[Christoph]

I decided on the HD-800S with a Burson Conductor 3X. Today is the last day for pre-orders at $1649 before it goes up to $2299. I admit, I’m kind of winging it here. I took the advice of @ProtegeManiac on the Burson. Now that I have these two, what is left? Some kind of balanced cable? Recommendations? Also, embarrassing as this sounds, how do I connect my source music to the Burson? I was thinking about using Tidal. What is the best method?

Good decision.
Honestly i don't understand why some people suggested replacing the HD800s before you heard them with a proper amp / dac, until the whole chain is complete from the source to the headphones.
They are brillant headphones and you have to decide if they fit to your expecations and kind of music you love and listen to.

And electrostatic headphones are not always the best solution for everyone, it depends on the style of music you listen to and your hearing preferences.

I havn't heard the particular Conductor 3X, but Burson made excellent amps and with the integrated DAC you save money for more pricey standalone DAC.

The priority Headphones => AMP => DAC => Cables
is correct form my point of view.
Use balanced cables if possible. You don't have to spend a fortune on them, but that just my opinion. The differences in sound are quite small between a decent comparable cheap cable and high end cables.

 

[pbui44]

It looks like you are really set with the HD800S, but you can still get great sound with this DAC/amp:

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p...MImK7d_sbs5QIVhJ-zCh2QCgWUEAQYASABEgKq9vD_BwE

Burson amps sound really nice, but you should keep the extra $1k+ for a rainy day or two.

 

[csor]

Agreed, good decision keeping and working on completing the system with the HD800S, they can sound pretty spectacular. My recommendation is to add a good digital source/streamer (talking about the usb source, not the dac) - I think this is important to getting a more relaxed and musical sound out of the HD800S (than you would say, with a regular computer or laptop usb output). Try the "darko index" for some ideas on streamers.

 

[PaganDL]

I decided on the HD-800S with a Burson Conductor 3X. Today is the last day for pre-orders at $1649 before it goes up to $2299. I admit, I’m kind of winging it here. I took the advice of @ProtegeManiac on the Burson. Now that I have these two, what is left? Some kind of balanced cable? Recommendations? Also, embarrassing as this sounds, how do I connect my source music to the Burson? I was thinking about using Tidal. What is the best method?

Hi @johnstac,

Regarding connecting your setup to the Burson, if you;re using a computer which I presume you are, just use the USB input for now, you can always play with the other inputs later.
A decent USB cable shouldn't run you more than a few dollars or $ 10 though feel free to play with pricer cables.
But from the packing list, at least they give you a USB & RCA cable too which is nice.
If this was regular hifi, you honestly be lucky to get a power cable but that's a whole other story & discussion.

There are no balanced inputs on the Conductor 3X but there is the following aside from afore mentioned USB in no particular order :

RCA
Optical Toslink
BT 5

Any of those would be useful to you as well though unless specificed or added, most computers generally don't come with RCA or Optical Toslink built in.
As said, easiest way to begin is just connect the USB cable, just hope it's long enough for you.

Honestly, Balanced cables are subjective & highly personal, from a technical standpoint, there are meant to be improvements & at the very least is meat to make said signal stronger, doesn't mean it's necessarily better so once again as said, highly subjective & personal.
But in the real world, this will depend on how you perceive & hear sound as well as the physical characteristics related to your head, ear & ear canal shape.
While I don't have the BC 3X or ever consider to for various reasons not related to its sound, I can easily run balanced or single end on my system, both input & ouput though more often than not, I usually run single ended as personally & subjectively, it sounds BETTER &/or the same to ME, depending on gear synergy, of course which @ProtegeManiac has also pointed out in his own experience, he leans towards single ended as well so really it all depends.
But like with the input, feel free to experiement yourself on how you like to listen & not be constrained by others opinions.

In closing, as far as source material is concerned, as long as your source quality, source recording quality sounds good to YOU & ONLY YOU as it will depend again on how you perceive & hear sound along with those physical characteristics mentioned then you should be at least satisfied, so platform &/or format is largely irrelevant, just depends on what you are after.
Also, pick a streaming music platform which has music you want to listen to, honestly, they're all pretty much the same though for most consumers, Spotify gets the most recognition as well as broader range of ecletic mix over Tidal but that is only what I hear from others who use Spotify, I use Tidal myself & find broad stuff easily enough so it really doesn't bother me but then I have quite a large offline music library to pull from & more often listen to that from my own home setup or on the go rather than streaming but that's just me.
It will also depend on your internet connection & whether you are sharing bandwith with anyone, be it neighbours or within your own household as that can sometimes play a factor on how streaming music is accessed.
Oh & as a last point, whichever or multiple streaming music platforms you choose, just pick the lowest price plan but choose the highest quality option in the settings as where real world hearing is concerned, there is virtually no difference, if there is, it's usually placebo &/or perception.
I have many aquaintances & friends in both the hifi/consumer & pro audio worlds, more often than not, most will just use the basic plan with highest quality enabled.
Given most of these are just given access to streaming music platforms given their line of work, or a nominal fee to access a chosen streaming platform or range of them, it is telling to a certain degree the higher tiers aren't needed.

Hope this all makes sense, feel free to ask more if you need.

Hope you have a great day !

 

[pbui44]

Just wanted to mention another DAC/amp that will power your HD800S on balanced, which is the iFi Zen DAC:

https://darko.audio/2019/10/ifis-zen-dac-is-a-129-mqa-dsd-dac-headphone-amplifier/

 

[johnstac]

Agreed, good decision keeping and working on completing the system with the HD800S, they can sound pretty spectacular. My recommendation is to add a good digital source/streamer (talking about the usb source, not the dac) - I think this is important to getting a more relaxed and musical sound out of the HD800S (than you would say, with a regular computer or laptop usb output). Try the "darko index" for some ideas on streamers.

This flew over my head completely. Understand that I am a complete novice. Till now, my music listening has been limited to two main methods. First would be the AKG K7XX headphones connected to my pc through a Sound Blaster X7 external DAC/AMP/Sound card. Here is a link to the X7. Btw, check out the photos of some of the components people use with the X7! Is that crazy? The second and more typical method are the same AKG headphones connected to a portable OPPO HA-2 DAC/AMP and my iPhone connected to that. I have never listened to music through anything better than the AKG I mentioned. I have never heard the HD-800. I just know that I'm not into big bass headphones like Beats, etc. I also know that I will appreciate the accurate reproduction of music provided by the HD-800. At least, that's my hope.

When I say I'm a novice, I mean I really know NOTHING about upgraded equipment. I have NO idea how I will connect this Burson to the HD-800 and how I will connect those to source music. While I do have a PC I built myself (which I do every other year) I mostly listen to music upstairs in my bedroom. No computer PC up there. Is this going to be big problem? I did just buy a MacBook Pro but the only ports I see on it are USB-C. I am going to ask for specific help here with two methods of connection. First, aside from the Burson and HD-800, what will I need to run this from the PC? Am I missing any other equipment necessary? The second method and more likely will be the Burson, HD-800 and the MacBook Pro. Give it to me straight. If I am going to sacrifice sound quality using this method, then tell me. If not, please tell me what else I will need to make this method work since this is the preferable method for me. If I need other parts, devices or cables, please suggest them.

Hi @johnstac,

Regarding connecting your setup to the Burson, if you;re using a computer which I presume you are, just use the USB input for now, you can always play with the other inputs later.
A decent USB cable shouldn't run you more than a few dollars or $ 10 though feel free to play with pricer cables.
But from the packing list, at least they give you a USB & RCA cable too which is nice.
If this was regular hifi, you honestly be lucky to get a power cable but that's a whole other story & discussion.

There are no balanced inputs on the Conductor 3X but there is the following aside from afore mentioned USB in no particular order :

RCA
Optical Toslink
BT 5

Any of those would be useful to you as well though unless specificed or added, most computers generally don't come with RCA or Optical Toslink built in.
As said, easiest way to begin is just connect the USB cable, just hope it's long enough for you.

Honestly, Balanced cables are subjective & highly personal, from a technical standpoint, there are meant to be improvements & at the very least is meat to make said signal stronger, doesn't mean it's necessarily better so once again as said, highly subjective & personal.
But in the real world, this will depend on how you perceive & hear sound as well as the physical characteristics related to your head, ear & ear canal shape.
While I don't have the BC 3X or ever consider to for various reasons not related to its sound, I can easily run balanced or single end on my system, both input & ouput though more often than not, I usually run single ended as personally & subjectively, it sounds BETTER &/or the same to ME, depending on gear synergy, of course which @ProtegeManiac has also pointed out in his own experience, he leans towards single ended as well so really it all depends.
But like with the input, feel free to experiement yourself on how you like to listen & not be constrained by others opinions.

In closing, as far as source material is concerned, as long as your source quality, source recording quality sounds good to YOU & ONLY YOU as it will depend again on how you perceive & hear sound along with those physical characteristics mentioned then you should be at least satisfied, so platform &/or format is largely irrelevant, just depends on what you are after.
Also, pick a streaming music platform which has music you want to listen to, honestly, they're all pretty much the same though for most consumers, Spotify gets the most recognition as well as broader range of ecletic mix over Tidal but that is only what I hear from others who use Spotify, I use Tidal myself & find broad stuff easily enough so it really doesn't bother me but then I have quite a large offline music library to pull from & more often listen to that from my own home setup or on the go rather than streaming but that's just me.
It will also depend on your internet connection & whether you are sharing bandwith with anyone, be it neighbours or within your own household as that can sometimes play a factor on how streaming music is accessed.
Oh & as a last point, whichever or multiple streaming music platforms you choose, just pick the lowest price plan but choose the highest quality option in the settings as where real world hearing is concerned, there is virtually no difference, if there is, it's usually placebo &/or perception.
I have many aquaintances & friends in both the hifi/consumer & pro audio worlds, more often than not, most will just use the basic plan with highest quality enabled.
Given most of these are just given access to streaming music platforms given their line of work, or a nominal fee to access a chosen streaming platform or range of them, it is telling to a certain degree the higher tiers aren't needed.

Hope this all makes sense, feel free to ask more if you need.

Hope you have a great day !

Thank you for the detailed response. Understand that I am a complete novice here. Some of what you wrote, I understand. Some I didn't. Especially when we start talking about balanced cables etc. I have no idea what they do or if they are needed. I just read about people using them so I figure maybe I need them too. Till now, my music listening has been limited to two main methods. First would be the AKG K7XX headphones connected to my pc through a Sound Blaster X7 external DAC/AMP/Sound card. Here is a link to the X7. Btw, check out the photos of some of the components people use with the X7! Is that crazy? The second and more typical method are the same AKG headphones connected to a portable OPPO HA-2 DAC/AMP and my iPhone connected to that. I have never listened to music through anything better than the AKG I mentioned. I have never heard the HD-800. I just know that I'm not into big bass headphones like Beats, etc. I also know that I will appreciate the accurate reproduction of music provided by the HD-800. At least, that's my hope.

When I say I'm a novice, I mean I really know NOTHING about upgraded equipment. I have NO idea how I will connect this Burson to the HD-800 and how I will connect those to source music. While I do have a PC I built myself (which I do every other year) I mostly listen to music upstairs in my bedroom. No computer PC up there. Is this going to be big problem? I did just buy a MacBook Pro but the only ports I see on it are USB-C. I am going to ask for specific help here with two methods of connection. First, aside from the Burson and HD-800, what will I need to run this from the PC? Am I missing any other equipment necessary? The second method and more likely will be the Burson, HD-800 and the MacBook Pro. Give it to me straight. If I am going to sacrifice sound quality using this method, then tell me. If not, please tell me what else I will need to make this method work since this is the preferable method for me. If I need other parts, devices or cables, please suggest them. I do have strong internet. About 90 down through Ethernet on pc and 75 down WiFi.

Given what I wrote above, would you still recommend just a USB cable and nothing else needed to connect to the PC? Again though, less important than how I make this all work with just a MacBook Pro. Remember....noob here. Give it to me in terms I can understand. And.....if I need to buy anything else, just tell me what I need. Many many thanks!

 

[johnstac]

Agreed, good decision keeping and working on completing the system with the HD800S, they can sound pretty spectacular. My recommendation is to add a good digital source/streamer (talking about the usb source, not the dac) - I think this is important to getting a more relaxed and musical sound out of the HD800S (than you would say, with a regular computer or laptop usb output). Try the "darko index" for some ideas on streamers.

Sorry, you lost me at, "Agreed". Kidding but not really. I don't know terms like, "source/streamer" and "darko index". Can you elaborate a bit and imagine your are explaining it to a 5th grader. I'm 54 but all of this is new to me. Thank you.

 

[PaganDL]

Thank you for the detailed response. Understand that I am a complete novice here. Some of what you wrote, I understand. Some I didn't. Especially when we start talking about balanced cables etc. I have no idea what they do or if they are needed. I just read about people using them so I figure maybe I need them too. Till now, my music listening has been limited to two main methods. First would be the AKG K7XX headphones connected to my pc through a Sound Blaster X7 external DAC/AMP/Sound card. Here is a link to the X7. Btw, check out the photos of some of the components people use with the X7! Is that crazy? The second and more typical method are the same AKG headphones connected to a portable OPPO HA-2 DAC/AMP and my iPhone connected to that. I have never listened to music through anything better than the AKG I mentioned. I have never heard the HD-800. I just know that I'm not into big bass headphones like Beats, etc. I also know that I will appreciate the accurate reproduction of music provided by the HD-800. At least, that's my hope.

When I say I'm a novice, I mean I really know NOTHING about upgraded equipment. I have NO idea how I will connect this Burson to the HD-800 and how I will connect those to source music. While I do have a PC I built myself (which I do every other year) I mostly listen to music upstairs in my bedroom. No computer PC up there. Is this going to be big problem? I did just buy a MacBook Pro but the only ports I see on it are USB-C. I am going to ask for specific help here with two methods of connection. First, aside from the Burson and HD-800, what will I need to run this from the PC? Am I missing any other equipment necessary? The second method and more likely will be the Burson, HD-800 and the MacBook Pro. Give it to me straight. If I am going to sacrifice sound quality using this method, then tell me. If not, please tell me what else I will need to make this method work since this is the preferable method for me. If I need other parts, devices or cables, please suggest them. I do have strong internet. About 90 down through Ethernet on pc and 75 down WiFi.

Given what I wrote above, would you still recommend just a USB cable and nothing else needed to connect to the PC? Again though, less important than how I make this all work with just a MacBook Pro. Remember....noob here. Give it to me in terms I can understand. And.....if I need to buy anything else, just tell me what I need. Many many thanks!

Hi @johnstac,

No problem, we all have to start somewhere.

Okay, let's break this down then step by step.

If you are using MacBook Pro in your bedroom as opposed to a PC, this isn't an issue.
Since Apple likes removing &/or changing ports, luckily USB C is also non issue.

1. To connect the Burson Conductor 3X to your Macbook Pro, using previously mentioned USB cable, either one provided with the 3X or your own, along with a FEMALE USB 2.0 or 3.0/3.1 to USB C MALE ADAPTER.

2. With said adapter in place, plug this into the USB C port in your Macbook Pro.

Given this is a Mac, it will now detect the 3X automatically, no drivers should be necessary.

3. Check your sound settings on your Mac to ensure the 3X is your main sound device & not the onboard sound, set this to 100%.

4. Now, making sure the volume knob on the 3X is at 0, plug in your HD 800S with the standard 6.35 mm plug into the 6.3 mm socket on the 3X front panel.

5. Start playing music from your chosen music player, iTunes, Tidal, Foobar, etc

6. Gradually turn up the volume knob on the 3X to your preferred, hopefully safe, listening level.

7. If everything works & sounds good then you're good to go.

8. Note you may have to select the 6.3mm output via the 3X front panel interface.

The above is the most basic way to physically connect the Burson Conductor 3X to your Macbook Pro.

Alternatively, you can switch Bluetooth 5 on both your Macbook Pro & the 3X for a wireless experience though you will have to judge yourself how good the sound quality is.
Keep in mind, BT 5 sound quality may not be optimal as Apple doesn't use AptX whereas the 3X does.


Using other outputs on the 3X front panel :

The only other output connector you should be concerned with is the Balanced XLR, that bigger round socket to the right of the 6.3 mm socket.
Important : Balanced XLR socket requires a male plug with corresponding 3 pins.

To use the Balanced XLR socket on the 3X, do the following : (Select XLR Output on 3X Front Panel Interface if needed)

a. Using headphone cable with plug terminated with 6.3 mm, search for an adapter plug with is FEMALE TRS to MALE 4 PIN XLR.
Most, if not all, pro audio shops actually have these readily available, usually the brand Neutrik is the most common & robust.
Rean isn't far behind but less common.
Otherwise super cheap option is usually Switchcraft.

b. Ensuring volume is at 0, plug the 6.3 mm end into the adapter then the whole thing into the XLR then you should be good to go.

c. Play music &/or chosen media to ensure there is sound

Side Note : There should be an OPTIONAL headphone cable for the 800S which ends in 4 Pin XLR so this is really all you may need for 'Balanced' listening

OR

To run fully Balanced, do the following :

a. Using the headphone cable with plug terminated 4.4 mm (Pentaconn) plug, find adapter with FEMALE 4.4 MM TO MALE 4 PIN XLR.

b. Ensuring volume is at 0, plug the 6.3 mm end into the adapter then the whole thing into the XLR then you should be good to go.

c. Play music &/or chosen media to ensure there is sound.


This should be all you need to get started for headphone listening on your Burson Conductor 3X.

Hope this is clearer & makes better sense for you.

Feel free to ask more as the need arises.

Hope you have a great day !

 

[csor]

Sorry, you lost me at, "Agreed". Kidding but not really. I don't know terms like, "source/streamer" and "darko index". Can you elaborate a bit and imagine your are explaining it to a 5th grader. I'm 54 but all of this is new to me. Thank you.

No problem. I like PaganDL's instructions above - this is a great next step. Give yourself some time (at least weeks, or months) to explore and get to know the sound of this setup. It'll sound great. You could stop there.

If, and when, you are interested in exploring further improvements, then you can consider using a different digital "source" (other than your macbook) to connect to the 3X. To some degree, this requires some time to learn about networked audio. But let's take a relatively simple (if not cheap) example of one such product/solution, the Auralic Aries G1. The G1 would replace the macbook, and connect to the 3X similarly, via usb cable. The G1 would connect to your home network/router, wirelessly, or wired via an ethernet cable. You would install some software on your mac or iphone, which would allow you to remotely control the music playing through the G1. There are other competing products that provide similar functionality. The main point, is that if and when you decide to upgrade what you have now, a good place for investment is a digital source, such as this.

Hope this helps, and enjoy the new system.

 

[johnstac]

Hi @johnstac,

No problem, we all have to start somewhere.

Okay, let's break this down then step by step.

If you are using MacBook Pro in your bedroom as opposed to a PC, this isn't an issue.
Since Apple likes removing &/or changing ports, luckily USB C is also non issue.

1. To connect the Burson Conductor 3X to your Macbook Pro, using previously mentioned USB cable, either one provided with the 3X or your own, along with a FEMALE USB 2.0 or 3.0/3.1 to USB C MALE ADAPTER.

2. With said adapter in place, plug this into the USB C port in your Macbook Pro.

Given this is a Mac, it will now detect the 3X automatically, no drivers should be necessary.

3. Check your sound settings on your Mac to ensure the 3X is your main sound device & not the onboard sound, set this to 100%.

4. Now, making sure the volume knob on the 3X is at 0, plug in your HD 800S with the standard 6.35 mm plug into the 6.3 mm socket on the 3X front panel.

5. Start playing music from your chosen music player, iTunes, Tidal, Foobar, etc

6. Gradually turn up the volume knob on the 3X to your preferred, hopefully safe, listening level.

7. If everything works & sounds good then you're good to go.

8. Note you may have to select the 6.3mm output via the 3X front panel interface.

The above is the most basic way to physically connect the Burson Conductor 3X to your Macbook Pro.

Alternatively, you can switch Bluetooth 5 on both your Macbook Pro & the 3X for a wireless experience though you will have to judge yourself how good the sound quality is.
Keep in mind, BT 5 sound quality may not be optimal as Apple doesn't use AptX whereas the 3X does.


Using other outputs on the 3X front panel :

The only other output connector you should be concerned with is the Balanced XLR, that bigger round socket to the right of the 6.3 mm socket.
Important : Balanced XLR socket requires a male plug with corresponding 3 pins.

To use the Balanced XLR socket on the 3X, do the following : (Select XLR Output on 3X Front Panel Interface if needed)

a. Using headphone cable with plug terminated with 6.3 mm, search for an adapter plug with is FEMALE TRS to MALE 4 PIN XLR.
Most, if not all, pro audio shops actually have these readily available, usually the brand Neutrik is the most common & robust.
Rean isn't far behind but less common.
Otherwise super cheap option is usually Switchcraft.

b. Ensuring volume is at 0, plug the 6.3 mm end into the adapter then the whole thing into the XLR then you should be good to go.

c. Play music &/or chosen media to ensure there is sound

Side Note : There should be an OPTIONAL headphone cable for the 800S which ends in 4 Pin XLR so this is really all you may need for 'Balanced' listening

OR

To run fully Balanced, do the following :

a. Using the headphone cable with plug terminated 4.4 mm (Pentaconn) plug, find adapter with FEMALE 4.4 MM TO MALE 4 PIN XLR.

b. Ensuring volume is at 0, plug the 6.3 mm end into the adapter then the whole thing into the XLR then you should be good to go.

c. Play music &/or chosen media to ensure there is sound.


This should be all you need to get started for headphone listening on your Burson Conductor 3X.

Hope this is clearer & makes better sense for you.

Feel free to ask more as the need arises.

Hope you have a great day !

You have no idea how much I appreciate the detailed response. It doesn’t sound like I’m going to need any other equipment. I have a few clarifying questions.

1. First, when all of this is connected to the MacBook, is there an EQ built into the software? While I do have a Spotify subscription, I will likely also get Tidal. I think I remember Spotify having an EQ. Does Tidal as well? Do they even make hardware EQs anymore? I guess if the software can do it, then there would be no need right?

2. In the instructions you provided to run fully balanced, letter B you mentioned a 6.3 mm end. Where did that come from. Previously, you were talking about 4.4 but then it went to 6.3. Lmk. I understand that the Senn HD-800 S comes with a 4.4 balanced Pentacon cable. I think you said I will need to buy an adapter to get the female 4.4 to a male 4-pin XLR. Good there.

3. Lastly, when I do occasionally use this system with a PC, are you saying that all I need is a USB cable? Does Windows 10 detect software like the Burson or should I look for a driver first? I saw on the back of the SoundBlaster X7, there is an Optical in/out. Can you speak to whether that would be an option or should I just go USB straight to PC and bypass the X7 completely?

Hey, thank you again @PaganDL for your patience and help.

 

[johnstac]

No problem. I like PaganDL's instructions above - this is a great next step. Give yourself some time (at least weeks, or months) to explore and get to know the sound of this setup. It'll sound great. You could stop there.

If, and when, you are interested in exploring further improvements, then you can consider using a different digital "source" (other than your macbook) to connect to the 3X. To some degree, this requires some time to learn about networked audio. But let's take a relatively simple (if not cheap) example of one such product/solution, the Auralic Aries G1. The G1 would replace the macbook, and connect to the 3X similarly, via usb cable. The G1 would connect to your home network/router, wirelessly, or wired via an ethernet cable. You would install some software on your mac or iphone, which would allow you to remotely control the music playing through the G1. There are other competing products that provide similar functionality. The main point, is that if and when you decide to upgrade what you have now, a good place for investment is a digital source, such as this.

Hope this helps, and enjoy the new system.

I love the idea. I’m not a big fan of using a MacBook to control the source but I hadn’t heard of any other option. I will check out this Auralic as soon as I finish typing here. One other question comes to mind that I didn’t ask @PaganDL about. Unlike the PC which is connected via Ethernet, the MacBook or whatever other source I use will likely be wireless. I’m not asking from a purist standpoint but just from a functionality perspective; will using a wireless source affect playback/sound quality if I’m using something like Tidal? If necessary, I could actually use a super long (Perhaps 25 ft) Ethernet cable from a direct source. Let me know your thoughts. Oh and again, like I asked about the MacBook, would the Auralic have some type of EQ? Many thanks @csor.

Edit: $2700 for the Auralic!? What does this thing possibly do differently than a MacBook that would justify that price tag? I’m happy to spend the $$$ when it makes a substantial difference though.

 

[csor]

...will using a wireless source affect playback/sound quality if I’m using something like Tidal? If necessary, I could actually use a super long (Perhaps 25 ft) Ethernet cable from a direct source. @csor.

Great question re: wireless vs. wired, and the subject of many audiophile forum conversations and experiments, and results vary based on lots of details your home's electrical circuits, network routers, power supplies, etc. Auralic seem to make a point of optimizing the wireless, so with any of their products, I would try wireless. When I used an Auralic product in the past (the Aries mini, discontinued), the wireless sounded great, and worked perfectly for streaming Tidal and high res files from another computer on my home network. I haven't used the G1 but I think it includes EQ. Good luck with the system!

 

[Monsterzero]

I love the idea. I’m not a big fan of using a MacBook to control the source but I hadn’t heard of any other option. I will check out this Auralic as soon as I finish typing here. One other question comes to mind that I didn’t ask @PaganDL about. Unlike the PC which is connected via Ethernet, the MacBook or whatever other source I use will likely be wireless. I’m not asking from a purist standpoint but just from a functionality perspective; will using a wireless source affect playback/sound quality if I’m using something like Tidal? If necessary, I could actually use a super long (Perhaps 25 ft) Ethernet cable from a direct source. Let me know your thoughts. Oh and again, like I asked about the MacBook, would the Auralic have some type of EQ? Many thanks @csor.

Edit: $2700 for the Auralic!? What does this thing possibly do differently than a MacBook that would justify that price tag? I’m happy to spend the $$$ when it makes a substantial difference though.

My head is spinning reading all of the suggestions being put forth here.

Correct me if im wrong,but youre looking for an amp or an amp and a DAC for your HD800s?
Heres the deal with the 800s. Theyre like an audio scalpel. It will reveal everything in your music,both the good and not so good. If you have noise in your system you will hear it. If you put crap files,crap cables,crap DAC,you will hear it. Its not a forgiving headphone.

Kindly explain what it exactly that youre trying to do. Amp? DAC? Both? Streaming? Locally stored files? Both? Realistic budget?

 

[csor]

Edit: $2700 for the Auralic!? What does this thing possibly do differently than a MacBook that would justify that price tag? I’m happy to spend the $$$ when it makes a substantial difference though.

I totally understand. The Auralic was just an easy example to point to of an easy, all-in-one type of streamer, but I agree it is pretty expensive. There are cheaper options, but not quite as easy to setup and use as the Auralic, for example, the sMS-200. To answer your question, what these products generally do vs. a MacBook: (1) provide more flexibility and usability (remote operation, single interface to control multiple sources, etc) and (2) will sound better. However there's no rush, and if I was in your position, I would spend some time listening to the HD800S through the Burson before changing anything else. Hope it helps.

 

[johnstac]

My head is spinning reading all of the suggestions being put forth here.

Correct me if im wrong,but youre looking for an amp or an amp and a DAC for your HD800s?
Heres the deal with the 800s. Theyre like an audio scalpel. It will reveal everything in your music,both the good and not so good. If you have noise in your system you will hear it. If you put crap files,crap cables,crap DAC,you will hear it. Its not a forgiving headphone.

Kindly explain what it exactly that youre trying to do. Amp? DAC? Both? Streaming? Locally stored files? Both? Realistic budget?

well, I’m partly to blame for this because I went into it not knowing exactly what I was looking for. While I have done some research on headphones, I don’t have a lot of experience with the rest. Come to find out, that, “the rest” is equally as important. Currently, I don’t own much of anything. An Oppo HA-2 just a small portable amp/dac and listening with my AKG K7XX. I’m ready to move into the next level of sound quality. So yes, as you probably already know, I have never listened to the HD-800 S. I bought them based on many reviews and what I believe I will like. Doesn’t hurt to have free returns also although I doubt I will need to use that. Wasn’t sure if I needed a separate amp and DAC but Yesterday I purchased (pre-purchased rather) the Burson 3X due out in December. I haven’t set a hard budget. The cans are about $1700 and the Burson is $1600 or so. I just prepared to purchase what I need for great sound. If I need anything else, I would probably like to keep it under 2-3k. Oh, source music will probably be Tidal. I also have an extensive Beatles DVD collection and another 30 or DVDs but honestly, I don’t see the purpose in ripping them if Tidal (or maybe Spotify) provides something close. I don’t know that my ear would even know the difference. Right now I can’t even tell the difference between a standard MP3 and Spotify‘s HQ tracks.

not sure if you need any other information but feel free to ask. Thank you for the interest.