[Luke Thomas]

Given your signal chain, you owe yourself to check out a Schiit Bifrost 2 Multibit as an alternative to your dragonfly. I am listened to Tidal now with a Bifrost MB+Unison USB with excellent instrument delineation and staging. I also have a Schiit Modi MB and an Oppo 105D and I can hear the difference between the DACs in each.

Thx would luv to. But no mqa. I have $1500 headphones. $1500 amp. And a $200 dac. Would be nice to try a expensive dac. With a return policy.

 

[340519]

Couldn't agree more though I am not running anything as nice as yours. From the JDS Atom to the Xduoo TA-20 and definitely smiling. Working on finding a good source for some better tubes. I am going to hunt down a balanced DAC though so the chain is complete. Hopefully that is worth it!!

Awesome sounds good! I've been using thetubestore.com for all of my tubes. I like the gold lion and electroharmonix the best.

Thx would luv to. But no mqa. I have $1500 headphones. $1500 amp. And a $200 dac. Would be nice to try a expensive dac. With a return policy.

I swear by benchmark dacs.

Thx would luv to. But no mqa. I have $1500 headphones. $1500 amp. And a $200 dac. Would be nice to try a expensive dac. With a return policy.

Which amp?

 

[PointyFox]

Instead of using random endorsements, here's a ranking of a bunch of DACs according to how well they actually perform:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ad-distortion-comparison-graph-for-dacs.4814/

If you got all your information from how audiophiles feel about their DACs, you'd never realize things like how a Samsung Galaxy S8+ is a better DAC than the $2500 Schiit Yggdrasil. Some Most people either can't tell the difference or just like inaccurate sound.

 

[gefski]

 

[PointyFox]

 

[Whazzzup]

Seattle been there when it was rocking

 

[Luke Thomas]

Which amp?

Violectric 280

 

[Arniesb]

Violectric 280

Youre missing a lot. 200 bucks dac is servicable, but its simply not acceptable for headphones as resolving as HD800S.

 

[Ichos]

And an amp like V280.
Upgrade your dac and prepared to be amazed!

 

[kernel8888]

Youre missing a lot. 200 bucks dac is servicable, but its simply not acceptable for headphones as resolving as HD800S.

the differences between my iphone, fiio e12, magni/modi 3 stack, or with my emotiva xpa are marginal. there are differences but its as much preference as it is "quality".

 

[kernel8888]

My point is that going from headphone to headphone makes a huge diff.

amplification and dacs can make a diff, even cables to a much smaller extent

but every headphone I’ve ever had including my he-6 keeps its main basic soundsignature and character regardless of using my iPhone or high end thousand dollar equipment

there are differences but they are very marginal in my opinion- and based as much on preference As “quality” (whatever that really means)


beating a dead horse I know, but just my opinion

I will say SOME amps/dacs can make a larger diff if they are tuned that way and based on impedance matching etc.

i.e. my vintage gear sounds very warm compared to newer gear

 

[Arniesb]

My point is that going from headphone to headphone makes a huge diff.

amplification and dacs can make a diff, even cables to a much smaller extent

but every headphone I’ve ever had including my he-6 keeps its main basic soundsignature and character regardless of using my iPhone or high end thousand dollar equipment

there are differences but they are very marginal in my opinion- and based as much on preference As “quality” (whatever that really means)


beating a dead horse I know, but just my opinion

Been there. Was always sceptical about everything and had Fiio e10k as a dac for a long time and thought its all i need. Now that i tried many stuff at some dealers and meets or having buying stuff myself i could hear everything. If there wouldnt be difference then high end stuff wont exist.

 

[kernel8888]

Like i said there are differences- but my approach is also value- and there are different tiers of value. Some peoples limit is 300- any more and the value is gone.

for me the value aspect of headphones goes higher than amps and dacs. So an amp/dac combo for me- the value maxes out around $300-$400

Any more than that and I just can’t justify the “improvements”

on headphones- were more in the range of $700-$1000 used before I can no longer justify the improvement for the orice

so there is a diff I agree, they just are so marginal that I can’t justify them.

so the hd800s is at the pinnacle of the value spectrum for me

for amplification, the ifi idsd micro and magni modi 3 are at the pinnacle.

 

[ferraro25]

Just received my HD 800 S.

I have recently verified that I value clarity and instrument separation above everything else, and I find this headphone to be astounding. Just like I wanted, I can focus on individual instruments even when it is super busy. I was considering getting the HiFiMAN Arya, but even those would be sacrificing too much on the clarity and instrument separation side of things for me, based on what I've read and heard on youtube. The headphone that made me fully realize that I am a "clarityhead" is the ZMF Verite Closed, which is way too congested for me, to the point of being completely unacceptable for a headphone anywhere near its price.

They aren't flawless, as they do lack a bit of impact to the sound, and they are on the thin side of neutral (as expected given the focii on clarity and instrument separation), but I was expecting both of these things.

Running them off a Massdrop THX AAA 789.

 

[TheBrandon]

Just received my HD 800 S.

I have recently verified that I value clarity and instrument separation above everything else, and I find this headphone to be astounding. Just like I wanted, I can focus on individual instruments even when it is super busy. I was considering getting the HiFiMAN Arya, but even those would be sacrificing too much on the clarity and instrument separation side of things for me, based on what I've read and heard on youtube. The headphone that made me fully realize that I am a "clarityhead" is the ZMF Verite Closed, which is way too congested for me, to the point of being completely unacceptable for a headphone anywhere near its price.

They aren't flawless, as they do lack a bit of impact to the sound, and they are on the thin side of neutral (as expected given the focii on clarity and instrument separation), but I was expecting both of these things.

Running them off a Massdrop THX AAA 789.

You could EQ them (I personally wasn’t a fan but a lot of folks like this option, it’s free and easy with oratory1990’s guides. Pretty interesting to read about if anything) or try the tube road. I believe every 800 should be tried with a tube amp just to see if you’re into it. If things ever return to normal, there are meets and of course you can audition various tube amps at some stores.

My opinion before the tube amp was factoring in diminishing returns the T1 Version 2 was a better buy for headphones to my taste. Accurate highs, amazing mids and stronger lows. Just fuller in general. Imaging close and soundstage as close as one can get but the 800 is just so good there. Just my limited and inexperienced opinion.