I've been using the headphone jack on my Komplete Audio 6 interface with a pair of DT-770s for the last year. It sounds fine, but I've noticed that even Spotify tracks on my iphone 8 sound better than this setup. I just got some JH Audio Angie IEMs and the sound is simply unacceptable (very muddy) on this rig. Would a headphone amp in front of the audio interface help with the monitoring quality? How would this work?
I compose mostly with high quality orchestral samples into Cubase and I'm looking to get the highest quality playback in my IEMs. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
How do these work with the Komplete Audio 6? Do I use the line outs on the interface?
Also, if I’m not recording instruments (just using samples with my midi controller), could the Dragonfly or Mojo replace my interface and sound better when listening back?
I've been using the headphone jack on my Komplete Audio 6 interface with a pair of DT-770s for the last year. It sounds fine, but I've noticed that even Spotify tracks on my iphone 8 sound better than this setup. I just got some JH Audio Angie IEMs and the sound is simply unacceptable (very muddy) on this rig. Would a headphone amp in front of the audio interface help with the monitoring quality? How would this work?
I compose mostly with high quality orchestral samples into Cubase and I'm looking to get the highest quality playback in my IEMs. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
The JH Audio Angie are only 17-Ohms and i'm guessing the headphone jack on the Audio Interface has a high output impedance, which I'm guessing gives the IEMs a bloated (louder, less detailed) bass, among other sound issues.
A Fiio A3 ($60) headphone amp, has a headphone jack has a very low output impedance (>1-Ohms), so much better at driving low Ohm headphones, but you would want to connect the A3 to an un-balanced line output, but so far it looks like the line-outputs on the Komplete are balanced output ports?
The SPDIF looks like the way to get digital out to a separate DAC/AMP which will match the monitors your using. I could totally be wrong here, but I figure they have to have a simple mix down digital out. I simply don’t know what the 5/6 marking stand for?
In this situation if you discover the SPDIF does infact carry the complete mix-down out, your going to need a simple coaxial digital cable. It’s going to look like a regular RCA except it will have directional line marks showing how one end is to be connected to the device, and the other your new DAC/Amp. Look around and you will find a huge selection of DAC/amps with toslink digital in puts. Don’t get confused as the optical inputs can be called toslink too.
It looks like 5/6 may show up as output channels on your computer desktop. Also normally the DAW stations have a way to get the sound off the computer out with USB. Thus there is always a chance that simply hooking up a USB cable into a different USB plug (while your Native Instruments device is plugged in) Then simply go USB out to a DAC/amp. Just to let you know how common having USB and toslink digital coaxial is, both my Sony DAC/amp has both USB and RCA style toslink and my Cambridge Audio DACMagic plus has both.
I simply can’t help you find a DAC/amp which you will like the best with your monitors, your going to need to shop around for that.
I've been using the headphone jack on my Komplete Audio 6 interface with a pair of DT-770s for the last year. It sounds fine, but I've noticed that even Spotify tracks on my iphone 8 sound better than this setup. I just got some JH Audio Angie IEMs and the sound is simply unacceptable (very muddy) on this rig. Would a headphone amp in front of the audio interface help with the monitoring quality? How would this work?
I compose mostly with high quality orchestral samples into Cubase and I'm looking to get the highest quality playback in my IEMs. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
Plug IEMs into an Audio Interface?
Are you using the IEMs for audio production (creating, editing, mixing, etc)?
Or just using the IEMs for audio enjoyment? and still using the DT770 for audio production?
Plug IEMs into an Audio Interface?
Are you using the IEMs for audio production (creating, editing, mixing, etc)?
Or just using the IEMs for audio enjoyment? and still using the DT770 for audio production?
I got the IEMs mostly for my own enjoyment, but I would also like to see what they are capable of in the audio production sphere.
Since I spent so much $$$ it would be great to get them playing nicely with my rig
I got the IEMs mostly for my own enjoyment, but I would also like to see what they are capable of in the audio production sphere.
Since I spent so much $$$ it would be great to get them playing nicely with my rig
One option is to replace the Komplete, with an Audio Interface that comes with an un-balanced line-output, so you could connect a separate headphone amplifier to it.
Or you could get something like a FiiO Q1 MK II, disconnect the Audio Interface and plug in the FiiO Q1 (for connecting the JH Audio to).
*edit*
I just called Sweetwater and they were able to confirm that channel 5/6 are indeed unbalanced. Woohoo!
It looks like I’m in the market for a headphone amp like the above mentioned Fiio A3. Would there be any benefit to getting a more souped up AMP/DAC to get the best quality? Would a DAC even do anything if it’s going through an interface first?
Man, I’m really ignorant about how all of this works
*edit*
I just called Sweetwater and they were able to confirm that channel 5/6 are indeed unbalanced. Woohoo!
It looks like I’m in the market for a headphone amp like the above mentioned Fiio A3. Would there be any benefit to getting a more souped up AMP/DAC to get the best quality? Would a DAC even do anything if it’s going through an interface first?
Man, I’m really ignorant about how all of this works
As long as your running an digital audio signal ( PC >USB >Komplete) thru the Audio Interface, your stuck using the Komplete as the DAC function.
As your trying to drive IEMs, the A3 is more then enough.
In this situation if you discover the SPDIF does infact carry the complete mix-down out, your going to need a simple coaxial digital cable. It’s going to look like a regular RCA except it will have directional line marks showing how one end is to be connected to the device, and the other your new DAC/Amp
Just to clarify, is this the cable I will need to go from my interface to my Fiio A3? I just bought one and it’s on the way from amazon. The male ends of these coaxial cables will fit the 3.5mm audio port on my Fiio?
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