[Mortalcoil]

 It's always best to get the best headphones you can afford, and worry about the rest of the chain later.

 
 
 Agreed.
 
As mentioned you can always upgrade DACs , amps and all that good stuff as time and $$ allow.  No rush.
 
Be rest assured though that you are getting one mighty nice hp to start things off.  It's a great start.
 
Besides, simply based on your current amp / DAC budget the  O2 + ODAC will probably do nicely.

 

[up late]

I'm indecisive to a fault.  Even if I could compare and listen to all this equipment (which I cannot, unfortunately), I would still ask for y'alls opinions.  

So, in your opinion, does having the O2 + ODAC combined into one unit offer any advantage sonically vs. the stand-alone units?  



Thanks guys.

that's the problem when you ask for advice... you usually receive it.

haven't heard the 02+odac but it looks fine for the th900 specs wise.

 

[up late]

 Agreed.

As mentioned you can always upgrade DACs , amps and all that good stuff as time and $$ allow.  No rush.

Be rest assured though that you are getting one mighty nice hp to start things off.  It's a great start.

Besides, simply based on your current amp / DAC budget the  O2 + ODAC will probably do nicely.

x2

 

[Meremoth]

If anything, the combined unit might sound worse than separate dac and amp, but realistically there's probably not a huge a difference.
I was also going to recommend something more expensive than O2+ODAC, but if you are new to the audio there's no reason to dive deep into the rabbit hole immediately. It's always best to get the best headphones you can afford, and worry about the rest of the chain later.

 
Thanks for the response, Zojo.
 
Why would the combined unit have the possibility of sounding worse?  I like knowing the little technical details about things, so even if what you're talking about is theoretical, I still want to know.  
 

   
 
 Agreed.
 
As mentioned you can always upgrade DACs , amps and all that good stuff as time and $$ allow.  No rush.
 
Be rest assured though that you are getting one mighty nice hp to start things off.  It's a great start.
 
Besides, simply based on your current amp / DAC budget the  O2 + ODAC will probably do nicely.

 
Thanks for the input.  You guys are giving me some peace of mind, of which I am very grateful.
 

that's the problem when you ask for advice... you usually receive it.

haven't heard the 02+odac but it looks fine for the th900 specs wise.

 
I know you probably think of me as another random sheeple, gullible to suggestions, easily swayed, but I appreciate the expertise, kindness, and geniality of a great deal of the Head-Fi members.  
 
BTW, I don't read movie reviews before watching a movie due to the fact that a bad review can taint your experience and opinions you have about a movie, negatively, that you might otherwise have enjoyed.  So, see, I'm not a total zombie.  

 

[earthpeople]

There are a couple different lines of thinking on all-in-one vs separates. 
Some think having all in one leads to shorter wire runs between parts and less connection contact points, so fewer things to interfere with sound.
Others think having everything put in one chassis causes more interference between the parts inside and reduces sound quality. 
There are probably some other weird ideas that I haven't heard of. 
 
Personally, I would bet that you wouldn't be able to tell them apart in a test. It's really down to whether you prefer the convenience of all-in-one (fewer cables to worry about, easier to move) or separates (can replace one piece and keep the other).

 

[up late]

sensible advice

 

[Whazzzup]

There are a couple different lines of thinking on all-in-one vs separates. 
Some think having all in one leads to shorter wire runs between parts and less connection contact points, so fewer things to interfere with sound.
Others think having everything put in one chassis causes more interference between the parts inside and reduces sound quality. 
There are probably some other weird ideas that I haven't heard of. 

Personally, I would bet that you wouldn't be able to tell them apart in a test. It's really down to whether you prefer the convenience of all-in-one (fewer cables to worry about, easier to move) or separates (can replace one piece and keep the other).

To add o this discussion I would consider chord, an excellent combo, in that there is no seperation of the dac and amp. It is one, never mind a physical seperation, as this according to the desighner, negativly effects sq. then again chord does not use chips either but fpga and taps. Separates inevitably degrade the quality of the note, but that has no bearing on what folks prefer, like, want. I still look to chord as one of my reference dac amp manufacturers and I use the seperation of dac amp as a visual understanding.

 

[up late]

"Separates inevitably degrade the quality of the note"? what do you base that claim on? coz there are some ultra high-end audio manufacturers and serious audiophiles that obviously don't subscribe to that philosophy.

 

[Sonic Defender]

Degrade the note? Not trying to be confrontational, but that doesn't sound like there is much there to support that type of claim. Either all in one or separate will work fine. There are pros and cons to either approach, but any difference in sound quality is not on those lists. I personally like separates as it allows me the flexibility to keep one or both units, sell one or both units, but if I wanted the simplest solution possible all in one is fine. Chord stuff is nice, but it is very pricey. I think as has been mentioned the headphone is the most important part of this chain and the o2 gear is supposed to be competent if a bit lean sounding.

 

[Whazzzup]

Degrade the note? Not trying to be confrontational, but that doesn't sound like there is much there to support that type of claim. Either all in one or separate will work fine. There are pros and cons to either approach, but any difference in sound quality is not on those lists. I personally like separates as it allows me the flexibility to keep one or both units, sell one or both units, but if I wanted the simplest solution possible all in one is fine. Chord stuff is nice, but it is very pricey. I think as has been mentioned the headphone is the most important part of this chain and the o2 gear is supposed to be competent if a bit lean sounding.

Well folks seem my reply, as open and non confrontational as stated was some definitive opinion. May i suggest a long read on the chord threads from the desighner as to see the explanations of archetecure and thoughts beyound on seperats. They are not the only company pursuing said desighn and again this is just information and not confrontation.

 

[kurochin]

  There are a couple different lines of thinking on all-in-one vs separates. 
Some think having all in one leads to shorter wire runs between parts and less connection contact points, so fewer things to interfere with sound.
Others think having everything put in one chassis causes more interference between the parts inside and reduces sound quality. 
There are probably some other weird ideas that I haven't heard of. 
 
Personally, I would bet that you wouldn't be able to tell them apart in a test. It's really down to whether you prefer the convenience of all-in-one (fewer cables to worry about, easier to move) or separates (can replace one piece and keep the other).

 
Careful, mate. You're making too much sense. Might get banned from head-fi.

 

[Edric Li]

 

  There are a couple different lines of thinking on all-in-one vs separates. 
Some think having all in one leads to shorter wire runs between parts and less connection contact points, so fewer things to interfere with sound.
Others think having everything put in one chassis causes more interference between the parts inside and reduces sound quality. 
There are probably some other weird ideas that I haven't heard of. 
 
Personally, I would bet that you wouldn't be able to tell them apart in a test. It's really down to whether you prefer the convenience of all-in-one (fewer cables to worry about, easier to move) or separates (can replace one piece and keep the other).

 
Careful, mate. You're making too much sense. Might get banned from head-fi.

 
On point, Boiii

 

[Sonic Defender]

Well folks seem my reply, as open and non confrontational as stated was some definitive opinion. May i suggest a long read on the chord threads from the desighner as to see the explanations of archetecure and thoughts beyound on seperats. They are not the only company pursuing said desighn and again this is just information and not confrontation.

 I wasn't saying you were being confrontational, I was saying that I hoped what I wrote didn't seem confrontational. Cheers.

 

[up late]

Well folks seem my reply, as open and non confrontational as stated was some definitive opinion. May i suggest a long read on the chord threads from the desighner as to see the explanations of archetecure and thoughts beyound on seperats. They are not the only company pursuing said desighn and again this is just information and not confrontation.

so your claim is based on the manufacturer's. thought as much.

 

[goropeza]

As happy as I am with the TH 900's, I went ahead and purchased Lawton Mods for them. They made an incredible difference in my AH-D7000's and, if the difference is similar in the TH 900's, I think I will be very pleased. The big question for me is the how the bass will sound of course, as is with most people. The LA-D 7000 Lite had bass quantity and properties very similar to that of the TH 900 stock, and maybe that is the sweet spot for me. But sometimes, you just have to make the jump and trust that it's the right decision for you, and I believe most of the Lawton improvements will be welcome changes to the stock TH 900, especially in sound stage, treble harshness, and mids. Please understand for people who want to do this, it will most likely decrease the resale value of these phones in a negative way (and also voids warranty), but if trying to find your perfect sound is the true pursuit, then to me the mods are at least worth trying. After all, nobody gets into this hobby and expects to keep their wallet intact! I will be happy to share my opinions of post mod effects on the SQ after the mods are completed.