[zachgraz]

That's a big statement (and maybe a blessing at the same time since i've been considering the Mojo for a while).

Out of curiosity, are you using some type of EQ on the HTC 10 when comparing both DACs?

I use EQ with Neutron Player APP and I have Viper4Android running on the HTC but comparing the 2 I left all effects turned off. The HTC 10 sounds a bit rounder and softer than the Mojo with similar detail retrieval. Mojo can sound more dynamic but also harsh at times.
Again it is a matter of taste - I can imagine some people might prefer the Mojo over the HTC 10.

 

[rutter]

Help me out here. I think the DAC of my iPod Video might suck (released 2008). So keep in mind I need a portable solution that works with a 30-pin connector as there's no lightning or whatever cable here. I have a few short "charging cables" I got that do work for interaction between iTunes and my iPod. Will these cables work on a dac/amp that unlike the Fiio A5 amplifier only cannot be connected through the little cable you just plug in where the headphones would go? The Nano iDSD Black Label is an option. Alarmingly, I tried it with DT 770 250 ohm and it barely drove that. Not the concern here. The issue here is I didn't hear much of a difference between my motherboard and it... ***. But now my iPod appears more problematic than my computer. Any opinions on portable dac/amps at around $300 maximum that will work with an older iPod requiring 30-pin connection?

 

[rutter]

Ok, explain something to me. How the hell do you bypa ss the DAC on this freaking thing?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NTR49FI/

I want to make sure that I'm using both the DAC and amp of a device and I keep reading that you might end up using only the amp. To be honest on these pictures I don't even see how to connect it to a music player. Everything is on the other side?

https://usa.denon.com/us/product/hifi/dac/da10

"The DA-10 comes with multiple connection cables for compatibility with the widest range of portable music players and smartphones. The USB-30 pin cable is compatible with many Apple® devices, including iPod®, iPod touch®, iPhone® and iPad®."

...Someone break this down for my dumbass. It was released two-three years prior but for some reason on their site it costs twice as much. Is this thing better than the Nano? I could compare the specs but I'm not awfully informed.

Looking at the specs both actually look quite weak. It almost appears using the A5 with them is a good idea, but then why pay for the amp. A search for a portable dac only didn't turn up anything.

 

[mcbaon]

I can't undestand why this obsession with distortion. If you hear at the levels required for this phone to distort, you will get hearing damage. Enjoy the phone and relax.

 

[rutter]

Turns out the iDSD Nano BL is completely incompatible with iPod preceding the Touch. Can someone school me on hi-res music, comprehensively? Not as much interested in how it works but how to access it, how to perhaps convert an existing library (iTunes bought music any good, by the way? I have a few hundred songs converted from youtube, some cd imports as well), is it worth it, whether some file types might die out and the direction I should take, how extensive the available music is (e.g. 90s dance, movie and WWE themes, trance classics, 60s-80s hits, rap/hip-hop, random music, contemporary, etc.) I'm also really worried about what's going to happen with my Samsung Galaxy 7 battery.

 

[zachgraz]

You are slightly off topic.

 

[rutter]

The topic is getting the most out of these headphones. I can confirm that apparently doesn't happen under any circumstances with $1200 already down. I bet there would be people coming across this thread who'd like to know the whole picture.

 

[BuddhaBruce]

The topic is getting the most out of these headphones. I can confirm that apparently doesn't happen under any circumstances with $1200 already down. I bet there would be people coming across this thread who'd like to know the whole picture.

Spotify premium is pretty good..

 

[rutter]

To clarify, despite how these headphones might be marketed they do not appear to be take out of the box and feel wonderful. Certain claims like just plug them into your phone appear false at worst and incomplete at best. The way hi-fi headphones appear to work in general these threads should have a whole section of prerequisites for actually making the headphones worthwhile, which would give an accurate picture of the full cost as well.

 

[rutter]

Out of curiosity, do any of you have the HE-400i to compare with directly? I'd be very interested to read what differences you hear between the two and whether it's worth spending 5-6 times as much on the HEXv2. If you're using your fancy and extremely expensive peripherals can you downgrade to for instance just through a phone or music player and compare the sound? I'm listening to both headphones through the iDSD Nano Black Label and my computer right now and the HEXv2 is not close to worth it. Like, where is the threshold for what else I'd need to buy to have these headphones make sense versus the 400i? The HEXv2 is easier to drive than the 400i, by the way. I am very confused.

 

[Vatnos]

I personally liked the Edition X at least as much as the HD800 and LCD3 from an Apex Sangaku. There were tradeoffs between the three and it's a matter of preference. I liked the HEX tonality more which is part of why I went for it originally, but I could definitely see someone going for the HD800 soundstage or the LCD3 slam instead. I felt the differences between that vs the Focal Utopia on an Eddie Current ZDS were not worth the price difference. Mind you this was my Edition X, not a demo unit with special properties.

However that particular amp is quite pricey, and hard to come by these days. I bought the Edition X thinking it would scale down better, but as you've noted it clearly doesn't scale down as well as HiFiMan advertises. They don't need a lot of power but they do need CLEAN power, and most low end desktop and portable amps won't cut it in terms of cleanliness.

I have tested it on numerous amps and the cheapest one that I felt extracted a reasonable amount of detail from them was the Geek Out V2+ in balanced mode. I also feel the HEXv2 benefits in a significant way from balanced, and I would highly advise replacing the cable.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Out of curiosity, do any of you have the HE-400i to compare with directly? I'd be very interested to read what differences you hear between the two and whether it's worth spending 5-6 times as much on the HEXv2. If you're using your fancy and extremely expensive peripherals can you downgrade to for instance just through a phone or music player and compare the sound? I'm listening to both headphones through the iDSD Nano Black Label and my computer right now and the HEXv2 is not close to worth it. Like, where is the threshold for what else I'd need to buy to have these headphones make sense versus the 400i? The HEXv2 is easier to drive than the 400i, by the way. I am very confused. No joking, maybe the biggest difference I can spot between the two favoring the HEXv2 is harsher treble on the 400i. The Nano BL is still an audio product. Doesn't it even have the same DAC as the very well regarded Micro ($600)? It has just enough power to drive the 400i and more than enough for the HEX.

Sell your Hex and buy the Sundara for $499.

 

[rutter]

No joking, maybe the biggest difference I can spot between the two favoring the HEXv2 is harsher treble on the 400i. The Nano BL is still an audio product. Doesn't it even have the same DAC as the very well regarded Micro ($600)? It has just enough power to drive the 400i and more than enough for the HEX. What's wrong with the Nano BL vs the Micro BL for these easy to drive headphones, Vatnos?

Not a chance in hell I'm buying a middle product of Hifiman's between these two headphones, by the way. If I return the HEX I'm staying with the 400i.

How do I run balanced?

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

No joking, maybe the biggest difference I can spot between the two favoring the HEXv2 is harsher treble on the 400i. The Nano BL is still an audio product. Doesn't it even have the same DAC as the very well regarded Micro ($600)? It has just enough power to drive the 400i and more than enough for the HEX. What's wrong with the Nano BL vs the Micro BL for these easy to drive headphones, Vatnos?

Not a chance in hell I'm buying a middle product of Hifiman's between these two headphones, by the way. If I return the HEX I'm staying with the 400i.

How do I run balanced?

Sundara is easier to drive, smoother treble, much better build quality, higher quality and more comfortable earpads, and 80% thinner diaphragm for faster speed and detail retrieval. In addition, The Source AV is selling them at a discounted rate this coming Saturday...

 

[Vatnos]

No joking, maybe the biggest difference I can spot between the two favoring the HEXv2 is harsher treble on the 400i. The Nano BL is still an audio product. Doesn't it even have the same DAC as the very well regarded Micro ($600)? It has just enough power to drive the 400i and more than enough for the HEX. What's wrong with the Nano BL vs the Micro BL for these easy to drive headphones, Vatnos?

Not a chance in hell I'm buying a middle product of Hifiman's between these two headphones, by the way. If I return the HEX I'm staying with the 400i.

How do I run balanced?

Never tried those amps, so I cannot personally say anything for or against them. I only have anecdotes to go by, but there are some folks in the XDuoo XD-05 thread that feel the XD-05 flat out beats them, as well as the Mojo... and one of them is using an HE400i to test. Well... that's interesting enough because I'm running the HEXv2 from an XD-05 and while it is okay and does some cool things with the imaging on the HEX, it's not endgame level.

But that may say something about the amps you are considering or have tried already...