Burson Soloist 3X Performance Head/Pre Amp - 8Wpc XLR with MUSE72320 volume control
Jun 24, 2022 at 3:10 PM Post #2,672 of 3,087
Although I dont hear the difference in dac, but worth the shot. I also heard there is a difference in sonic performance when pairing high voltage dac versus low voltage dac.

I also heard it too regarding the sonic performances. I never considered actual voltage metrics or anything, only that if I had an amp that was fully balanced, match it with a balanced dac to get the most out of that.

If you don't hear the differences in DACs, then I'd save the money and invested it in something else. But synergy is a tricky beast, because you could have expensive amps and dacs that sound like crap, if your headphones don't work well, or could have the most expensive headphone ever and equally sound like junk if your amp doesnt power it enough, or if your dac is not detailed enough to play to your headphone's strengths. I can understand sometimes how people in this hobby can go through gear like water, trying to hit that perfect combination for them.
 
Jun 24, 2022 at 4:35 PM Post #2,673 of 3,087
Since my DAC was fully balanced I knew I wanted a balanced amp. One reason I got the Burson. That and the Muse volume control. At really nice package for the price.
 
Jun 24, 2022 at 6:54 PM Post #2,675 of 3,087
I would say sounds very possible. Going from May to Pontus, these old ears didn’t hear any difference. Maybe I should try a Topping next.
 
Jun 24, 2022 at 7:20 PM Post #2,676 of 3,087
What if I told you I don't believe in sound improvement by expensive as heck DACs? Just get a Topping E50 as source and be done with. :smile_phones:

Then you're good! You stop at the E50 and call it a day. It's entirely possible for some people for sure.
 
Jun 24, 2022 at 10:34 PM Post #2,677 of 3,087
What if I told you I don't believe in sound improvement by expensive as heck DACs? Just get a Topping E50 as source and be done with. :smile_phones:
I wish that were the case for me! I’ve been obsessing over incremental, but significant differences between DACs for a while now. Finally landed on a Gungnir Multibit and it sounds good enough that I think it’s time to call the DAC quest quits.
 
Jun 25, 2022 at 2:15 AM Post #2,678 of 3,087
What if I told you I don't believe in sound improvement by expensive as heck DACs? Just get a Topping E50 as source and be done with. :smile_phones:
Before I got the D90SE I had the same experience / opinion, but this DAC changed my mind. Sure, it is far away from a day/night difference, but my HE1000V2 just shines a bit more (sparkle, resolution and soundstage presentation) with the D90SE as DAC. But I have never tried DACs which costs more then 1400€, because I usually think other components in the audio chain are much more important.

I tested Sooo many audio components the last few years that I even can not remember all of them. The direct comparison I did with the D90SE was against the Fiio K9 Pro AK4499 and Composer 3XP. Both were not on the same level as the D90SE. I am not a big topping fan, but this DAC is amazing. I was full hope that I like the Composer 3XP more, because the Stack looks so beautiful
 

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Jun 25, 2022 at 3:46 AM Post #2,679 of 3,087
What if I told you I don't believe in sound improvement by expensive as heck DACs? Just get a Topping E50 as source and be done with. :smile_phones:
Let me be a little lazy and copy a paragraph here from a recent post of mine in another thread:

I recently talked to a person, who told me, to his ears all good quality headphones above $200 sound the same. Then we have a group of audio enthusiasts who say it is absolutely pointless to spend more than $500 on a headphone amplifier as all they do is make the audio signal stronger/louder. So effectively they say every good amplifier above $500 sounds the same.
Then you have the group of people who say all DACs sound the same. Then people who say audio cables make a difference but not USB cables. Or not everyone can hear the difference between DAC filters and so on...

It is true that headphones make the biggest difference, then amps, then DACs and then cables. One should keep these priorities in mind. At the same time saying "there is no difference in sound between this and that because I can't hear it" is simply silly. It is like saying "it is impossible to run 100m quicker than 18 seconds, because I can't run it quicker". Well, hearing abilities differ as well.

If you are happy with your E50 just call it a day and spend the grand you have just saved on something else in your life. :wink: :beerchug:
 
Jun 25, 2022 at 11:03 AM Post #2,680 of 3,087
That’s a very good point about headphones/speakers being most important followed by amps, DACs then cables. Everyone probably agrees with that, but we might forget sometimes.
 
Jun 25, 2022 at 11:16 AM Post #2,681 of 3,087
That’s a very good point about headphones/speakers being most important followed by amps, DACs then cables. Everyone probably agrees with that, but we might forget sometimes.
Indeed. I think the proper approach should be to find the headphone you absolutely love and wouldn't want to change for anything else, than find the best amp for them and then the best DAC...
We will still experiment every now and then as new releases appear, but it is good to reach a point with a system that reflects your main sonic preferences and you enjoy the most. Sure, finding that takes time, depending on budget probably years...
 
Jun 25, 2022 at 1:01 PM Post #2,682 of 3,087
Indeed. I think the proper approach should be to find the headphone you absolutely love and wouldn't want to change for anything else, than find the best amp for them and then the best DAC...
yes. That is how I did and and how I recommend it to others. Find the headphone what you really enjoy and try to get from 95% perfection to 100% by searching for perfect fitting amp and DAC to make your audio chain perfect
 
Jun 25, 2022 at 2:02 PM Post #2,685 of 3,087
That’s a very good point about headphones/speakers being most important followed by amps, DACs then cables. Everyone probably agrees with that, but we might forget sometimes.
I started at the source end: best possible / one purchase. Audiolab CDT-6000 transport + Mojo Audio EVO Mystique DAC (Pro Level)…then worked ‘downstream’ 🤷🏻‍♂️😄.
 

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