[ddd777]

Hi guys,
 
I am facing a real dilemma now, as I am not sure which option is better, sound quality wise: best headphones plus average portable player, or should I rather buy best possible portable player and average headphones...
 
Would be great to see what would you choose and why.
 
Thanks a lot.

 

[Eric_C]

What's the "best" player (or players) you would be looking at? I'm of the opinion that many players today sound just fine with all but the most demanding headphones.

 

[qusp]

definitely spend more on your headphones

 

[meltie]

definitely spend more on your headphones

I totally agree, but since a lot of otherwise good players work really badly with multi ba iems, it is a question of specific components that cannot be answered generally.

 

[qusp]

Quote:

I totally agree, but since a lot of otherwise good players work really badly with multi ba iems, it is a question of specific components that cannot be answered generally.

yes it can, neither component is bought, we are not advising on something to go with another component. there are good players that will handle IEMs for not much money. in fact the higher dollar players that get around here tend towards NOT handling IEMs so well.
 
so it really is that simple, spend more money on the headphones and buy the dap to suit them, not the other way around

 

[CashNotCredit]

Hi guys,

I am facing a real dilemma now, as I am not sure which option is better, sound quality wise: best headphones plus average portable player, or should I rather buy best possible portable player and average headphones...

Would be great to see what would you choose and why.

Thanks a lot.

Sansa Clip, FiiO E6 (if necessary) and awesome headphones. With DACs and amps, there's a lot of snake oil, and a lot of the internal ones on the better players are just fine (note that I said better. Not more expensive. Price =/= quality.) The Sansa players measure very well and get a lot of love, even from some of the more subjective minded people.

 

[ddd777]

thanks a lot guys for useful pieces of advice.
I will spend more on headphones than.
 

 

[Eric_C]

Uhh, it's not always going to work out perfectly. qusp is right but there are some exceptions to the rule...

 

[qusp]

Quote:

Uhh, it's not always going to work out perfectly. qusp is right but there are some exceptions to the rule...

how? explain an exception that fits within this situation of having neither variable set? perhaps if really wanting to run DT880/600 or K1000 portable? that would still be a different scenario. buying headphones that need large voltage gain will not work well and will be a bad decision running straight out of any dap at any price IMO, anything middling impedance 50-150ohms will be powered by just about anything and anything really low impedance will be handled well with sansa or 3g+ touch.
 
If neither is set, buy headphones and get dap to suit, the other way around is wrong no matter how you look at it. you will always get higher performance from buying great headphones and a dap thats only just moderately up to the job and upgrade later to squeeze the last bit of performance, than a great dap and headphones that are only moderately up to the job.

 

[Eric_C]

qusp, that is precisely the type of exception I had in mind. No disrespect meant to OP, but it seemed that he might be misled into choosing a good headphone (e.g. HE 4? HD 800?) and then an average DAP, without due consideration for them interacting with each other. This would then necessitate an amp, which would only add cost and bulk to the whole equation.
 
This is why I was hoping OP would specify what he meant by "good" and "average" for both headphones and players.

 

[qusp]

fair enough, i'm assuming a base level of common sense, as that would apply at any price level. that being said quite a lot of the current crop like LCD2/3 will go well out of a dap, silly portable headphone due to leakage but no worries with an ipod. not so much with the HE series though, but then none of the portable amps available will either IMO, sensitivity is too low.

 

[tupac0306]

Definitely spend more on the players! IMO.
Poor note definition, sizes, noisy background and frizz highs (from most standard players) will bring down your IEMs sound quality~ 

 

[CashNotCredit]

Quote:

Poor note definition, sizes, noisy background and frizz highs (from most standard players) will bring down your IEMs sound quality~ 

Ehh...world-class players can be had for cheap from Sansa and other companies. You start reaching diminishing returns pretty quickly on MP3 players, not so much on IEMs, IMHO.

 

[Emospence]

Many great players can be had for very reasonable prices..
 
Going the head/ear phone upgrade route will get you much more returns for the $$$ you put in IMO

 

[qusp]

Quote:

Definitely spend more on the players! IMO.
Poor note definition, sizes, noisy background and frizz highs (from most standard players) will bring down your IEMs sound quality~ 

hmm whatever you say… poor note definition hey? yay for random made up audiophile terminology