Which DAC/amp to get for better slam impact and sub-bass in my Oppo PM-3 ?

[kittisiri]

Hi guys,
 
It's my first post here. I've been reading around for quite some time.
 
OK let's get to the point.
I just bought the Oppo PM-3 and it's fantastic.  However, I found that it lacks slam, impact and deep sub-bass. It lacks some fun. The kick drum and bass slam just aren't there.
 
Can you guys recommend me any portable DAC/amp to help with this issue?
 
I've heard of HA-2 from Oppo, the same brand, with bass booster and got interested in it.  But I have no idea of other DAC/amp models out there.
Please recommend me some.
 
I'll use the DAC with
- iPhone 6
- Oppo PM-3 headphone
 
The DAC needs to be portable, and I don't wanna spend more than $300.
 
Thanks a lot guys !!
Duke

 

[Monsterzero]

sorry to say that your money is better spent getting a different headphone.

A amp/dac with bassboost will give some added bass,but if youre looking for a night/day difference trade your headphones for something that is known for its bass response.

 

[eargasam]

Head stage arrow or cayin c5 you should be looking at....

 

[kittisiri]

  sorry to say that your money is better spent getting a different headphone.

A amp/dac with bassboost will give some added bass,but if youre looking for a night/day difference trade your headphones for something that is known for its bass response.

Really thank you for your reply but please don't get me wrong here. I love the PM-3 with it's overall sound quality. Great mid and not-harsh high. It's bass is good also but I need just a little bit more of that deep bass and impact.
 
I'll go try some DAC at the shop and if they fail me, I'll go your route then.
 
 
 

Head stage arrow or cayin c5 you should be looking at....

Appreciate that, eargasam.
Will definitely try it.

 

[cel4145]

Really thank you for your reply but please don't get me wrong here. I love the PM-3 with it's overall sound quality. Great mid and not-harsh high. It's bass is good also but I need just a little bit more of that deep bass and impact.

I'll go try some DAC at the shop and if they fail me, I'll go your route then..

A DAC by itself should not really add bass. But as monsterzero pointed out, a headphone amp with bass boost can.

 

[kittisiri]

A DAC by itself should not really add bass. But as monsterzero pointed out, a headphone amp with bass boost can.

 
Got it !
Any recommended model ?

 

[cel4145]

Fiio E12 has a bass boost.
http://fiio.net/en/products/16

 

[eargasam]

So far the best dac/headphone with a bass boost under 300.00 dollars would be the cayin c5 amp also it is one of the most powerful that I have heard under 500.00 can even bring the hd 800s and the he 560s to ear deafening levels and the bass boost can probably give you that bass bump that you want. Careful though it is extremely powerful portable little dac/amp.

 

[Monsterzero]

I hope bass boost gives you what you want,but it has been my experience that anytime you kick in bassboost(which is essentially a one band EQ)youre pushing a headphone beyond what its designers intended it to do,and it will can make the rest of the responses suffer.

Its kinda like having a Honda and wanting it to go faster,so you spend $ on new exhaust,and engine upgrades,and all the tricks to eek the most out of a 4 banger that you can,but in the end you should just go out and get a 1971 HemiCuda and be done with it.

 

 

[kittisiri]

Fiio E12 has a bass boost.
http://fiio.net/en/products/16

OK I'll try it out at the shop.
 
 
 

So far the best dac/headphone with a bass boost under 300.00 dollars would be the cayin c5 amp also it is one of the most powerful that I have heard under 500.00 can even bring the hd 800s and the he 560s to ear deafening levels and the bass boost can probably give you that bass bump that you want. Careful though it is extremely powerful portable little dac/amp.

Obviously, the PM-3 doesn't need that much power but I'll try the Caycin C5 in the shop for sure.  Thanks.
 
 
 
 

  I hope bass boost gives you what you want,but it has been my experience that anytime you kick in bassboost(which is essentially a one band EQ)youre pushing a headphone beyond what its designers intended it to do,and it will can make the rest of the responses suffer.

Its kinda like having a Honda and wanting it to go faster,so you spend $ on new exhaust,and engine upgrades,and all the tricks to eek the most out of a 4 banger that you can,but in the end you should just go out and get a 1971 HemiCuda and be done with it.

 

Got it sir!
I'll try it out first and see whether it can give me what I'm looking for.
Thanks for your added explanation.

 

[kittisiri]

Any other recommendation for that slam sub-bass ?
 
How's the HA-2 ?
 
Anybody knows ?

 

[cel4145]

I hope bass boost gives you what you want,but it has been my experience that anytime you kick in bassboost(which is essentially a one band EQ)youre pushing a headphone beyond what its designers intended it to do,and it will can make the rest of the responses suffer.

Depends on the max SPL the boosted bass frequencies in the headphone can produce and what volume someone listens at. Many headphones can handle a bit of bass boost

 

[cel4145]

Any other recommendation for that slam sub-bass ?

How's the HA-2 ?

Anybody knows ?

Bass boost is just EQ, and where the bass boost is implemented in different headphone amps can vary. So some may have it boosted more in the midbass; some more in the sub bass regions. And the bass boost may offer more or less boost as well.

Scroll down this page for the Fiio E12 and it displays the graph for the amp with and without the bass boost: http://www.fiio.net/en/products/16/parameters. As you can see, the peak of the boost is in the sub bass region. A different amp might have the boost peaked higher up.

 

[kittisiri]

Bass boost is just EQ, and where the bass boost is implemented in different headphone amps can vary. So some may have it boosted more in the midbass; some more in the sub bass regions. And the bass boost may offer more or less boost as well.

Scroll down this page for the Fiio E12 and it displays the graph for the amp with and without the bass boost: http://www.fiio.net/en/products/16/parameters. As you can see, the peak of the boost is in the sub bass region. A different amp might have the boost peaked higher up.

 
Got it
So what's the difference between adjusting EQ from the source, iPhone 6 in my case, and turn on the bass boost then ?
Will it produce the same quality ?

 

[cel4145]

Got it
So what's the difference between adjusting EQ from the source, iPhone 6 in my case, and turn on the bass boost then ?
Will it produce the same quality ?

Bass boost on an headphone amp will happen on the analog signal. The iPhone is boosting the digital signal before being converted by the DAC. Not sure that either would be better than the other.