[Scars]

Hello!
 
I work a desk job and spend 8-9 hours a day at work.  I spend around 5 of those hours listening to rock, pop, techno and very occasionally rap.  I'd like to get some feedback on my set up and some feedback on the items on my shortlist.  I've done a bit of reading here, which has been very helpful, but I think I reached a point that I'd like to just get some input.  Forgive the long-ish post, but I'm hoping to give as much information as necessary right out the gate.
 
My current stuff...
Headphones:  Audio Technica ATH-M50x.  I have no complaints about the sound, it's mostly that after a couple hours it's a bit uncomfortable.  I think it's the shallow padding.
DAC/AMP: Creative Sound Blaster E1.  I bought this as an impulse purchase when I got the ATH-M50x.  When I was younger, I was blown away by the Sound Blaster sound cards for computers, so I assumed that their external DAC/AMP would be solid.  It's fine, but it's portable and I use it on my desk.  I'd like to have something a bit sturdier.  It's really annoying to have the DAC/AMP go flying across my desk when I move around while wear my headphones.  I have tried to figure out a place to anchor the thing, but every solution looks really tacky.  I'd like to maintain a "professional-looking" environment.
 
When I'm not at the office, I have Klipsch R6i in-ear headphones that I use while walking on a treadmill.  I can't imagine myself using those for anything but when I walk, since I have cauliflower ear, which makes any IEM uncomfortable after an hour or so. When I insist on having some peace and quiet, I have the Bose QuietComfort 15.  I like the noise cancelling it gives, but I think they sound inferior to the ATH-M50x.
 
Headphones requirements: Must be closed back, over-ear.  No desire for active noise cancelling.  Aiming for sound as good or better as the ATH-M50x, but more comfortable. Removable cable is a plus.  Would prefer to stay under $500, but I'm willing to push to $750 for the right item.
 
My shortlist for headphones:
Oppo PM-3
Sennheiser HD 630VB
MrSpeakers Alpha Dog
Audeze EL-8 Closed-back
Beyerdynamic T 70
 
DAC/AMP requirements: I'd like this to be my last purchase of this kind for 3-5 years, and maintain some flexibility in what headphones I might get in the future.  I can see myself buying a new pair of headphones every year, and being happy about it.  If I am buying this type of gear very often, I won't be as happy.  So, obviously I'd like something that'll last for both my evolving headphone uses and normal wear and tear.
 
My shortlist for DAC/AMP gear:
Emotiva Stealth DC-1
Oppo HA-1
Creative Sound Blaster X7 (normal edition)
Marantz HD-DAC1
Schiit Asgard 2 / Bifrost
 
I very much look forward to hearing your feedback
 
Left to my own devices, I think I'd end up test driving the Oppo PM-3 and the Sennheiser HD 630VB and using the one I liked more.  I'd get the Marantz HD-DAC1, since I have their surround receivers and I'm quite happy with them.
 
Thanks!
Tom

 

[cel4145]

Comfort is such a personal thing it's difficult for anyone to recommend for sure on that. Especially, because the M50X seem to be pretty middle of the road when it comes to comfort in terms of a lot of people seem to think they are OK. So not sure what to say there.

I'll throw the AudioGD NFB-11 into the fray as dac/amp you might consider. Has plenty of power and sounds quite good. I upgraded to it from the Asgard 2 mainly because I preferred not to have a Class A amp running full blast all the time when it is turned on, and since I was using my speakers with it, it was on all the time.

 

[Scars]

Thanks for the response, cel4145.
 
Unfortunately I'm not able to look at the AudioGD products because that website is blocked here at work.  Web filter is a bit of a joke...

 

[serman005]

My vote would be fore the alpha dog or the PM-3 with the HA-1. The Sennheiser is a very cool headphone, though, and it has gotten some very good reviews (I have not heard it yet). I would also throw the M2 Over into the mix. If your ears are fairly small, you might also check out the Meze 99 Classics as well.

 

[k4rstar]

Hi, welcome to Head-Fi.
 
I have heard a few of the full-sized headphones listed, including the PM-3, M50X and Alpha Dogs. I would say out of the ones listed, the Alpha Dogs are most likely closest in signature and presentation to the M50X, with a few caveats. Bass on the Alpha Dogs will be less boomy, more flat and better extended while retaining very good presence and impact. Mids on both are slightly pushed back in the mix, but on the M50X they are scooped out in favour of a slight V-shape, whereas on the Alphas they are razor-flat with better vocal clarity. Treble on the Alpha Dogs is slightly dark but in my opinion retains detail without being painful or pushed to the forefront like the M50X sometimes can be. Comfort goes to the Alpha Dogs, no question. If interested in reading more I have a full-length review of them on here. 
 
I am not sure of the nature of your situation at the office, but the HA-1 is quite a large unit. The aforementioned AudioGD stuff, Aune X1s and JDS Labs The Element are all great one-time purchase amp/DACs imo, with the AudioGD having the most raw power and The Element being the most sleek and minimalist. You also cannot go wrong with the Asgard and Bifrost if you'd like to go the stack route.
 
Hope this helps.

 

[Scars]

  My vote would be fore the alpha dog or the PM-3 with the HA-1. The Sennheiser is a very cool headphone, though, and it has gotten some very good reviews (I have not heard it yet). I would also throw the M2 Over into the mix. If your ears are fairly small, you might also check out the Meze 99 Classics as well.

I don't have small ears, unfortunately.  But the Meze 99 Classics are a sexy looking pair of headphones!
 
Thanks for pointing out the M2 Over.

 

[Scars]

  Hi, welcome to Head-Fi.
 
I have heard a few of the full-sized headphones listed, including the PM-3, M50X and Alpha Dogs. I would say out of the ones listed, the Alpha Dogs are most likely closest in signature and presentation to the M50X, with a few caveats. Bass on the Alpha Dogs will be less boomy, more flat and better extended while retaining very good presence and impact. Mids on both are slightly pushed back in the mix, but on the M50X they are scooped out in favour of a slight V-shape, whereas on the Alphas they are razor-flat with better vocal clarity. Treble on the Alpha Dogs is slightly dark but in my opinion retains detail without being painful or pushed to the forefront like the M50X sometimes can be. Comfort goes to the Alpha Dogs, no question. If interested in reading more I have a full-length review of them on here. 
 
I am not sure of the nature of your situation at the office, but the HA-1 is quite a large unit. The aforementioned AudioGD stuff, Aune X1s and JDS Labs The Element are all great one-time purchase amp/DACs imo, with the AudioGD having the most raw power and The Element being the most sleek and minimalist. You also cannot go wrong with the Asgard and Bifrost if you'd like to go the stack route.
 
Hope this helps.

Thanks!
 
The MrSpeakers Alpha Dogs check in at about $600, compared to the Oppo PM-3 $400.  Your review of the Alpha Dogs, while extremely helpful to me, doesn't help me decide if it's worth the $200 step.  I think that's where I kind of seize up on this.  The PM-3 comes in under my $500 budget, while the Alpha Dogs make me have to justify the money.  I realize an audition on them would do the trick, paying $60 to find out I don't like the Alpha Dogs.  I'm just rambling here.  The Audeze is also a stretch, so I might as well take it off the list as well.
 
I have a very large cubicle to myself.  So I have plenty of desk space.  With that said, I definitely don't want an eye sore, and the display on the HA-1 helps with that.  The cost of a huge outlier from my list, and I think it's time to be honest with myself about how much I'm really willing to spend on this.  So, it's out.  As much as I like my Marantz AV receivers, the more I read on their headphone dac/amp, the more it seems like it's not worth the money.  So, it's out as well.
 
At this stage, I think I'm narrowed down to this:
 
For headphones:
Oppo PM-3 (~$400)
Sennheiser HD 630VB (~$500)
Beyerdynamic T 70 (~$300)
 
For DAC/AMP:
Emotiva Stealth DC-1 (~$500)
Creative Sound Blaster X7 (normal edition) (~$400)
Schiit Asgard 2 / Bifrost  (~$250 + ~$400 = ~$650)
 
If this was the only available options, which combination would you guys go for?  I know it depends on a number of very relevant factors, but please just humor me

 

[k4rstar]

  Thanks!
 
The MrSpeakers Alpha Dogs check in at about $600, compared to the Oppo PM-3 $400.  Your review of the Alpha Dogs, while extremely helpful to me, doesn't help me decide if it's worth the $200 step.  I think that's where I kind of seize up on this.  The PM-3 comes in under my $500 budget, while the Alpha Dogs make me have to justify the money.  I realize an audition on them would do the trick, paying $60 to find out I don't like the Alpha Dogs.  I'm just rambling here.  The Audeze is also a stretch, so I might as well take it off the list as well.
 
I have a very large cubicle to myself.  So I have plenty of desk space.  With that said, I definitely don't want an eye sore, and the display on the HA-1 helps with that.  The cost of a huge outlier from my list, and I think it's time to be honest with myself about how much I'm really willing to spend on this.  So, it's out.  As much as I like my Marantz AV receivers, the more I read on their headphone dac/amp, the more it seems like it's not worth the money.  So, it's out as well.
 
At this stage, I think I'm narrowed down to this:
 
For headphones:
Oppo PM-3 (~$400)
Sennheiser HD 630VB (~$500)
Beyerdynamic T 70 (~$300)
 
For DAC/AMP:
Emotiva Stealth DC-1 (~$500)
Creative Sound Blaster X7 (normal edition) (~$400)
Schiit Asgard 2 / Bifrost  (~$250 + ~$400 = ~$650)
 
If this was the only available options, which combination would you guys go for?  I know it depends on a number of very relevant factors, but please just humor me

 
Any place that still has Alpha Dogs in stock new shouldn't be charging more than $500 for them; I wouldn't totally write them off.
 
Some things to consider since you said you'd be listening for multiple hour sessions:
1. The PM-3 has earpads that are quite on the small side. If you have even slightly larger than average ears they can become quite cramping after an hour, otherwise they will sit more like on-ears than over-ears.
2. The Senns are quite heavy; weighing in at ~420g, which is only 20g less than the Alphas that are the heaviest cans I've worn. Depending on your frame they may cause strain on your neck after some hours.
3. If I was you and going the Schiit route, I would get the Modi 2 instead of the Bifrost, saving around ~$300 to add to your headphone budget. See: http://www.head-fi.org/t/643368/schiit-modi-and-magni-comparison-to-bifrost-and-asgard

 

[Scars]

   
Any place that still has Alpha Dogs in stock new shouldn't be charging more than $500 for them; I wouldn't totally write them off.
 
Some things to consider since you said you'd be listening for multiple hour sessions:
1. The PM-3 has earpads that are quite on the small side. If you have even slightly larger than average ears they can become quite cramping after an hour, otherwise they will sit more like on-ears than over-ears.
2. The Senns are quite heavy; weighing in at ~420g, which is only 20g less than the Alphas that are the heaviest cans I've worn. Depending on your frame they may cause strain on your neck after some hours.
3. If I was you and going the Schiit route, I would get the Modi 2 instead of the Bifrost, saving around ~$300 to add to your headphone budget. See: http://www.head-fi.org/t/643368/schiit-modi-and-magni-comparison-to-bifrost-and-asgard

Fascinating read on the link you gave me.
 
I'll change my DAC/AMP shortlist to:
Emotiva Stealth DC-1 (~$500)
Creative Sound Blaster X7 (normal edition) (~$400)
Schiit Magni 2 / Modi 2  (~$100 + ~$100 = ~$200)
 
And at this point, I can't help but wonder what the DC-1 or X7 can possibly offer that the Schiit stack doesn't...

 

[cel4145]

The X7 is a combo speaker amp with Dolby decoding built it. Unless you are playing games at work and use passive speakers, I think you are better off going with some of the regularly recommended dac/amp combos here at AVS for music listening.

I haven't ever been able to get excited about Emotiva's DAC/headphone amp offerings, but I'm sure it would be fine.

One thing you might consider is foot print. Look at the dimensions for equipment. The Stealth is pretty big. If you want a cool looking DAC/amp for a desktop setup that doesn't take a lot of room, I would suggest researching the JDS Labs Element


https://www.jdslabs.com/products/151/the-element/


Very popular here on Head-Fi. I think it would be a great choice if you are willing to go up from the Modi/Magni. See these pages:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/jds-labs-the-element
http://www.head-fi.org/t/769643/jds-labs-element

 

[Scars]

Yeah, I definitely don't play games at work.  I do, however, watch something on Netflix or something if I'm waiting out traffic.  So having something that processes well for that is kind of nice.  I think that's one of the few things about my current E1 that I actually like.  I'm not sure I'd miss it, though.  I end up using that maybe once a month.  And now that I've rambled for a bit, I'll go ahead and pull the plug on it.  It's kind of an odd shape anyway.
 
Given a choice, a smaller footprint would be nice.  The Schiit stack's visual appeal, adequate capabilities and small footprint make it pretty easy to pick over the DC-1, especially since it's cheaper.
 
However....that JDS Labs The Element is a sexy little beast.  You say it'd be going up from the Modi/Magni, but it appears to be $50 cheaper than the stack.  What did you mean here?

 

[cel4145]

Modi 2/Magni 2 + shipping is $200. Element is $350. So a bit more. I've never compared them, but the vibe I've gotten is that the Element is well worth the money.

 

[Scars]

Modi 2/Magni 2 + shipping is $200. Element is $350. So a bit more. I've never compared them, but the vibe I've gotten is that the Element is well worth the money.

Haha!  Wow, I think I looked at the $400 X7 when I responded.  Thanks for the polite response!
 
I suppose that settles the DAC/AMP for me.
 
Thanks!!

 

[cel4145]

I suppose that settles the DAC/AMP for me.

So what did you decide on?

 

[Scars]

The Element