[sidpost]

Hel 2E

I know this isn't the best DAC or headphone amp but, how does it fare for a basic laptop companion for music and video calls? It looks small and portable so, it seems like a good option. Losing Analog inputs is a don't care for a portable laptop setup so, I don't see that as a big drawback. At $200, it is a bit expensive so I don't know what might be a good competitor in this roll. Add a decent microphone, and I could ditch the basic headset I use for some decent headphones and better voice quality and cut cable clutter.

General thoughts and suggestions?

TIA,
Sid

 

[lpd2]

Looks decent. Besides this unit, for good sound quality, I'm only aware of a similar Mayflower product the Arc Mk2, for this application. Its a $100 more expensive and a little less portable. The other products that will do this are gaming oriented sets etc that wont help anything in regards to sound quality. I had the schiit fulla which was similar, but when i got high impedance headphones i needed more power and went with an Asgard 3, no mic, Schiits a good brand. The Mayflower might be better if you want to drive difficult headphones down the road someday but the Hel will handle most and I'd probably go for that one myself if I didnt have hard to drive headphones. What headphones / mics are you considering?

 

[sidpost]

For headphones, either a mid-range Grado (125/225/325 at 38ohms) or possibly a Beyerdynamic 177X Go (16 ohms?). For truly portable laptop use, I might go with something less that is cheaper and smaller (think semi-disposable big box store headphones where loss is a real risk in the $30~$50 range). I have a few 300ohm headphones that I use with a normal headphone amp so, those are a possibility but not likely option.

In terms of microphone, I haven't gone down that rabbit hole yet! I have very limited experience with music-oriented mics so, probably something that general direction but most likely a lapel mic like you see on television.

 

[Stevko]

Hel2 is nice.
Drive 250 ohm cans very well
I never tried the mic.I`m not a gamer.
so as dac\amp only. perfect.
sold mine. cause I wanna try something else.