[canali]

   
 
More great info here; thanks Canali.
 
Could you please report back and let us know how the 650s sound with the Chord Mojo, the iFI micro iDSD or mapletree headamp.  If they cans still sound "meh" on all of those, then it's likely the signature and not the AMPs.
 
However, doesn't the fact that the DFR is able to drive the 650s to "really loud volumes" at only 25% - 35% volume mean that they are driving the cans well?

 
yes TheEldestBoy...will do (comparing dr to mojo and ifi and mad amp)...and good you raised a valid point:
the 'mehish' feeling i'm getting could be the senn hd650cans' sig....and 30% is loud but not outlandishly so...so take me with a grain of salt.
i got them 'very lightly used' from ebay...so i'm burning them in all week with 100 hrs...will see how they change, if at all.
 
then again: ...so there are many elements in the analysis to sift through before i can honestly say the sound is 'meh-ish', if i'm to be fair.
 
1/it's also about the music source quality: how current is the stuff we're listening to (new recordings sound often much better than older ones) etc
 
2/thing is too, i'm biased and limited in my exposure to various cans:
currently ive been using primarily the sony 7520 closed (portable) studio monitors...their sig is supposed to be detailed, balanced but with a significant bass hump from what i've read (and I love that biased bass slam ...brings out the bassheads in me)
 
......so i'm getting 'used to' the senn 650s sound...it is of course more spacious and i'm enjoying that aspect but for now
not as 'dynamic' as the closed punchier sony 7520...but that could all change as i try different combos and 'burn 'em in.

 

[defguy]

   
 
Thanks for the info.
 
Would an entry-level Schiit stack (the Magni + the Modi) be better than the DFR (I'm assuming they would)?

I use the Magni with mine but that does make it less portable. I found driving the Magni with the DFR actually worked really well, better than the Cambridge Dacmagic I've been using although that combo starts to climb out of the price range you mentioned

 

[waveSounds]

I'm getting another issue with the Black when using it with my S7; whenever a notification or call comes in the phone emits a loud, harsh electric noise. Anyone else noticed this?

 

[TheEldestBoy]

  I use the Magni with mine but that does make it less portable. I found driving the Magni with the DFR actually worked really well, better than the Cambridge Dacmagic I've been using although that combo starts to climb out of the price range you mentioned

 
 
For me, the alternative to the DFR would be the Magni/Modi stack (as both options amount to approx $200.00 USD).
 
Would the Magni/Modi stack far outshine the DFR when it comes to driving the HD600/650's?

 

[waynes world]

I'm getting another issue with the Black when using it with my S7; whenever a notification or call comes in the phone emits a loud, harsh electric noise. Anyone else noticed this?

 
If you use UAPP, that might not occur (at least, it doesn't on my S5 + zuperdac).

 

[oceandream1]

hi this may be a workaround and thanks i will try this. however this is not optimal. because cd quality music is being up sampled by the computer, which is not ideal. i thought for a device built for optimal sound etc. dagonfly would have better options. 

 

[Duncan]

v1.5? My red is only on 1.0!

Has there been a firmware update come out that I've missed?

 

[waveSounds]

Don't think so! Mine is unchanged from how it came out of the box.

 

[Duncan]

Thanks

I wonder if other owners can add any thoughts...

To confirm mine is 1.0, see below...

 

[tekwrx]

Thanks

I wonder if other owners can add any thoughts...

To confirm mine is 1.0, see below...

I think that's normal. The Red is an all new product so it's a v1.0. The Black is like an update to the original Dragonfly so it went from v1.0, then 1.2, now the Black is v1.5. I don't think it has anything to do with firmware.

 

[SpiderNhan]

Dragonfly Black is a continuation of the original Dragonfly line since they all use the same analog volume control.

DF 1.0
DF 1.2
DFB 1.5

Red uses a newer, supposedly superior, digital volume control. Since the Red doesn't use the older technology, it marks the beginning of a different product line.

DFR 1.0

 

[Duncan]

Thanks for clarifying, felt left out for a moment there

 

[TheEldestBoy]

  FYI Not sure how this is calculated...  (probably better to actually measure...)  But From Post # 268...  From Steve Silberman of Audioquest...
 
" How many milliwatts do the DragonFlys output at 600ohm?
DragonFly Red is capable of a peak output of 2.1vac. Into 600ohms, that’s only about 7mW. But most 600-ohm headphones are usually less than that and we can drive these just fine, as well as drive any receiver or integrated amplifier. "
 
I'm sure you could ask him about 300ohm output...  He may even read this post and answer himself.

 
 
Just heard back from the folks at Audioquest.
They say that the DFR outputs 14.7 mW into 300 Ohms.
This is obviously less than the OPPO HA-2 (30 mW into 300 Ohms) and the Peachtree SHIFT (65 mW into 300 Ohms).
 
Question: Is mW into Ohms actually an important measurement when looking at how well an amp will drive a pair of headphones? Are these the best specs to look at when comparing?  Am I barking up the right tree here, in my quest to assess which of these devices will best drive a pair of HD600s?

 

[CactusPete23]

If I remember correctly.. With Speakers, adding 3db takes 2X the power(watts) increase...  So DFR will be likely be ca. 3db lower max volume than the HA-2... 
 
And I also remember that it takes a 10dB change for the ear to recognize as 2X the volume... So I'm guessing that DFR would sound something like 77% the perceived volume of an HA-2, Both being driven to 100% output volume.   

 

[0rangutan]

Are you buying the HD600's from a shop with free returns?
If so, get the DFR and try them out together.  If it is just too quiet then return the HD600's and with the extra money you saved by buying the DFR, you could buy something better (and more efficient!) than the HD600's.