[rutledj]

I've just recently gotten the bug to buy some decent headphones and a Fiio X3. Scored some HD600's off of ebay for 250 (still waiting on them). 
 
I've read a lot of threads recommending an external amp to drive the phones.  I thought I'd stick with the Fiio brand and get an E12 but wondering if there are better options in the same price range. 
 
Also, I notice many of the amps have their own DAC. At what point do you realize that the x3 dac isn't good enough?
 
Thx
Rut

 

[cel4145]

Not for a portable amp. The E12 is great for the money. You could spend more for the Cayin C5 which is supposed to be a bit better (so I have heard).

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rutledj /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

I've just recently gotten the bug to buy some decent headphones and a Fiio X3. Scored some HD600's off of ebay for 250 (still waiting on them). 

 

I've read a lot of threads recommending an external amp to drive the phones.  I thought I'd stick with the Fiio brand and get an E12 but wondering if there are better options in the same price range. 

 

Try it with the X3 first, and personally I'd much rather save the cash for the E12 to buy a desktop amp. It's not like you're going to use the HD600 frequently as a transportable, since even if you routinely carry a bag large enough to hold all the gear, it's an open headphone that will leak a lot of noise in and out.

 

If you didn't get the X3 I'd just say you should get the AudioGD NFB-15 for just a little bit more and use that at home.

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by rutledj /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

Also, I notice many of the amps have their own DAC. At what point do you realize that the x3 dac isn't good enough?

 

DACs cost a lot of money to upgrade but that's where diminishing returns (if there were any gains at all) kicks in hardest. In some cases it's some of the "audiophile" DACs that actually don't measure well - I've had the misfortune of listening to a couple of audiophile CDPs before where one made Norah Jones sound like she needs to blow her nose first, while the other put the bass drum in front of the vocalist.

 

In any case, between properly designed DACs there's no tonal difference - it mostly just improves imaging. Given that headphones don't have much in the way of imaging anyway, going from a cheap but good DAC to a really good midrange DAC can have relatively huge effects on imaging (but overall you might not even notice it), but past that there's no real difference that most people can hear (hence the increased likelihood of perception getting screwed up).

 

Even with a speaker system where a DAC can better show off its imaging capabilities, acoustic treatments to the room would have a much bigger impact with a $500 DAC than upgrading that to a $10,000 DAC while still using the same room with too many reflections.