TyTB
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2012
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Hello everyone,
I am picking up some Sennheiser HD800s, but also need a DAC and amp for them, as I currently don't have an amp, and am borrowing a DAC.
Ideally, something at or below $900 for both the amp and DAC. I will try to buy used if I can.
Now, I don't have my heart set on schiit for any real reason other than because they look great. That said, schiit is the only company whose products I'm familiar with, so idk anything about different brands.
Right now, I've identified a few combinations:
Jotunheim 2 with an ES 9028 DAC Card. Balanced, all-in-one, $500
Jotunhein 2 with a Modius DAC - Balanced, stack, $629
Lyr+ with a Modius DAC, - Unbalanced, Tube and Solid State, Stack, $879
Modi and Magni - Unbalanced, Stack, potentially weaker, $239
The there's other options. Valhalla 2? Asgard?
Any thoughts are appreciated. Thank you!
P.s. Feel free to recommend better amps and dacs from other companies, but, as silly as it might sound, they HAVE to be as nice-looking, and as clean-looking as the Schiit.
More optional details below.
Jotunheim 2 with an ES 9028 DAC card. - Heard bad things about Schiit's Internal DAC cards, but they were always complaints about the multibit, or older-generation cards, not the ES line. About $500. Have read lots of concerns about pairing the Jotunheim with the HD800s specifically, due to it being too bright. Am planning on EQ-ing my setup anyway, though, so idk if that matters.
Jotunheim 2 with a Modius DAC - in theory, this would be to get away from the internal DAC card problem mentioned above. Costs $129 more, though, and splits the one unit into two.
Lyr+ with Modius - Solid state and tube capability, which is nice, but it's the most expensive, at roughly $900. I've also seen discussion about how the Lyr's tube mode isn't very tubey, and the solid state isn't as good as the dedicated solid state amps. Plus the tube is still powered even when running in solid state mode, so you're eating its life 24/7
Modi + Magni - The Cheapest combo by far, but no idea how they pair with the HD800s. No balanced output like the Jotunheim.
I am picking up some Sennheiser HD800s, but also need a DAC and amp for them, as I currently don't have an amp, and am borrowing a DAC.
Ideally, something at or below $900 for both the amp and DAC. I will try to buy used if I can.
Now, I don't have my heart set on schiit for any real reason other than because they look great. That said, schiit is the only company whose products I'm familiar with, so idk anything about different brands.
Right now, I've identified a few combinations:
Jotunheim 2 with an ES 9028 DAC Card. Balanced, all-in-one, $500
Jotunhein 2 with a Modius DAC - Balanced, stack, $629
Lyr+ with a Modius DAC, - Unbalanced, Tube and Solid State, Stack, $879
Modi and Magni - Unbalanced, Stack, potentially weaker, $239
The there's other options. Valhalla 2? Asgard?
Any thoughts are appreciated. Thank you!
P.s. Feel free to recommend better amps and dacs from other companies, but, as silly as it might sound, they HAVE to be as nice-looking, and as clean-looking as the Schiit.
More optional details below.
Jotunheim 2 with an ES 9028 DAC card. - Heard bad things about Schiit's Internal DAC cards, but they were always complaints about the multibit, or older-generation cards, not the ES line. About $500. Have read lots of concerns about pairing the Jotunheim with the HD800s specifically, due to it being too bright. Am planning on EQ-ing my setup anyway, though, so idk if that matters.
Jotunheim 2 with a Modius DAC - in theory, this would be to get away from the internal DAC card problem mentioned above. Costs $129 more, though, and splits the one unit into two.
Lyr+ with Modius - Solid state and tube capability, which is nice, but it's the most expensive, at roughly $900. I've also seen discussion about how the Lyr's tube mode isn't very tubey, and the solid state isn't as good as the dedicated solid state amps. Plus the tube is still powered even when running in solid state mode, so you're eating its life 24/7
Modi + Magni - The Cheapest combo by far, but no idea how they pair with the HD800s. No balanced output like the Jotunheim.
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