[slainte]

For a family member looking to dip his toes into the ocean of some good Head-Fi.

His tastes in music mostly revolve around classic rock. Source is most likely a computer. I think he might prefer closed back but not sure how effective he would be at limiting sound should he venture into open backs.

I do plan on letting him listening to some of my gear sometime soon but figured I'd get the ball rolling here.

Any and all insights are very much appreciated!

 

[msing539]

With an all in budget of $200 new, I'd just do headphones for starts... maybe the DT770 or AKG K371. Then they could build from there.

 

[slainte]

With an all in budget of $200 new, I'd just do headphones for starts... maybe the DT770 or AKG K371. Then they could build from there.

Thanks.

What if he increased his budget to $300? Is there a worthy DAC/AMP that would pair well with most headphones including the ones you mentioned?

 

[silentraindrop]

I also agree with above that headphones before dac/amp with your budget. Unless you go used, price for basic dac/amp will be around $200~$250. JDS Atom stack or Schitt stack are among many popular choices. AKG/DT770(32ohm) should be easy enough to use without dac/amp to start.

 

[msing539]

Thanks.

What if he increased his budget to $300? Is there a worthy DAC/AMP that would pair well with most headphones including the ones you mentioned?

Best advice is to buy used. A Magni/Modi and DT770 can be had for around $250 all in. Someone starting out is probably going to want to be the first owner of their headphone, but it's a waste of money. All of this is starter gear--sure, some people keep them for a long time, but most who get into the hobby will sell this stuff off pretty quickly and it's a shock when you buy stuff for $425 new and you can only resell it for half that.

There's also the chance your friend will prefer IEMs over headphones, so they could end up going a completely different route. $22 on a new Salnotes Zero is a bargain, $150 on a used 7Hz Timeless plus a portable DAC will also be well within budget.

 

[earmonger]

Some headphones need an amp; some don't. Low impedance often means no amp necessary -- check reviews on Head-Fi.

As someone said above, better to invest in a higher-quality headphone, especially for a beginner, than the other boxes. But really, get a good idea of his planned usage. Open-backs will bother anyone else in the room; closed-backs or IEMs won't. And he might prefer IEMs for portability.

Grado is often recommended for rock in particular, but they are open-back and loud (and low-impedance).

If you are intent on a DAC/Amp, and it's going to be stationary, computer/deskside listening, consider Venture Electronics' Megatron DAC/Amp. There's a Head-Fi thread and a very positive review on the Dongle Madness site.

VE Megatron is all of $56 shipped to USA; if you're in Ireland (slainte), that might be slightly different, but it's coming from China anyway.
https://www.veclan.com/engappliance_sel_one?eng_ApplianceVo.eac_id=63

It is a metal box with a USB connector (USB C and standard USB), slightly larger than a cigarette pack, with excellent specs and lots of power. It doesn't have its own volume control, probably contributing to the low price; volume is controlled at the source (computer/phone/player).

It runs on the USB power from a computer or phone; no internal battery or external wall wart. (Schitt has heavy adapters not shown with the sleek aluminum boxes.) Megatron would be a little bulky to pair with a phone but it can be done.

I have a Magni 3, but I was curious about the Megatron, and I don't hear any great difference in quality. I'm using it with power-hungry ATH-R70X (470 ohms) and it sounds excellent.

Schitt does make a budget DAC/Amp combo, the $99 Fulla, if you want to investigate that; I have no experience with it.

 

[slainte]

Thanks for all the good advice. Need to get a feel for his preference with open vs closed. For instance, if he prefers open, then I think grado might be a good place to start. But would also depend on bright vs warm. Lots to suss out.

 

[cantcacheme]

Thanks for all the good advice. Need to get a feel for his preference with open vs closed. For instance, if he prefers open, then I think grado might be a good place to start. But would also depend on bright vs warm. Lots to suss out.

You might want him try a pair of grados in- person before purchase. Afaik all grados are on-ears and are quite the ergonomic disadvantage compared to normal over-ear headphones, many dislike this sort of fit

 

[slainte]

You might want him try a pair of grados in- person before purchase. Afaik all grados are on-ears and are quite the ergonomic disadvantage compared to normal over-ear headphones, many dislike this sort of fit

Absolutely agree. I have a pair of Grado SR60e headphones. They were my first open-backs. Although I prefer circumaural/full-size cans, the on-ear nature of Grados weren't as uncomfortable as I thought they would be. That said, he'll need to try them and decide for himself.

 

[KPzypher]

AKG K371
Topping DX3 Pro +

Under $300.