[Hachiroku]

I'm not an expert in technicalities, but I can at least offer a lot of advice some others told me. I think if you're going with something like vali2 or a magni (I would say vali2 as a lot of people have said the K712s greatly benefit from the tube sound, magni makes things brighter, and these cans have enough treble even judging off their frequency response) you should just ditch the sound card and give it a bit of time until you can get a modi2 for your setup. Someone told me, unless you're talking about high level gear which can expose the DAC's properties, get the cans and the amp first and worry about the DAC later. Of course, if that's out of the budget, I think a cheap soundcard should still do much better than onboard sound (I have a Z97 mobo and its sound leaves much to be desired). That DAC's value is hard to beat up to the 400$ range, unless you really need portability. Generally external desktop setups beat portable gear since they're made for totally different purposes, just keep that in mind.
 
Edit: also, if you're interested exclusively in gaming, definitely check Mad Lust Envy's headphone gaming guide, it's a really extensive guide which will help you make your picks.

 

[musiclvr]

I am not a gamer but I love my music that much more when it sounds expansive and realistic. This is probably the most cost effective way I have found that achieved those goals for me. The Schiit Wyrd($100.00) > ALO Audio The Key 32Bit/384KH Dac($130.00) > Schiit Asgard 2 ($250.00) Total=$480.00 Maybe I don't need the Wyrd but I wanted to give The Key dac more than ample power. Hopefully this is helpful @Wyversnake

 

[Wyversnake]

Well guys, I don't know which AMP and DAC to buy, there is so much proposition on head fi forum x) I really don't know which one to buy .... x')

 

[Keiltime]

From what I have read, it sounds like the Schiit Audio Vali 2 is a great pairing with the K712s. Anyone experience them together? Also, would the K712s with the Vali 2 sound good with just an ipod touch or classic as the player/DAC? Or would the iPods DAC cause an issue in sound quality with this setup?

 

[jodgey4]

For a headphone like the K712 that is a little demanding on power, the amp should take focus, then the DAC. The Vali 2 should be great. Depending on your other sources, there are some cheap DACs like the Stoner Acoustics UD120 and HiFiMeDIY offerings that really can't be beat unless you're willing to play 4-5x.

 

[TJMcGaha32]

I was wondering, has anyone used the K712's with the Valhalla 2? I'm interesting in getting both, especially since I heard that tubes tone down the treble a bit.

 

[LiquidDan]

valhalla 2 is OTL, which means it has a high output impendance and not an ideal match for the k712s. A highly recommended tube amp in that price range is the project ember, which I just bought myself.

 

[theveterans]

  valhalla 2 is OTL, which means it has a high output impendance and not an ideal match for the k712s. A highly recommended tube amp in that price range is the project ember, which I just bought myself.

 
If he's aiming for a dark sound, it's a good way to do it due to impedance mismatch. I aim for neutrality in amplifier (Schiit Asgard 2) while getting a warm and revealing DAC such as Schiit Bifrost Multibit. These two combo DAC/AMP make the K712s sound very close to Summit-fi level. Since I primarily use USB, I also chained the DAC to iFi iUSB 3.0 + iFi Gemini cables for noise free digital feed and further improve its jitter reduction performance as close to the Gen 3 USB found on Yggdrasil.

 

[LiquidDan]

Wouldn't that cause clipping though? 

 

[theveterans]

I don't know since I've never tried to plug my K712 to an OTL Tube amp because I don't have one. But if does, it's much better to just get a solid state amp with high frequency filters to tame the treble. However, I firmly assure that a properly driven K712 (Made in Austria) does not sound bright at all on a neutral solid state amp and the treble is not in-your-face harshness, rather the treble is shimmery and smooth and placed far from the center of your head.

 

[Keiltime]

I don't know since I've never tried to plug my K712 to an OTL Tube amp because I don't have one. But if does, it's much better to just get a solid state amp with high frequency filters to tame the treble. However, I firmly assure that a properly driven K712 (Made in Austria) does not sound bright at all on a neutral solid state amp and the treble is not in-your-face harshness, rather the treble is shimmery and smooth and placed far from the center of your head.

I have heard people say the O2 amp would not work well with the k712s due to it sounding too bright and a bit harsh. Is this true? Or would the O2 make a good match?

 

[theveterans]

 
 I have heard people say the O2 amp would not work well with the k712s due to it sounding too bright and a bit harsh. Is this true? Or would the O2 make a good match?

 
I never had the O2 amp, but the harsh and bright sounding is a typical AKG symptom of being underpowered or lacking in synergy. The best way is to audition different amps though. The K712 on Schiit Asgard 2 does not sound bright at all in my experience.

 

[musiclvr]

I agree. The Asgard 2 with the K712 sounds detailed yet is non-fatiguing.

 

[Asr]

I was wondering, has anyone used the K712's with the Valhalla 2? I'm interesting in getting both, especially since I heard that tubes tone down the treble a bit.

 
I've tried that exact pairing as I have both the K712 and Valhalla 2 right now, and while the pairing didn't sound "bad" per se, the K712 sounded better on the Garage1217 Project Solstice (w/ a 6SN7 or 12SN7). For the K712, you should get a tube hybrid amp—or a transformer-coupled tube amp, but not an OTL tube amp.

 

[swifty7]

I have my computer's Creative Titanium HD soundcard connected to the Little Bear P8 Tube headphone amp/pre with NOS matched Russian tubes via silver Ortofon RCA cable and the sound coming from my AKG is sublime, almost holographic.   Much better than my previous Schiit Vali amp.   In order to unlock the full potential of the AKG k712pro,  you have to use a tube amp, it truly does make a remarkable difference.