[darrenscerri]

I'm looking to upgrade my setup:
 
Currently I have a pair of Mad Dogs with Alpha pads, and a pair of Audio Technica M50. I have a FiiO E17 for portable use and am waiting for the Schiit Magni/Modi to get delivered (should arrive on Monday).
 
I want to go a step higher and upgrade to something more refined. I have decided to get the Schiit Bifrost with the Uber Analog upgrade but am not sure about what amp I should get. I am undecided between the Schiit Lyr and Asgard 2. I know the Lyr is generally considered to be better than Asgard 2, but the Lyr is much more expensive.
 
I am also considering to add the Sennheiser HD650 or the HE-400/500 to my headphone collection in the next couple of months.
 
Any ideas?

 

[Jasper9395]

I would go for new headphones, you will be able to compare them to what you already have and decide on what you like best. Later you can then upgrade your other components to match the headphone you like best. 

 

[darrenscerri]

I agree with you, but:
 
The Mad Dogs with Alpha pads are a great pair of headphones and would love to exercise their full potential with high quality audio gear than buying for example the HE-500 (which are practically the same price as the Schiit Bifrost + Lyr). If I buy the HE-500, I would still have the Magni/Modi stack and would not be able to upgrade to the Bifrost - Lyr/Asgard anytime soon.
 
Also, if I have the Mad Dogs and say the HE-500, obviously, I can only use one at a time with the Magni/Modi, while if I decide to upgrade the DAC & amp, I would enjoy this upgrade even with the Mad Dogs alone.

 

[Jasper9395]

True, the the thing that is if you've not listened to many different pieces of gear before it will be impossible to know what your taste are. Of couse you can objectively say that some gear is more 'hi fi' than another but at this level it is also going to be very much about taste. The headphones your mentioning are all quite different so I would suggest trying them out first and then upgrading your other components according to which one(s) you like best. I think the headphone will make the biggest difference to the overall character of the sound so it is better to do it that way round. I have for example owned a few different headphones now but have consistently found myself going back to the HD650, thus I've now decided to pair it with an amp like a WA6 or Bottlehead Crack in the future both of which should be better amps to pair it with than the LYR. I have also started using silver interconnects between my DAC and amp to open up the highs a little more on the 650. If I had a different primary headphone I might opt for copper for example.