Can someone explain a newbie like me the difference running these 820 from a portable dap like the FiiO M11 Pro that supports 300 output balanced and the Sony ZX507 which goes up to 200 output using the balanced cable. Is it the soundstage or the power of the sound that these numbers refer to?
Right now I have a EU capped ZX507 (and the volume is on the low side with these) but thinking of ordering the asian uncapped one but also considering the FiiO 11 Pro if it's better suited for high-end headphones. I've tried using the 820 from a Sony NW-A55 which I uncapped (running 3.5mm) and the volume goes higher - and the sound is good. How does the headphones sound when using a more capable dap is what I'm asking about - and sorry for the question. I just want to learn
Any suggestions to which low-mid-price DAP is most suited to run these headphones?
A few things to note.
“300 output” and “200 output” are missing a unit of measure. Is that “Supports headphones up to 300 ohms” (often represented by the symbols Ω or R) or “has a balanced output of 200 milliwatts” (mW)?
All of this is academic: determining the output of a DAP (or amp), it’s good to know the Amplifier’s specs including the power (watts or more usually milliwatts), current (amps or amperes), and voltage. Also, the higher the headphone’s resistance (ohms Ω or R) and lower the sensitivity (dB or SPL), the more powerful the DAP/amp will have to be. The HD 820 has a resistance of 300 Ω and sensitivity of 103 dB at 1 kHz, 1V, and there’s various calculators online where you can plug in those two figures and they spit out what specs the amp “should” have to reach 120-130 dB peaks. Most of the time, you’ll be listening at a sound level much safer like 70-80 dB (hopefully), but there will be occasional loud moments that peak in a song, and to sound natural those peaks shouldn’t hit a “ceiling” and form more of a plateau.
Ok, so all those are factual and objective, but why did I say it’s all academic? Because, the science of amp and speaker design is actually waaaay more complicated than that, like a semester of school level of complicated, and on top of that most DAP and amp manufacturers don’t disclose most of their specs... probably because people who only half understand might misinterpret the specs and think the performance is lower. Personal preference also comes into play, so demoing various units yourself still is the only sure way to know.
So, sorry to leave you back where you started, so I’ll cut to the chase and share some experience, with the caveat that this is only my experience. I tried an HD 820 at Kimber Cable’s booth, balanced out of a Sony W1MZ DAP, and I was pretty satisfied. So, I bought a Sony ZX300, which has 50 mW single-ended output with 32 Ω headphones (more than your NW-A55) and 250 mW balanced out to 32 Ω headphones, and it got loud enough with my balanced HD 800 (similar sensitivity and resistance as the HD 820), but I thought it sounded robotic and artificial. Meanwhile, everything sounded much richer and more natural with my HD 660S (load specs: 150 Ω and 104 dB at 1 kHz, 1V), a satisfying combo. And my HD 650 (300 Ω, 101 dB at 1kHz, 1V) sounds very satisfying out of my old but good FiiO X7 with the medium power AM2B amp module. So, my takeaway is that is that the FiiO has a shorter battery life and larger size because it is more powerful.
Still here, looks like I turned a corner.
Had a thought while I was going through the worst of it though, trying to decide how I can let me wife know how much all of my stuff really cost in the event that I don't make it. I don't want her selling all of my headphones for what I told her I paid for them after all.
Anyways, when I get back home I'm going to try and finish my hd820 review that I never got finished. I still have some loaner gear that I was using for it that I need to make sure gets back to their proper owners.
A tough situation, and I’m inferring you have some health concerns. Here’s hoping you’re past the worst of it, and you enjoy the rest of your life. With regards to your wife... mine said I’m not allowed to buy more unless I sell some, and she wants a honeymoon first, haha! So I sympathize.
The way I look at it, I enjoy my audio investments more than other potential hobbies/pastimes/addictions, and I spend less and enjoy each purchase longer than some things I could be spending on. If I was having a life threatening experience and music or videogames were something I would enjoy without hurting myself or others, I think my wife would want me to have that experience (especially since Headphones are relatively easy to resell and hold their value better than other things).
I thought your comments on the previous page were spot on, and I would be very interested to read your HD 820 review, if you can manage it. However, first and last I wish you good health.
