[notanaudiophileithink]

...as a gift, a friend caught wind of a newfound (albeit relatively short lived if you look at my for sale post) interest in hifi audio. What I'm after is a transcendent listening experience and at this point believe I'm chasing something elusive - that said, I said I'd reserve my foray into this world until I've got a couple grand to splurge on high end equipment which seems like the only thing I can do.

However.... I have this Magni 3.. and I thought (still deliberating) whether I should actually try and use it... of course, I don't have any headphones, don't have a DAC, don't have any cables...
What I'm hoping one of you can help me out with is what to do and where to go next and then I'll be able to decide whether it's worth pursuing. 1. I'm going to need a DAC right? So another $200 on my end for a Modi 2.
2. I'm going to need some headphones as well - looking at Meze Classics (another 300), as well, there's no way I can test these without extreme hassle. For reference I bought and tested VModa m100's and was disappointed, thus, my notion that I'm going to need to fork out much more for what I'm after. Right now I listen to music through Apple Earpods and have literally found nothing that sounds better apart from Beats Studio 3's but price is 10x more and not justifiable... I listened to highly revered Bose QC 35's as well and was underwhelmed, as well as some offerings from Audio Technica - M50x and another similar pair.
Also this is probably just as dumb sounding as my incoherent ramble above but can I run all this with a laptop?

 

[dwinnert]

I bought a Topping D10 DAC to play around with and really like it and am running it with my Magni 3. The D10 runs around $90. The Meze 99's are really nice, but if you don't care about the wood, look at the 99 Neo. IMHO, they sound near identical and you would have to run a good A/B to tell the difference. They go for $200. A laptop should have no problem running anything unless you get the urge to resample from PCM to DSD256+ on the fly, then you will need a very good CPU.

My opinion is headphones will be your biggest sound changing money pit. There is a thread here where people list their top headphones. If someone has a headphone that you have heard and really liked, you both may have similar hearing preferences. So maybe others on their list might fit your likes also.

 

[notanaudiophileithink]

I bought a Topping D10 DAC to play around with and really like it and am running it with my Magni 3. The D10 runs around $90. The Meze 99's are really nice, but if you don't care about the wood, look at the 99 Neo. IMHO, they sound near identical and you would have to run a good A/B to tell the difference. They go for $200. A laptop should have no problem running anything unless you get the urge to resample from PCM to DSD256+ on the fly, then you will need a very good CPU.

My opinion is headphones will be your biggest sound changing money pit. There is a thread here where people list their top headphones. If someone has a headphone that you have heard and really liked, you both may have similar hearing preferences. So maybe others on their list might fit your likes also.

Thanks so much for the reply. I think you’ve reinforced a great point in terms of headphones.. My biggest dilemma is trying to figure out whether I have to cut out the low and mid tier or headphones say, under $500 to make it worth my while - it’s logistically quite difficult to test any high end out either .... ahhhh I think I just need deep pockets and visits to hifi stores in major cities. It’s an issue also strengthened somewhat by the fact that while the Studio 3’s and qc 35’s were both like $449 and my EarPods are FREE or like $40 I’m really wondering whether I’ll have to go even higher.. which right now I can’t justify

 

[dwinnert]

Thanks so much for the reply. I think you’ve reinforced a great point in terms of headphones.. My biggest dilemma is trying to figure out whether I have to cut out the low and mid tier or headphones say, under $500 to make it worth my while - it’s logistically quite difficult to test any high end out either .... ahhhh I think I just need deep pockets and visits to hifi stores in major cities. It’s an issue also strengthened somewhat by the fact that while the Studio 3’s and qc 35’s were both like $449 and my EarPods are FREE or like $40 I’m really wondering whether I’ll have to go even higher.. which right now I can’t justify

It comes down to the music and if you are enjoying the experience. Honestly, it doesn't matter what headphones you have as long as you are having fun. Showing off a pair of $1,000 headphones does not make someone a better audiophile then someone that likes and listens to Beats.

 

[gryphon1911]

It really depends on the music you like.

I listen to just about everything, except modern rap and country.

I have found in my short journey that there is no one headphone. For rock, metal I look Grado SR225e, got it used here in the forum.

For generally everything else, I've fallen for the Beyer DT 880.

For my home setup, I'm using my PC as a source, feeding the USB cable into a FiiO e10k, that feeds into a little dot mk ii.

So, all that, I got by shopping around and getting good used deals, under $500. I really want for nothing at this point.

 

[Hyp0xia]

For the record, you don't technically need a DAC to start with. You can get a 3.5mm to RCA cable to go from your computer to your Magni 3. It might not be ideal, but it can be a stepping stone when you're on a tight budget.

 

[441879]

Thanks so much for the reply. I think you’ve reinforced a great point in terms of headphones.. My biggest dilemma is trying to figure out whether I have to cut out the low and mid tier or headphones say, under $500 to make it worth my while - it’s logistically quite difficult to test any high end out either .... ahhhh I think I just need deep pockets and visits to hifi stores in major cities. It’s an issue also strengthened somewhat by the fact that while the Studio 3’s and qc 35’s were both like $449 and my EarPods are FREE or like $40 I’m really wondering whether I’ll have to go even higher.. which right now I can’t justify

The Magni will do a good job with any headphones you’re likely to throw at it, but I think if you want to see what that amp can do, buy an inexpensive pair of planar magnetics like perhaps HifiMan’s truly excellent for the money HE-400i (can be found for less than $200 and I would consider it a bargain at $400). It will play to the Magni’s strength (tons of power). Planar Magnetics tend to be power hungry, but provide fantastic clarity and detail with bass that reaches very deep with typically no bloat or bleed into the mids. First time you listen to them you will hear things in the music you never knew were there. The DAC is probably not where I’d spend a lot of money. Sure, it makes a difference and most laptops have unimpressive headphone and line outs, but in this price bracket spending more on the phones will give more benefit than on the DAC. I’d look for a $100 dac as suggested above and if you get sucked into the hobby, then start looking for a DAC capable of keeping up with your music sources (no point in spending a fortune on a DAC if you’re streaming from Spotify).

$300 + Magni will give you a very respectable system that can easily be all the headphone you will ever need, or it could be the first step down a slippery slope.

 

[notanaudiophileithink]

The Magni will do a good job with any headphones you’re likely to throw at it, but I think if you want to see what that amp can do, buy an inexpensive pair of planar magnetics like perhaps HifiMan’s truly excellent for the money HE-400i (can be found for less than $200 and I would consider it a bargain at $400). It will play to the Magni’s strength (tons of power). Planar Magnetics tend to be power hungry, but provide fantastic clarity and detail with bass that reaches very deep with typically no bloat or bleed into the mids. First time you listen to them you will hear things in the music you never knew were there. The DAC is probably not where I’d spend a lot of money. Sure, it makes a difference and most laptops have unimpressive headphone and line outs, but in this price bracket spending more on the phones will give more benefit than on the DAC. I’d look for a $100 dac as suggested above and if you get sucked into the hobby, then start looking for a DAC capable of keeping up with your music sources (no point in spending a fortune on a DAC if you’re streaming from Spotify).

$300 + Magni will give you a very respectable system that can easily be all the headphone you will ever need, or it could be the first step down a slippery slope.

That description sounds like what I’m after... an otherworldly experience... I don’t know if I’m hyping what’s possible up too much... anyway it may be worth a shot since I already have thre Magni... can you recommend a dac? And do I need one, I’m stuck trying to figure out how the best way to connect everything up to my laptop as well... I am streaming on Spotify for the most part.... but will use tidal hifi as well.

At this point I’m starting to lose sight of exactly what an amp and dac will do for me... I could run the he400i’s through my iPhone 7 Plus couldn’t I...

And... it was I’m looking for even possible.. I want insane clarity (I tried m50s and to me they sounded muffled in comparison to my EarPods, still can’t get my head around that as I paid 6x more than regular old EarPods retail), punchy bass, strong mids and balanced highs.. idk if that makes any sense.

Edit again; this is turning into a bit of a ramble but could I just buy the rca to 3.5mm and have just run the Magni through my laptop and connect the headphones and not have to have a dac? Idk if my laptop sound card is decent it’s a Soundblaster X-Fi5

 

[441879]

That description sounds like what I’m after... an otherworldly experience... I don’t know if I’m hyping what’s possible up too much... anyway it may be worth a shot since I already have thre Magni... can you recommend a dac? And do I need one, I’m stuck trying to figure out how the best way to connect everything up to my laptop as well... I am streaming on Spotify for the most part.... but will use tidal hifi as well.

At this point I’m starting to lose sight of exactly what an amp and dac will do for me... I could run the he400i’s through my iPhone 7 Plus couldn’t I...

And... it was I’m looking for even possible.. I want insane clarity (I tried m50s and to me they sounded muffled in comparison to my EarPods, still can’t get my head around that as I paid 6x more than regular old EarPods retail), punchy bass, strong mids and balanced highs.. idk if that makes any sense.

Edit again; this is turning into a bit of a ramble but could I just buy the rca to 3.5mm and have just run the Magni through my laptop and connect the headphones and not have to have a dac? Idk if my laptop sound card is decent it’s a Soundblaster X-Fi5

Soundblaster has a pretty good reputation for good sounding DACs and if your laptop has one built in, it’s probably better than most laptops. I’d skip the DAC for now, buy a pair of HE400is from Amazon, and patch your laptop to the Magni with a 3.5mm to RCA cable. Total will set you back $200 and you’ll find out if it’s worth spending more money. The 400i’s will sound pretty decent strait off a smartphone too but it won’t be very loud and the Magni will bring a lot to the sub bass and impact. If the sound floors you, then you can think about spending more money. If not, sell the Magni on eBay and buy yourself something else.

 

[notanaudiophileithink]

Soundblaster has a pretty good reputation for good sounding DACs and if your laptop has one built in, it’s probably better than most laptops. I’d skip the DAC for now, buy a pair of HE400is from Amazon, and patch your laptop to the Magni with a 3.5mm to RCA cable. Total will set you back $200 and you’ll find out if it’s worth spending more money. The 400i’s will sound pretty decent strait off a smartphone too but it won’t be very loud and the Magni will bring a lot to the sub bass and impact. If the sound floors you, then you can think about spending more money. If not, sell the Magni on eBay and buy yourself something else.

Yeah I had a look at the 400i’s on eBay actually and found a good pair for like 329 (AUD we’re talking)... incidentally, my Magni just sold on eBay lol. So I guess I’ll put this all on the back burner until I have a desire to splurge on all the gear. Thanks for the recommendations.

 

[FangJoker]

smh what a clown