[dpssri6]

Hey all!
 
I've got a Xonar DG with the headphone amp and a pair of ATH-AD700s.  The sound is good but I desire more! 
I listen to mostly electronic/dance/hiphop.
 
should my next purchase be ATH-M50 or AUNE DAC/AMP?  I can't decide.
 
Thanks!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[classakg]

Since the AD700's lack on bass, upgrading source wont help much. Get the headphones (m50's)
 
And welcome to head-fi, sorry about your wallet. 

 

[afrobat]

At this price point, buying an amp really won't help much. In general the price you pay for the performance gain is minimal here. This is especially so for the ad700, which pretty much doesn't benefit at all from amping. The m50 is a fine choice for the music you like. It is pretty much the polar opposite and the soundstage is significantly smaller so keep that in mind.

 

[cswann1]

Hi and welcome to Head-Fi!!
 
Another vote for the M50. 
 
Also, don't let anyone talk you into a Beyer DT770/80ohm.  They may impress at first, but the nasty treble and waaaayyy too boomy/one-notey bass will get old fast.

 

[kn19h7]

I won't suggest M50 as it is just a sidestep, if you like ad700 then there is no need for it. Amp/dac can also be used in future setup so may be smarter investment.
Actually I think saving the budget for future investment will be better choice though..

 

[classakg]

Quote:

I won't suggest M50 as it is just a sidestep, if you like ad700 then there is no need for it.

 
He does want more, and the M50's will be great for the music genres he listed. 
 
 

 

[cswann1]

Quote:

I won't suggest M50 as it is just a sidestep, if you like ad700 then there is no need for it. Amp/dac can also be used in future setup so may be smarter investment.
Actually I think saving the budget for future investment will be better choice though..

 
I have to disagree.  Your headphones are the single biggest factor in the sound your hear.  The sound signature of the ad700 is very bass-lean.  For the music genres he mentioned bass presentation needs more weight and the M50 certainly has that, far more so than his current hp.
      Adding an amp and/or DAC will still mean a weak bass presentation, just with potentially more texture and detail. 
 

 

[kn19h7]

Well, I'm not a believer of genre/can matching, its all about personal preference to sound signature in my opinion.
Both ad700 and m50 have their weak point for one to hate, so if OP feel ad700 sounds good then I think m50 is not needed, save the money for a true upgrade instead.
Just my personal thoughts though..

 

[afrobat]

Given that he did not specify what he thought was lacking from the ad700 it is indeed hard to judge between headphone and amp. However, given the genre, I would say the severe lack of bass in the ad700 would lead more towards the m50. Also, I know from personal experience that the ad700 doesn't benefit from amping meaning investing in a dac/amp will not give him anything more on his headphones unless his current source is a portable player. Even then, the upgrade really won't be as great as he would likely expect.

 

[cswann1]

Quote:

Well, I'm not a believer of genre/can matching, its all about personal preference to sound signature in my opinion.
Both ad700 and m50 have their weak point for one to hate, so if OP feel ad700 sounds good then I think m50 is not needed, save the money for a true upgrade instead.
Just my personal thoughts though..

Fair enough, to each his own.  When you find the headphone that does it all really well do let us know

 
Actually now that I think of it, my TF10's have the best balance of the frequency spectrum I've yet heard. Solid bass, bright clear treble (but not harsh) and mids that are neither too forward or recessed. The trade off is imaging/soundstage. If I ever got a fs open/backed hp with that sound, I'd be happy as a three-balled tomcat.

 

[afrobat]

Yeah I have a pair of re0's and some decently expensive headphones. IEMs blow away headphones in clarity. My $80 re0 is clearer than my ~$550 w1000x

 

[kn19h7]

I hate IEMs so I don't know actually how tf10 sounds==
But from your description, maybe you should try the sony z1000, it meets all these to me.
 
Quote:

 
Actually now that I think of it, my TF10's have the best balance of the frequency spectrum I've yet heard. Solid bass, bright clear treble (but not harsh) and mids that are neither too forward or recessed. The trade off is imaging/soundstage. If I ever got a fs open/backed hp with that sound, I'd be happy as a three-balled tomcat.

 

 

[cswann1]

 
Quote:

I hate IEMs so I don't know actually how tf10 sounds==
But from your description, maybe you should try the sony z1000, it meets all these to me.
 


 

I'm not a fan of closed designs.  It's very uncommon that they get midrange right in my experience and they suffer from the same imaging/soundstage problems as IEM's.   I had the Denon D7000 for a while.  For certain material that thing was sooo good. Problem is, that material isn't what I listen to much.  For closed cans that one suffered the least of what I think of as problems with closed designs but in the end it went to someone who could appreciate it more than I.  If I ever wanted the Denon sound again, I'd just get a D2000 and pocket 5 bills.
 

 

[eatsleeplim]

Save up for a bigger upgrade me thinks.

 

 

[Katysax]

Spend $40 for a pair of refurbished Sony XB 500.  They are highly flawed but terrific for the kind of music you listen to.  You won't like them forever or for everything, but they'll give you all the kick and fun of an upgrade for a fraction of the cost.