@KeroseneSlickback How trustable/reliable are openbox/amazon renewed AMP/DAC’s I know a lot of amazon refurbished stuff is a fairly large difference from brand new but if its fairly resilient to damage (unlike a lot of other stuff that iver experienced with them) then I can’t imagine it would really make a huge difference.
Wow, thats what im looking for look/design/price wise, not sure about its specs though necesarilly for driving HD560S’ (although i imagine its probably competent). Would love to hear input from a couple people on it.
(not that the looks/design really matter all the much IMO)
It all comes with like a 90 warranty, so if there’s issues just return it. I say, to save some cash and reduce landfill, it’s worth a shot. Most the stuff I’ve bought seems lightly used, but still in pretty good shape. Hell, my router was a steal at like 50% normal price and runs like a champ.
Also what do you mean by “no adjustibility” in terms of the schiit Fulla
That Dac-X6 seems nice
All you get is a volume knob. No gain switches in case you want to use more sensitive cans with usable volume levels or effects (tho I don’t bother with them myself).
Personally, I gotta have gain switches. I run sensitive IEMs and thirsty headphones.
Yeah ive been looking at a few that ive basically narrow my search down to at this point. One question though is there software (whether its sennheiser as im getting HD560s or otherwise) that would allow me to throw some extra Bass at my cans if/when I desire to fairly easily? (say using an EQ) or would I be better off buying a DAC/AMP that has that feature built in?
Im narrowed down to a K5 Pro, XDUOO Basic, Zen DAC, and the DAC-X6
I like the K5 as it fits in with my basically pure-black aesthetic for all of my other PC stuff, but it doesn’t have any bass settings which the XDUOO and Zen both doo (the DAC-X6 is basically the budget option at this point).
You can do software EQing, and there’s specialized stuff out there. But that’s beyond me, so I suggest searching the forums. But I’d suggest this as a “occasional” thing. Better to choose headphones that match your preferred sound signature rather than twisting one to meet that IMHO.
I’d say Basic, but I’m biased because it’s the one I chose. 
K5 Pro has gobs of power, just not that great of a DAC. Zen DAC had a better DAC than the K5 Pro and the Burr Brown chips makes the sound less sterile but it is lower powered, but not as good as a DAC compared to the Basic and the Basic has more power.
For the HD560S, Basic or Zen would be good options. Enough power, clean enough DACs, and bass boost. The K5 has more power than needed (not a bad thing) just at the cost of a less refined DAC and no additional features. With the Basic as a desktop setup, gotta run USB-C power to it; the Zen works fine off USB input alone.
Zen Dac has the truebass button which feels more natural than the kind of EQ’s basi software will provide (though yeah you can tinker around for hours in 128-band software to get ‘dat perfect bass’)
I’m not meaning for my HD560s to do that as a main use, just when im in the mood for a more laid back, bassy experience, prolly with some music too. Not really in a place where I can buy two sets of headphones so going the software/feature route would be much better even if im comprimising.
Do I need thunderbolt for this?, As to my knowledge only USB-C ports I have on my PC are the USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (10GB/s) ports, not thunderbolt.
I can say the Basic’s bass boost is tasteful, just not surprising. Touch more warmth and boom, kinda muddies up bassy headphones but does bring a nice warmth to neutral sets.
Nah. USB-C is just normal USB in a different shape. You’d run two USB-C cables, one to the computer as input and the other to the wall as power and set the switch on the back to not use battery. Xduoo includes USB-C to normal USB adapter for the cable, but for desktop use, gotta include your own USB-C power cord (really, any phone charger would do so long as it ends in USB-C).
Ahh, didn’t realize it had two ports 
Any thoughts on this (https://www.amazon.com/TOPPING-Headphone-Amplifier-XMOS-XU208-Silver/dp/B0788HJ33W/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=topping%2Bnx4%2Bdsd&qid=1613127178&sr=8-2&th=1) over the XDUOO basic or the Zen DAC? as I’m down to more or less the three options
Quite old by this point, meant to be more portable than anything, and at release had questionable reviews concerning the Sabre DAC quality… and why is it that expensive? 0_o
so if you had to choose between the XDUOO basic or the Zen DAC what would you choose?
Are we getting a commission for closing this sale?
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I chose already. 
Basic.
But, I’m more of a special case; gotta move overseas with my gear.
I’d say for the HD560S, get the Zen DAC for synergy. I think you’d be good.
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I liked them on the BTR5, but I thought they really sang on the Atom. I currently have a Zen DAC, and would definitely recommend that over the k5 pro if you want an all in one solution.
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Zen DAC imho is way to warm for 560S, if you like truebase and warm sound ok. But for me I Like more Audioquest black with Sennheiser.
Zen DAC is a great amp DAC but I like it more balanced too Sony 1AM2, and from Laptop to my Stereo speakers setup…