If I had to attempt a guess I'd say the cheap $.05 op-amp chips in your iphone and tablet, running with the volume maxed out and trying to drive a high impedance load like your HD 650, are in big trouble. Distortion levels, specially in the bass range most likely off the charts. Yea the bass may give you the impression of having more punch with all the doubling, etc going on. Being a "total noob" you have to ask yourself does my impression of better sound from two cheap, badly matched products driving near state of the art phones maybe say there's something in err with my expectations?
Your DC-1 may not be the best DAC/Amp on earth but its for sure in the top 1% and worlds ahead of an iphone. Besides the fact that I own and love the sound of the same combo and have over 50 years experience at this stuff. Don't mean to heart your feeling here but somethings not adding up in your listening impressions..
Ok, cool, so I will stick with the DC-1 exclusively for my "opinion piece" (it won't be a typical review, as I am not a writer). Stupid question time though, do I risk damaging my 650 by playing it on my tablet or phone? I do understand that it's distortion (not power) that kills speakers, so I am a bit worried now.
You're hearing that wooly and flabby bass that is evident when the HD650 is plugged into components incapable of exerting great control over the transducers.
Go to a meet if you can, and listen to the HD650 from a good balanced solid state amp (like the Ragnarok). You'll hear bass that's defined, taut and distinct. No smothering and bleeding into other registers. Bass that hits hard. Then listen to the HD650 from your iPhone and marvel at your naivety.
My next "big" audio purchase will probably be a higher end amp to drive the 650 (as well as the rest of my collection). It might be a long while before that will happen though. I spent WAY too much on Christmas gifts already, and I still have some more to go...
I have heard (read) a lot of great things about Schiit gear, but have not yet heard any of their equipment. Both the Rag and the Yggy get my "gear lust" running high! LOL!
Quote:
@ painted known,
Feeding the iPhone digitally into an amp like the Ifi micro idsd cleans the sound quite a bit. You still get a good strong bass, but it is better defined and encroaches less into the upper bass where there is a hump in the frequency response,
In addition to the Schiit stack, I have been also eye'ing the Audio G-D Master 11. It's pricey (IMO), but it has the advantage of being able to drive single ended as well as balanced 'phones, and I think I'd really like to try a multibit DAC (which it also has). Makes it very high on my "want list", but the price tag is a bit of a sticking point for me at the moment. However, it is considerably lower cost than the Schitt stack, and is an "all in one" unit.
I kind of go back and forth (even multiple times a day) on what I'd ultimately like to get, but I don't think I could go wrong with either setup.
I do see a lot of users ITT that recommend tube amps for the 650, but I have never used any tube amps, and would have no idea of what to get.
I have considered the Schiit Vali, just to see if I like the tube sound. Does it play well with the 650? How about easy to drive 'phones such as the Grado SR80i, AT ATH-M50X, Senn HD598, Beats Solo2, Skullcandy Aviator, etc?
EDIT: I have also considered a Schiit Magni 2 or O2 amp (or something similarly low cost), simply to get something cheap that would hopefully work well enough to keep me pleased until I can get a "killer" amp.
All thoughts and opinions are welcome. I am just brainstorming and thinking out loud here...but that's what I have been considering. The only headphone amp I have ever heard is the DC-1, though, so I really don't know what I'm talking about.