[Winterlord]

Hello all, I've just recently bought a Grado SR225 and I'm planning to get a DT880/250 For gaming and more laid back, wider soundstage listening.

The first thing I noticed is that the Grado's bass sounded much fuller with an amp (When I auditioned them they were connected to a Grace Design m902). However, I have a decent source in my PC (Asus Xonar d2 - PCM1796 DAC and LM4562 front op-amp) and a Cowon A2 for portable use. I was thinking of getting a portable amp with dac for portable use and plugging it to my other computer (Which is not at my home and have an on-board sound card).
The thing is that lately there are many great portable amps but my budget does not allow the higher end ones (such as the pico

) so I was thinking about either a 2Move, an iBasso D2 or any other amp in that price range (~200$). I am only worried about the 2Move's 44.1Khz DAC because many games and maybe some movies have a higher sample rate (48Khz and above).
I was also thinking to maybe later invest in some good home amp for the main rig, and was considering the Zero with it's good DAC and nice amp, plus it's bargain price, or a LD MKIII (amp only) since I have a good DAC already.

So, what amp will synergize well with these 2 cans?

Is an amp for home use totally redundant?

Will a tube amp could possible be any good for gaming or will it ruin the experience?

I know these are a lot of question, but I have been researching about amps and couldn't find a direct answer, because the cans are very different so I didn't know what amp will work well with both of them.

Thanks for the help!!!

 

[Penchum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winterlord /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hello all, I've just recently bought a Grado SR225 and I'm planning to get a DT880/250 For gaming and more laid back, wider soundstage listening. The first thing I noticed is that the Grado's bass sounded much fuller with an amp (When I auditioned them they were connected to a Grace Design m902). However, I have a decent source in my PC (Asus Xonar d2 - PCM1796 DAC and LM4562 front op-amp) and a Cowon A2 for portable use. I was thinking of getting a portable amp with dac for portable use and plugging it to my other computer (Which is not at my home and have an on-board sound card). The thing is that lately there are many great portable amps but my budget does not allow the higher end ones (such as the pico ) so I was thinking about either a 2Move, an iBasso D2 or any other amp in that price range (~200$). I am only worried about the 2Move's 44.1Khz DAC because many games and maybe some movies have a higher sample rate (48Khz and above). I was also thinking to maybe later invest in some good home amp for the main rig, and was considering the Zero with it's good DAC and nice amp, plus it's bargain price, or a LD MKIII (amp only) since I have a good DAC already. So, what amp will synergize well with these 2 cans? Is an amp for home use totally redundant? Will a tube amp could possible be any good for gaming or will it ruin the experience? I know these are a lot of question, but I have been researching about amps and couldn't find a direct answer, because the cans are very different so I didn't know what amp will work well with both of them. Thanks for the help!!!

Whew! Ok. I had to read that a couple of times.

I think you were on the right path to begin with, considering your budget.
Portable is going to cost you extra, if you decide to do it that way. If playing audio from the second computer is important, then you may need to buy the portable solutions.

If you decided to go with the desktop solutions, then I don't believe having a desktop headphone amp would be redundant, especially if you have an external DAC/Amp first, like the Zero.

There have been many who have great sound cards, decided to try the Zero via Optical or Coaxial and loved the results. Some have added on tube amps later, like the MKIII and really enjoy their setups now. The added flexibility lets them customize the end result to their liking.

According to what I have read from MKIII owners, the MKIII should work great with your headphones. There are some owners who are running their MKIIIs directly from their sound cards. Back when I tried this with my X-Fi extreme music card, the results were great, but once I added the Zero into the setup, it got much better.

I've only heard a couple of comments about gaming, and they were usually about the ability to hear their surroundings better, like people running toward them, or cocking a gun.

I hope this helps some!

 

[breakfastchef]

I am upgrading from an Electric Avenues PA2V2 portable amp to something 'higher up the food chain'. I want something with versatility - USB/DAC for use with a laptop computer, optical outputs, ability to roll op amps, charging via wall wart, under $300, gain switch and portability. After reading through hundreds of pages on Head-Fi, I will be ordering an iBasso D1this week. Overall, this is among the most versatile amps on the market at an attractive price. I decided not to wait for the release of the D2 as I understand it may not have USB/DAC.

Interesting that you identified the MKIII as a possible choice. I am also attracted to this Little Dot for non-portable home setup. What a trenendous value!! I would may 'pull the trigger' on the MKIII as I get closer to choosing a new CD player. I found the Marantz 5001 and 4001 models under $200 - refurbished.

Let us know what you decide to do.

 

[Winterlord]

First of all, thanks for the help Penchum and breakfastchef!

Sorry if my sentences were a bit broken, I was kinda trying to stuff a lot of information in a small amount of text.

I am thinking portable, because I will need to play music from a bunch of computers, including my girlfriend's.
But, I would like to have a great main rig so I will also invest in a home system. I was just verifying it's not an absurd idea

BTW breakfastchef, the D2 will have a DAC and it's the same one the pico has. The main difference from the D1 is that the D1 could serve as a line out, and the D2 don't. The other difference is that only USB input is available for the DAC, as opposed to coaxial and optical in the D1.

I am still waiting for reviews about the 2Move's DAC and the D2, but also wondering if the Zero has a good synergy with Grado and the DT880/250.

Right now the main candidates are the Zero for the home rig (Great DAC, integrated good amp) and a D2 for portable use (The same DAC as the pico, the same amp as the P2 which is considered very nice). Both have great value.

 

[Winterlord]

Now that I have been thinking about it, what should I purchase first, the Zero or the LD MKIII?

I already hav a DAC, so an amp is more needed, but I don't know if tube sound is good for gaming or if I even like tube sound.. It sounds like it's nice and warm, and I love warm sound, but I also like very clear highs..
What do you think should I get first?

And how's the 2Move DAC compared to that of the iBasso or some of the other portable DAC/AMP combos out there around 200$?
Sorry for all the questions, I simply want to spend my money wisely because I don't have very much of it

Thank you for your help

 

[unknown123]

If I'm not mistaken the move DAC should do 48khz: Sampling frequencies (USB) 32 / 44.1 / 48 kHz

 

[Uncle Erik]

Tube amps sound different from each other. The biggest split comes along topology, whether the amp is single-ended, output transformerless or push-pull. Then the tubes used will make a difference, as well. If I were you, I'd figure a budget then look at the amps that fall into it. Be sure to consider the used amps, as well.

You'll probably want tubes for the SR-225 and DT880. Both sound terrific with them.

As for gaming, I really have no idea. Though I'm not sure why tubes or solid state would affect the experience much, if at all. 100% of the signal will go through, it'll just be interpreted differently.

 

[Penchum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winterlord /img/forum/go_quote.gif Now that I have been thinking about it, what should I purchase first, the Zero or the LD MKIII? I already hav a DAC, so an amp is more needed, but I don't know if tube sound is good for gaming or if I even like tube sound.. It sounds like it's nice and warm, and I love warm sound, but I also like very clear highs.. What do you think should I get first? And how's the 2Move DAC compared to that of the iBasso or some of the other portable DAC/AMP combos out there around 200$? Sorry for all the questions, I simply want to spend my money wisely because I don't have very much of it Thank you for your help

You already have the DAC in your sound card, right? So you are thinking of hooking an amp directly to it's output? If it is clean and clear, this should work just fine. The other way would be to get a DAC/Amp like the Zero, and use it's built-in headphone amp until you have saved enough to pickup the MKIII. In your situation, you could do either one.

 

[Winterlord]

Well, I am using the sound card's DAC right now and it's VERY clear.. I get absolutely no hiss or background noise no matter what the volume is, and it has great quality.. It's actually considered one of the better sounding cards right now..
So I guess I will get the LD first, hope they ship here and there won't be a problem with the customs..
We will have a headphone meet next month, so maybe I will get to try tube amps and see if I like the sound of them..

Anyway.. Thanks.

 

[Penchum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winterlord /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, I am using the sound card's DAC right now and it's VERY clear.. I get absolutely no hiss or background noise no matter what the volume is, and it has great quality.. It's actually considered one of the better sounding cards right now.. So I guess I will get the LD first, hope they ship here and there won't be a problem with the customs.. We will have a headphone meet next month, so maybe I will get to try tube amps and see if I like the sound of them.. Anyway.. Thanks.

No problem at all!

When you email DavidZ about the amp, ask him about the customs situation as well. He handles all the orders and pretty much knows what works and where. Good Luck and keep us posted!!