[Loz2103]

Hi all,
 
This is my first post on Head-fi, so be gentle with me.
 
I currently have a nice little desktop setup including a Hifiman EF2A going through Beyerdynamic DT250/80 s. Although, I do like this setup I feel that I can still get much more from my music. I do like the one box solution of USB, DAC and amp all in one that the Hifiman provides as this keeps things tidy, but it is not essential that everything is kept in one box. 
 
What ratio of money is usually spent on the headphones compared to the amp/dac?
 
I've always had closed back headphones, mainly as they often double as my travel headphones, but I'm willing to change to open-backed ones. One question; do they radiate much sound? i.e. would they annoy people in a busy office?
 
With all this in mind, suggestions for a complete setup with a USB input, including cans would be welcome. Also, advice on pairings between cans and amp would be nice.
 
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Cheers,
 
Loz
 
 

 

[NamelessPFG]

Hmmm...$1,000 for a DAC, amp, and headphones.
 
Big budget, but what worries me is how much will go to the DAC; a significant portion of $1,000 can easily be used up just by buying a Stax Lambda and a Stax amp, depending on what exact models you're getting and where you're getting them from. (Yeah, you can tell I really like electrostatics.) That wouldn't leave too much for a DAC.
 
On top of this, I don't pay attention to USB-only DACs. The ones I'd care about have S/PDIF input in addition to USB and generally exceed $300, if not $500. Even then, I'm still not sure if they're worth that much.
 
Still, while it's always good to have a good source, keep in mind that the headphones will determine most of what you hear in the end. I'd also prefer keeping the DAC and amp separate, since upgrading one won't have to mean replacing the other. (Also, there's that whole issue with dynamic/ortho and electrostatic amps being completely different.)

 

[Loz2103]

Thanks for your opinion Nameless. I've never heard electrostatics, but obviously I've heard of Stax and pretty much only good things. How does the sound of electrostatics differ from dynamic/ortho?
 
Also a good point about keeping the DAC and amp separate.

 

[BenAdamson]

I would put the majority of your budget on nice headphones.

 

[liamstrain]

A good combo solid state DAC/AMP + 1 or 2 phones.
 
Audio GD NFB-5, for instance... and you can keep using your EF2A as a tube amp from it's line out. 
 
That leaves you @ 650 for phones. So you can go one GREAT pair (Hifiman HE-500) or two great pairs: Sennheiser 650 + Denon D2000 (or some other combo)
 
Personally - I like having choices in sound signatures to choose from. Grado 225/325, AKG 702, Sennheiser 598/600/650 are all good open cans that can be found for between $200 and $350. Closed I don't know as much about, but the Denon come very highly recommended. 
 
Whether they would annoy people in an office depends on the office. Nobody is bothered by my open phones here, and I work in a fairly busy/crowded cube land. But it is anything but library quiet here. 
 
 
My current dream busts that budget just a bit, to get the Audio GD 10SE ($500) and the Hifiman HE-500 ($600) - I like the 10SE because it offers the option of running balanced, and also has quite a bit of power, should I want to try other Ortho's down the road (LCD2, Hifiman HE-6)
 
Electrostatics are interesting, but to do them right means a different category of budget for me. 

 

[NamelessPFG]

 
Quote:

Thanks for your opinion Nameless. I've never heard electrostatics, but obviously I've heard of Stax and pretty much only good things. How does the sound of electrostatics differ from dynamic/ortho?
 
Also a good point about keeping the DAC and amp separate.

 
I haven't heard any orthos yet (thought about picking up a Fostex at one point, probably won't run into the Audez'e or Hifiman offerings for an audition unless there are big headphone meets in Atlanta), but in comparison to dynamics, they're generally less "veiled"/more "clear", if that makes sense. I think it has to do with the transient response/speed that electrostatics excel at and that "effortless" sense of their presentation that comes with minimal distortion, even at higher volumes.
 
The other thing is that the music flows into your ears more than it's thrown in. This lends itself well to an airy, ambient, atmospheric presentation, but at the cost of some impact. (This isn't to say it doesn't exist; I find my Lambda quite punchy when it's called for. It just won't rattle your skull like some dynamic models attempt to do.)
 
To be frank, it's something you just have to experience for yourself to truly understand. Too bad that they're not exactly common items, being upmarket hi-fi hardware and all (unless you get lucky and find a great used deal like I did), but at $1,000, you can certainly afford a setup and still have some room for a good DAC if needed. $500-600 would be enough for a Koss ESP/950 system or vintage Stax Lambda with a transformer box. (Direct-drive amps will likely push that closer to $800, barring rare instances like people selling an SR-202 and SRM-252 for a mere $350 + shipping or cases when you can find a Lambda model for $250 instead of $350-450).

 

[Citan]

Don't waste your money on some ridiculously overpriced Audio GD garbage. MOST of your money should be spent on the component that actually matters: the headphones.  The Fiio E9 amp with the E7 dac measure reasonably well and can be had for under $200 for the complete system, spend the rest on headphones, if it were me either the HE-500 or LCD-2.

 

[Loz2103]

RE:Audio GD NFB-5
Are you implying that the amp in the EF2A is better than the NFB-5, as the NFB-5 has its own amp, or am I mistaken? In this case I would only be using the DAC of the NFB-5.
 
RE:Electrostatics
Thanks Nameless, nice description, I think I know what you mean.

 

[liamstrain]

Quote:

RE:Audio GD NFB-5
Are you implying that the amp in the EF2A is better than the NFB-5, as the NFB-5 has its own amp, or am I mistaken? In this case I would only be using the DAC of the NFB-5.
 

The NFB-5 has its own amp. This gives you the choice between a Solid State amp and the option of still using your tube amp - giving different sound options (the DAC in the Audio GD is better than the Hifiman). I find some phones and some types of music are better paired with tube amps, and others with solid state. I like choices.

 

[Loz2103]

Citan - Do you know how the Fiio E9 + E7 would compare up against my EF2A? Maybe I should just use all the money on headphones?

 

[Citan]

No idea, if I had to guess I would say that the fiio combo would probably measure much better than the hifiman at the very least.

 

[Currawong]

This one is easy: Audio-gd NFB-10 + Symphones Magnums mod on a pair of Grado SR-60s (with the cable re-terminated to a 4-pin XLR for the NFB-10). I think that, including shipping, would almost be exactly $1k.

 

[Citan]

Please don't listen to that^^

 

[liamstrain]

Quote:

Please don't listen to that^^

Funny, i was thinking the exact same thing about your posts. 

 

[LiqTenExp]

I can highly recommend the Audio-gd DAC/Amp combos.  NFB-10SE plus some 400+ dollar phones.  With that setup you can power anything with either 1/4" or 4-pin XLR terminations.
 
If not that I would try the Schiit Audio Asgard with a separate DAC and then a set of headphones.  That is a great amp for 250 dollars.