[aftalifex]

Let me explain to you my setup and my uses. I have a decent computer I built a few years back but I never put a sound card in it so it just sports the built in asus sabertooth motherboard audio. I have a pair of sennheiser hd 558 on a jds labs odac sending its signal into my yamaha home theater receiver then my headphones into the phono port. I pretty much just listen to spotify...typically pretty high quality mp3s....sometimes if I really like an album ill download the flac. Also I plan on buying a vinyl player in the somewhat near future. I now have some money to spare on audio equipment and i'm wondering what you nice people think is a good next step for me. I am thinking you are going to say either a sound card or a dedicated headphone amp, if so which ones are good and about mid range is my budget...but any help is appreciated! 

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Let me explain to you my setup and my uses. I have a decent computer I built a few years back but I never put a sound card in it so it just sports the built in Asus Sabertooth motherboard audio. I have a pair of Sennheiser HD558 on a jds labs odac sending its signal into my Yamaha home theater receiver then my headphones into the phono port. I pretty much just listen to spottily...typically pretty high quality mp3s....sometimes if I really like an album ill download the FLAC. Also I plan on buying a vinyl player in the somewhat near future. I now have some money to spare on audio equipment and I'm wondering what you nice people think is a good next step for me. I am thinking you are going to say either a sound card or a dedicated headphone amp, if so which ones are good and about mid range is my budget...but any help is appreciated! 

 
Removing the black rubber tape from inside the cups of the HD558, might improve the audio quality.
 
So you have the ODAC connected to the computer's USB port and run an analog connection from the ODAC to the Yamaha's analog RCA input.
I really doubt you are going to find a sound card (with a built in DAC chip) that will improve audio quality over the ODAC.
 
So a headphone amplifier might help improve the audio detail, over the HD558 being driving by the Yamaha.
 
FiiO E11K, $60
Schiit Magni, $99
O2 (Objective 2), $130

 

[aftalifex]

Thanks for the response! If you had to choose another two amps next in line after the objective 2 what would they be? I can spend between like $2-300ish. Heard good things about those vacuum tube amps and they look sweet but they are typically expensive I believe. 

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Thanks for the response! If you had to choose another two amps next in line after the objective 2 what would they be? I can spend between like $2-300ish. Heard good things about those vacuum tube amps and they look sweet but they are typically expensive I believe. 

 
For $200-$300, you could get better headphones then the HD558s
 
You could get a hybrid tube amplifier, like the Aune T1, $200
 
Personally, I would just get the $60 FiiO E11K and hook it up to the ODAC and the HD558s to the E11K.
Can't see a need for spending any more then the $60 for driving the HD558s.

 

[aftalifex]

well would it make sense to get a nice headphone amp because i will be upgrading the headphones eventually as well...these were a great start but of course eventually im going to want something more

 

[aftalifex]

also wouldnt I want to get a deciated headphone amplifier to pair with a dac, im assuming the "hybrid" ones wont perform as well as two dedicated units? Since I do plan to upgrade my headphones I dont want to buy something im going to regret. I love everything about the aune...but it seems as though it would replace the dac i already have, does aune make a headphone amplifer that doesnt have the dac built in?

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Also wouldn't I want to get a dedicated headphone amplifier to pair with a DAC, I'm assuming the "hybrid" ones wont perform as well as two dedicated units? Since I do plan to upgrade my headphones I don't want to buy something I'm going to regret. I love everything about the Aune...but it seems as though it would replace the DAC i already have, does Aune make a headphone amplifier that doesn't have the DAC built in?

 
The Aune T1 comes with a separate line-input (RCA) so it bypasses the DAC feature.
 
Check out the Bravo Ocean tube amplifier, might be some good prices on this month.
It would connect up just fine to the ODAC.

 

[aftalifex]

what is your opinion on the little dot mkIV ? if i upgraded my headphones to a sennheiser 650 or something in that price range do you think it would be worth it? I know its a bit more money than i was planning but im seeing such good things about it!

 

[PurpleAngel]

  what is your opinion on the little dot mkIV ? if i upgraded my headphones to a Sennheiser 650 or something in that price range do you think it would be worth it? I know its a bit more money than i was planning but I'm seeing such good things about it!

 
That is a jump in budget, but it should sound good.