[V00DEW]

So I just got a pair of Sennheiser HD 598s, and I gotta say...I'm absolutely loving the sound! As an upgrade from Bose, these have been amazing for me so far.
 
Anyways, I know it's recommended to pair these with an amp/dac in order to drive them to their full potential. I currently am using an onboard Realtek, and am ready to upgrade to get the most out of the 598s.
 
From what I've read so far, the Fiio e17 seems like the most recommended choice for a modestly priced amp/dac. My budget is preferably no higher than $150, so would these be my best bet?
 
Also, I've noticed a sizable amount (although not all) of my music, which is all in FLAC format playing through Foobar using WASAPI, has a somewhat static hiss (which tends to be more noticable when the volume is turned up). Is this more of a problem with the onboard soundcard needing to be remedied by an amp/dac, or could it be directly related to my music files?

 

[jasonb]

E17 is a great little amp and DAC. I love mine, I'm very happy with it.

 

[bareyb]

Quote:

So I just got a pair of Sennheiser HD 598s, and I gotta say...I'm absolutely loving the sound! As an upgrade from Bose, these have been amazing for me so far.
 
Anyways, I know it's recommended to pair these with an amp/dac in order to drive them to their full potential. I currently am using an onboard Realtek, and am ready to upgrade to get the most out of the 598s.
 
From what I've read so far, the Fiio e17 seems like the most recommended choice for a modestly priced amp/dac. My budget is preferably no higher than $150, so would these be my best bet?
 
Also, I've noticed a sizable amount (although not all) of my music, which is all in FLAC format playing through Foobar using WASAPI, has a somewhat static hiss (which tends to be more noticable when the volume is turned up). Is this more of a problem with the onboard soundcard needing to be remedied by an amp/dac, or could it be directly related to my music files?

It could definitely be the way the source material was recorded. I was surprised to see how poorly Adam Levine's songs are mastered. Lots of hiss. Some electronic music has what sounds like hiss  when it's coming out of an iPod but turns out to be "sizzle" when you hear it through a good quality DAC/Amp. 

 

[V00DEW]

Quote:

It could definitely be the way the source material was recorded. I was surprised to see how poorly Adam Levine's songs are mastered. Lots of hiss. Some electronic music has what sounds like hiss  when it's coming out of an iPod but turns out to be "sizzle" when you hear it through a good quality DAC/Amp. 

Yeah you're probably right. For instance, I have The Beatles' remastered discography in stereo (all FLAC), and I've noticed that on albums like "Abbey Road" have a much more noticeable hiss than albums such as "Rubber Soul", which sounds near perfect (even at max unamped volume).
 
Although I hope it's not a problem relating to my specific files themselves, but rather from the source recordings...

 

[bngbox]

The Fiio E17 is a fantastic little device and I've written a review on it praising it! If you need the extra types of outputs then get it. But I hear the E07K should get the job done just as well with what you're describing.