Gauss1777
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2010
- Posts
- 85
- Likes
- 18
I'm using now an iBasso D12 on HD600 cans, the sound is not bad, it's natural but very flat and sometimes I wish more bass and musical clean vocals. The combo It's nice for acoustic or classical music.
My latest upgrade was an iRiver iHP-140, rockboxed with FLACs makes a really nice difference, just the iBasso DAC part makes the big jump even at my car. Now bass it's bigger and defined, but it's still not enough for the HD600, these cans sound almost similar from the iRiver headphones output than to the iBasso out, which leaves something to be desired.
I was considering these options:
- Laconic Lunch BOX
- Bottlehead Crack
- KICAS Caliente
- Matrix M-Stage + OPA627 chips
- Audio GD FUN with OPA Earth
What I think is the FUN would be the best option, but I dunno if the price difference over a KICAS Caliente would justify it. After listening just the iBasso DAC part using the iRiver as source I think that would be enough by now for a DAC.
Or would simply the Caliente would be a big jump from the D12 amp part?
I'm discarding tubes because it would be for my work and I don't want complaints: "in case of fire". I would also have to be stucking the amp on a drawer all days.
It's a rig for my desktop at work but it should remain the most compact possible. That's also why I think the FUN would be bigger than desired. The M-Stage however it's a very nice fit between my monitor and keyboard, anyway sound it's the main concern.
Any other recommendation on the price range?
My latest upgrade was an iRiver iHP-140, rockboxed with FLACs makes a really nice difference, just the iBasso DAC part makes the big jump even at my car. Now bass it's bigger and defined, but it's still not enough for the HD600, these cans sound almost similar from the iRiver headphones output than to the iBasso out, which leaves something to be desired.
I was considering these options:
- Laconic Lunch BOX
- Bottlehead Crack
- KICAS Caliente
- Matrix M-Stage + OPA627 chips
- Audio GD FUN with OPA Earth
What I think is the FUN would be the best option, but I dunno if the price difference over a KICAS Caliente would justify it. After listening just the iBasso DAC part using the iRiver as source I think that would be enough by now for a DAC.
Or would simply the Caliente would be a big jump from the D12 amp part?
I'm discarding tubes because it would be for my work and I don't want complaints: "in case of fire". I would also have to be stucking the amp on a drawer all days.
It's a rig for my desktop at work but it should remain the most compact possible. That's also why I think the FUN would be bigger than desired. The M-Stage however it's a very nice fit between my monitor and keyboard, anyway sound it's the main concern.
Any other recommendation on the price range?
