[sportflyer]

I intend to purchase a Q701 pretty soon  . After reading about 30% of the articles in this very long thread. I have come to the conclusion that a decent amp is required for Q701  
 
Please help me narrow down the selection : 
 
Some of the amps I am considering are :
 
Matrix M stage ( which version?) 
Schiit Asgard
Meier Corda Rock
Little dot I+ 
Others ? 
 
My budget for the amp is  around $300. 
 
I listen mostly to classical and jazz music. Sources are FLAC (some hires)  via SB Touch  and CD from Oppo 980H .   I also want to use the headphones for Movies for late night viewing. I don't listen or watch movies at the computer at all. 
 
I am also wondering whether the headphone output of the Onkyo NR3007  and the SB Touch is sufficient to drive these headphones  until I get the amp?
 
Thanks 

 

[jasonb]

I use just a Fiio E17 with mine. I find it to be plenty. A bigger, and better amp won't hurt though if you have the budget for it. I'm not even pushing the E17 to half power though, so I consider anything more to just be overkill. I use the medium gain, and still only turn it up to just under half.
Quote:

I intend to purchase a Q701 pretty soon  . After reading about 30% of the articles in this very long thread. I have come to the conclusion that a decent amp is required for Q701  
 
Please help me narrow down the selection : 
 
Some of the amps I am considering are :
 
Matrix M stage ( which version?) 
Schiit Asgard
Meier Corda Rock
Little dot I+ 
Others ? 
 
My budget for the amp is  around $300. 
 
I listen mostly to classical and jazz music. Sources are FLAC (some hires)  via SB Touch  and CD from Oppo 980H .   I also want to use the headphones for Movies for late night viewing. I don't listen or watch movies at the computer at all. 
 
I am also wondering whether the headphone output of the Onkyo NR3007  and the SB Touch is sufficient to drive these headphones  until I get the amp?
 
Thanks 

 

[Hooster]

Quote:

 
I am also wondering whether the headphone output of the Onkyo NR3007  and the SB Touch is sufficient to drive these headphones  until I get the amp?
 
Thanks 

 
Yes, my laptop drives my Q701 cans just fine and I am sure your Onkyo will do great (don't know about the "SB Touch"). I don't know about the amps you mentioned but I am sure someone will advise you. What kind of sound do you like, true honest and dynamic or more relaxed en euphonic?
Enjoy your headphones and don't be in too much of a hurry to get an amp. You might want to save up for a nice one.

 

[sportflyer]

Quote:

 
Yes, my laptop drives my Q701 cans just fine and I am sure your Onkyo will do great (don't know about the "SB Touch"). I don't know about the amps you mentioned but I am sure someone will advise you. What kind of sound do you like, true honest and dynamic or more relaxed en euphonic?
Enjoy your headphones and don't be in too much of a hurry to get an amp. You might want to save up for a nice one.

I like the sound to be more euphonic.  My 2 channel music system consists of Jolida Fusion Tube Preamp driving an Odyssey Khartago SE SS power amp.  So I like that kind of sound.
 
The Squeezebox Touch headphone specs is 975mW with  nominal output impedance of 2 ohms  rising to max 5 ohms.

 

[Hooster]

In that case I would look for a tube amp.

 

[sportflyer]

Quote:

In that case I would look for a tube amp.

But which . Perhaps a hybrid amp is best ...tube front end and FET for drivers.  

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

I use just a Fiio E17 with mine. I find it to be plenty.  I'm not even pushing the E17 to half power though, so I consider anything more to just be overkill.

 
I'm sure the E17 is quite decent, and if your happy with it that's great - but it seems to weird to keep saying that desktop amps are overkill if you haven't actually tried them

 
I'm not saying there are "night-and-day" differences, but there are some improvements....

 

[Hooster]

Quote:

But which . Perhaps a hybrid amp is best ...tube front end and FET for drivers.  

 
I don't know much about headphone tube amps but I believe there are some good ones out there. They do cost quite a lot though.

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

I intend to purchase a Q701 pretty soon  . After reading about 30% of the articles in this very long thread. I have come to the conclusion that a decent amp is required for Q701  
 
Please help me narrow down the selection : 
 
Some of the amps I am considering are :
 
Matrix M stage ( which version?) 
Schiit Asgard
Meier Corda Rock
Little dot I+ 
Others ? 
 
My budget for the amp is  around $300. 
 
I listen mostly to classical and jazz music. Sources are FLAC (some hires)  via SB Touch  and CD from Oppo 980H .   I also want to use the headphones for Movies for late night viewing. I don't listen or watch movies at the computer at all. 
 
I am also wondering whether the headphone output of the Onkyo NR3007  and the SB Touch is sufficient to drive these headphones  until I get the amp?
 
Thanks 

 
Headroom Micro Amp is what I use and is perfect for the Q701 and basically any AKG there is, even the K400/K501. It's $50 past your budget but worth every penny. It's also very underrated I think.
I found it to be much better than the Asgard and E9 with the HD-650 and K702. Strangely enough I only liked the Asgard with two headphones. The D2000 and HD-600.
And yes, it's not a true portable amp, but regular desktop one. Just very small. Comes with a brick power supply though.
 
The Asgard kind of feels like a weakling and I know that's probably not the case. I'd never use it for a 600 ohm headphone. Yuck, but who does that..
I tried it with a 600 ohm DT-880 and it had to be cranked to near max. I think I was using a weaker source at the time.
 
I don't have a clue what the M-Stage is like, but I'll try that and the O2 sometime. Actually if I buy another future amp, it might be the Lyr. Probably won't be happening anytime soon.
I'd say overall the Asgard was disappointing despite all the praise for it. Asgard and the K601 gives me nightmares still.
 
 
I'm glad to not have to worry about this "synergy" nonsense any more.

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

 
I'm sure the E17 is quite decent, and if your happy with it that's great - but it seems to weird to keep saying that desktop amps are overkill if you haven't actually tried them

 
I'm not saying there are "night-and-day" differences, but there are some improvements....

I have the E11 and going from that to the Micro Amp or E9 is basically "night and day"

 
I actually can get ear damaging volume levels from an E5!
 
It's too bad my Q701 still sounds better with portable amps than my HD-650 does.
 
Using a LOD cable to my E11 with the Q701 just makes me cringe. Something a bit off with that despite the Q701 getting super duper loud.
Sounds better when getting extra power from my portable players amp..and that's supposed to be a big no-no, but sounds fine to me.
 
Clip+ to Airhead with the Q701 is actually VERY impressive (IMO). I guess that's like double amping...
 
Hey..I wonder what it would sound like if I linked together a bunch of portable amps with the Q701. Maybe like a pair of Monster Beats

Don't give me any ideas...
 
Just wait..i'm going to post a picture of my "Rig" in it's thread and have like 10 portable amps linked together.

 

[dgilz]

I've had an eargams recently, while listening to my Q701 on my macbook air playing my files with audirvana last beta version. The only mod I've done on my Q701 is to change its cable for a PlusSound EVO, it is really nice improves really much the transparency and details of these headphones.
If you have a mac you should try it, in addition you can use audirvana with itunes, and use to play whatever file format with itunes.

 

[Hooster]

Quote:

I've had an eargams recently, while listening to my Q701 on my macbook air playing my files with audirvana last beta version. The only mod I've done on my Q701 is to change its cable for a PlusSound EVO, it is really nice improves really much the transparency and details of these headphones.
If you have a mac you should try it, in addition you can use audirvana with itunes, and use to play whatever file format with itunes.

 
Awesome, is that straight out of your macbook, or through an external amp?

 

[Chris J]

Yes, my laptop drives my Q701 cans just fine and I am sure your Onkyo will do great (don't know about the "SB Touch"). I don't know about the amps you mentioned but I am sure someone will advise you. What kind of sound do you like, true honest and dynamic or more relaxed en euphonic?
Enjoy your headphones and don't be in too much of a hurry to get an amp. You might want to save up for a nice one.

This is only my opinion, but my Q701s sound very second rate from the headphone jack of my HP notebook.
Anything sounds better than that: an iPod (OK), an iPad ( better).

 

[autoteleology]

derp

 

[jasonb]

I have used desktop amps in the past. I had the $850 HeadRoom destop amp/DAC. I just dont see the huge price difference being worth it.
Quote:

 
I'm sure the E17 is quite decent, and if your happy with it that's great - but it seems to weird to keep saying that desktop amps are overkill if you haven't actually tried them

 
I'm not saying there are "night-and-day" differences, but there are some improvements....