ruthieandjohn
Stumbling towards enlightenment
(Formerly known as kayandjohn.)
Let’s for a moment step above the ranking of various DAPs, DACs, amps, and headphones, and look at the best concatenation of source, D/A, amp, and headphone.
Yes, I am talking about synergy!
What is the audio chain, the combination of specific source, D/A converter, amp, and headphone, that sends you into nirvana?
Often, manufacturers optimize their components to give performance that cannot be replicated unless you use them in combination. For example, you must use the Apple Gen 2 or Gen 2.5 EarPods with Apple Music on an Apple iPhone or iPod to get “spatial audio,” in which the music stays in one place, even if you turn your head (run for your life, Smyth Realiser). Likewise, CD-quality bluetooth “LDAC” only happens when you have a Sony (or more recently, other) LDAC-capable bluetooth source running with a Sony (or more recently, other) LDAC-capable headphone.
So what is YOUR magic audio chain?
I have a few:
With over 50 headphones and IEMs and 30 DAPS, DACS, and amps, I have perhaps 1,500 combinations available to me. I have not tried them all, but of the ones that I have, the above six are Really Special!
What are yours???
Yes, I am talking about synergy!
What is the audio chain, the combination of specific source, D/A converter, amp, and headphone, that sends you into nirvana?
Often, manufacturers optimize their components to give performance that cannot be replicated unless you use them in combination. For example, you must use the Apple Gen 2 or Gen 2.5 EarPods with Apple Music on an Apple iPhone or iPod to get “spatial audio,” in which the music stays in one place, even if you turn your head (run for your life, Smyth Realiser). Likewise, CD-quality bluetooth “LDAC” only happens when you have a Sony (or more recently, other) LDAC-capable bluetooth source running with a Sony (or more recently, other) LDAC-capable headphone.
So what is YOUR magic audio chain?
I have a few:
- Sennheiser HDVD800 DAC/amp with Sennheiser HD800 headphone
- Sony PHA-3 professional audio DAC/amp, connected with the Sony/Kimber cable to the Sony MDR-Z7 headphone
- Pono player with Sennheiser 660S headphone, using a 4.4mm-to-Pono twin adapter (I learned this combo from the Pono thread)
- Chord 2Go with Chord Hugo 2 driven by Roon to a Grado GS3000x headphone;
- CEntrance HiFiM8 driving Joseph Grado HPA-1 amp to Grado PS-2000 headphone
- Roon via Raspberry Pi to Schitt Gungir Multibit (“Gumby”) to HiFiMAN EF-6 amp to HiFIMAN HE-1000 headphone - my best of all chains!
With over 50 headphones and IEMs and 30 DAPS, DACS, and amps, I have perhaps 1,500 combinations available to me. I have not tried them all, but of the ones that I have, the above six are Really Special!
What are yours???
