The All Purpose Advice Thread

@batriq

Tough one. The HD650 is better but I'm not sure his phone can drive it well enough, it would have to be a pretty powerful phone. The HD598 might be the safer choice if it's going to be used straight from a phone, and it's a nice headphone for sure. Other than that - yeah, it's only the color. Drivers and sound etc are the same.

 

Do you really think it's worth it for that price? The Modi retails for 250$ or 300€ in Europe...

 

I'd caution that the more important question is WHERE they'll be listening to the headphone, the implication being is if they are using a phone or even a computer (assuming a laptop,) that it may be out and about in a public or at best, semi-private setting. A closed headphone such as the Audeze Sine, Oppo PM-3 or a few other well regarded ones would be much better options, as they won't leak sound (which is a requirement for say, studying at a library, commuting by bus (or car pooling,) being sonically isolated while out for a walk, or in any situation you are around people or in a noisy environment.) This is compared to Open Back Headphones that will let in nearly all noise and even at the quietest volume, would be a boombox on your friends head for everyone around to listen with.

There is another plus to going the closed / portable option, is that quite a few are far easier to drive than either the 598 or the HD650 and should be able to come close to their potential through a phone or computer audio port. To illustrate, I've pulled up the specs for a few of the more popular models:

Impedance:

Open Back -
598: 50 ohm
HD650: 300 ohm

Closed back -
Oppo PM-3: 26 ohm
Audeze Sine: 20 ohms
Denon AH-MM400: 32 ohm
Sony MDR-IA: 48 ohm (considered a studio, not a portable headphone.)
Bowers & Wilkins P7: 22 ohm

The majority of the closed back have less than half the power requirements of the Sennheisers, making it far more easy to use from an iffy source (if she has an iPhone 6 or an adapter with an iPhone 7, they should all work fine. My Oppo PM-3s sound better from the port through my speaker than they do in either the iPhone 7 or the far too soft to a point of losing fidelity, port on my Moto X Pure.)

In regards to choosing a closed back headphone, when I was searching for an "end game," the following shoot out was extremely helpful (and is extremely well written: )

https://everydaylisteningblog.wordpress.com/2016/11/24/13687/
http://www.theverge.com/circuitbrea...audeze-sine-review-planar-magnetic-headphones
(for the Audeze vs. Oppo perspective)

And resources here as well will help you too.

In summary, I'd argue that spending a little more (Oppos refurbished with full warranty go for $320 with all the others going for around the same) may be worth it in this case depending on how they will be used (in a public vs. private setting.) The fact you are concerned about them being driven from a basically generic audio port gives this option added weight, as the portable units will be dramatically easier to drive (22 - 32 ohm for the closed / portable vs 50 - 300 for the open back.)

And the reason I like the Oppo PM-3s so much, is because they have really rigid / strong construction, fit over the ear (the Audeze Sine fit ON the ear, being less comfortable for me and as I've seen, people in general) and do sound great (though not as fun, warm, or colored as the Audeze.)

Hope that helps!

 

I don't know much about it other than it looks interesting to @landroni and me. We briefly discussed it earlier in the thread. The DAC 3 tends to go for about $150 on ebay auctions in the US. Zach from ZMF stating that he uses it sometimes seemed interesting to me and I thought @landroni (and maybe others) might find that interesting.

Since I don't know much about it, I cannot comment on it's relative value.

 

MDR-Z7 would be a nice closed complimentary can. It is for me. Just don't buy one for over lets say $400.

Now I need to dive behind something, and dodge the hate...

Another fun pair of cans would be any of the ZMF headphones like the Blackwoods. And very addictive dark signature, and also closed to counter your 2 open sets of transducers...

 

In addition to @Dino's comments, the SPS DAC3 is just about the least expensive NOS that you can find around (the Modi MB is OS). In addition, it is a somewhat unique filterless (FL) design with a minimal analogue filtering section after the TDA1543.

 

Hi SBAF
would need your advice again...
I currently have Edition XV2 / HD650 stock & Elear running out of my GO V2Ainf. Balanced cables ok. DAC: Modi MB and I can't decide between Audio-gd NFB-1amp & JOT. More or less the same price new. I also wonder if it is worth to make the stretch to Mjo2
I'm afraid about JOT being to hot for my liking in the highs and according to what I read here & there soundstage seems flat (miss depth)
So which one under my X-mas tree? Thank you

 

@cocolinho: There is relevant discussion of the NFB and Jot on the previous page of this thread.

Re: the Jot and Mjo2, have you read the Schiit Amp Compendium thread in the amp subforum?

 

To people who've had both, if they were priced the same, would you consider the TH900 the better HP overall over the THX00, or would it be a matter of personal preference?

 

Thanks @TwoEars and @Matasho for the advice. I ended up going with the HD598SE since it's going to be used in an office setting. The black is safer as a gift than the cream/brown, and the SE has the extra shorter cable.

 

The RE-00 are ridiculously good out of my phone, and slighter more ridiculous out of my HA-2.

 

I'm no science major either I barely passed those subjects (except biology, that's super interesting) but I'm kinda interested in digging up why exactly this is the case.

Was kinda hoping someone here could tell me but I guess I'll go dig some more. Thanks for the help!

 

No idea what you read about impedance. The output impedance of your amplifier is probably close enough constant over audio band. Impedance of your headphones or speakers are most likely not. Resonant freq points and crossovers will introduce deviations from smooth curve. Planar headphones are usually resistive (this means constant) over the audio band.

The HA-2 will most likely output less than 2 V into speakers.
If my assumptions are correct that it's psu has current limiting then 8 ohm speakers will see less than 1 V with peaks clipping from current deficiency. This would make the louder parts of soundtrack sound distorted and/or blurred.

I wouldn't worry about headphones, the thing has been designed for them and will do decent job with most headphones. Don't expect it to perform in level field with good desktop amplifiers though. Portable devices need to be bulit with more compromizes.

 

My bad... I could avoid my question then... @zonto , thank you. Yes I did read this great compendium. On paper I would go for Jot because it is cheaper but I'm not sure the tonality will suit my preferences.
EDIT: it was almost decided but now I'm sure I'll go for NFB 1AMP

 

It would help to know more about your tonality preferences. AFAIK the Mjo2 exhibits the same 2D plane staging as the Jot.

See: http://www.superbestaudiofriends.or...ith-nerd-and-four-hot-amps-a-comparison.2456/

 

Yeah I don't plan on getting a speaker setup so it's more theory curiosity than realworld. And I do plan on getting something desktop to power the 6xx I'll be getting soon (maybe).

Thank you for the reference points though! Definitely a lot more going on than I initially thought. I'll need to do some more digging over Christmas break lol

 

Hi,

So I searched through the forum for my answer and couldn't find it. This seemed to be the best place to ask my question. If I am in the wrong place pls let me know.

My Current setup is:
Window 10 (Foobar/Wasapi or Tidal) - Bifrost Multibit - Jotunheim - Focal Elear.

I became curious from hands comment using JRiver Media Center. So I went to download trail version and set it to DSD as per schiit's guides. I want to ask whether I am setting this up properly?

Schiit does not provide ASIO driver for window 10 and they recommend using WASAPI in Jriver and set output to DSP and bitstreaming.

So my question is:
1. Am I doing this correctly?
2. How do you 'pipe stuff' through to bit perfect/direct methods as per hands suggestion?
3. Schiit being a pretty popular brand. Are there guides about optimal setup that I am unable to find somewhere?

Thank you!





I read this post from Hands on the Bifrost Multibit thread:

 

Isn't Audio-gd NFB-1 fully balanced? I'm pretty sure that is the case, and that C-2 is the single-ended version. Just thought I'd share since Modibit is single-ended too, and it would suck to get something that doesn't match.

 

@Gravity I guess 1AMP can also be used with balanced DAC but both C-2 & 1AMP can be used with SE/Balanced output. Actually I simply followed Audio GD suggestions :
If customer like to keep your headphone with single ended connector (6.3MM), choice the C-2 get better performance than the NFB-1AMP.
If customer had the balance connector headphone or can modify the headphone with balance connector, choice the NFB-1AMP.
That's why I decided to go for 1AMP. Moreover I also have GO V2A inf which can be used as balanced DAC I believe.

 

Hey folks, my Valhalla 2 is being criminally underutilized, so I was thinking of bringing it to work to use as a preamp for my NAD 3125 integrated receiver. My question is what is the best way to connect it up. It has an AUX input and Tape in/out. Source is Fiio DAP.
Thanks.