[RomStar]

Hello everyone,

I am very new to audio and all this, but I very much appreciate my sound (And thank Head-Fi for that)

Now, I have never owned an Amp or DAC, but I know what they do. However I'm very confused in what to invest in, and it seems people generally get Amps before Dacs (Could be wrong)

My Tech: (Barebones ATM)

Galaxy Note 5 Exyonos With Wolfson DAC

KZ ZS5
Rock Zircons
Re-Max D610
Beats Tour 2

Now I rarely use my PC for listening to music, and I stream all my music via Spotify (Extreme Quality). I also use a few FLAC files for listening offline as well.

Now can anyone suggest what my next upgrade should? I also have a very vague idea about Headphone Impedance, so any info on that is appreciated.

So do I invest in a new DAC or Amp with my current items? Or am I better off just getting better and more expensive IEMs/Headphones?

I mostly use IEMs as I'm on the move, and very rarely use Headphones. Any suggestion or guidance regarding this is highly appreciated

- RomStar

Edit: Budget Around $200-150 (Either IEMs, DAC or AMP)

Preferences: I prefer clarity and crispness, not into excessive bass

I also like neutral sound signatures, i tend to listen to a lot of genres of music

Genres I listen to most: EDM, Rock, Indie/Alt Rock, RnB, Rap (No Classical)

 

[cossix]

I'd strongly suggest buying new headphones before you bother with any amp or dac, perhaps if you list your budget, listening environment, preferred sound, and what theyd be used for (gaming, movies, music, all of that) then we could help steer you in the right direction! Buying gear for your beats isn't quite worth it

 

[voxie]

Hello everyone,

I am very new to audio and all this, but I very much appreciate my sound (And thank Head-Fi for that)

Now, I have never owned an Amp or DAC, but I know what they do. However I'm very confused in what to invest in, and it seems people generally get Amps before Dacs (Could be wrong)

My Tech: (Barebones ATM)

Galaxy Note 5 Exyonos With Wolfson DAC

KZ ZS5
Rock Zircons
Re-Max D610
Beats Tour 2

Now I rarely use my PC for listening to music, and I stream all my music via Spotify (Extreme Quality). I also use a few FLAC files for listening offline as well.

Now can anyone suggest what my next upgrade should? I also have a very vague idea about Headphone Impedance, so any info on that is appreciated.

So do I invest in a new DAC or Amp with my current items? Or am I better off just getting better and more expensive IEMs/Headphones?

I mostly use IEMs as I'm on the move, and very rarely use Headphones. Any suggestion or guidance regarding this is highly appreciated

- RomStar

Hi, why not invest in a DAP. Maybe look into the Fiio X1. Best of both worlds regarding DAC and Amp? The most important part of the audio chain is a "decent" set of IEM'S. Another suggestion would invest in a external amp to add an extra expansion while listening via your Galaxy Note 5. The Fiio Killmanjaro 2 is a great little amp.

 

[RomStar]

I'd strongly suggest buying new headphones before you bother with any amp or dac, perhaps if you list your budget, listening environment, preferred sound, and what theyd be used for (gaming, movies, music, all of that) then we could help steer you in the right direction! Buying gear for your beats isn't quite worth it

Ahhh, totally agreed,
I dont even like them....but back then i didnt know better

It feels like wasted money...even my cheap $10 remax outperforms them. My budget is around $200

Well, i actually listen to EDM, Rock, Indie Rock and Rap/RnB. I dont really use headphones when i game, and not that im a serious gamer anyways. So are there any IEMs you would suggest? I like neutral sound stages and im not into ear shattering bass. Also whats your opinion on Zircons or ZS5? Wasted money or meh for now?

Hi, why not invest in a DAP. Maybe look into the Fiio X1. Best of both worlds regarding DAC and Amp? The most important part of the audio chain is a "decent" set of IEM'S. Another suggestion would invest in a external amp to add an extra expansion while listening via your Galaxy Note 5. The Fiio Killmanjaro 2 is a great little amp.

Thanks a lot for the reply! I was looking into Fiio E12 (i think) and i was like: hmmm, no idea what im looking at. Im actually really liking the Killmanjaro 2

Also, you think my IEMs are decent or upgrade them first? I have around $200 i can spare ATM, so i wanna get the best value out of them

 

[HBen]

my advise would be:
with 200$ you can buy a used hd600 or 650 (depending on sound pref.) and be sound wise way better of than with any dac or amp money can buy with your current gear.
If it really needs to be portable buy some good iems on the used market and just get new foam tips. Often 500$ iems can be bought used for 200$ and less.

 

[RomStar]

my advise would be:
with 200$ you can buy a used hd600 or 650 (depending on sound pref.) and be sound wise way better of than with any dac or amp money can buy with your current gear.

Ah, thanks for the advice, but I have one concern

Can my note 5 even power the hd600 or 650?

The biggest issue so far is, it's way outta my budget, around $600 new and used is 300. Anything else around 200 you can suggest? Oh, also, what's a good place to look for them used? A link would be highly appreciated

 

[voxie]

Maybe this idea might be of help..based on personal experience. So you have 200 bucks to spend. Start of with your iems. The RHA 750i retails for around 99 dollars. Great iem for the price and come with a 3 year warranty. The important aspect is to get a good seal re bass. The Fiio Killam 2 can be purchased I gather for 50 am open to price differential. @HBen said invest in a used HD600 / 650., they are great headphones but will not suit your needs as they are open back and require a bit of power via your phone.

 

[HBen]

if it really needs to be portable and driven by a smartphone I'd buy the best used iems within my budget.
Lots if iem buying advise on this forum
For buying used gear try audio forums in your country, otherwise audiogon or ebay might be an option.

 

[RomStar]

Maybe this idea might be of help..based on personal experience. So you have 200 bucks to spend. Start of with your iems. The RHA 750i retails for around 99 dollars. Great iem for the price and come with a 3 year warranty. The important aspect is to get a good seal re bass. The Fiio Killam 2 can be purchased I gather for 50 am open to price differential. @HBen said invest in a used HD600 / 650., they are great headphones but will not suit your needs as they are open back and require a bit of power via your phone.

Thanks a lot! I'll certainly try and snab those IEMs if they are what I'm looking for. A $100 pair helps on my wallet a lot as well

Also, Fiio Killmanjaro 2 is around 90 here (Isn't that Killam 2), so it's a snug 190$ combo

if it really needs to be portable and driven by a smartphone I'd buy the best used iems within my budget.
Lots if iem buying advise on this forum
For buying used gear try audio forums in your country, otherwise audiogon or ebay might be an option.

Ah, thanks for the reply, so what would your choice of IEM be for $200? Do name a used pair so I can do a bit of comparison with the RHA 750i

 

[RomStar]

Maybe this idea might be of help..based on personal experience. So you have 200 bucks to spend. Start of with your iems. The RHA 750i retails for around 99 dollars. Great iem for the price and come with a 3 year warranty. The important aspect is to get a good seal re bass. The Fiio Killam 2 can be purchased I gather for 50 am open to price differential. @HBen said invest in a used HD600 / 650., they are great headphones but will not suit your needs as they are open back and require a bit of power via your phone.

Ouch, there is a half star review of the RHA 750i in Head-Fi that kinda scares me, is that a legit review or clash with prefences? He says it has harsh treble and so on

The review:https://www.head-fi.org/f/showcase/rha-ma750i.16611/

 

[HBen]

hmm I'm not an expert on iems but a used campfire orion would fit the bill or a shure 535 ... lots of options here.

 

[voxie]

Sorry that was a typo re Killmanjaro 2, that's what I meant. Again not to confuse.. the fiio x1 dap maybe a great option. I gather they retail for around 199 bucks? Your budget will actually go far if you look around the threads. Try and keep focused regarding your budget and your sound preference re Bass Mids Treble. Listening environment is also an important factor.

 

[voxie]

Ouch, there is a half star review of the RHA 750i in Head-Fi that kinda scares me, is that a legit review or clash with prefences? He says it has harsh treble and so on

The review:https://www.head-fi.org/f/showcase/rha-ma750i.16611/

Is that 4.5 out of 5? If it is, great! When I see someone giving 5 out of 5 I actually ignore the review. A great guy to check out is @Brooko. He has posted fantastic detailed and honest reviews.