Comments on Profile Post by Eric_C

Not at all IMO, but I'm of the school of thought that most modern phones/PCs/media players are competent enough to be inoffensive, so apart from possible issues borne of double amping (which seem very noticeable) I think good headphones + an amp that handles them well is a great place to be.

Depends on the efficiency and impedence of the HP. For an efficient HP an amp will be of less benefit and degrade the signal path so I’d usually focus on the DAC which’ll have more amping ability than a phone anyway. But if it’s say a HD650 then a dedicated more powerful amp would be much more beneficial. Otherwise it’ll sound congested, with shrunken stage, and poor extension at both ends.

Thanks guys, audio nervosa is real and reassurances like yours help. I’m on a Sundara so Zen Can seems good enough, just wondering if there’s a better amp or AIO.

Sorry, I misread your post. I thought you were talking about portable gear. I’d say pretty much the same thing except desktop DACs don’t always have HP outs. Taking into account the price of the Zen Can it may be worth considering a Magni or Liquid Spark for less, or you could almost fit something like a Modi DAC into your budget too.

Definitely leaning towards Magni 3+. Just a pity shipping costs to me are high--ends up being 140 USD.