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Quote:
Fix the source first. Your instincts are right, the hp out of most computers is passable at best. The first step would be a good decent dac/amp. I did a review of the HRT on my blog (May). I have not heard all the others you mentioned but can tell you the HRT is a good one. Now this does not guarantee you will not be barking for something more in 6 months to a year. You are on Headfi after all. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Greetings all,
I've got a little free cash to spend (~$200) and I'm trying to decide what would be the best path to head down. I just recently made my first steps into higher end audio and picked up a pair of AKG K240s. I've really enjoyed them so far (not so much their customer service but that's an entirely different story). I also have a pair of Incipio F38s (rebranded FA-004 I believe) I use at the office for noise isolation reasons. I have yet to commit to reripping all of my CDs at a higher quality but that's on the to-do list and doesn't really require any more money. So... I am trying to decide where the $200 could best be spent.
To review, I have AKG K240 and the Incipio F38s. I tend to use the AKGs at home running straight out of my desktop computer (RealTek onboard audio) and the F38s at work out of a Macbook Pro through a FiiO E5. I'm guessing the E5 is unnecessary and probably doesn't do much anyway other than give a small bass boost when required and also provide inline volume control.
Would these headphones benefit from a DAC/amp combo? I've looked into the FiiO E10, the Audioengine D1, the HeadStreamer, iBasso D7, the NuForce uDAC and pretty much any other DAC/amp combo that I saw mentioned often in this price range. Or would I be better off trying out another headphone just to get more of a feel for different sound signatures, companies, etc? As far as music I'll listen to just about anything but I guess I tend to listen to more rock, country, and electronic than anything else. I do game quite a bit on the home computer (mostly FPS), but so far the sound there hasn't been much of a concern. It also seems that in that realm you're picking gaming or music but not really both (as I did look into sound cards as well.. but I figured a DAC/amp might be able to do double duty at home & the office).
The E10 was tempting at it's price, but I've read some thoughts that it doesn't make much noticeable difference. My fear is that if I spent too little $$, I'll just end up spending more on something else in a short amount of time.
Sometimes the internet makes it too easy to get overwhelmed with opinions and really confuse yourself! ..and here I am asking for more. Ha. At least this method is a little more direct and specific.
TL;DR version: I've got a couple headphones, but nothing super expensive. Wondering if there's more value in getting a DAC/amp at this point, or if I should just buy another pair of headphones and try out some more sounds.
Thanks so much!
Fix the source first. Your instincts are right, the hp out of most computers is passable at best. The first step would be a good decent dac/amp. I did a review of the HRT on my blog (May). I have not heard all the others you mentioned but can tell you the HRT is a good one. Now this does not guarantee you will not be barking for something more in 6 months to a year. You are on Headfi after all. Good luck with whatever you decide.