[The Torrent]

Im new to this so bare with me.

I currently have some Audeze EL-8 titaniums i've had for a while. I use the cipher cable for a while, then it broke and now im using my pc audio SupremeFX S1220A but i've got a replacement cipher cable on the way and i got one of these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-USB-...ocphy=1007212&hvtargid=pla-756604697944&psc=1
to plug it into my pc.

Now i ain't even tried these headphones with a proper dac amp or whatever i'm not actually sure how many components i need so someone will have to explain it to me.

So I need to know, what do I need? What components?

Is it worth getting a actual audio system to plug these into or is the cipher cable enough? I dont want to spend hundreds of pounds for a basically nothing advantage.

How much will it cost to get a dac/amp or whatever system? I want something balanced to these not overpowered and really expensive but worth the upgrade from the cipher cable and value for the money. Most likely I won't even be upgrading headphones.

I use these for music, films, gaming, everything but if the dac's not made for that for whatever reason i can easily bypass it when i need to game or something.

I dont have a budget as once again I have no clue how much this sort of stuff costs I used to have an Astell and Kern ak70mk2 but I used that with different headphones and then it ended up breaking and I got it refunded.

Thanks I look forward to your replies.

 

[tmb821]

You could go with something like the fiio q1 mkII. It is a dac/amp. It has both 3.5Mm se and 2.5mm balanced outputs. You can plug it into pc using either the 3.5mm input or usb-c. I think those are around $100 us on amazon. Might be a good way to try out amping without spending a ton of money.

 

[IceChant]

Get dongle like Meizu HIFI DAC for 3.5mm or E1DA 9038s for 2.5mm Bal and forget about anything else until you have real need for something more (Both should be on sale right now on Aliexpress).

 

[The Torrent]

Get dongle like Meizu HIFI DAC for 3.5mm or E1DA 9038s for 2.5mm Bal and forget about anything else until you have real need for something more (Both should be on sale right now on Aliexpress).

What do you mean real need? What other need can there be?

those seem a bit crap. Are they really gonna be better than the cipher cable?

 

[The Torrent]

You could go with something like the fiio q1 mkII. It is a dac/amp. It has both 3.5Mm se and 2.5mm balanced outputs. You can plug it into pc using either the 3.5mm input or usb-c. I think those are around $100 us on amazon. Might be a good way to try out amping without spending a ton of money.

Try out amping? Is that gonna sound noticeably better than the provided cipher cable tho? It costs about the same amount.

 

[IceChant]

What do you mean real need? What other need can there be?

those seem a bit crap. Are they really gonna be better than the cipher cable?

Anker USB-C to Lightning Audio Adapter, isn't better than Meizu HIFI Pro, looks can and will deceive you in this hobby.
With that being said, if you got the dongle and can't return not big deal it'll still be solid but and seem to have another power output to be used with the headphone, just with planar sometimes having extra power even when not used is useful.
Nothing wrong with Cipher Lightning Cable, you have it so might as well use it.
When I say other needs I meant, your needs might change with different gear, honestly I wish you'll find all you need and keep being happy with Audeze EL-8 and don't partake the constant chase for next thing.

 

[The Torrent]

Anker USB-C to Lightning Audio Adapter, isn't better than Meizu HIFI Pro, looks can and will deceive you in this hobby.
With that being said, if you got the dongle and can't return not big deal it'll still be solid but and seem to have another power output to be used with the headphone, just with planar sometimes having extra power even when not used is useful.
Nothing wrong with Cipher Lightning Cable, you have it so might as well use it.
When I say other needs I meant, your needs might change with different gear, honestly I wish you'll find all you need and keep being happy with Audeze EL-8 and don't partake the constant chase for next thing.

The dongle just converts usb c to lightning for my pc it does not have a dac inbuilt.

So you think the Meizu is better than the cipher cable itself?

The anker cable still gives extra power it should work exactly the same way.

Needs change with different gear? Such as what? I dont understand, this is an audiophile forum where we want best sound. I purchased some headphones, they happened to come with a cipher cable, and now im looking for a dac and amp. Should I not buy a dac/amp? I don't understand.

I'm very happy with the el-8's, but i want to get the most for my money out of them. It even says in the manual that i can 'greatly increase music quality by purchasing an external amp/dac'.

I'm thinking of Schiit Stack right now, should I leave it then and stick with cipher cable?

 

[tmb821]

Try out amping? Is that gonna sound noticeably better than the provided cipher cable tho? It costs about the same amount.

If the cipher doesn’t amp, then yes, the mkII will sound better. Very few headphones don’t gain anything from amplification. Buy it from amazon, try it, if it doesn’t suit you, return it.

 

[IceChant]

The dongle just converts usb c to lightning for my pc it does not have a dac inbuilt.

So you think the Meizu is better than the cipher cable itself?

The anker cable still gives extra power it should work exactly the same way.

Needs change with different gear? Such as what? I dont understand, this is an audiophile forum where we want best sound. I purchased some headphones, they happened to come with a cipher cable, and now im looking for a dac and amp. Should I not buy a dac/amp? I don't understand.

I'm very happy with the el-8's, but i want to get the most for my money out of them. It even says in the manual that i can 'greatly increase music quality by purchasing an external amp/dac'.

I'm thinking of Schiit Stack right now, should I leave it then and stick with cipher cable?

Notice the end there already with that slippery slop of looking to upgrade and maybe needing more...

Let's try and break it down:

• First mistake on me I assumed and didn't really read as the link as your whole solution is built around the Cipher cable, 'Anker' 'Apple' also has 'usb-c to 3.5mm' (which is dac/amp) which I automatically assumed and didn't think much of it.

Now Let's explain audiophiles have two basic needs from which DAC and Amp provide respectively:

• Clean signal chain from source to gear.
• Power output for the headphones/speakers drivers.

Nothing IMHO is wrong with any solution as long that works for you, so you can just do that get the 'Anker USB-C to Lightning Audio Adapter' add to it 'Cipher cable' and you covered both needs if that works for you it's fine and it's perfect for your needs, no need to go and look for more or whatever else or get 'Schiit Stack' as you have no real need for it.

 

[The Torrent]

Notice the end there already with that slippery slop of looking to upgrade and maybe needing more...

Let's try and break it down:

• First mistake on me I assumed and didn't really read as the link as your whole solution is built around the Cipher cable, 'Anker' 'Apple' also has 'usb-c to 3.5mm' (which is dac/amp) which I automatically assumed and didn't think much of it.

Now Let's explain audiophiles have two basic needs from which DAC and Amp provide respectively:

• Clean signal chain from source to gear.
• Power output for the headphones/speakers drivers.

Nothing IMHO is wrong with any solution as long that works for you, so you can just do that get the 'Anker USB-C to Lightning Audio Adapter' add to it 'Cipher cable' and you covered both needs if that works for you it's fine and it's perfect for your needs, no need to go and look for more or whatever else or get 'Schiit Stack' as you have no real need for it.

I dont understand

• Clean signal chain from source to gear.

You can buy £200 and £2000 dac's. If the £200 does fine why does anyone buy a £2000 one?

And respectively im trying to do the same. Will a seperate table dac not sound a lot better than one that is tiny and just inline?
I dont care about noise etc. So I understand the amp point now and buy the cheapest amp if I do come to buy the schiit. But I do care about overall sound quality, soundstage, seperation of the frequencies etc. and all the stuff people talk about on these forums all the time. I dont understand the words such as how something can have a weak shading but strong imagery lol like some people speak of it like a picture, but I can tell the difference between my computers inbuilt dac and a external one.

 

[The Torrent]

If the cipher doesn’t amp, then yes, the mkII will sound better. Very few headphones don’t gain anything from amplification. Buy it from amazon, try it, if it doesn’t suit you, return it.

Cipher does amp so i guess I dont need an amp alongside this, I guess I only need a schitt stack amp if i get the dac.

 

[tmb821]

Cipher does amp so i guess I dont need an amp alongside this, I guess I only need a schitt stack amp if i get the dac.

There you go then.

 

[The Torrent]

There you go then.

yea but its just trying to decide if i need a dac now.
I'd buy a modi and magni if i bought one now but i know no better.
And as per this thread trying to decide if it will be all that better quality than the cipher cable

 

[IceChant]

yea but its just trying to decide if i need a dac now.
I'd buy a modi and magni if i bought one now but i know no better.
And as per this thread trying to decide if it will be all that better quality than the cipher cable

The Cipher cable is dac/amp, you don't need anything else, thinking otherwise just complicates things for no reason.
You won't benefit from separate Dac right now and if the Cipher cable won't do its job just consider things there, if you don't know any better than why blind buy something just for sake of buying...

 

[The Torrent]

The Cipher cable is dac/amp, you don't need anything else, thinking otherwise just complicates things for no reason.
You won't benefit from separate Dac right now and if the Cipher cable won't do its job just consider things there, if you don't know any better than why blind buy something just for sake of buying...

I used to use dt770's and i blind bought my audeze el8 titaniums and it was the best purchase I ever made.

I dont know whats out there
I dont know how much better sound you can get
which is why I was asking on this forum.

I think im understanding that your saying the difference between like cipher cable and a magni multibit is very little hence not worth it.
In which case I will greatly consider your advice and will most likely not bother buying a dac now unless 2 or more people give me different advice.

Thanks for your help.