[BoogieWoogie]

OK need your help fellow Head-Fis.



I have a MS1 which lacks clarity both on laptop and MP3 player, the sound is awful when there's allot of instruments and "fast" music specially with rock, I raise the volume to fix this but instead It gets to loud and distorted, the voice dissipates and everything around gets messy, strangly this doesn't happen with my cheap phones. The only type of music that sounds really good are Techno/Trance/spytrance .And for the record All my Music is V0 mp3 and I play with Foobar using Asio drivers.

For this reason I have decided to get either a DAC/AMP hoping that the MS1 will sound as its supposed or new Cans.

For DAC/AMP solution I have listed this options here:

Musiland monitor 02
D4
Compass
EMU 0404 USB
ZERO 24 BIT

For the Cans I have listed these:

Audio Technica ad1000
Sennhesier HD650

I need your help to decide till tomorrow because I'm going in one month trip and I would like to get it when I come back.

Having this said what you think is the best solution DAC/AMP or new Cans ?

Feel free to add other options.

 

[somestranger26]

Definitely get a DAC/Amp before new headphones, because the new headphones will sound equally awful out of your laptop. My friend's MS1s sound pretty good out of the EF2 but the Compass should work quite well too.

 

[kunalraiker]

I strongly feel your DAC is not up to it, also we need to know what format is your music in, what software are you using to play it.

As per the AMP/DAC selection, you need a D4,have it love it.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

Sorry forgot to mention all my Music is V0 mp3 and I play with Foobar using Asio drivers.

 

[kunalraiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoogieWoogie /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry forgot to mention all my Music is V0 mp3 and I play with Foobar using Asio drivers.

Then its definitely your DAC,just as an experiment trying playing a FLAC file and see if it still distorts.

 

[somestranger26]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kunalraiker /img/forum/go_quote.gif Then its definitely your DAC,just as an experiment trying playing a FLAC file and see if it still distorts.

What are you talking about? He doesn't have a (dedicated) DAC, he is using his laptop's crappy onboard sound which is causing the distortion because it can't properly drive them. FLAC will not magically cure distortion caused at the hardware level.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoogieWoogie /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry forgot to mention all my Music is V0 mp3 and I play with Foobar using Asio drivers.

Once again, a DAC/Amp is the solution to your problems. Also, the Compass or the EF2 would blow the D4 out of the water.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

Bump!

 

[jp_zer0]

You can get a Nuforce uDAC, see how this improves your cans. If you're still not satisfied, the uDAC can serve as a dedicated DAC for an amp like the LittleDot MKV and some upgraded cans.

It's a path with options.

 

[nickchen]

I doubt that a new source will help, as you experienced it to sound insufficiently out of the MP3 player. IMO you get more than 95% of what is possible out of those player thingies, the Gradessandros only profit only to a very minor extend from big balls amplification or other show-off electronic devices.

What I don't understand is that you bemoan inclarity - the MS1 is a damned fast proband. There aren't many other products available that beat it significantly in the speed section (maybe the SA5000, the Ad2K and some estats).

But talking of soundscape, I have the suspicion that it's the direct bang onto your eardrums that causes your dislike and feeling of lacking clarity, as things are displayed in a too small space. I suggest getting yourself a K701 or doing the MS1000 mod.

 

[betweentheears]

My MS1's sound VERY good through the uDac. Lossless only.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

Even my cousin had a listen and said his 20€ heaphones were better.
My father listen to them and said same thing they weren't that great no really good definition.

I find the sound somehow distant unless I turn the volume up but it gets to messy.

I would like to do the MS1000 but I have no DYS skills what so ever.
My Mp3 is and old creative zen but really a Dac wouldn't do it ? :O so you really recommend a new pair of cans.

 

[Deep Funk]

I hope you get you music from your CDs. For if your source of music files consists of the original or third party CDs you can always check for beter codecs. There is MP3 Pro if I'm correct.

 

[Drubbing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoogieWoogie /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have a MS1 which lacks clarity both on laptop and MP3 player, the sound is awful when there's allot of instruments and "fast" music specially with rock, I raise the volume to fix this but instead It gets to loud and distorted, the voice dissipates and everything around gets messy, strangly this doesn't happen with my cheap phones. For the Cans I have listed these: Audio Technica ad1000 Sennhesier HD650 I need your help to decide till tomorrow because I'm going in one month trip and I would like to get it when I come back. Having this said what you think is the best solution DAC/AMP or new Cans ? Feel free to add other options.

Get a DAC.
The sound is bad because cheap phones don't find the limits of your onboard sound; good phones do. Your mp3 player may have the same problem if it's old and cheap.

I don't agree with anyone who says better cans are the fix - that is just really bad and ill informed advice.

Onboard sucks, I had the same problem as you, with the same phones. When a source is bad, nothing but a better source will fix it. I got a DAC/amp (and later a better, mid range DAC) and the MS1 will take anything I throw at them, as loud as my beer induced listening sessions will allow.

If you go and get a Senn 650 and whack an amp (and they'll NEED one. A damn good one) through that laptop onboard, that's a very expensive way to find out most of the posters here are spot on.

Get a DAC. Any DAC will be an improvement.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

Okay I'm going for the Dac Route if it turns to be flop I probably will buy the K701 headphone and take advantage of the Dac.

What do you recommend the EF2 ?

 

[Drubbing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoogieWoogie /img/forum/go_quote.gif Okay I'm going for the Dac Route if it turns to be flop I probably will buy the K701 headphone and take advantage of the Dac. What do you recommend the EF2 ?

That doesn't even start to make sense - if one more expensive phone is a flop, you'll go with a more expensive, far fussier phone? You realise the 701 is a bitch to drive? An EF2 won't even come close; they need plenty of power.

Too many amps out there to recommend any in particular. But entry level tube amps are not in the 701s league. Hard to drive phones need everything in the chain to be of a decent quality to deliver their sound properly.