geoelectric
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2012
- Posts
- 37
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- 15
Hi, all. I was hoping for some input on improving my work audio setup. My question is largely about amps, and I have some degree of loyalty to JDS's portable units, so I'm putting it here.
FWIW, I have done a lot of searching and have read a lot of audio comparisons and reviews here and elsewhere. However, I'm caught in that space where I know just enough about audio to care, but not enough to translate what I'm reading in reviews into an idea of how things play together.
The M-100s are on pre-order, but here's where I'm coming from today:
I usually listen to heavy, bassy music: a lot of technical metal, industrial, EDM, dubstep, rap, etc. And I do like bass--I have a 12" sub in the cab of my pickup, for example. But I also like occasional stuff with more dynamics and musicality, so want some degree of versatility.
I've been fairly happy to date with the V6s and the cMoyBB with bass boost on, along with "Electronic" EQ from the MacBook, which is basically a scooped-midrange profile. The punch has been very nice, even at relatively low volumes, but I did sometimes wonder if I was missing detail and soundstage given that I'm willing to pay more to get better audio.
What with having a higher-end pair of headphones on the way, I've been thinking that the amp (nice as it is) and the PC source are perhaps going to be weak links, and so am considering upgrading the amp and perhaps buying a DAC.
With the M-100s, I have the impression I'll be getting even more emphasis on the bass than the V6s (which are already fairly bassy). That makes me think perhaps I should be going for an O2 or some other transparent amp rather than something bass-boosted.
On the other hand, I don't particularly like reference sounds--for example, my Shure SE530s without bass boost sound pretty anemic to me, which is why I bought the cMoyBB to begin with. I'd say V6s w/ no bass boost is about my minimum for punch, and even then, I prefer boost.
Given that I've been pretty happy with JDS, I'm sort of caught between C421 w/ OPA2227, C421 with AD8620, and the O2, along with JDS's DAC. The reviews on all of these options seem good, but I'm just not sure what each might mean for sound profile along with the V-Modas.
This will stay at my work desk plugged into mains, so I'm not truly concerned about portability--call it a distant nice-to-have--though I do want a small unit just for aesthetics and practicality's sake.
So one question is just how reference my current cMoyBB actually is with bass boost off? Is it near enough the same sound as the O2 such that I should just wait and try the headphones that way before making a decision?
Another is whether there's really a palpable difference between a C421 w/ OPA2227 and a cMoyBB w/ OPA2227?
Finally, just open ended, any thoughts about how this stuff would play together? I'd really appreciate any advice.
FWIW, I have done a lot of searching and have read a lot of audio comparisons and reviews here and elsewhere. However, I'm caught in that space where I know just enough about audio to care, but not enough to translate what I'm reading in reviews into an idea of how things play together.
The M-100s are on pre-order, but here's where I'm coming from today:
- MDR-V6s w/ Beyerdynamics EDT-250 pads.
- JDS Labs cMoyBB v2.02
- Usually driven from a MacBook Pro w/ iTunes, less usually from iPhone.
I usually listen to heavy, bassy music: a lot of technical metal, industrial, EDM, dubstep, rap, etc. And I do like bass--I have a 12" sub in the cab of my pickup, for example. But I also like occasional stuff with more dynamics and musicality, so want some degree of versatility.
I've been fairly happy to date with the V6s and the cMoyBB with bass boost on, along with "Electronic" EQ from the MacBook, which is basically a scooped-midrange profile. The punch has been very nice, even at relatively low volumes, but I did sometimes wonder if I was missing detail and soundstage given that I'm willing to pay more to get better audio.
What with having a higher-end pair of headphones on the way, I've been thinking that the amp (nice as it is) and the PC source are perhaps going to be weak links, and so am considering upgrading the amp and perhaps buying a DAC.
With the M-100s, I have the impression I'll be getting even more emphasis on the bass than the V6s (which are already fairly bassy). That makes me think perhaps I should be going for an O2 or some other transparent amp rather than something bass-boosted.
On the other hand, I don't particularly like reference sounds--for example, my Shure SE530s without bass boost sound pretty anemic to me, which is why I bought the cMoyBB to begin with. I'd say V6s w/ no bass boost is about my minimum for punch, and even then, I prefer boost.
Given that I've been pretty happy with JDS, I'm sort of caught between C421 w/ OPA2227, C421 with AD8620, and the O2, along with JDS's DAC. The reviews on all of these options seem good, but I'm just not sure what each might mean for sound profile along with the V-Modas.
This will stay at my work desk plugged into mains, so I'm not truly concerned about portability--call it a distant nice-to-have--though I do want a small unit just for aesthetics and practicality's sake.
So one question is just how reference my current cMoyBB actually is with bass boost off? Is it near enough the same sound as the O2 such that I should just wait and try the headphones that way before making a decision?
Another is whether there's really a palpable difference between a C421 w/ OPA2227 and a cMoyBB w/ OPA2227?
Finally, just open ended, any thoughts about how this stuff would play together? I'd really appreciate any advice.
