well im pretty new to this whole audiophile scene. im not really techy and dont get into the nitty griity of all the details since i dont understand most of it but trying to change that. Do you think the lyr2/bitfrost combo would be good for me. and i am wondering about the voltage i dont know what to pick do i go with 115vac or 230vac?
@MattiasRobs, my opinion is going to be a bit different than many other people here who will be recommending buying more expensive gear, but I think if you are new, honestly the better bet for you is to get something much cheaper first. You should focus on more entry-level items that have a really high performance
rice ratio.
For closed desktop headphones, the akg k553 is an excellent neutral orientated pair of headphones that is quite inexpensive. They don't require an amplifier either, but you can also get the odac/o2 for them if you are interested in exploring amplifiers/dacs. I do think the odac/o2 is a great choice for something coming from a more budget-orientated perspective.
that way you can begin to explore this hobby without overspending. it is actually a bit difficult to predict if a headphone will match your personal taste, so starting out jumping to an expensive pair of headphones that you haven't had a chance to hear can be a bit risky. I also think that the k553 offers basically an amazing value with its performance
rice ratio and is a very well-balanced neutral-orientated headphone.
going that direction will let you first hear a neutral-orientated sound signature and see if that is to your tastes. some people actually enjoy more colored sound signature such as a v-shaped or bass-heavy pair of headphones.
I think it would be a bit foolish for you to jump into the hobby getting such an expensive pair of headphones and expensive amplifier/dac that is out of your budget range without having a chance to listen to a variety of different gear. the thing about this hobby is everyone has different preferences and you really need to explore a bit of different options to really know what will suit you best.
I owned both the k553 pro and mrspeaker alpha prime at the same time, and I would say realistically the sonic differences between these headphones will be quite subtle for people without extensive experience doing critical listening. both are pretty neutral orientated with extremely large soundstage and precise imaging. A slightly more precise sense of 'speed' on the prime with wider note spacing, but not really something that will impact musical enjoyment. more a pride of ownership type thing imo.
do note many people here who are offering recommendations have spent a lot of money searching through different gear and are offering their personal picks. it may not really match your tastes as well. that is why I think it would be wise to start with something more inexpensive to get a sense of your sound signature preferences first.
if you purchase a pair of expensive headphones, people will also be recommending some pretty expensive amp/dacs, so realistically you will be looking at almost double the price point. hard to say that is really worth it for someone just getting started in this hobby with a limited budget.
good luck & pm me if you have any questions.
Cheers!
