Damn, I was JUST GOING to suggest the M500! 
Also, too, a remote is godsend for a setup. Always great to adjust volume from far away, or even a few feet away without reaching across your desk.
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That’s why I’m asking. I have a set of Thiel CS3s and some Magnepans but they are in other rooms and I can’t really fit them here. The HS5s are close to as big as I can fit on my desk. What would be a good set of similar size monitors?
I am tempted going down the audiophile rabbit hole and getting some nicer headphones. If I did, what would you suggest with that as a one day goal?
I’ll look into these and the 300s later tonight.
Sorry for so many questions, just working through options and how to best spend my budget while being open to future updates.
If I was you, the M500 is like where I’d top out at (or around that price range). Past that and we’re getting into splitting hairs, IMHO. DACs and amp can only get so good before the rest of the setup starts becoming the bottleneck, and from there you need to question, “Are you really listening that intently to notice the extra detail, ect?”
I’ve got a Xduoo Basic to a SMSL SA300 for passive speakers. More than enough than I need. The Xduoo Basic’s DAC is lower-end AKM, but clean and detailed and keeps me from bothering up the tree. If I didn’t have my beloved DIY speakers, I’d go for active speakers like what you got and get the M500.
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Alright so comparing the M500 with the M300 Mk II I can’t tell which would have better sound quality.
The M500 has more options for alternate sources, plus the inclusion of an amp if I ever went to better non-gaming headphones. All for $420.
The M300 offers bluetooth so I could connect my phone as well, less sources for $240.
Ignoring the amp for now, is the M500 going to sound better or close enough? Is the $420 for a DAC and amp worth it or are there better options?
Sound quality-wise, I don’t think there’s much difference from what I’ve seen from measurements. It really comes down to options. The M500 has more inputs, and a great headphone out (500mw to 32ohm, not a powerhouse, but enough for 250ohm cans) just no bluetooth.
Just kinda down to how much you want to spend. For your price range, I’d opt for the M500 as the “complete and done” unit. The M300 is good, but lacks that headphone amp so if you want one in the future, you’ll have to get one.
But if they get the M300, then just getting a JDS Atom or other $100-180 amp later would be cheaper, could have more power for harder to drive headphones, and could have a better sound to them while letting them use the Bluetooth on the M300. Of course, it would mean more stuff to have on the desk instead of just having a nice DAC/amp combo, but it also gives the freedom of upgradability if they ever venture down the rabbit hole. It all comes down to personal preference in the end though.
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True, again that “complete and done” setup. Personally, I hate having a ton of equipment and amps and dacs and stacks and such. I’d go for the one DAC/amp, one control over the entire system more so than a collection of equipment. 500mw/32ohm is still quite a lot of power for headphones, people often forget.
If you are looking to control your volume and plan on using XLR, then I’d recommend TC Electronics Level Pilot. https://www.tcelectronic.com/product.html?modelCode=P0D71
And as for DACs, maybe SMSL SU-8 or Soncoz LA-QXD1, they both have XLR’s and RCAs so you can add a HP amp as well.
I think something like a Topping DX7s or DX7 Pro would give you a very clean DAC as well as a Preamp. They have balanced connections for studio monitors and you won’t have to mess around with a separate volume control. That’s a clean, simple setup and it leaves more money in the budget for better speakers. Adam Audio T5V or A5X would be my go-to for a 5 inch studio monitor. If you want a bit more warmth/body, the Schiit Jotunheim with the optional DAC works great for desktop PC/monitor use but you won’t get bluetooth.
Okay, so based on what everyone said, this is what I’m thinking:
-Adam Audio A5X, A7X or Focal Shape 50s (return the Yamaha HS5s)
-Schiit Modius
-Passive volume control/Preamp of some sort, I like the idea of the Mackie Big Knob Studio just wish it had a good DAC or was just passive.
I asked Schiit what kind of volume control they would recommend while keeping the balanced XLRs, I’m curious to see what they say.
Okay, I bought the bullet and bought the Focal Shape 50s.
So that leave me with just picking a DAC.
I’m curious what your opinion is now related to DACs.
**edited to correct speaker name
The studio 50? Do you mean something like the alpha 50 or the shape 50?
Oops yes the Shape 50
Gotcha, in that case it’s def worth to get a nice dac now, if you wanted an all in one, if you could find a holo cyan pcm, that could act as your speaker preamp, dac, and headphone amp and should be pretty solid (fairly holographic, fast and detailed, good dynamics, built in headphone amp is actually pretty solid), or a soekris dac2541 could be pretty solid although that might be a bit more bright and analytical leaning but still pretty enjoyable, I think it could be a good pick (headphone amp inside is again good but not great). A benchmark dac2 or dac3 hgc is also a solid pick as an all in one if you don’t mind a bit more analytical leaning dac/amp. You could consider a mytek liberty dac ii for something pretty neutral and accurate but still enjoyable to listen to (although the headphone amp is good but not great).
I’m mainly mentioning dacs with a volume control since I really do think you might find it handy to have a volume control on the dac, along with having a good headphone amp. I think the shape monitors are capable enough to make it worthwhile to spend more around the 1k range for a nice dac amp combo to get the most out of them imo
Awesome feedback! I’ll start looking into these and get a feel for each, both used and new. I’ll post up what I can find.
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Don’t shave those bits
I’ve found a Benchmark Dac 2 HGC for a really good price, $800. How would that compare to:
Topping D90 MQA and A90 for $1350 (new)
SMSL SU9 and SH9 for $750 (new)
I can’t find anywhere to compare them, so I’m quite tempted to buy both the Benchmark and one of the other combos to test out and see which I prefer. It sounds like the Benchmark is pretty analytical as Mon said, while the Topping and SMSL are both really neutral… which for editing would be good I think.
Personally I think dac wise, the benchmark is a more competent dac, with better spatial recreation, more impressive dynamics, more detail, and better timbre, but it is also brighter leaning than the d90. For overall stack performance I think the topping stack does have a smoother fr and better tonal density, but the benchmark pulls more detail, better represents space and dynamics, but both have about equal timbre. Personally my preference leans toward the benchmark as long as you don’t mind a bit brighter response imo, but it all depends on what headphones you use, and you can always add an amp onto the benchmark later on
I haven’t heard the SH9 yet, but I think dac wise it ends up being a similar situation above where the benchmark pulls ahead
With the Benchmark I’m really happy, even though I’m still using the Yamaha’s while waiting for the Focals to be back in stock.
I’m going to test out a few headphones too and see what sounds best.
Man, the external DAC is SUCH a huge upgrade, though to be fair at least 50% is just not having interference from unbalanced connections now.
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Glad it’s working out well, very curious to see what you think of the new monitors and how that goes 