[banco-sg]

Hi,

First time posting here, but i have been a frequent visitor from time to time.
I recently upgraded my headphone to MDR-Z1R (from DT880 pro), but it left me wondering whether i should upgrade my DAC/AMP or not.

I am currently using Asus Xonar Essence STX (with op-amps upgraded to Burson v5), honestly they sound pretty good together, it's just that i feel the soundstage is pretty limited (not extended). So, i am thinking to splurge for a new AMP/DAC, and based on what i read so far, i am leaning towards Sony own TA-ZH1ES. Would it be worth it if my audio sources are limited to Spotify Premium and Tidal Hifi? Will i get much benefit if i upgrade to TA-ZH1ES?

And last question: earlier there was small incident that cause a loud buzzing/high pitched noises when i tried the ASIO2 driver on my foobar. It occured for about 2 seconds, then i stopped the player. The funny thing is it was so loud, eventhough i set my volume to 5% (STX Amp gain to High Gain / +12 db). I checked my phone and they are still sounds ok, but i am just little paranoid right. Will such incident destroy my headphone?

Appreciate all your inputs/comments. And i am glad to be here

Thank you!

 

[cossix]

Nah your headphones are fine, there is probably just an issue with a driver (if your mobo even supports ASIO. What is your budget? The Schiit Magni 2 and Modi 2 are competitively priced and for 200 bucks brand new, it's hard to find a better combo. The O2 ODAC is also a good place to start

 

[banco-sg]

Thanks!
but i think you got it wrongly, i am just worried that my headphone will got affected from such loud buzzing / high pitched noises that happened when i switched to ASIO2 driver on my foobar. Will there be any negatives impact on my headphone?

I tested my headphone after the incident, and so far, i don't find anything wrong. Just being paranoid right now...

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

That's a huge jump from dt880 but good for you. The z1r is not really amp dependent but of course it will improve with a better setup; still, a decent setup would work. Schiit stack (eg: modi multibit + magni 2) would be a good one.

 

[cossix]

Im certain your headphone is perfectly fine, to answer your question

 

[banco-sg]

That's a huge jump from dt880 but good for you. The z1r is not really amp dependent but of course it will improve with a better setup; still, a decent setup would work. Schiit stack (eg: modi multibit + magni 2) would be a good one.

Yeah, it is a huge jump, and i am really happy about my purchase. A little update, i decided to pull the trigger on the TA-ZH1ES, which i found really compliment my headphone the best.
My only worry right now is just the buzzing/high pitched noise earlier, i just hope it didn't do any harm on my headphone...

 

[banco-sg]

Im certain your headphone is perfectly fine, to answer your question

Thanks for your reply... i really hope so, but so far i don't find any issue, the only problem is just sibilant which i think due to bad sources (Spotify Premium and Tidal HiFi)... *crossing fingers*

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

Yeah, it is a huge jump, and i am really happy about my purchase. A little update, i decided to pull the trigger on the TA-ZH1ES, which i found really compliment my headphone the best.
My only worry right now is just the buzzing/high pitched noise earlier, i just hope it didn't do any harm on my headphone...

You just got one of the best setup for z1r there; not much to say then

Don't worry about your headphone, it's perfectly fine. Although, I am not sure if it affects your stx.

 

[banco-sg]

You just got one of the best setup for z1r there; not much to say then

Don't worry about your headphone, it's perfectly fine. Although, I am not sure if it affects your stx.

I hope i will really enjoy it, not a small sum to part away with...
That's the only thing that i worry about, if my headphone is fine, i am more than okay.
I don't really care about the STX anymore, since i am going to unplug it once the ZH1ES is here.
But hey, both seemed fine

Thanks for the advice!

EDIT: Oh one more question: is USB iPurifier really necessary? Or my dac should be good without it?

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

I hope i will really enjoy it, not a small sum to part away with...
That's the only thing that i worry about, if my headphone is fine, i am more than okay.
I don't really care about the STX anymore, since i am going to unplug it once the ZH1ES is here.
But hey, both seemed fine

Thanks for the advice!

EDIT: Oh one more question: is USB iPurifier really necessary? Or my dac should be good without it?

No problem! Enjoy the tune. It's definitely worth the investment.

 

[cossix]

Anything claiming to "purify" sound is almost always BS. If you want to spend money, just upgrade an amp or DAC, no need to buy stuff like that. Good luck!

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

The difference is subtle. If you're precise in measurements, you might need it but I am sure you can hardly notice the difference.

 

[buke9]

The only reason for one of those is if you have a crap power supply in your computer that puts out a lot of noise. Some people swear by them but I don't get any unwanted noise from my computer so haven't tried one. When you get the Sony listen first and see if you hear something weird if not don't bother you'll be fine.

 

[banco-sg]

The only reason for one of those is if you have a crap power supply in your computer that puts out a lot of noise. Some people swear by them but I don't get any unwanted noise from my computer so haven't tried one. When you get the Sony listen first and see if you hear something weird if not don't bother you'll be fine.

Got it, i will give it a go first. Thanks!

 

[Peerayu]

Got it, i will give it a go first. Thanks!

Is it a hugh step for the MDR-Z1R ?
By getting the Sony TA-ZH1ES

Thank you