silent-circuit
Headphoneus Supremus
Pretty happy with my "desktop" (more like "couch-side") setup - the Gustard U16 / Topping D90 / Topping A90 combo, using my PC or phone as a source. Clear, plenty of power, no real issues. Most things I run balanced out of it, unless all I have is a 3.5 cable. Thinking about making a step up on the portable side - maybe not to match it, as I can't justify that kind of cost given it's used much less, but at least hopefully close the gap.
As it stands, for portable use I either run easier to drive over ear headphones or IEMs straight off my phone (LG G8X), and sometimes use the Astell&Kern XB10 if I'm moving around the apartment a fair bit, cleaning or whatever.
I've never owned anything even mid-fi when it comes to portable sources, unless LG's "quad DAC" implementation qualifies - I had a G2, G3, and G5 before this, as well as a few Samsung Galaxy S phones. Waaaay back I had a few different Sansa MP3 players, and a couple Sony HI MD players. Everything's just in the phone now.
I've got plenty of storage on my phone (128GB internal + several 256GB microSD cards, and I stream most things) and it's always with me, so... Should I be looking at a DAP, or a DAC/amp to pair with the phone, or is the phone DAC "good enough" and I just need an external amp for harder to drive headphones? Not sure what direction to go, or what good options are for each.
I could maybe stretch to $600 if it was going to be a night and day difference, but would prefer to keep this in the $2-300 range, and if I can get a significant improvement for less I'm all for it. Again, portable isn't my primary use, so I don't want to sink a lot in to it.
As it stands, for portable use I either run easier to drive over ear headphones or IEMs straight off my phone (LG G8X), and sometimes use the Astell&Kern XB10 if I'm moving around the apartment a fair bit, cleaning or whatever.
I've never owned anything even mid-fi when it comes to portable sources, unless LG's "quad DAC" implementation qualifies - I had a G2, G3, and G5 before this, as well as a few Samsung Galaxy S phones. Waaaay back I had a few different Sansa MP3 players, and a couple Sony HI MD players. Everything's just in the phone now.
I've got plenty of storage on my phone (128GB internal + several 256GB microSD cards, and I stream most things) and it's always with me, so... Should I be looking at a DAP, or a DAC/amp to pair with the phone, or is the phone DAC "good enough" and I just need an external amp for harder to drive headphones? Not sure what direction to go, or what good options are for each.
I could maybe stretch to $600 if it was going to be a night and day difference, but would prefer to keep this in the $2-300 range, and if I can get a significant improvement for less I'm all for it. Again, portable isn't my primary use, so I don't want to sink a lot in to it.
