[Svirre]

I have recently moved to a new apartment where my freedom in choosing at what time and at what volume I play my music is a bit more restricted. I still use my stereo a lot, but the crave for a good pair of headphones which sound better than the pair I have today has become unbearable. I guess a few weeks with the wireless Sennheiser RS 120 will do that to you (I got them for free, just to have said that

). So, I need some help.

I have read a bit in here and the Sennheiser HD 650 seems to be mentioned quite a lot as a good comrade to the DAC1. I am also considering Beyerdynamic 880 or the 990. Are there other alternatives that might work well with the DAC1 in this price range? The headphones must be varied; I listen to everything from smooth jazz and electronica to black metal.

I am also wondering about my options regarding the DAC1. Should I use it as an amplifier for the headphones, or perhaps buy a dedicated headphone amp and just use it as a source? I’m guessing the latter option will be the best sounding one, but it is also a question of price. I don’t exactly have unlimited funds right now, and if I have to use more that 300-400$ for a headphone amp that will give a significantly better sound quality than the DAC1, I will probably wait.

The XLR output on the DAC1 is already used to connect the DAC1 to my pre amp, but other than that all its outputs are not in use.

I would greatly appreciate some help and pointers.

 

[IPodPJ]

Welcome to Head-Fi and sorry about your wallet.

You're off to a good start if you're considering equipment like that. If you're looking for an excellent headphone that will work well with all your music genres, consider the Denon AH-D2000 or D5000. They sound quite a bit better than the Beyers in my opinion. The Denons are closed cans, so I don't know if that matters to you or not.

There are a lot of good options for headphone amps in your price range. Just do a search on here and you will come across a plethera of options.

 

[Svirre]

Thank you! And yes, my wallet is trembling at the moment, hehe...

I haven't really considered the Denon models, but I they certainly look good. I'll ad them to my list! Initially I actually had my eyes on the HD 650. How are they when it comes to music, do they work better on certain music types?

When it comes to closed cans vs open cans I haven’t really given that much thought. Is there any difference in addition to that the open ones will "leak" more sound? If so that won’t be a big problem for my part. The headphones will only be used at home in my apartment.

What sort of amplifier should I use? I guess I won’t need one with a dac, since the DAC1 will be taking care of that part. Is there a particular kind of headphone amp I need for that type of use?

 

[tubaman]

Amp
There is a Corda Cantate in for sale forum right now, I think it is probably the best choice for <$400. I have NOT used the Cantate, but the Opera, which is so wonderful that I'd say if the Cantate is only as good as the Opera to the extent of its price difference/proportion, it's a good buy and beats the DAC1's built-in amp, which is ok, but not great, at least not by head-phile standards.

Headphone alternatives
If you like clean, clear sounding phones, I highly recommend the AKG K701. This is what I use with my Corda Prehead and Corda Opera. I also used the K701 + DAC1 combo exclusively for about a month - then I switched to using the Prehead (at the time I already sold the Opera), the difference was huge, in my opinion, the two headphone amps (DAC1 and Prehead) aren't even in the same league - I can hear more and better of everything with the Prehead. That said, the DAC1's headphone amp did a respectable job and DAC1 is such a GREAT source component.

So, with your budget for an amp, I believe you can make your headphone sound better. As for choice of phones, K701 for clarity and the absolute truth (but a no-no if you are a basshead).

 

[Svirre]

Thanks for all your input!

The Corda Cantate seems great. I am also considering the Vincent KVH-111 and the Rega Ear since they both can be bought here in Norway. I also know the guy importing them, so I will be able to buy them quite cheap. Any inputs on those two headphone amps? I must say the Vincent looks quite attractive with its glowing tube!

I did consider the AKG K701, and even though I wouldn't consider myself a bass head, I still like reggae, dance hall, hip-hop etc so I would like to have headphones that manage that type of music.

How should I go about using my DAC1 as a source? Just use the free rca-outputs to connect it to a headphone amp like I would on a normal amplifier?

 

[OracleGuy]

I don't think you can go too far wrong when you're starting with the DAC-1. It's very versatile.

The built-in headphone amp is decent, especially if you're short on cash, you can then add a better amp later.

I went the HD-650 route as you can see, and am very happy. The cool thing about the DAC-1/HD-650 combination is that you can start out using the built-in amp, then add a better amp; or you can go balanced like I did directly out of the XLRs on the back. The Sennheisers have a big advantage over other cans in that they have swappable cables; with the K701s or DT880s, you need to re-wire the cans to go balanced. With the Senns you only need to buy a set of balanced cables to switch from single-ended to balanced (or modify your stock cable with XLR connectors if you're DIY capable). You can also easily switch back-and-forth at will.

This setup is HUGE bang for the buck. If I come into a stack of cash then I'll invest in a really good balanced amp (e.g., GS-X/B52/Apache/...) but there's not much else I can upgrade with this (DAC-1) rig.

 

[Yukon Trooper]

Do you already have the DAC-1? Shouldn't you build your rig around your headphones, opposed to your source?

 

[Svirre]

Yes, I already have a Benchmark DAC1 in my stereo setup.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OracleGuy /img/forum/go_quote.gif With the Senns you only need to buy a set of balanced cables to switch from single-ended to balanced (or modify your stock cable with XLR connectors if you're DIY capable). You can also easily switch back-and-forth at will.

My balanced outputs on the DAC1 is already in use connected to my Abrahamsen V3.0 preamp, so I only have the rca-outputs available.


After reading a lot in this forum I have come across many interesting alternatives, but a combination that really caught my eye was the Darkvoice 332 and the Sennheiser HD 650. It seems perfect for me. I really love the look of the amp, and as far as I can tell after reading quite a lot of posts it seems to be a perfect combo. The Corda Cantate also seems great, but I do not need the usb-connectability nor the internal DAC. That's why the Darkvoice seems perfect. Exactly in my price range as well.

What do you guys think of the following setup:

Benchmark DAC1 > Darkvoice 332 > Sennheiser HD 650 ??

 

[Gurra1980]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Svirre /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, I already have a Benchmark DAC1 in my stereo setup. My balanced outputs on the DAC1 is already in use connected to my Abrahamsen V3.0 preamp, so I only have the rca-outputs available.

Just disconnect them?

 

[Svirre]

That would be too much hassle since I am probably going to switch between the headphone and my stereo several times every day. My stereo has 1st priority, so it will get the best outputs.

 

[Gradofan2]

That would be an excellent set up - which would no doubt bring out the best in the HD650s.

But... you may want a bit warmer sound than that particular combination is likely to produce. The DV332 is not as warm and tubey as some other tube amps. When combined with the DAC1 you may find this combination a bit too analytical... unless you prefer a colder, analytical sound. If you're committed to that DAC, then you may prefer a warmer sound than the DV332 will provide you - another tube DAC, may mate better with that DAC.

A much better combination to me... is the Monarchy M24 Tube DAC with the DV332 and a tube buffer. It's reviews suggest its as good as the $17,000 Reimyo, and better than the DAC1 - providing detail with warmth. A very similar DAC is the Lite DAC 62. And the CAL Audio Delta/Alpha, or Delta/Sigma II combos sound, simply incredible with the DV332 and HD650s.

You may also want to upgrade to the RAL Senn CryoSilver cable, and remove the foam from the HD650s - to really clear them up.

But... you will be very impressed with these combinations, which totally transform the HD650s.

 

[Svirre]

Thanks again for all the input!

I can't afford to buy another dac just for my headphone setup, so for now the benchmark will be the source. I got a bit sceptical if the sound will become overly analytical.. perhaps it can be changed by exchanging the tubes in the DV332?

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Svirre /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks again for all the input! I can't afford to buy another dac just for my headphone setup, so for now the benchmark will be the source. I got a bit sceptical if the sound will become overly analytical.. perhaps it can be changed by exchanging the tubes in the DV332?

Tube rolling doesn't seem to warm the sound of the DV332 much - which is why its great with HD650s. But, it can be a bit too cold - if you're looking for a bit of a "tubey," warm, lush sound - especially with a SS DAC, regarded as a bit cold and analytical, anyway. Personally... I'd likely opt for a Singlepower, or another amp, with a bit warmer sound with a SS DAC. Or... you might try the Yaqin Tube Buffer from Pacific Valve to warm the sound a bit.

 

[Godkin]

The 332 and the HD650s are a perfect combo, but as Gradofan says if you're looking for a warm, tubey sound then look elsewhere: the 332 is dymamic, fast and rather neutral in character. I added a YAQIN 6J1 tube buffer and it added a touch of warmth and more openness to the sound. The 6J1 version of the YAQIN can be picked up for silly money (from E-Bay, mine cost £32 to my door) and the 6J1 tube is also used by the 332 - so happy days.

 

[Svirre]

Thanks for the tips! That seems like a great backup plan if I feel the sound is too analytical. The prices wern't so bad either.

Are there any alternative tube-amplifiers in the price range of the DV 663 that has a bit warmer sound and works well with the HD 650? I think I have settled on the DV 332, but it's always good to have alternatives.