[Alex9]

Hi everyone! I'm new, so hello and I'm gonna dive straight in asking for your help. I'm new to this field, so forgive any inaccuracies in my terminology etc.

I just got the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250 ohm) headphones and I'm looking for a DAC & AMP combo for them. At the moment they're plugged into my Galaxy Note 10+ and (surprisingly) they sound great but not quite loud enough or at their full potential I imagine. I love their accurate, precise sound and don't want to lose it. I listen to a lot of Jazz and classical, and they don't disappoint. But when it comes to vocals, they lack warmth. I tried a Chord Mojo recently in-store and was rather underwhelmed. The first one out the box didn't work, the wobbly Mojo cable moved - I lost sound. A new box was opened and now we have sound. Warm and louder but slightly muddy and lacking precision to my ears. Not worth £299 imho (current discounted price).

- I want to mostly listen through my phone (Note 10+)
- I can't afford more than £300.
- Ideally want DSD and MQA etc. Basically, the highest possible Audio quality options, which I believe rules out Audioquest Dragonflys.
- It doesnt have to be portable, as long as it can sit on my bedside table and my phone can plug into it.
- I dont want to buy from a company with unreliable customer service and poor warranty. I hear a lot about Topping and Fiio but I dont trust the build quality or durability.

- Will a Shiit Stack (Magni 3/Modi) work with my phone?
- Will an ifi xDSD surpass the Mojo?
- Is the Beyerdynamic A20 worth considering?
- Are plug-ins a more sensible investment given the portable-battery finite lifespan?

Forgive the long post. If you're still with me, thanks for reading. Any help will be much appreciated. I can't work because I'm unwell and mostly stuck at home with my alto sax (I play when well enough) and my Tidal music. So these are my pleasures now. If I work again I may have a high end mac again (I'm an animator and designer) so then I'll be asking you all about a more premium set-up!

Thanks.

Alex

 

[PurpleAngel]

You might consider getting a JDS Atom or Schiit Magni 3 headphone amplifier.
Plug the Galaxy Note 10+ headphone jack into the line-input (RCA or 3.5mm) jack.

Or just buy a nice DAP (Digital Audio Player) and plug your DT1990 into it.

 

[Alex9]

Thanks. Is the amp more important than the DAC or is it the other way round; DAC then amp.

I'm not really interested in a DAP, everything happens through my phone! I'm now thinking Magni 3 and Modi. Is the Modi multibit better than the standard modi. If I had to choose between the 2, which should I get first, the Schiit DAC or the amp?

I'm so new to all this! It's incredibly confusing and near impossible to trial these things in store. There's so much conflicting information on forums. Any help is much appreciated.

 

[NoisyNarrowBandDevice]

Amp then DAC. Some people might disagree but the interaction between the electrical specifics of the amp and the headphone determine the sound to a large percentage.

MQA is a proprietary, lossy and arguably DRM'ed format best avoided. Also given that recently published financials of MQA limited it might well be that the company folds. Past year they lost 4.6. million pounds on less than 400k in revenue. The year before more than 7 million - see here:

https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/30381-mqa-is-vaporware/?do=findComment&comment=999002

If you want to stream true high-rez Qobuz or Amazon will provide you with true high-rez files.

Depending on budget a DAC-Amp combi will do fine.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Thanks. Is the amp more important than the DAC or is it the other way round; DAC then amp.
I'm not really interested in a DAP, everything happens through my phone! I'm now thinking Magni 3 and Modi. Is the Modi multibit better than the standard modi. If I had to choose between the 2, which should I get first, the Schiit DAC or the amp?
I'm so new to all this! It's incredibly confusing and near impossible to trial these things in store. There's so much conflicting information on forums. Any help is much appreciated.

The most important purchase and biggest chunk of your audio budget is (should be) the headphones.
2nd is the headphone amplifier, an amplifier that can drive the diaphragm in the headphone cups, to their best.
Third is the DAC
(I'm assuming your Galaxy Note 10+ comes with at least a half-way decent DAC chip).
You already said you like the audio quality that comes from you Note 10+.
Another factor is that a USB powered DAC will drain the power of the Note 10+.
While an A/C powered DAC will cost more.