[Beyerlion]

Hi this is my first post but i have been reading these forums for quite some time now and have always found the advice to be spot on.
 
But i need help with my next leap in Headfi.
 
After reading so many posts i have gathered together a few bits and pieces witch i am happy with and these are as follows.
 
* Beyerdynamic DT770 pro 80
* Creative  Aurvana Live
* Fiio E11
* Fiio E6
* Pioneer PD-S705 (CD player) 17 years old but still very good
* Marantz MCR 502 ( Mini Hifi )
 
So here is my problem i recently had the chance to listen to my beyer's through a Audiolab M-DAC and was blown away.
 
Now the M-DAC is a little bit expensive at around £540 at my local dealer but i didn't rule it out but it got me to thinking what would that money get me.
 
And this is where i hope you can help.  With that kind of budget what should i upgrade first ?
 
A few little bits of info
 
I am a fan of Cd's having owned a Squeezebox Touch and tried the whole streaming thing i found it wasn't for me.
 
I find the DT770 very very comfy and would like something as comfortable if possible if a headphone upgrade is necessary.
 
 
Any help is greatly appreciated

 

[Kyle 491]

Heya, I'm selling my M-DAC £375 if you're looking to buy and pick up locally. PM if interested.

 

[Beyerlion]

Thanks its worth considering if that's the way i go.

 

[nylan8301]

I would say that you are headed in the right direction with listening to that DAC. I would say that you need to upgrade your source.
 
An external DAC, somewhere in the price range of  £200-£350. That seems like a sweet-spot for a solid starting DAC.
 
Then again, I haven't owned a lot of gear in my time.
 
-Nylan

 

[Beyerlion]

Thanks for the reply
 
I didn't listen long to the M-DAC to know that it sounded better than my current set up but i did have my headphones plugged into the M-DAC headphone out witch i believe has a decent built in amp that maybe my E11 can not compete with.
 
So maybe a better Amp is called for or maybe the DAC is the key i am realy unsure
 
Thanks again
 

 

[nylan8301]

Best thing to do would be to either take your amplifier to a store that has a better source or try to go to a local meet to test out gear with your headphones.
 
Try to isolate each step of your upgrade to find out where it is going to make the most difference to you.
 
Personally, my source upgrade was the most significant for me; but I had already purchased a Little Dot MK II by then, which also made a difference.

 

[Beyerlion]

Thanks for the reply
 
The world of headfi is a confusing one to say the least.
 
I think I'm really looking at a solid upgrade in sound for as little money as possible and i realize that is a hard thing to ask.
 
where i am at the moment is that I'm looking at maybe getting a set of HD650 or 600's with maybe a schiit magni or fiio e9k.
 
I'm guessing and only guessing that this will sound allot better than what i currently have while still coming in and around my budget.
 
But as ive never tried these headphones I'm at a loss as to how they sound compared to Dt770 with Fiio E11 or Dt770 with M-DAC
 
I'm not really in a position to try anything out really as I'm from the UK and have no where local to try anything so I'm relying on the sound advice that i will get here.
 
the only question i have is on the Bass from the 600's and 650's as I'm sure everyone knows the Bass on the Dt770 is vast and it was for that reason i purchased them as I'm a big Daft Punk fan and good Bass is essential.  I listen to a wide range of music from Sea Sick Steve to Paul Simon to Deadmau5 so I'm not what you would call a Bass head.
 
Thanks Again
 

 

[nylan8301]

I am the wrong person to ask about Higher-end Sennheisers. I dislike the HD650 and I only tolerate the HD600, which former has a fairly dark sound signature. I would say that the HD650 are bassier, but predominantly mid-bass; not sub-bass. Again, this is my experience and to be fair, they were underamped at the time.
 
The Magni looks like a pretty solid amp for the money (plus, it has a small footprint). It's nice that they have an external DAC that you can purchase to pair with it.
 
You may have to travel a bit in order to find a shop that has a demo pair of HD650. I don't know if they have it on display, but Sennheiser lists the chain "Argos" as carrying the HD650. I'm not familiar with it, but it looks fairly wide-spread.
 
Again, good luck!
 

 

[davidsh]

You shouldn't by change have a nice stereo setup?
 
Also, it would be nice to know what you want from you new headphones and what you expect... Anyway, the schiit magni seems like a good purchase. It should drive pretty much any headphone except a few.

 

[Beyerlion]

I do have a nice stereo setup witch consists of a marantz mini system or the pioneer PD-S705.

I'm looking for an upgrade to my DT770 really or if that's not possible then to get the best I can from them.

I guess it boils down to better source or better headphones.

I did have chance to listen to some sennheiser hd555 and If I'm honest although very clear with great mids and treble the bass was serverly lacking.

I'm not sure how these Compare to the 600's or 650's.

Thanks again for the reply

 

[davidsh]

HE-500 from the speaker taps, maybe? That could be worth considering...