Hifiman Sundara Setup on a Budget

[SamB]

I have became interested in audio about 2 years ago, the same time i became interested in music. I bought some kz earbuds so I could enjoy my music without disturbing anyone. after that i purchased the sennhesier HD58X and a Fiio BTR5 DAC/AMP. Christmas of last year I got the Sundaras as a gift. I love the sound and overall cleaness of the base with these headphones. After some time I noticed that my Fiio BTR5 was getting unusually hot whilst running them. I purchased the Topping DX1 because It seemed like the best budget option for me. I have been using this setup for 3 months now and I can say taht I highly reccomend it. This seems perfect for someone who only wants to spend around $400. I am not as experienced as other reviewers so take this with a grain of salt.

 

[HWB3]

If it sounds good to you then that's all that matters. Enjoy.

 

[CrazyDelta]

Hi SamB,

Great to hear that your setup is working really well with Sundara.
I'm a bit like you where I'm just starting to venture into higher quality equipment to really appreciate some of my favourite music (Tool, Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode, Radiohead, Royksopp, Massive Attack)

Mind if I ask, what are you playing the music from? Phone or computer, etc?

I got HiFiman Sundara at the top of my list to purchase. Though I am a bit confused about Dac or Amp. I have some CDs ripped so I can play lossless music off my Pixel 6 Pro.

I will be mainly listening in my room through my phone but I don't want a lot of additional or expensive equipment. Was wondering if I should get a Hip Dac 2 or something? Or do I just need a decent Amp? I hear a lot about something like Atom Stack, etc. It's all a bit confusing.
Maybe someone can advise. It's my first time and I just want a decent budget setup and I am willing to pay a little bit more to get the best out of the Sundara.

Thank you.

 

[SamB]

I have only tried the DX1 and the fiio btr5 with the sundaras so I don't know how it would work with the atom stack or other amp/dacs. I listen to audio on my pc, I don't think the DX1 works with android but you could look into that.

 

[earmonger]

Here's the budget ideal: VE Megatron, $56 shipped to US.

https://www.veclan.com/engappliance_sel_one?eng_ApplianceVo.eac_id=63

It has no battery or volume control -- it runs off the power in your phone or USB from your computer; it has a USB-C jack with a USB adapter. It's about the size of a cigarette pack and while it's metal, it's pretty light. Will provide all the power you need.

There's a Head-Fi thread:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/venture-electronics-megatron-dac-amp.962399/

Or you can read about it here, though it doesn't have that weird crown-shaped thing shown in the pictures -- it's flat with the word Megatron.

https://www.headphonesty.com/2022/05/review-venture-electronics-megatron/

Or here:
https://andyaudiovault.com/ve-megatron/