the full potential of the n40's. i checked too many reviews already, my head is full of brands, model numbers, power output data, expected battery life data, etc. dac needs to be android compatible, i'm not an apple guy i narrowed down my list to a couple of models like the xduoo xd-05, teac hap90 (used from japan), or this interestingly spec'd amp on ebay. my budget is around 200€, i might spend a bit much on a centrance dacportable if it turns up used somewhere. any suggestions based on real life experience?

 

[TwinACStacks]

s4, If you want LOTS of power, the original FIIO E12 Mont Blanc, is a no Brainer. It sounds great with any DAP I have paired it with and it puts out a MASSIVE 800mW of power. PLUS it's within Your Budget and built like a Tank.

TWIN

 

[Lurk650]

s4, If you want LOTS of power, the original FIIO E12 Mont Blanc, is a no Brainer. It sounds great with any DAP I have paired it with and it puts out a MASSIVE 800mW of power. PLUS it's within Your Budget and built like a Tank.

TWIN

He's looking at something can be used via USB DAC

 

[benchan2]

If I had to pick among the 3, I'd pick xduoo xd-05, because it is not expensive, has some good feedback and can change op amp. However it's also huge. Have you tried some balanced amp tho?

 

[s4tch]

thanks for the input, guys.

@TwinACStacks i also read good reviews about that amp, but as @Lurk650 said, i need something with usb input. my current phone (meizu pro 6) has a nice headphone output and a decent dac, most possibly an amp would be enough for now, but i'm not sure about my next phone.

@benchan2 i have zero experience with balanced setups. i mean zero, not even with headphones. btw portability is a must: i have an incoming desktop amp (myryad z40), i have no dac for it (just sold my denon da300), so i'd use a portable dac for both my phone and my pc. but it doesn't need to be pocketable as i usually listen to headphones/earphones in different houses of ours, rarely on the go. (i have a nice car audio, too.)

some other dac's i've checked:
- shanling h3/h3a: bluetooth option is nice, i'm not sure the sabre chip (most sabre dacs i've heard sound too analytical for me - might be a good pairing with the warm character of the n40, though)
- topping nx4: powerful amp, cheap, but basically no reviews or online feedback at all, besides some amazon buyers
- thebit opus#11: simple one, no volume control, and this is sabre based, too (see h3)
- teac hap50: listened to it a couple of times, not great, but very solid sounding thing, built like a tank, a safe bet for me
- oppo ha2: right within my budget when sold used, same doubts about the sabre chip than with the opus#11 and the h3
- cayin c6: wolfson dac, reviewers say it's noisy, build quality is often criticized, not impressed
- cayin n3: not an usb dac per se, but can be used as such, and it's such a versatile little thing for the price, but the amp section might not be powerful enough
- yahoo japan headphone amp section: now, that's a freakin' goldmine
etc...

so basically i'm confused as i can get, and i know this state of mind, i should buy something asap before overthinking it again...

 

[benchan2]

Forget about the 2.5mm I said, turns out not many dac/amp have it. There is a newer oppo ha2-SE that looks promising tho.

 

[Lurk650]

I had the HA2 with my Fiio X3ii. It was great. Upgraded to the Opus#1 DAP so I had no need for an amp.

 

[s4tch]

thanks for the input, guys. let's see if any ha2 is available used in the eu.

btw i just had an eargasm. my myryad z40 just arrived, and it pairs perfectly with the n40.

 

[TwinACStacks]

Yes. Most DAPs have plenty of power without amps to push the N40 easily. I pair an amp with mine because of the sonic benefits it adds to the tone. In actuality the class A Aune B1 puts out far less power than the Shanling M5 that its connected to but the extra tone and richness is worth it, and then some. Far better than just a standalone DAP, I will gladly give up some Volume.

TWIN