[lazerboyz]

hi, i know this isnt head-fi per se, but im just going to go ahead with it anyway.
 
i just got myself a speakers rig, consisting of a DIY tube amp and a pair of floor standers (JBL 890). i realised the source matters alot more than using headphones i.e. my LCD-2. for example, using a cheap 200 dollars cdp to the amp, it sounded way fuller than from my computer playing lossless -> audinst (cheapo DAC) -> amp. i'm just wondering if that is normal, or is something wrong with my setup/wiring.
 
anyway, i went ahead to purchase a Marantz CDP and im satisfied with it. I'm really new to this and i don't know how the science work. I'm wondering if i can play songs from my PC and attain the same standard of music?
 
if so, what price range of dac can produce good sound comparable to a mid range cdp, playing with full sized speakers?
also, is it suppposed to be the case, where listening to speakers are more revealing than to headphones?

 

[lazerboyz]

 
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bump?
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[tagosaku]

Disclaimer - English is not my first language so I might have misunderstood you.
 
For me, headphones are far more revealing than speakers. This is based on tube rolling experience.
 
I am using macbook -> TTVJ Slim's DAC -> amp -> speakers. This does not sounds as good as the RAM modified OPPO 980 nor Music Hall CD-25 (w/Zap filter), but more than good enough when I want to play music without changing CDs.
 
Hope this helps.

 

[lazerboyz]

so headphones are supposed to be more revealing than speakers? why do i feel that sound feels much hollow from my DAC to the speakers but not from a cdp.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

hi, i know this isnt head-fi per se, but im just going to go ahead with it anyway.
 
i just got myself a speakers rig, consisting of a DIY tube amp and a pair of floor standers (JBL 890). i realised the source matters alot more than using headphones i.e. my LCD-2. for example, using a cheap 200 dollars cdp to the amp, it sounded way fuller than from my computer playing lossless -> audinst (cheapo DAC) -> amp. i'm just wondering if that is normal, or is something wrong with my setup/wiring.
 
anyway, i went ahead to purchase a Marantz CDP and im satisfied with it. I'm really new to this and i don't know how the science work. I'm wondering if i can play songs from my PC and attain the same standard of music?
 
if so, what price range of dac can produce good sound comparable to a mid range cdp, playing with full sized speakers?
also, is it suppposed to be the case, where listening to speakers are more revealing than to headphones?

What $200 CDP is that? The Audinst may be having impedance mismatches with your amp or that's not its sound signature. Just because something sounds "fuller" doesn't mean it's more detailed, the same way something sounds more "detailed" doesn't mean it gets all the harmonics right. Even "analytical" is just another sound sig.
 
If you want the same quality from your PC, get a good DAC, preferably the same DAC chip as the Marantz. Or sell the Marantz and get the Cambridge 7xx or 8xx CDPs with digital inputs. That way the CDP will also be your DAC. (Is the PC in the same room with the speakers though?)

 

[lazerboyz]

nah i was just testing stuff out. the speakers and cdp will be at home, i'm leaving my country for an overseas education in 2 weeks time. just not all that happy thinking that my dac isnt good you see? haha. now that i have a good set of headphoens, the dac and amp becomes the problem.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Well you can always upgrade the Audinst later on. If you really need them to be transportable, then Ibasso's a good option. Either the D12 or the DB1+PB1.

 

[borkt]

Fwiw I replaced an NAD c542 with an apogee duet and the improvement was VERY noticable

 

[matbhuvi]

Quote:

so headphones are supposed to be more revealing than speakers? why do i feel that sound feels much hollow from my DAC to the speakers but not from a cdp.

There are many who say that headphones can't match speakers on various counts. Here is a great thread