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[LCfiner]

What kind of variables, if you dont mind me continuously asking? Because it sounds like the E7 DAC quality would be better than the E11 amp quality when using it on a computer or laptop, generally at least.

Battery and cable situation is not a problem, I don't think..

there is no way for anyone here who has not heard both side by side, to be able to tell you that the sound out of the amp, by itself, in the E11 is better than the combined amp and DAC found in the E7.

plus, the type of headphones you use and the volume you listen at will also make a difference. I might find that the E7 isn’t great for, say, the D5000 but it might be fine for you if you use IEMs.

I would still recommend the E7 as a dac/amp combo for use with a laptop but I can’t say how much better (or worse) it would be than the E11 (or another more powerful amp) being fed from the laptop’s headphone port.

edit: I see K.Jack has used both. that’s a good post with useful info.

 

[HiResDes]

Consider the Nuforce UDAC2 HP, I have the version with all of the outputs and it's quite good. However, I must say it's not going to help you much with bass, as it's rather mid heavy.

 

[oc]

Been using Q40's with an E5 amp for a while.. Any suggestions for a better amp? Will only use it on my PC; 100$ is my limit.

 

[Max]

edit: nevermind, OP is fine for answering my question

 

[Ashhong]

Been using Q40's with an E5 amp for a while.. Any suggestions for a better amp? Will only use it on my PC; 100$ is my limit.

Read my posts from the previous page =P Same boat as you. I think I'm going to splurge for the E7 over the E11 mainly because I will be using it with my laptop more than my phone. Plus the battery life is like 8x the E11 I think.

 

[noah111]

OK, I have been using the Apple ear buds sfor a long time now, and I think it's time to get something else.. I've blown through about 5, but I always have spares from the amount of iPhones/iPods in the house. What I want to know is, will I really notice a difference in sound quality if I buy some high end ear buds? How much better can the quality be? I need some recommendations, but no inner ear stuff since I find them uncomfortable and a bit disgusting to share around with friends, which I do a lot of with ear buds.

 

[K.Jack]

OK, I have been using the Apple ear buds sfor a long time now, and I think it's time to get something else.. I've blown through about 5, but I always have spares from the amount of iPhones/iPods in the house. What I want to know is, will I really notice a difference in sound quality if I buy some high end ear buds? How much better can the quality be? I need some recommendations, but no inner ear stuff since I find them uncomfortable and a bit disgusting to share around with friends, which I do a lot of with ear buds.

The Yuin PK3 will blow your mind.

Reviews say the E11 is pretty bass heavy. I love my bass, is the E7 the same?

The E11's bass is pretty ridiculous. Not exactly in a negative way, but if the TMA-1's didn't handle bass so beautifully, it might bother me a little that it's pushed forward.

The E7 has a more natural bass presentation.

I've never seen much of a reason to use bass boost on either device.

 

[oc]

Read my posts from the previous page =P Same boat as you. I think I'm going to splurge for the E7 over the E11 mainly because I will be using it with my laptop more than my phone. Plus the battery life is like 8x the E11 I think.

The E11's bass is pretty ridiculous. Not exactly in a negative way, but if the TMA-1's didn't handle bass so beautifully, it might bother me a little that it's pushed forward.

The E7 has a more natural bass presentation.

I've never seen much of a reason to use bass boost on either device.

That's kinda holding me back from getting the E7.. Is it a huge gap in terms of bass when it comes to E7/E11 or is it pretty minor?

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Guys, honestly, ditch the Filo's and get a JDS cMoyBB instead. I'm telling you guys this thing punches out audio quality comparable to much higher priced portable amps. I can say that with confidence as I'm currently A/B'ing with the SR-71A and Pico Slim. The JDS cMoy is honestly the best value portable amp out there imo.

Mine

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y180/nchoudhury/cMoyW4.jpg[/IM]

If you order one, make sure you tell John what headphones/IEM's you'll be using them with. He'll actually customise them for better use with those specific impedances.

I also recommend a high quality LOD, and minimum 280mAh Ni-Mi 9V batteries instead of standard one's. Gives you more power and longevity. You'll need a charger mind.[/QUOTE]
Have one.

Disagree completely on the recommendation over the Fiio.

*Kanyeshrug*

 

[nib95]

Been testing my D5000's most of the day today out of the SR-71A. Bass is a bit weaker on the JDS cMoy, but I think it might be because my battery is low, will re-charge. Straight out of the iPhone, the Denon's still sound great, but soundstage is a bit diminished and bass is greatly lessened. The amp really helps to bring some punch to the bass.

In any case, surprisingly, my W4's have a wider soundstage and better instrumental separation than the D5000's. I'd also say they're more detailed. The D5000 however, has much more luscious mids and greater bass quantity. It also sounds more musical and full, less detailed and articulate. I think I prefer the sound of the W4's so far, but do miss the fullness of vocals that the D5000 provides. This is with the W4's EQ'd mind, not a big fan of the veil from the W4's un-EQ'd.

I also think the D5000 sonically is less fatiguing to listen to. With the W4, all the little details it throws at you from every angle can be a lot to take over long periods, the D5000 sort of warps them together a bit more so they're not as glaring. Though in comfort itself, I find the W4's easier to listen to for longer periods. The D5000 is super comfy, but my ears start getting a bit sweaty after long listening periods, at least in this baking summer heat anyway.

Will give both further testing!

.

 

[Ashhong]

That's kinda holding me back from getting the E7.. Is it a huge gap in terms of bass when it comes to E7/E11 or is it pretty minor?

Are you saying you dont want the E7 because you want that ridiculous bass? Kjack isnt even using the bass booster on the E7, I would think turning that on will be enough. Review I read on the E11 said that it was almost overwhelming bass

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Are you saying you dont want the E7 because you want that ridiculous bass? Kjack isnt even using the bass booster on the E7, I would think turning that on will be enough. Review I read on the E11 said that it was almost overwhelming bass

Yea, the bass boost on the E7 is more than enough for any of the cans I have when set on 1 or 2 (max setting of 3). level 3 sounds very wrong.

 

[oc]

E7 it is then.

 

[wenis]

My new gear is getting here today and all I can do is look at the tracking stuff on Amazon...dammit!

 

[nib95]

T1 and Alo The Continental next I think....though not sure about the amp yet.

 

[Ashhong]

E7 it is then.

Buy one for me kthx.

What are you going to do with your E5? I hate you, I got the E5 because you kept telling me to buy it! :lol

 

[oc]

Buy one for me kthx.

What are you going to do with your E5? I hate you, I got the E5 because you kept telling me to buy it! :lol

I'll probably end up giving it to my best friend. He's using Sony XB500's so maybe it'll make a difference for him O_O lol

 

[Ashhong]

I'll probably end up giving it to my best friend. He's using Sony XB500's so maybe it'll make a difference for him O_O lol

lol

Anybody on here want to buy a good condition E5? haha. I'll sell it for like 15 shipped assuming no paypal fees. No box though to save on shipping costs.

Most of you guys in here are all rocking higher end stuff though so I doubt anyone will want it.

 

[rocksteady1983]

Question:

How do wireless headphones work for consoles? Do I hook them into the audio out on my tv, or is it through the 360 or ps3 individually? I don't need them to be a headset or anything just headphones. Also are there any recommendation's for some cheap but fairly good ones for like say $20-$40 (cheap-ass I know)?

 

[Piano]

Just recieved my MEE M6 earbuds from Amazon...and it seems like the bass in the left bud is way stronger than the bass in the right bud. Is this something I should let burn in for a while to see if it works itself out or should I go ahead and file a warranty request?

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Just recieved my MEE M6 earbuds from Amazon...and it seems like the bass in the left bud is way stronger than the bass in the right bud. Is this something I should let burn in for a while to see if it works itself out or should I go ahead and file a warranty request?

have you had a lot of IEMs in the past? because I tend to find that first-timers may not be placing the bud in the ear properly, resulting in low bass or poor overall sound. maybe fiddle with the fit some more?

 

[wenis]

My god, these Yuin's are fucking ridiculous.

I just got my :smug face on the entire time I'm walking down the street. Especially when some dude with comparably priced Bose or Beats walk by knowing full well my tiny ear buds would cream their sound quality by a mile. Ultimate smug face

 

[sixteen-bit]

My god, these Yuin's are fucking ridiculous.

I just got my :smug face on the entire time I'm walking down the street. Especially when some dude with comparably priced Bose or Beats walk by knowing full well my tiny ear buds would cream their sound quality by a mile. Ultimate smug face

got a link?

 

[wenis]

got a link?

http://www.amazon.com/YUIN-Yuin-Pk1-Earphones/dp/B001B41X7I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312577892&sr=8-1

 

[Piano]

have you had a lot of IEMs in the past? because I tend to find that first-timers may not be placing the bud in the ear properly, resulting in low bass or poor overall sound. maybe fiddle with the fit some more?

Yeah my previous pair were also in-ear. I've tried fiddling with their positioning and changing between a few of the included tips to try different fits. But the bass seems to be BOOMING out of the left year and barely squeaking out of the right. The net effect isn't so bad, it just sounds like the bass player in every band is somewhere off to the front-left of me.

I don't know that much about earphones, so maybe I AM doing something wrong. Is there a guide somewhere? And could burn-in help?

 

[greenhadoken]

Hey so very new to this thread, would like to get a nice pair of headphones for a price maybe between $50 and $70. Looking at the thread I guess I'd prefer closed headphones that are more portable, but this thread is so huge it's hard to really find what I want. Any suggestions?

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

My god, these Yuin's are fucking ridiculous.

I just got my :smug face on the entire time I'm walking down the street. Especially when some dude with comparably priced Bose or Beats walk by knowing full well my tiny ear buds would cream their sound quality by a mile. Ultimate smug face

I've always wondered how the Yuins sounded (and especially the OK1), I think the last pair of earbuds that interested me were the Sony Ex888s, so the Yuins are something really interesting since the portable world shifted towards dynamic/BA IEMs/canalphones

 

[LCfiner]

I've always wondered how the Yuins sounded (and especially the OK1), I think the last pair of earbuds that interested me were the Sony Ex888s, so the Yuins are something really interesting since the portable world shifted towards dynamic/BA IEMs/canalphones

If you’re curious, I would just start off with the yuin pk3 as they’re cheap at 35 bucks shipped and sound really great.

If you like what you hear, you can always move up the ladder. but note that the pk1s are higher impedance and will likely require a decent portable amp to sound their best

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

If you’re curious, I would just start off with the yuin pk3 as they’re cheap at 35 bucks shipped and sound really great.

If you like what you hear, you can always move up the ladder. but note that the pk1s are higher impedance and will likely require a decent portable amp to sound their best

I've owned and heard a number of top tier IEMs, so I'm mostly interested in the higher end of the Yuin line. And I *really* don't need to dump any more money into phones I'll likely never listen to beyond the audition period. I just find it really difficult to imagine how an open dynamic driver bud (Yuin's) could deliver what I read people hear over at Headfi. The soundstage claims especially interest me greatly. I'm interested in any phones that purport to have great soundstage/imaging. (Especially after coming from the Head Direct RE262 and Earsonic SM3) I've been really curious about the Sony Ex600 as of late, since they are supposed to be really airy and open and deliver a live sound. If they could offer me about 75 percent of the sound of the FX700 at half the price, I'd be very interested indeed.

 

[LCfiner]

Ah, OK. that certainly changes things. The pk3 isn’t anything special if you've already got the top end IEMs. (though I suppose it could be nice to occasionally switch from IEMs to something not in-ear for comfort reasons or because you don’t want the isolation for whatever reason)

I’m also curious about the top end yuin but not enough to plunk down the cash since I would only use it sparingly at work. (hence the pk3 purchase instead)

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

Ah, OK. that certainly changes things. The pk3 isn’t anything special if you've already got the top end IEMs. (though I suppose it could be nice to occasionally switch from IEMs to something not in-ear for comfort reasons or because you don’t want the isolation for whatever reason)

I’m also curious about the top end yuin but not enough to plunk down the cash since I would only use it sparingly at work. (hence the pk3 purchase instead)

Yeah, I dabble in IEMs mostly because I don't want to bother with all that source/amp hassle. I spend most of my time at work anyhow, so it's simply not practical to have a desktop setup there. I have a SA5k setup for home use, but honestly, the SM3->iPhone 4 combo satisfies me so greatly I really have no need to fire up my laptop and hook my amp/phones/DAC up.

Although I've pretty much stopped listening to my other phones post SM3, I've sort of been interested in something for more casual listening that isn't as isolating, and is a bit more robustly built so I don't have to baby it as much. So... I dunno, perhaps a pair of Yuins may be in my future, or maybe the Ex600s...


UGH - SERIOUSLY fuck me man. I've been lurking in the damned OT for the EX600 over at Headfi. I thought I was completely done after the SM3, but the power of curiosity is far too great. See that there are some sets on Ebay for $150. They have a 30 day return policy. I'm probably gonna pull the trigger on them tomorrow night :l So much fuckin' plain face man :l

 

[ZZMitch]

Alright, well I tried to buy a digital audio to 3.5 mm converter for using my current headphones on my Macbook Pro but I can't get it to work. So lame :/

I guess I could just make everything simpler by just buying a nice pair of stereo headphones that I could use for my computer as well as listening to music on my phone.

So what are the best stereo headphones in the 100 to 150 dollar range? Primarily for gaming and then with some music.

My current headphones are the Turtle Beach x41s and if possible I would like to get something with sound that is better then them so I can feel that I actually upgraded . I also want them to be wired. I am tired of having to constantly get batteries for the x41s.

 

[Izayoi]

What's the best headphone/amp combo I can get at a max of $500 for each (or $1000 overall, one can be more than the other, I don't really care, just don't want to break $1000). OP is more budget focused. Right now I'm using a pair of HD555's with no amp. I game and listen to music, so I'm not sure if that's going to put me into a tight spot or not, as I would like something that does both. Open/closed design doesn't really matter to me, as I live alone so noise pollution is a non-issue, I just want whatever sounds best for my budget.

I've been looking eying the K/Q701/2s (what's the difference between the Ks and Qs, by the way - just branding?) and the Icon HDP, which would put me a little under budget. I'm not sure if that's the best I can squeeze out of the price range or not, though, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[cress2000]

My Grado SR60s have served me well the last several years, but I finally have the cash to move on. I always stewed over replacing them with the 325, but I settled on an Ultrasone PRO 900.

 

[LCfiner]

What's the best headphone/amp combo I can get at a max of $500 for each (or $1000 overall, one can be more than the other, I don't really care, just don't want to break $1000). OP is more budget focused. Right now I'm using a pair of HD555's with no amp. I game and listen to music, so I'm not sure if that's going to put me into a tight spot or not, as I would like something that does both. Open/closed design doesn't really matter to me, as I live alone so noise pollution is a non-issue, I just want whatever sounds best for my budget.

I've been looking eying the K/Q701/2s (what's the difference between the Ks and Qs, by the way - just branding?) and the Icon HDP, which would put me a little under budget. I'm not sure if that's the best I can squeeze out of the price range or not, though, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have not heard the K701s but they are a bit polarizing as they seemingly have huge amping requirements. people are using these with thousand dollar amps or more.

plus everyone talks about how they have little bass for tons of hours while they burn in so be careful if this headphone is on your shortlist.

it’s tough to get multiple recommendations for 1000 dollar setups as few people have heard more than one.

I’ve had both the Denon D5000 and Grado RS2 matched to a Schiit Asgard and then a Burson HA160 amp. The RS2 on the Burson was my favourite at the time. used, that would cost you around 1000. new, closer to around 1400. If I had to recommend one 500 dollar headphone now it would be a Grado HF2 (limited edition. have to buy used) as it doesn’t need a major amp to sound great.

One popular combo is to get a Sennheiser HD650 and then the best amp you can as they are supposed to scale very well.

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

Okay, as suspected, the Ex600s have been ordered :l The damned hype was just too overbearing. Music_4321 over at Headfi seems to think they can hang with the big boys like the CK100, W4, UM3X etc. and he's pretty notorious for being really critical of a lot of top tiers. And Inks and Ericp seem to think it's about on par with the FX700 which I've always been wanting to pick up to complement my SM3s. For the $133 I got them for, they won't damage my wallet too badly, and I guess I can always return them if they aren't to my taste.

 

[Izayoi]

I’ve had both the Denon D5000 and Grado RS2 matched to a Schiit Asgard and then a Burson HA160 amp. The RS2 on the Burson was my favourite at the time. used, that would cost you around 1000. new, closer to around 1400. If I had to recommend one 500 dollar headphone now it would be a Grado HF2 (limited edition. have to buy used) as it doesn’t need a major amp to sound great.

One popular combo is to get a Sennheiser HD650 and then the best amp you can as they are supposed to scale very well.

Hm, okay. What if I wanted to split it into two purchases and go $1000-1500 on each component? Reading around, a lot of people seem to like the HD800's, but I'm completely lost on amps at that point. What are some good brands for amps on the mid to high end side of things aside from Schiit and Burson? When buying from the same brand is it generally the more expensive the better when differentiating between models? Sorry about all of the questions, I'm new to amps and I don't want to fuck up my first purchase as I've heard a lot of people getting screwed on amp purchases.

Also, I've got some old piece of shit XtremeMusic sound card. What's the best possible one I can get? They're relatively cheap when compared to headphones/amps, and I've been hearing a lot of mixed opinions about some of the ASUS stuff, but anything is better than what I have now I figure. The HT|OMEGAs have a built-in amp apparently, so I'm not sure if that would be redundant and negatively impact sound quality when coupled with an external amp or something.

 

[outunderthestars]

Update: So I am getting closer. I have ripped all of my cd's into flac files and purchased a Cowon X7 as my portable player.

What is a headphone preamp and what would one do for me?

I think I want a closed headphone in the $100 to $200 range.

I was looking at the Audio Technica ATH-A700's for $120 or maybe stepping up to the ATH-ESW9A 's at $200

I don't really listen to alot of hip hop, bass-driven techno, or loud rock.

Here are two albums I listen to alot to give you a good idea:

Jonsi & Alex


Gregor Samsa


I really do appreciate the help. It is kind of hard to get into this kind of thing as so much of the advice seems geared to the person looking to spend more than I can afford at this point.

 

[HiResDes]

Update: So I am getting closer. I have ripped all of my cd's into flac files and purchased a Cowon X7 as my portable player.

What is a headphone preamp and what would one do for me?

I think I want a closed headphone in the $100 to $200 range.

I was looking at the Audio Technica ATH-A700's for $120 or maybe stepping up to the ATH-ESW9A 's at $200

I don't really listen to alot of hip hop, bass-driven techno, or loud rock.

Here are two albums I listen to alot to give you a good idea:

Jonsi & Alex


Gregor Samsa



I really do appreciate the help. It is kind of hard to get into this kind of thing as so much of the advice seems geared to the person looking to spend more than I can afford at this point.

I'd recommend the AKG K271 MKII's in the OP.

and I'd look at getting one of these to go with it or maybe an E7

 

[Izayoi]

Well, I think I might go for the Beyerdynamic T1 Teslas, if I decide to skip the $500 pricepoint entirely and go straight for the top end. I don't like the way people are describing the treble on the HD800s, and the T1 description sounds perfect. I like warm sound. I hear that tubes are the best for warmer/more natural sound, so I think I'm going to be getting a tube amp. The question is now what is the ideal tube for the T1?

As far as the $500 price range is concerned, are the HD650s the best option? I hear the Grados are brighter, and I'm not a huge fan of bright/hot stuff. I can't find anything on the D5000s, outside of the fact that they're closed. How do they compare to the HD650s?

 

[panda21]

the left ear on my HD600s just suddenly went dead i tried swapping the cables to make sure it wasnt the amp but if i plug the left cable into the right headphone it works, so i assume it must be the driver :'(

i guess there is no way to fix it? kind of makes me not want to buy another pair if they can just suddenly die like that for no reason. i have had them a few years but i kind of assumed they would last longer than that

 

[Zaptruder]

Well, I think I might go for the Beyerdynamic T1 Teslas, if I decide to skip the $500 pricepoint entirely and go straight for the top end. I don't like the way people are describing the treble on the HD800s, and the T1 description sounds perfect. I like warm sound. I hear that tubes are the best for warmer/more natural sound, so I think I'm going to be getting a tube amp. The question is now what is the ideal tube for the T1?

As far as the $500 price range is concerned, are the HD650s the best option? I hear the Grados are brighter, and I'm not a huge fan of bright/hot stuff. I can't find anything on the D5000s, outside of the fact that they're closed. How do they compare to the HD650s?

What exactly do you mean by warm and natural?

Such rubbish terms. Sound is affected in measurable describable ways that don't require resorting to descriptive adjectives that vary in definition from person to person.

e.g. an amplified low and mid range (of audible frequency).

natural to me is the same as transparent which means the device produces an accurate to the recording sound signature. (i.e. sound input matches sound output)

But I can also understand how someone might describe that as cold or clinical; and that natural as a result means something else (e.g. it 'flows naturally' - which in itself is another dumb amorphism).

 

[Jakabok]

Just got me a set of Westone UM2 buds. They're great, but I'm not sure if they're £200.00 great. Specifically went for the ones with removeable cable since its always the plug or cable that break with me (Sennheiser buds always seem to do this after a couple of months).

 

[Izayoi]

By warm I meant deeper, more bassy. Less focus on sharp treble. The HD800s seem to have a very high, sharp treble and I'm not a fan of that at all, and at the same time the LCD-2s seem to be too low on the bass spectrum. The T1 strikes a balance somewhere in the middle, but still with more focus on bass than on treble.

In any case, the more I read about tubes, the more is seems that they're focused on really deep stuff. I'm not so sure about that. Has anyone used the Schiit Asgard? It almost seems like a disservice to pair such a cheap amp with such expensive headphones, but I'm reading a lot of really good stuff about it.

Also, regarding DACs, would an ASUS Xonar be fine or should I look into an external option?

 

[LCfiner]

Hm, okay. What if I wanted to split it into two purchases and go $1000-1500 on each component? Reading around, a lot of people seem to like the HD800's, but I'm completely lost on amps at that point. What are some good brands for amps on the mid to high end side of things aside from Schiit and Burson? When buying from the same brand is it generally the more expensive the better when differentiating between models? Sorry about all of the questions, I'm new to amps and I don't want to fuck up my first purchase as I've heard a lot of people getting screwed on amp purchases.

Also, I've got some old piece of shit XtremeMusic sound card. What's the best possible one I can get? They're relatively cheap when compared to headphones/amps, and I've been hearing a lot of mixed opinions about some of the ASUS stuff, but anything is better than what I have now I figure. The HT|OMEGAs have a built-in amp apparently, so I'm not sure if that would be redundant and negatively impact sound quality when coupled with an external amp or something.

here’s some well regarded amps in your price range of ~500 and up

Woo Audio 6 (tube)
Mapletree MAD EAR+ (tube)
Meier Concerto
DACmini (DAC included unlike items above)
Headroom desktop amp (includes DAC)
Hifiman EF5 (tube)
Little Dot Mk III and above (tube)

I can’t comment on the sound card stuff. I’ve just gone straight for external DACs (using HRT MS2+ right now which is excellent for 350 bucks)

I can say from my limited experience that going from a 130 dollar Fiio E9 amp to a 250 dollar Asgard resulted in no noticeable change in SQ on the old Grado RS2. But when I moved to the Burson HA-160, the overall soundstage and impact of percussion became quite a bit better. one small example.

The HD650 from Sennheiser is famously known for being a bit warm and focusing on low end and midrange. keep in mind that plenty of people have preferred the HD650 on a great amp to some of the thousand dollar headphones.

I have not listened to the HD650 but I had the D5000 and although I liked the sound at first, I much preferred the Grado cans when I got them as they have a much more focused midrange. it always felt far away on the D5000 in comparison.

but, overall, I would not recommend a grado to you if you don’t like bright phones (well, except the HF2 which is more bassy or the PS1000 which sounds damn near perfect but is insanely expensive)

 

[cress2000]

How big of a difference does re-cabling truly make? I see a lot of recommendations elsewhere for pairing the Ultrasone PRO 900 with the Blue Dragon cable from Moon Audio, but the 10' one costs about 2/3s what I paid for the cans. I can afford it if it's really worth it, but my mind is in sort of a Monoprice vs. Monster-type of mode on this...

 

[LCfiner]

I am very skeptical of cable upgrades, personally. considering how expensive they can get, I think money is better spent on the headphone, then amp, then DAC.

actually, on second thought, I think the money is better spent on music.

 

[Izayoi]

Thanks for all of the advice. I think I might stick with the ~$500 range to start and go with the HD650s and one of the Schiits, and later upgrade to a T1 Tesla and possibly a Woo or HA-160 amp.

Been reading around about the Schiits, and I'm trying to decide between the Valhalla and the Lyr. Regarding DACs, I notice that the HRTs are all 24/96. Am I missing out by not going to 24/192? Is it even possible to get that out of computer without pairing it with a high end sound card as well?

I might end up just waiting for the Bifrost and the reviews that are sure to follow. For that price point it seems like it solves all my problems. Plus it'd be nice to have a matching DAC/amp.

 

[LCfiner]

I wouldn’t worry about 192 vs 96. tbh. it’s going to be ridiculously hard to tell the difference and there’s a very small amount of 192 kHZ material about there.

the bifrost looks neat but it will cost 450 with the USB portion in there, don’t forget. otherwise you’ll need to use the optical out on your computer for the $350 version. a MS2 is 150 and the MS2+ is 350. but those are USB only so you don’t have at the choice of using optical out.

and the DAC replaces the sound card so don’t worry what sound card you have now for the sample rates and bit depth. the DAC will take care of that.

 

[Izayoi]

That's good to know (re: 192 vs 96). By the way, is it okay to be using an amp when gaming? Part of the reason I'm looking into all of this now is because I want to be ready for Battlefield 3. If the alpha was any indication, the game is going to sound like nothing else. However, I'm worried about blowing something out with the constant, loud, deep noise like gunshots and explosions. Will any of that be a problem? Talking to some people about it, they seem to recommend skipping low-end amps entirely if I know that I plan on upgrade headphones in the future, so I might just go all out and get the HA-160 right now and skip the Schiits entirely.