[tpac]

Just picked up HD6XX and a Topping DX3 Pro+ for $400. Is this a good pairing?

Was considering Aeon Closed X without a separate DAC/AMP for similar money, but went with the above combo instead. The bigger fanbase around the HD6XX should make it easier to get the most out of them and the combo with the DX3 Pro+ was still $100 cheaper than the Aeon Closed X alone.

FWIW my daily driver right now is just a pair of DT770 Pro 80ohm driven by a "good" motherboard DAC/AMP (ALC4080, Savitech SV3H712 AMP). I own a pair of HD598SE's too, but prefer the DT770's for mixed movie / gaming / music use.

 

[Lindholdt]

Just picked up HD6XX and a Topping DX3 Pro+ for $400. Is this a good pairing?

Was considering Aeon Closed X without a separate DAC/AMP for similar money, but went with the above combo instead. The bigger fanbase around the HD6XX should make it easier to get the most out of them and the combo with the DX3 Pro+ was still $100 than the Aeon Closed X alone.

FWIW my daily driver right now is just a pair of DT770 Pro 32ohm driven by a "good" motherboard DAC/AMP (ALC4080, Savitech SV3H712 AMP). I own a pair of HD598SE's too, but prefer the DT770's for mixed movie / gaming / music use.

I think many will say it's a good pairing with great sound for the money. But it's also something quite different from the DT770's, but I'm sure you will hear that when you give them a listen

 

[LeonidK]

Has anyone heard HD650 with Feliks Echo I or II? I'm debating on getting either HD600 or 650 and I'm not sure if Echo II is capable of controlling the bass on 650 properly and also getting rid of its veil.

 

[Luckyleo]

I have the Feliks Espressivio (discontinued now) and it drives both the 600 and 650 beautifully. No veil, and tight/controlled bass. IMHO that is... Good luck.

Leo

 

[domdesilva]

Just picked up HD6XX and a Topping DX3 Pro+ for $400. Is this a good pairing?

Was considering Aeon Closed X without a separate DAC/AMP for similar money, but went with the above combo instead. The bigger fanbase around the HD6XX should make it easier to get the most out of them and the combo with the DX3 Pro+ was still $100 cheaper than the Aeon Closed X alone.

FWIW my daily driver right now is just a pair of DT770 Pro 80ohm driven by a "good" motherboard DAC/AMP (ALC4080, Savitech SV3H712 AMP). I own a pair of HD598SE's too, but prefer the DT770's for mixed movie / gaming / music use.

I have the Dt770 80 Ohm and the 6xx. They are quite different but bought good and i had the topping DX3 Pro+ for over a year it's great for the money, plenty of clean Power + good dac. Should be a upgrade over the soundcard? The 6xx and the DT770 are good option if you want to do some modification.

 

[tpac]

I have the Dt770 80 Ohm and the 6xx. They are quite different but bought good and i had the topping DX3 Pro+ for over a year it's great for the money, plenty of clean Power + good dac. Should be a upgrade over the soundcard? The 6xx and the DT770 are good option if you want to do some modification.

I'm really curious how much of an upgrade the DX3 Pro+ will be over my relatively solid motherboard sound solution since solutions on premium gaming motherboards have improved so much over the years. The specs for my motherboard sound as listed on the Asus site are below - a lot of details are obviously missing.

ROG SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound High Definition Audio CODEC ALC4080
- Impedance sense for front and rear headphone outputs
- Supports: Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking
- High quality 120 dB SNR stereo playback output and 113 dB SNR recording input
- Supports up to 32-Bit/384 kHz playback

Audio Features
- Audio Shielding
- Savitech SV3H712 AMP
- Rear optical S/PDIF out port
- Premium audio capacitors

What modifications would be worth considering for the HD6xx / DT770 pro? Which headphones would you lean towards for which use cases if those were the only two that you had in your rotation?

 

[LeonidK]

I had DX3 Pro+ with HE400SE and had to send it back because it caused me a headache. Of course it was not a fortunate pairing but I've tried a couple of Chinese offerings (FiiO K5 Pro, SMSL M500 MKII) and if you only got the chance go for used Mojo 2. I found it to be the best-in-class DAC. I actually missed it when I 'upgraded' it to RME ADI-2. It's also musical, smooth and engaging in contrary to identical masses of Chinese stuff that all sounds the same - flat and shrill.

 

[Hypops]

I had DX3 Pro+ with HE400SE and had to send it back because it caused me a headache. Of course it was not a fortunate pairing but I've tried a couple of Chinese offerings (FiiO K5 Pro, SMSL M500 MKII) and if you only got the chance go for used Mojo 2. I found it to be the best-in-class DAC. I actually missed it when I 'upgraded' it to RME ADI-2. It's also musical, smooth and engaging in contrary to identical masses of Chinese stuff that all sounds the same - flat and shrill.

So after trying a whopping three DACs from Chinese companies with one pair of headphones, you feel confident enough to make claims about “identical masses of Chinese stuff that all sounds the same.” Must be a nice super power to have!

 

[LeonidK]

So after trying a whopping three DACs from Chinese companies with one pair of headphones, you feel confident enough to make claims about “identical masses of Chinese stuff that all sounds the same.” Must be a nice super power to have!

Also Topping D30 Pro, MX3s (compared DAC section vs my Gustard R26), E30, Hifiman EF400 (I have to admit it didn't sound shrill, just bland), Eversolo DAC-Z8 and some cheaper SMSL. Not a super power, just my experience. I found every DAC I'd tried except for R26 and Mojo 2 to have extremely flat and unnatural soundstage presentation. Doesn't matter that much on headphones tho.

 

[Luckyleo]

Also Topping D30 Pro, MX3s (compared DAC section vs my Gustard R26), E30, Hifiman EF400 (I have to admit it didn't sound shrill, just bland), Eversolo DAC-Z8 and some cheaper SMSL. Not a super power, just my experience. I found every DAC I'd tried except for R26 and Mojo 2 to have extremely flat and unnatural soundstage presentation. Doesn't matter that much on headphones tho.

I actually agree with you, although Based on a limited experience. Personally never been satisfied with many of the brands you mention in both your posts. I find them sterile. They measure terrifically, which may be enough for some/many, but for me, it's a no-go.

Just saying...

Leo

 

[kumar402]

Saw this deal on HD650 bring it down to $250
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/310010-REG/Sennheiser_HD_650_HD650_Reference_Class.html

 

[DarthVader92]

I use 6XX’s with a Qudelix 5k sometimes and it’s actually quite good for a little dongle. Drives them enough too. But when I hook them up to my Fiio K9 Pro it scales beautifully. Add a Topping a90d on top and boy, it just keeps getting better. So I guess what I’m trying to say is the 6XX/650 is great with a dongle or MacBook but it can scale better than most headphones if you want to use it with a big boy amp.

 

[domdesilva]

I'm really curious how much of an upgrade the DX3 Pro+ will be over my relatively solid motherboard sound solution since solutions on premium gaming motherboards have improved so much over the years. The specs for my motherboard sound as listed on the Asus site are below - a lot of details are obviously missing.

ROG SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound High Definition Audio CODEC ALC4080
- Impedance sense for front and rear headphone outputs
- Supports: Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking
- High quality 120 dB SNR stereo playback output and 113 dB SNR recording input
- Supports up to 32-Bit/384 kHz playback

Audio Features
- Audio Shielding
- Savitech SV3H712 AMP
- Rear optical S/PDIF out port
- Premium audio capacitors

What modifications would be worth considering for the HD6xx / DT770 pro? Which headphones would you lean towards for which use cases if those were the only two that you had in your rotation?

I am also curious about that comparison,
the last PC Soundcard i used was an Creative Soundblaster back in 2011. I think the progress of PC-SC didn't stopped there!

About modifications for 6xx i think the first sould always be a fresh pair of Pads.
They make a difference in the bass and treble, you could grab the OG Pads if you want pure Sennheiser DNA. I took some nice memory foam one, they Seal a bit tighter and enhance the bass a bit, also they just bit more durable. The Sennheiser Pads lose their shape pretty quick.

 

[Yarblockos]

I use 6XX’s with a Qudelix 5k sometimes and it’s actually quite good for a little dongle. Drives them enough too. But when I hook them up to my Fiio K9 Pro it scales beautifully. Add a Topping a90d on top and boy, it just keeps getting better. So I guess what I’m trying to say is the 6XX/650 is great with a dongle or MacBook but it can scale better than most headphones if you want to use it with a big boy amp.

Sennheiser 6XX with a Qudilex? I dunno man, that sound like trying to run a motorbike on beer.

 

[domdesilva]

The qudelix 5k can Output 4v on the 2,5mm. If you don't want to listen very loud i works good, tried it myself. That sad i prefer the 6xx on the Topping G5, because it gives me a lot more gain and more dynamics.