[Dabbles]

Hi all,

I’m looking to take my next step up on the audiophile ladder. Currently using Sennheiser HD 595 connected directly to the onboard sound of my PC. (ASUS motherboard, nothing special.). My original thinking was to just add a dac/amp, but now wondering about upgrading the cans to get a bit more bass whilst sticking with the open backed plan.

For the dac/amp i’m looking at either a JDS element or the Marantz hd-dac1.
For the cans, I’ve been very happy with the 595s, so thought the HD660s or 650 would be the most obvious choice. However I then saw some reviews of the Audeze lcd2c’s and that got me quite interested in the whole planar thing... especially I will be watching some movies alongside a mix of pop, rock, edm and acoustic music. (Mostly Apple Music streaming/downloads.)

So, I thought I’d turn to those far more experienced to help me find the right balance! Can anyone recommend a good upgrade path that gets me a dac/amp and cans for under £1000?

Thanks!
Dabbles

 

[PurpleAngel]

Audio-GD NFB-11.28, total cost would be about 315 GBP, delivered to your door.
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFN1128/NFB1128EN.htm
Leaves a lot left leftover in your budget for headphones.

 

[Dabbles]

Thanks. I’d seen that mentioned quite a bit, but was concerned about UK support. (Having to ship stuff back over the Atlantic if it goes wrong.)

Is there a general consensus that the Audeze lcd2c is a step up from the Sennheiser HD660s, given the price difference, or are we in the realms of just saying both have their strengths and it just comes down to personal preference?