Paladin79
Previously MOT: Cables For Less
I find the primes hard to drive properly with a stand alone dap. They will do it and if you crank up the volume you will have an impression of them being driven, but when you do an a to b comparison with a dedicated headphone amp, You'll realize you've been kidding yourself. The primes are a great closed headphone, but need a good amp to do them justice. I have the ibasso dx80, dx90 and Cayin n6....But neither drive the primes to their true potential imho.
Stuart I understand what you are saying. Everything is relative, a portable dap is generally an integrated device and you will get different results with an AC powered amp. Personally I have several lower impedance sets of headphones that do not have the overall sound quality of the primes even when they are easily driven by a dap. If I want the convenience of listening on the go there is naturally a trade off. I rarely kid myself when it comes to sound. Within the world of Daps I am certain there are plenty out there that would make my primes sound better but everyone's situation is different. I received a Pono player at no cost and have around $500 in my upgraded Primes (factory upgraded with a two year warranty) so at that price I am quite pleased with the sound I get when outdoors. Are there better ways to drive the Primes? Of course.