tlniec
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2010
- Posts
- 115
- Likes
- 11
Hard to believe it's been almost 3 years since I last posted here! I have been lurking again lately, doing lots of searching, reading lots of posts. But I haven't seen anything that addresses my exact situation, hence this thread.
So, I have had my beloved HD650s for a few years now. Initially, I had a Fiio E7 DAC + E9 amp as well, and I was pretty happy with that setup. But over time, I found myself spending less time listening to music on my PC, so I sold off the E7 and E9 and just drove the headphones with a Sony AV receiver. I now have a new "play" room set up, and am finding myself with a bit more time to listen to music, watch movies, and do some gaming. But I really don't have a good spot to put the AV receiver, and I am aware that it's probably not a great choice for driving headphones (even high-impedance ones) anyway.
For now, I have been using an Astro Mixamp (the wireless one). This is adequate for gaming, or casual TV watching, but it really runs out of steam when trying to play music or movies. I do want to hang onto it, since I value the Dolby Headphone processing it brings to the table. So I am thinking I'd be best served with a small desktop amp, that I can put in the chain after the MixAmp (or drive off other devices' headphone outs) for now, and eventually pair up with a standalone DAC. I'd like to stick to the shallow end of the price pool... starting point for budget of about $100 +/- $50.
I have looked into some of the usual suspects, like the Objective amp or the Schiit Vali/Vali 2, and see a lot to like about them. I've also run across some interesting and very inexpensive amps, like the Little Dot series, Nobsound 6J9, Bravo Audio V2, and I'm sure I'm leaving out a bunch of others. I probably seem tube-biased (forgive terrible pun) based on that list, but I am very open to solid state as well. Tubes definitely add a fun factor (I've enjoyed tube rolling with my guitar amps), but SS has its own advantages in neutrality and portability.
OK, wall of text over. Recommendations? Thanks!
So, I have had my beloved HD650s for a few years now. Initially, I had a Fiio E7 DAC + E9 amp as well, and I was pretty happy with that setup. But over time, I found myself spending less time listening to music on my PC, so I sold off the E7 and E9 and just drove the headphones with a Sony AV receiver. I now have a new "play" room set up, and am finding myself with a bit more time to listen to music, watch movies, and do some gaming. But I really don't have a good spot to put the AV receiver, and I am aware that it's probably not a great choice for driving headphones (even high-impedance ones) anyway.
For now, I have been using an Astro Mixamp (the wireless one). This is adequate for gaming, or casual TV watching, but it really runs out of steam when trying to play music or movies. I do want to hang onto it, since I value the Dolby Headphone processing it brings to the table. So I am thinking I'd be best served with a small desktop amp, that I can put in the chain after the MixAmp (or drive off other devices' headphone outs) for now, and eventually pair up with a standalone DAC. I'd like to stick to the shallow end of the price pool... starting point for budget of about $100 +/- $50.
I have looked into some of the usual suspects, like the Objective amp or the Schiit Vali/Vali 2, and see a lot to like about them. I've also run across some interesting and very inexpensive amps, like the Little Dot series, Nobsound 6J9, Bravo Audio V2, and I'm sure I'm leaving out a bunch of others. I probably seem tube-biased (forgive terrible pun) based on that list, but I am very open to solid state as well. Tubes definitely add a fun factor (I've enjoyed tube rolling with my guitar amps), but SS has its own advantages in neutrality and portability.
OK, wall of text over. Recommendations? Thanks!
