[MonoOno]

Not sure about this comment, how is the person intent on holding back the HD650? To me, he/she is trying to get the most out the HD650 since they went out and got the Magni3 thinking that it would be an improvement over their current gear.

As someone that went through the somewhat expensive trials and tribulations of trying to get the best out of the HD650 years ago on the cheap I just have a very hard time seeing the Magni 3 as the least competent at driving them out of everything he tried, most of which I too have tried.

I will admit I do not yet have my Magni 3, but over the years I have put my HD650 through the paces on the ASUS Xonar DGX, O2+ODAC, Magni 2 and the Asgard 2 and there is just no way the Realtek ALC1150 is driving them better than the Magni 3. I spent close to $300 buying the best motherboard I could get with it and on paper it sounds real great and being able to even push even 600 ohm headphones but I genuinely feel even the ASUS Xonar DGX edged it and it pales in comparison to the O2+ODAC, Magni 2 and especially the Asgard 2 in being able to drive the HD650 to insane volumes.

That said, I personally think I got the best out of my HD650 or at least finally realized its full potential after getting a somewhat decent DAC in the O2+ODAC combo which by many accounts is not even the best in the sub $200 category. And reading 16 Bit Bowser posts I get the feeling that might be the issue. So if he is using his Magni 3 just to amp a terrible source like an old motherboard then yeah, I could see his iPhone 5S and even CD player with an amp from the 90's sounding better as 90% of on-board audio is complete crap even when amped by a great amp.

Worse thing I ever done to my headphones was neglect getting a decent DAC after buying into the notion they do not make much of difference. They do.

 

[16 Bit Bowser]

I guess Im just surprised how little the Magni 3 did, if anything to my enjoyment of the HD650. Upgrading headphones in the past was an immediate improvement or at least a change. I started with Momentum (Gen1), then HD598SE now HD650. I have enjoyed each one for what it is but the HD650 is superior to the lower ones in almost every way. I even had the HE400i for a week but returned it because I simply didn't like it, but I still understand why some people do. I however don't understand what people hear in the Magni 3.

I'm about done commenting in this thread and I will just make the decision for myself, because I know there are new people that will use the thread for new questions/impresion.

 

[16 Bit Bowser]

As someone that went through the somewhat expensive trials and tribulations of trying to get the best out of the HD650 years ago on the cheap I just have a very hard time seeing the Magni 3 as the least competent at driving them out of everything he tried, most of which I too have tried.

I will admit I do not yet have my Magni 3, but over the years I have put my HD650 through the paces on the ASUS Xonar DGX, O2+ODAC, Magni 2 and the Asgard 2 and there is just no way the Realtek ALC1150 is driving them better than the Magni 3. I spent close to $300 buying the best motherboard I could get with it and on paper it sounds real great and being able to even push even 600 ohm headphones but I genuinely feel even the ASUS Xonar DGX edged it and it pales in comparison to the O2+ODAC, Magni 2 and especially the Asgard 2 in being able to drive the HD650 to insane volumes.

That said, I personally think I got the best out of my HD650 or at least finally realized its full potential after getting a somewhat decent DAC in the O2+ODAC combo which by many accounts is not even the best in the sub $200 category. And reading 16 Bit Bowser posts I get the feeling that might be the issue. So if he is using his Magni 3 just to amp a terrible source like an old motherboard then yeah, I could see his iPhone 5S and even CD player with an amp from the 90's sounding better as 90% of on-board audio is complete crap even when amped by a great amp.

Worse thing I ever done to my headphones was neglect getting a decent DAC after buying into the notion they do not make much of difference. They do.

By the way the Realtek ALC1150 is a DAC not an AMP! It paired with it TI amp is also probably as good as an O2 ODAC, I don't doubt it.

Also you have room to say that the Magni 3 and HD650 sound good if you haven't even heard it.

Im about done with Head-fi.

 

[MonoOno]

By the way the Realtek ALC1150 is a DAC not an AMP! It paired with it TI amp is also probably as good as an O2 ODAC, I don't doubt it.

Also you have room to say that the Magni 3 and HD650 sound good if you haven't even heard it.

Im done with Head-fi.

I know. My motherboard has the same DAC/AMP combo(again, went out of my way to get it) and no it is not as good as the O2+DAC no matter what it says on paper. Throw it in a PC case with the rest of your components and it immediately takes a backseat due to interference from your other components . Not to mention the potential issues with the RealTek audio manger. Not even close.

That said, sorry if I offended you. Many tried to help, I was the outlier, so please do not give up on Head-Fi on the account of my post.

 

[16 Bit Bowser]

I know. My motherboard has the same DAC/AMP combo(again, went out of my way to get it) and no it is not as good as the O2+DAC no matter what it says on paper. Throw it in a PC case with the rest of your components and it immediately takes a backseat due to interference from your other components . Not to mention the potential issues with the RealTek audio manger. Not even close.

That said, sorry if I offended you. Many tried to help, I was the outlier, so please do not give up on Head-Fi on the account of my post.

It wasn't your posts, and trust me I'm not offended. I just want to do this without the input of others. I chose Momentums and HD650 with any advice and am super glad I did. Im leaving head-fi because its not worth my time to explain that somethings sound better/different to me. It's also a rabbit hole of unneeded purchases.


I LOVE audio because of music not gear and specs. -16 Bit Bowser

Bye.

 

[DavidA]

As someone that went through the somewhat expensive trials and tribulations of trying to get the best out of the HD650 years ago on the cheap I just have a very hard time seeing the Magni 3 as the least competent at driving them out of everything he tried, most of which I too have tried.

I will admit I do not yet have my Magni 3, but over the years I have put my HD650 through the paces on the ASUS Xonar DGX, O2+ODAC, Magni 2 and the Asgard 2 and there is just no way the Realtek ALC1150 is driving them better than the Magni 3. I spent close to $300 buying the best motherboard I could get with it and on paper it sounds real great and being able to even push even 600 ohm headphones but I genuinely feel even the ASUS Xonar DGX edged it and it pales in comparison to the O2+ODAC, Magni 2 and especially the Asgard 2 in being able to drive the HD650 to insane volumes.

That said, I personally think I got the best out of my HD650 or at least finally realized its full potential after getting a somewhat decent DAC in the O2+ODAC combo which by many accounts is not even the best in the sub $200 category. And reading 16 Bit Bowser posts I get the feeling that might be the issue. So if he is using his Magni 3 just to amp a terrible source like an old motherboard then yeah, I could see his iPhone 5S and even CD player with an amp from the 90's sounding better as 90% of on-board audio is complete crap even when amped by a great amp.

Worse thing I ever done to my headphones was neglect getting a decent DAC after buying into the notion they do not make much of difference. They do.

As someone who also had the O2/ODAC, Magni, Xonar DG & STX, Asgard2, WA7d, and a few ROG mobo over the years I've found that why someone would select a O2/ODAC over a high end Mobo or go all the way to a EC Balancing Act for the HD650 is really a matter of personal taste, and depth of pockbook.

The O2/ODAC was one of the worst DAC/amp I've ever spent money on, it made all my headphones at the time thin, harsh and sibilant to me and the original M/M stack was not far behind. Like @16 Bit Bowser I also felt that the HD650 and other headphones that I had sounded better to me on the STX and DG sound cards because I didn't really know what the HD650 could sound like and I was lucky enough to have a some friends who took the time to let me audition their gear and give a crash course on why some amps pair better with some headphones and not others. My personal preference for the HD650 is a slightly modded BH Crack and Teac UD-301 amp but this combo does not appeal to my GF who says its slightly bright to her since her hearing is much better than mine.

I have a problem with you comment driving any headphone to insane volumes due the possibility of causing hearing damage or even damaging the drivers of the headphone. This is another parameter that affects how individuals will perceive a given headphone, ie; most will call any Grado bright but to me if one listens at lower levels then the brightness of the Grado is not an issue, its like the old "loudness" switch that many vintage audio gear had for listening at lower levels.

Going back to the Magni3, I was asked by a friend about what I think about it since he needed an amp for office use and didn't want to wait until Feb when his CTH and LC-X are scheduled to be delivered and its why I specifically asked if anyone used the Magni3 with high impedance headphones such as the HD800, HD700 and T1 along with harder to drive planar headphones like the HE560. LIke me he also dumped the O2/ODAC and Magni2 along with a Jot, AudioGD NFB 29? and a few others due to not pairing well with his collection of headphones.

 

[nicoch46]

with Realtek ALC1150 schiit happened.....

 

[MixMasterMan]

Guys, an amp should do one thing: provide power. You only need 1 or 2, tops (one clean, one colored/distorted/saturated aka "tube"). So... it should be simple. Does it work or not? If it doesn't, takes notes on comparisons, and try again! Don't believe the hype, and trust your ears!

 

[Jimster480]

Chuckle...am guessing most of us know the limits of human hearing and certainly no anger here; just comparing the areas you highlighted.

As I said...not a Schiit fanboy (original M/M stack was meh). I just give them credit where it's due. From an amping perspective (on paper), the Magni 3 would seem to be much better than the QH4 -- especially on less efficient headphones as it's ~7x as powerful with very low THD, IMD, SNR, etc. On the plus side for the QH4, it does have a bevy of features/connectivity which look helpful if you're into recording/mixing/producing music.

That said, I use tubes to drive my inefficient, high impedance cans; which 'measure' worse for the most part...they just sound better (to me).

The thing is that most headphones these days are efficient.

 

[GearMe]

The thing is that most headphones these days are efficient.

Most of yours...I'm guessing! Not mine

Regardless, it really about how the music sounds to the individual when they listen to it through their equipment; which in this forum tends to be source, dac, amp, and cans (most impact on the sound experience...imo). That said, the rest of the chain can make a difference...and let's not even discuss the heathens that use EQ! .

However, that's just the physical setup. Let's not forget that this field is called Psychoacoustics for the simple reason that each individual is 'configured' differently including hearing capabilities, general demeanor, mood swings, musical likes/dislikes, etc. How else can you explain that some people think the Grado signature is 'the best' while others like Senns more, and yet others prefer Audeze/Beyer/Focal/HiFiMan/Mr Speakers/Stax, etc.?

Nevermind those of us that take a horses for courses approach!

It's never as black/white as people make it out to be. So...it's on each of us, as individuals, to figure out what works best for our listening needs. Perfect example, MixMaster apparently really likes the solid state QH4 and feels it works fine for his higher impedance Senns & Beyers. Me? Not so much.

Funny thing is...we're both right!

 

[RiflemanFirst]

Most of yours...I'm guessing! Not mine

Regardless, it really about how the music sounds to the individual when they listen to it through their equipment; which in this forum tends to be source, dac, amp, and cans (most impact on the sound experience...imo). That said, the rest of the chain can make a difference...and let's not even discuss the heathens that use EQ! .

Perception of audio is so subjective. While there is often a general consensus about specific types/models of equipment, everyone's hearing and preferences can vary significantly. I'm just thankful that I truly enjoy the sound from Mimby & Magni 3 with my headphones considering how inexpensive this stack is compared to higher end options. My wallet is definitely in agreement!

 

[Envyous]

I went from O2+ODAC to Magni 3+Modi 2. I use Sennheiser HD650.

To me, this sounds like a big improvement.

It feels like the instruments around the vocals in music gets better spotlight, if that makes sense. In my old setup the vocals were pretty dominant.
More bassy too.

 

[Jimster480]

Most of yours...I'm guessing! Not mine

Regardless, it really about how the music sounds to the individual when they listen to it through their equipment; which in this forum tends to be source, dac, amp, and cans (most impact on the sound experience...imo). That said, the rest of the chain can make a difference...and let's not even discuss the heathens that use EQ! .

However, that's just the physical setup. Let's not forget that this field is called Psychoacoustics for the simple reason that each individual is 'configured' differently including hearing capabilities, general demeanor, mood swings, musical likes/dislikes, etc. How else can you explain that some people think the Grado signature is 'the best' while others like Senns more, and yet others prefer Audeze/Beyer/Focal/HiFiMan/Mr Speakers/Stax, etc.?

Nevermind those of us that take a horses for courses approach!

It's never as black/white as people make it out to be. So...it's on each of us, as individuals, to figure out what works best for our listening needs. Perfect example, MixMaster apparently really likes the solid state QH4 and feels it works fine for his higher impedance Senns & Beyers. Me? Not so much.

Funny thing is...we're both right!

Yes music is all about preference and I won't argue that.
But most of the headphones coming out today are quite easy to drive.
Only german companies relying on ancient technology (Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic) have high ohm headphones with large power requirements.
Even most HifiMan headphones are pretty easy to drive.
Mrspeakers planars are pretty easy to drive, same with Oppo...
Look at the new Denon headphones... 32ohm or less!
Panasonic and Focal... both have easy to drive sets of headphones.

 

[AxelCloris]

I've had to clean up a few recent posts. Please keep the discussion related to the Magni 3.

 

[Jimster480]

I went from O2+ODAC to Magni 3+Modi 2. I use Sennheiser HD650.

To me, this sounds like a big improvement.

It feels like the instruments around the vocals in music gets better spotlight, if that makes sense. In my old setup the vocals were pretty dominant.
More bassy too.

This is just because Magni 3 is brighter and if Modi 2 is anything like the Fulla 2 its brighter also.
You will notice sub-bass reduction and a bit of attenuation for the lower end.

I like the layout of my current Amps better for these reasons;
1. The fact that the light is a piercing white.
2. The volume knob is to the left of the headphone jack.
3. The L & R RCA inputs are reversed compared to the rest of my gear doesn't work for me.
4. The sub-bass is reduced vs my A30 & JDS o2 & Topping DX7 headphone out.
5. The Magni 3 is physically wider than both of my other Amps, so it doesnt stack properly.

Additional Info:
The Magni 3 works fine with TTRS Jacks Converted directly from 3.5mm->6.35mm unlike my Fulla 2.
I tested it specifically with my 1More Quad drivers.