[cefx]

Hey there!
 
Setup:
MSI gaming laptop
Audioquest Dragonfly Black [soon with jitterbug]
HE-400S [soon with velour pads]
 
I've got the program source applications set to 100% volume, per the instructions for the Black. I feel as if the headphones are too loud? Is the Dragonfly Black a bad DAC/amp desktop combo for the headphones?
 
I am sensitive to harsh/cutting treble and loud volumes. I also don't want to damage my hearing.
 
Open to setup tweaking & recommendations on a DAC/amp combo under 500USD.

 

[buke9]

Hey there!

Setup:
MSI gaming laptop
Audioquest Dragonfly Black [soon with jitterbug]
HE-400S [soon with velour pads]

I've got the program source applications set to 100% volume, per the instructions for the Black. I feel as if the headphones are too loud? Is the Dragonfly Black a bad DAC/amp desktop combo for the headphones?

I am sensitive to harsh/cutting treble and loud volumes. I also don't want to damage my hearing.

Open to setup tweaking & recommendations on a DAC/amp combo under 500USD.

Don't have the dragonfly so can't say for sure but I usually set the source to max and adjust the volume from the amp. Not knowing how the dragonfly adjust volume as it doesn't have a knob on it I would just turn the source down. The 400S are easy to drive as they sound fine out of my phone so I think you might just turn it down a little and you should be fine.

 

[ZoNtO]

You're probably just hearing the result of using a high efficiency headphone (98 dB sensitivity) with a very low nominal impedance (22 ohms) on a product designed to output (a maximum of?) 1.2 volts.
 
The reason you should leave your software volume to maximum is because by reducing it via software you're irreversibly reducing the bit-depth/resolution. According to AQ, "When the music player’s volume is set to maximum and the computer’s main volume control is used, DragonFly’s onboard 64-position analog-domain volume control is able to preserve full resolution and maximum sound quality." 
 
Don't worry about what the Windows volume % says. Worry about the sound pressure level (SPL) being output from your headphones when the chain is set up as the manufacturer instructs. If you cannot dial-in the correct volume by reducing windows volume %, you are hearing the limitations of not having a traditional analog volume control (though some of those are done using stepped attenuators which can also make it hard to dial-in the perfect volume). 
 
Try an SPL measurement app on your phone and see if you can get a rough idea of how loud the headphones are playing at your usual Windows volume setting. Then check these exposure guidelines. I'd shoot for around 80dB average SPL. Peaks will be higher of course.
 
If the SPL is within healthy limits, then you're probably just hearing the grating treble of the AQ product you're listening to. It uses an ESS DAC chip after all.

 

[cefx]

Thank you for the info! I learned from your posts.
 
I picked up the Jitterbug and that made a HUGE difference in sound quality/sound stage.
 
I just ordered the iFi Micro iCAN SE to properly power these bad boys. I considered the ODAC and Schiit stack, but where I've already got the Dragonfly Black [and got a line on a cheap upgrade to the Red], I opted for the iFi amp.  I also got a really, really good deal on the iFi amp.
I'm excited!

 

[cefx]

Follow up question:
 
What is everyone's thoughts of the Dragonfly Red? I'm getting $100 off from my trade-in of my Dragonfly Black, with a 5% loyalty discount.  But I'm wondering if there's a better pairing? The iFi Micro iDSD is a bit beyond how much I want to spend. [I usually try to limit myself to ~400-500 Canadian from my paycheques on personal spending for electronics.]
The Modi Multibit is $334 Canadian at a local place,and they'll give me $40 off.
 
There are too many dissenting opinions online. Many say Audioquest are hacks/********, others say Modi Multibit isn't sufficiently good enough, etc etc...

 

[buke9]

Follow up question:

What is everyone's thoughts of the Dragonfly Red? I'm getting $100 off from my trade-in of my Dragonfly Black, with a 5% loyalty discount.  But I'm wondering if there's a better pairing? The iFi Micro iDSD is a bit beyond how much I want to spend. [I usually try to limit myself to ~400-500 Canadian from my paycheques on personal spending for electronics.]
The Modi Multibit is $334 Canadian at a local place,and they'll give me $40 off.

There are too many dissenting opinions online. Many say Audioquest are hacks/********, others say Modi Multibit isn't sufficiently good enough, etc etc...

You are going to get a lot of different views on everything. First everyone hears things differently. Secondly a lot love what they have and can't believe others don't feel the same. Your going to have to take everything with a grain of salt. Having said that I find the iFi to be very good. I have not heard the Modi Multibit yet so can't say I only heard the Red as a DAC into a Ampsandsound Kenzie amp and I thought it preformed well. I have no idea for the headphone amp though. I'm sure this helps very little but it is what I heard. This is just my opinion.