[Headphone4Life]

Also Audioengine has a nice little amp/dac combo for like $170 I think. I'm looking to get a new desktop setup and that's one of the amps I'm looking at.

 

[automaton]

Never heard the SD 793II but the few I've used sound good and for a good price. I have a Schiit Vali and I use the sApIII more, it has a cleaner sound than the Vali imo.

Thanks. If I wasn't looking to upgrade my DAC too I'd give that one a shot, will have more power in the amp. I have an smsl DAC/amp for the speakers in my bedroom and was impressed by the sound, features and connection options for the price.

 

[NiceGuyTom]

Chord Hugo is a rockin' product as long as you don't need to drive something a bit more serious.  Fiio E17 is solid I still use it.  Any combiniation of Schiit stuff is good...  ATM I'm using a Schiit Wyrd -> Asgard 2 -> Bifrost MBit - > HE-400i
 
Testing out some EQ stuff based on some of the charts I've seen for this phone and my own quick tests.  Equalizer APO software - config.txt settings are:
 
Preamp: -6 dB
Include: example.txt
GraphicEQ: 25 0; 40 2; 63 2; 100 1; 160 0; 250 0; 400 0; 630 0; 1000 -0.5; 1600 2; 2500 1; 4000 0.5; 6300 0; 10000 -6; 16000 0
 
For $299 phones were a pretty good deal.  I've adjusted the bass roll off a touch, evened out mids a touch, and rolled back that 9-10k spike.

 

[fjrabon]

  Chord Hugo is a rockin' product as long as you don't need to drive something a bit more serious.  Fiio E17 is solid I still use it.  Any combiniation of Schiit stuff is good...  ATM I'm using a Schiit Wyrd -> Asgard 2 -> Bifrost MBit - > HE-400i
 
Testing out some EQ stuff based on some of the charts I've seen for this phone and my own quick tests.  Equalizer APO software - config.txt settings are:
 
Preamp: -6 dB
Include: example.txt
GraphicEQ: 25 0; 40 2; 63 2; 100 1; 160 0; 250 0; 400 0; 630 0; 1000 -0.5; 1600 2; 2500 1; 4000 0.5; 6300 0; 10000 -6; 16000 0
 
For $299 phones were a pretty good deal.  I've adjusted the bass roll off a touch, evened out mids a touch, and rolled back that 9-10k spike.

I use a similar EQ curve, but I only roll off 8-10k by 2.5 dB.  That -6 seems pretty intense, but I guess we all hear differently in that region.  I also love the way these sound EQd flat out of my iphone too.
 
I guess these are slightly rolled off in sub bass if you're comparing them to some other planars, but to me the sub bass is less rolled off than ANY dynamic, with *maybe* the exception of the TH900.

 

[NiceGuyTom]

EQ definitely isn't set in stone yet...  I just find digital sources / recordings that used digital reverbs / exciters / mastering software / normalizing / effects in the studio to just really add too much to the 10k+ hz range compared to the sound that is naturally being generated from the musicians.  It's especially bad in movies and video games. I'm still playing around specifically with that frequency range on these phones.

 

[fjrabon]

  EQ definitely isn't set in stone yet...  I just find digital sources / recordings that used digital reverbs / exciters / mastering software / normalizing / effects in the studio to just really add too much to the 10k+ hz range compared to the sound that is naturally being generated from the musicians.  It's especially bad in movies and video games. I'm still playing around specifically with that frequency range on these phones.

one thing to note, is that now that I think about it, I definitely EQ'd more 8-10k out when I first got them.  I don't know if it's physical or mental burn in, but I went from cutting about 4 dB in that range to 2.5.  

 

[bavinck]

I love them without eq. Not a big fan of EQ anyway.

 

[NiceGuyTom]

Recording / Mixing engineers (good ones at least) will try to listen to what they're doing using monitors that are as flat as possible in their response so that they accurately can hear the material.  These phones as well as all speakers do this imperfectly.  Small adjustments can bring you closer to what it sounded like in the studio.  
 
That being said no right or wrong approach!  Just realize with cheaper phones and maybe a cheap EQ your can add artifacts into your sound.  Low distortion phones this is less of an issue.
 
I also like them sans EQ but that 10k+ spike they have did annoy me, and to a lesser degree the 100-20hz roll off they have.

 

[Headphone4Life]

I've never been much of a fan of EQ'ing. If I do anything its going up a few db's with the bass in the 20Hz to 60Hz range, just to add a little more rumble in my electronic music.

 

[fjrabon]

I've never been much of a fan of EQ'ing. If I do anything its going up a few db's with the bass in the 20Hz to 60Hz range, just to add a little more rumble in my electronic music.

just a FYI, always EQ down. EQing up, especially in the bass (which is harder to power), will cause distortion.  If you EQ up, you're essentially going to cause the signal to need a bit of extra gain, which that stage in the chain is really bad at doing.  Instead EQ down, and then raise the volume on your amp, since your amp is specifically made for boosting power, unlike the pre/EQ section of the chain.  So, if you want a little more bass rumble, pull everything else, but the bass down, leave the bass at 0 and then turn your amp up a few notches to get the listening level you want.

 

[Headphone4Life]

I only use the EQ on my X3II and its never sounded distorted. I might only go up 1or 2 db at most, I find it adds just a little more rumble to the sub-bass. Other than that I never EQ anything, though I might use the bass boost on my C&C BH every now and again.

 

[fjrabon]

I only use the EQ on my X3II and its never sounded distorted. I might only go up 1or 2 db at most, I find it adds just a little more rumble to the sub-bass. Other than that I never EQ anything, though I might use the bass boost on my C&C BH every now and again.

it may not sound distorted, but if you're EQing up, it almost certainly is.  It may be imperceptibly distorted, but distorted none the less.  EQ is not made to add gain to the signal very well.

 

[Sonic Defender]

^ Now I won't say this is a significant concern, but logically it is somewhat of a concern. Ultimately when you boost a frequency you feel is deficient, you are asking the headphone design to do what it can't do anyway, or at least not at the amplitude you want. The headphone for better or worse has design parameters so if you go beyond them, the odds of improving the sound are low whereas the odds of negatively impacting the sound (how audible the effect will be would depend of course). Now I suppose if the material itself was quite deficient itself in the frequency being adjusted that does allow some room for gain before hitting the performance wall. I think of well mastered 70s music that is bass shy, that material you should be able to plump up a little.

 

[Headphone4Life]

My Schiit Vali has developed a channel imbalance so I went to their website to email them as its still under warranty and I just noticed they have a Vali 2 with 1 normal tube instead of the 2 mini tubes. I've been looking to get a new amp to use with my 400i and that seems as good as any under $200. Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll let me return my original Vali for the new one, adding $50 for the price difference.

 

[Headphone4Life]

it may not sound distorted, but if you're EQing up, it almost certainly is.  It may be imperceptibly distorted, but distorted none the less.  EQ is not made to add gain to the signal very well.

I'll try doing what you said to see if that sounds any better.