I'm planning to upgrade my front end. There are so many options for me in this mid-tier area and I'm stuck. I am coming from an HRT Microstreamer DAC as my principle source, which I use both at home and on the go. With my more power hungry headphones, I have a Cayin C5, whihc has easily enough power to drive anything. I also have my Hifiman HE560s rigged up to the speaker taps of my old Arcam Alpha 9 integrated amplifier and I am very happy with the sound I get. However, I believe that I'm still not getting the most out of my HE560s and would like to spend this spare cash I have on a DAC, amp or DAC/amp upgrade.
After doing lots of research, I have narrowed my list down to:
Chord MOJO
Grace M9xx (just come back on Massdrop)
Arcam irDAC
....all possibly with a Gustard H10 if necessary..
I'd like to state that sheer sound quality always comes first for me over looks, features and everything else. From what I have read, on pure sound quality alone, isn't the Grace supposed to take the biscuit here? Has anyone compared these units? My only worry is that the Grace might not have quite enough juice to power the rather hard to drive HE560. If it sounds totally spectacular, I would consider investing in another amp to run after it, my mind being set on the Gustard H10. I have read though that running an unbalanced DAC into the H10 isn't going to get the best out of it. Does this have any truth to it?
Obviously, the above choice of M9xx and Gustard H10 would be the most costliest and this is where the Chord MOJO comes in! Will I get sound quality in the same ballpark with this unit alone?
Also, I have seen the Arcam irDAC for around £200 a few times on ebay, which is a great deal and would leave me enough to get the H10 or similar along with that. Does anyone know how they all compare?
I am a professional musician and my tastes are exceptionally broad, ranging from large scale orchestral stuff, through jazz and hip hip to death metal and prog rock. Really, I want a setup that has clarity, not too coloured and able to cope with complex textures and big dynamic swings. I want my setup to be fast and detailed yet not harsh in the treble regions.
Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks!
After doing lots of research, I have narrowed my list down to:
Chord MOJO
Grace M9xx (just come back on Massdrop)
Arcam irDAC
....all possibly with a Gustard H10 if necessary..
I'd like to state that sheer sound quality always comes first for me over looks, features and everything else. From what I have read, on pure sound quality alone, isn't the Grace supposed to take the biscuit here? Has anyone compared these units? My only worry is that the Grace might not have quite enough juice to power the rather hard to drive HE560. If it sounds totally spectacular, I would consider investing in another amp to run after it, my mind being set on the Gustard H10. I have read though that running an unbalanced DAC into the H10 isn't going to get the best out of it. Does this have any truth to it?
Obviously, the above choice of M9xx and Gustard H10 would be the most costliest and this is where the Chord MOJO comes in! Will I get sound quality in the same ballpark with this unit alone?
Also, I have seen the Arcam irDAC for around £200 a few times on ebay, which is a great deal and would leave me enough to get the H10 or similar along with that. Does anyone know how they all compare?
I am a professional musician and my tastes are exceptionally broad, ranging from large scale orchestral stuff, through jazz and hip hip to death metal and prog rock. Really, I want a setup that has clarity, not too coloured and able to cope with complex textures and big dynamic swings. I want my setup to be fast and detailed yet not harsh in the treble regions.
Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks!
