I’d be using a different amp since, no offense to anyone who likes and uses them, I’m not a fan of Schiit’s products because I feel like the price to performance ratio isn’t really that great. I’m thinking that I might just go with one of my original ideas and get the SH-9, SP200, A50s (maybe not anymore if Topping is so hated nowadays), or a combo DAC/amp like the iFi Zen until I really get into the hobby and get the A90 or something else. I’m sure Schiit’s products are great, I just think that if I’m going to get something now, it should either be a future proofing purchase that can handle both balanced and SE headphones and provide them with a lot of power (like 3.5W @ 32Ω power) with a low noise floor or a cheap placeholder that can handle most stuff until I finally get super engrossed in the hobby and start a collection.
Yeah, I saw that quote, but having known Drop to be ones to do in-house modding, I’d have thought that they’d do at least something to warrant the name change. I find it weird that they gave it an entirely new name rather than just sticking with Aeon RT or making it the Aeon RTX (lol) so that it fits their naming scheme.
This. This is why I’m thinking it’d be the best initial headphone purchase for me. Something that I can always look back on and see as a good start and can use as a nice reference for audiophile sound without being too analytical and not having any fun in them, but also not having too much warmth. From what I hear about the Meze 99, they’re a lot more focused on the fun side, which probably won’t be an issue for me, but might not be my best choice for a first impressions of this hobby. I’m not looking for a neutral or a warm sound since I can always get that later, right now it’s more like I just want a good first experience. Yeah, getting planar magnetic for the first pair might be weird, but it’d 100% give me a new experience with just that alone. I might just want to press the fuck it button and just buy them even without hearing more than the one reviewer you linked’s take on them. Being indecisive helps me to not make rash decisions, but it really messes with my ability to just say, “yes, this is what I want, this is what I need, and this is what will make me happy.”
If you need more impressions about the closed version:
tl;dr: I’m pretty certain I’m getting the DC Aeon Closed X, now I just need to pair it with a good amp and DAC, so I made a list for those after realizing that I was about to make a huge mistake with my previous choices (and if I need to, I can go start a new thread for the DAC/amp stuff so I don’t violate rules or something).
Alright, so fuck all the “research” I did on amps and DACs since it was all outdated and just me wasting my time. Oh, and I’m basically 99% sure I’ll be getting the Aeon Closed X/Aeon RT, so I guess the main point of this thread is over with. Now I can either derail it towards my DAC and amp purchase or start a new thread for that in the proper place for it. If I should do that, then I will, but for now, I’ll just put it here since I don’t see a reason to make an entire new thread for it.
So fuck Topping, fuck wanting both balanced and single ended outputs, and fuck wanting THX tech. Now I have four different options for an amp and two options for a DAC:
Amps:
- Monolith Liquid Platinum
- Schiit Asgard 3
- Rupert Neve RNHP
- Schiit Jotunheim 2
DACs
- Schiit Modius
- Geshelli Labs JNOG2 (or whatever they call it)
So yeah, fuck anything and everything I said about getting an A90, SH-9, SP200, A50s, iFi Zen, L30 (especially this one), etc. since fuck Topping, fuck THX, and fuck thinking I NEED a balanced output just because I want the extra power and want to hear if there’s a difference. The only difference that matters is if it sounds better, and single ended can sound better for cheaper, so fuck balanced for anything other than ease of use since I won’t need to get something like an XLR or 2.5mm to 1/4in adapter. Also, I’m done with thinking I’ll get something nice and cheap for now and then get something better when I get more into the hobby. Might as well just get the best bang for the buck equipment I can get now and not worry about what new crap comes out later.
In the case of DACs, it basically comes down to me either spending ~$200 on the Modius or whatever Geshelli puts out or spending $700+ on the Bifrost 2 or Ares II to get anything better.
For amps, there’s a bit more of a range and variety of stuff I can get that’ll be good value for the money, and apparently all my Schiit research was outdated since I never saw that the Asgard 3 and Jotunheim 2 were actually good shit now and not shit Schiit. So I have those on there for their Class A sound and amazing quality for the price (though the Jot2 is less worth the price due to it barely sounding better than the A3 while SE, but at least the balanced gives an entirely different sound, so that seems interesting). I have the RNHP there for the linear sounding amp if I were to go that route. Finally, I have the MLP as my #1 option since it’s worth $700, but I can get it for $419 and it is said to have a better sound that the A3. I never was really interested in getting tubes, but for what I’ve heard about the MLP, it may be worth it and I might as well give it a listen. I’m not sure how good the return policy would be from the Monoprice website, but I think it’d be worth the investment if I did go that route. Only other amps I can think of that’d be worth the money would be something from Geshelli, but I’d rather wait to see what they make next instead of getting one of the amps they provide now.
well schiiit
Since I’m in europe & schiit products are not that easily to come by, I would’ve just bought a zen dac+amp.
Schiit Jotunheim is already DAC+Amp in one, same with Asgard - so you wouldn’t need an additional DAC.
Modius + Magnius is a Dac + Amp combo I see quite often and would probably work well.
Can’t speak about sound tho.
edit: ahh right you can configure Jotunheim/Asgard to not have an inbuilt DAC, forgot about that
From the amps listed. Someone that has experience Aeon closed could help you with amp pairing.
In my wish list are both the Jot2 and the LP. Jot2 to substitute my thx and A3. LP for its pairing with t1.2nd.
People say the Jot2 SE is a little better than the A3, and the Balanced is a little better than the thx789. If that is true you could have 2 signatures in one amp.
- A3 gives vocals a touch of warmth. I preferred it with hd6xx and dt880.
- RNHP. I prefer it with the He5xx because it makes the sound more forward and engaging.
- THX789 with the dt990 pro. I am blasting my ears with treble harshness and I like it
Yeah, this is why I’m thinking it might be the best choice for me since I’ll have basically two amps in one that are both amazing. The MLP is something I’ve seen as being the best amp for under $1k, but I’m thinking that’d be something to get later for when I want to try out tubes.
I know pairing different amps with different cans can make a huge difference, especially for the TH-909 and HD 560S, but I’m just beginning my adventure into this hobby, so for now just getting a single amp is probably for the best. Once I start going nuts with my purchases like getting the Hifiman Sundara, HarmonicDyne Zeus, Sivga Phoenix, Senn HD 58X Jubilee, T50RP, and many more on my wishlist, then I’ll start thinking about getting more amps and pairing certain cans with different amps.
Lmao, I felt the same way after seeing that my research was so outdated. I remember seeing everywhere that Schiit was… well, shit. Well, not shit, but not really the best out there for the price, but I guess I skipped over looking at reviews from the past year for them since they’ve really, really stepped up their game from the looks of it.
Yeah, my original plan was to just get a cheap DAC and amp until I got more into the hobby. The iFi Zen would probably have been what I’d do after I learned about the “fix” for the L30 not being a fix at all, but just a showing of Topping’s lack of care for their costumers and reputation.
Yeah, it’s $100 more expensive to have the DAC built in, but the quality of the DAC isn’t as good as the Modius, or even the Modi from what I’ve heard. So instead of spending $100 for a built in DAC, I’d rather just spend $400 on the Jot2 and then $200 on a Modius or however much Geshelli’s next DAC will cost. That way I know I’m getting a good quality DAC, will be able to use it for other stacks later, and can sell it for an upgrade later on if I want to.