[Excetmonger]

Hello Head-Fiers,
 
I was just wondering what your opinions are of these DAC/AMP combos and how they compare to each other.  The headphones I would want to power are HD650 and Dt-990 600 ohms.  The fiiO combo has an advantage because I would like to have portability, but I'm trying to make sure I get the most out of my buck?
 
Any advice or opinions would be greatly had!

 

[Sam21]

O2/Odac > fiiO e17/e09k

 

[Sam21]

the O2/ODAC combo gives you a better sound quality. the E17/E09K combo gives you more input/output options, it (the unit = E17+E09K) has more power than the O2 amp. the E17 also has a built in equaliser (Bass/Treble adjustment). the E17 is more portable than the O2 as an amp.

 

[Sam21]

Both of those amps can drive the HD650 in high gain mode... Not sure about the DT990 600 ohm ... I guess for DT990 600 ohm you need a more powerful amp, look into SCHIIT or other amps (Little dot tube amps?), for the 600 ohm the amp should output at least 300mW @ 600 ohm ...mayb someone else here can help you..All my headphones are low impedance and my amps are adequate for them.

 

[Sam21]

http://schiit.com/products/valhalla-2

 

[cel4145]

O2/Odac > fiiO e17/e09k

Correction:

O2/Odac >>> fiiO e17/e09k

 

[Excetmonger]

Whoa thanks for all the information! Can you explain how the power output connects to the impedance of a headphone?

 

[Sam21]

the more the power output the better the amp drives the headphones...
 
different amps output power differently at different impedances...for instance the O2 outputs 613 mW at 33 ohms whereas the little dot Mk III for instance outputs 100 mW at 32 ohm....
 
 
on the other hands the O2 outputs 88 mW at 600 ohm while the LD MKIII outputs 350 mW at 600 ohm...
 
 
As you can see, the O2 is suitable for lower impedance headphones while the LD MKIII is suitable for higher impedance headphones...the O2 is peaked at a lower impedance whereas the MKIII is peaked at a higher impedance..
 
the two amps are designed differently and aimed for different headphones...
 
if you want to buy a 600 ohm headphone you should go with amps klike the MKIII....for lower than 300 ohm I would go for the O2....