What is the most important thing to achieve the highest possible level of quality?

[Pitufo]

Hello friends,

First of all, sorry if this has already been discussed before (forum has a lot of info really), or if you think it is a bit of a silly debate.
Although I have always been passionate about music I am still a novice in many things, in relation to technical matters and in knowing an infinite number of different products as many of you know here.

Limiting the question to the combination between a portable source gear + headphone / earphone / IEM that many of us here use to listen to our favorite music, I would like to know the following:

Regardless of personal tastes and taking into account that I think there are objective parameters that can indicate one level of quality or another, what do you consider to be the ideal to achieve a higher quality sound? Spending a larger amount of money (proportionally) on the portable source gear than on the headphone/earphone/IEM? Vice versa? Something quite balanced?

Or in a cruder way, who would have more options to enjoy a higher sound quality, the one who spends a good amount of money on an IEM for example and has a mid-low range DAP, or the one who has a high-quality DAP with an excellent reputation of $1000 and a medium-low range IEM? I hope you understand what I mean....

Well, I'd like to know your opinion on this. Thank you!

 

[dunring]

Always get a good source first, so everything you plug into it will sound it's best. Diminishing law of returns is a few hundred dollars on anything though. After that the improvements are so small relative to the price increase, it's down to your value for money threshold. If you spend on a DAP, check to see if there's an I-Fixit battery replacement kit for it. Otherwise it'll be an expensive paperweight when it can't hold a charge for long. I use a Sennheiser Momentum 3 for travel on the phone and it's ideal. Had DAPs like Astrell & Kern and keeping playlists synced and another device to charge was a pain. At least with the M3 they have a charging case that can fill them 2-3 times. The Topping G5 is epic performance on your phone or laptop if you don't mind a 10oz brick to carry, great in a laptop bag though.

 

[JimiMack]

Your source files are the best place to start. If you are using your own high res files or streaming, best to use wired headphones, going Bluetooth will diminish your goal. It really does not matter if you use a DAP or phone, if using a phone, get a quality DAC/Amp. If you are streaming say YTM it will not matter wired or Bluetooth.

 

[jaifai]

The quality of the original recording -even starting with the musical performance, without which any reproduction means is secondary and any equipment will be tasked with compensating. After that, I'd say both of your options; but, a great recording can sound so nice even through an FM broadcast playing through my nice Sangean tabletop radio's stereo speakers, or especially through my old car's nice ones.

 

[billie1]

Howdy y'all

I acquired an Astell kern ca1000 and a hifiman ananda nano headphones

First time listening to high quality flac using these two devices, liquid escaped from the corner of one of my eyes. A really beautiful experience that I will never forget


What is needed for best quality streamimg then?

Does it matter if you use (as a transport)a 5 year old mid range Samsung with 2 dollar usb c to usbc cable vs 500 dollar dap with expensive usbc cable

 

[bagwell359]

Transducers (headphones/speakers) without a shadow of a doubt. Pick the one you like/can afford, and buy amps and DAC's to support it/them.

 

[andrewski]

I vote for the file/mastering

Then headphone/speakers

Then airplane mode/EMI

Then DAP

 

[Pitufo]

Thanks for your comments, I appreciate it.

Some of you have mentioned the quality of the sound files/recordings as extremely important too, which is obviously also a very sensible thing to say; I forgot to limit the issue with the theoretical assumption of having a recording of excellent quality in advance.

Cheers