[artcore]

Hello friends.
 
I am owning a Sennheiser HD 600 now for many many years.
 
I am using it to listen to music on my iMac (classic/rock/alternative) and to watch movies on my television.
I never had an external amp/dac and have always been using the internal soundcard of my iMac and the headphone output of my television.
After many good reviews, i gave the Nuforce Icon HDP a chance (via USB), but didnt hear any significant changes compared to the internal soundcard.
 
So i probably never witnessed the true potential of the HD 600.
 
Now i have saved about 1000 dollars and ive got a tough decision to make.
 
1: keep my old HD 600 and buy a decent amp/dac for the money
 
2: buy a new headphone of good quality and get a fairly cheap amp/dac.
 
3: buy a premium headphone for about 1000 dollars (and using them without headphone amp/dac) and  get the amp/dac 1-2 years later
 
what would be your recommendation?
 
so long
 
Nicola

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
HE-500 with a NFB-12.1 or NFB-5. $1000 new and under.
 
Very best,

 

[KG Jag]

The most affordable (and perhaps incremental) approach starts with picking up an affordable amp/dac that will drive your HD 600.  That way you can fully hear what you have before spending $1,000 to upgrade something that (at least for now) you are perfectly happy having.
 
One such amp/dac that I have and like is the HiFi Man EF2A that goes for $169 at Amazon.
 
I'd be interested to hear what Mal would recommend as an affordable amp/dac that would work well and be powerful enough to properly drive the HD 600.  My guess is that Fiio products would be heavily challenged by the HD 600.

 

[MalVeauX]

 
Quote:

I'd be interested to hear what Mal would recommend as an affordable amp/dac that would work well and be powerful enough to properly drive the HD 600.  My guess is that Fiio products would be heavily challenged by the HD 600.

 
NFB12, 12.1, 5
Heart Streamer II + Little Dot MKIII or IV, Schiit Valhalla, Schiit Asgard
 
Good starts.
 
Very best,

 

[artcore]

God praise Mal for suggesting the HE 500. =)
 
I am so buying this headphone now after if read all the positive reviews about it.
 
Mal did you had the chance to try out all the NFBs and if so, would you prefer one of them?
 
Are these DAC/AMP combos from audio-gd only a good choice for a lower budget or are they really good enough to run the HE 500 well?
 
 
 
so long,
 
and thanks for all the fish!