[NihavendLonga]

hello everyone, I'm new to this hi-q music thing,and I have a question. Should I pick a headphone Amp for my akg Y50 or a low level dap like fiio x1? I listen flac files.(920 kbps-2500 kbps estm.) and 320 mp3 files
Please write your recommendations and my budget is between 100-200 dollars
Thanks,
PS:I have seen the fiio e6 but can it drive a 35 ohm headphone?
PPS: I am currently listening my songs from my Xperia e1

 

[bonk]

Oblective2 is a good start IMHO. It sounds great and should be able to drive almost every headphone.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

If you get the Fiio X3II, you basically have a DAP and a DAC-HPamp for your computer. The X1 is really designed more for IEMs at a lower price, basically something to augment a smartphone (if it sucks, or for not using up its battery, or when you can't use data for Spotify) but with a lot of extra power so you can use a few other headphones as well. The X3 is the other way around - it has considerably more power for driving more headphones but digital volume control means you can use just a few button presses off zero without imbalance on IEMs (note the X1 uses digital volume control also, but still a bit lower gain so you have greater flexibility for very high sensitivity IEMs).

 

[NihavendLonga]

If you get the Fiio X3II, you basically have a DAP and a DAC-HPamp for your computer. The X1 is really designed more for IEMs at a lower price, basically something to augment a smartphone (if it sucks, or for not using up its battery, or when you can't use data for Spotify) but with a lot of extra power so you can use a few other headphones as well. The X3 is the other way around - it has considerably more power for driving more headphones but digital volume control means you can use just a few button presses off zero without imbalance on IEMs (note the X1 uses digital volume control also, but still a bit lower gain so you have greater flexibility for very high sensitivity IEMs).

Thanks for the advice,but I download my music through my phone.so is a portable amp like fiio e11 good for me?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

Thanks for the advice,but I download my music through my phone.so is a portable amp like fiio e11 good for me?

 

Does your phone have a lineout function? If it doesn't then you'll have to use the earphone output, the problem there is that you'd have to fiddle with two volume controls, on top of which whatever noise it produces but isn't audible through an earphone might be made audible by having an amplifier amplify that noise along with the rest of the output, and then the E11 might have a little bit of its own. This is why double-amping is avoided as much as possible.

 

Still, what 35ohm headphone are you using anyway? And what's the sensitivity rating on that? You might not get a lot more out of using an amp or DAC-HPamp, not to mention that I can't even see in the photos where the hell Sony put the USB port on that thing (most Xperias have them on the flank), which makes use with DACs a mess of cables, unlike whne you have it on the bottom (and with no door in the way).

 

 
 
In any case, if you don't mind using it with a DAC-HPamp, the D-Zero MKII is only $119+shipping (MkI above). Just make sure that your phone is compatible with USB DACs (with an OTG cable; iPhone with camera USB connector shown).

 

[NihavendLonga]

My headphone is a akg y50 and my phone doesn't support external usb devices, so i will have to use the 3.5 mm output.Oh and by the way the sensitivity is 115db.But i think you are right,soon i will be receiving a yamaha amp. so the fiio x3 2nd gen is better for me.
What are the differences between dac amps and just amps?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
My headphone is a akg y50 and my phone doesn't support external usb devices, so i will have to use the 3.5 mm output.Oh and by the way the sensitivity is 115db.But i think you are right,soon i will be receiving a yamaha amp. so the fiio x3 2nd gen is better for me.
What are the differences between dac amps and just amps?

 
115dB sensitivity even if rated at mV rather than mW is still sensitive enough to not get into distortion levels on your phone, unless there's some inherent problem (ex. my S3 has bass distortion driving anything directly). What Yamaha amp is that? A home theater surround receiver, integrated amplifier, or a stereo receiver?

 

[NiHaoMike]

The headphone outputs on many, if not most, digital receivers isn't particularly good. Additionally, you don't want to use the analog inputs on a digital receiver if you can help it. Those are often served by a cheap codec similar to the ones used for onboard audio. Simply put, there's little reason for manufacturers to spend more for a good codec when most users who care about quality use S/PDIF or HDMI nowadays and only a small percentage even use the headphone output at all.

 

[NihavendLonga]

A stereo receiver with two mission 60 w bookshelf speakers and a yamo subwoofer.

 

[NihavendLonga]

  The headphone outputs on many, if not most, digital receivers isn't particularly good. Additionally, you don't want to use the analog inputs on a digital receiver if you can help it. Those are often served by a cheap codec similar to the ones used for onboard audio. Simply put, there's little reason for manufacturers to spend more for a good codec when most users who care about quality use S/PDIF or HDMI nowadays and only a small percentage even use the headphone output at all.

Yeah you are right but the receiver is just a little detail i want a portable setup.