Looking for full setup for 500€

[Bongo]

For everyone in a similar situation, here’s the last update:

The ifi DAC+AMP and the microphone arrived last week and the DAC+AMP basically eliminated the problem with the mids. Mids are now exactly as Falenkor stated, slightly recessed but not muddy.

The Samson microphone also works fine but I ended up ditching the InnoGear popfilter for the OEM one because it is more convenient.

As far as the ifi Zen DAC+AMP goes, it’s a bit sad that I have no option to connect my speakers to it and I had to connect the speakers to the back of my computer again. But that’s only a very small price to pay.
I always listen with the “Power Match” feature of the DAC+AMP turned on and the “TrueBass” feature is active most of the time.

I have also noticed that certain sounds, e.g. someone sneezing in voicechat, sometimes lead to the sound being very muddy and bugged. But deactivating the “TrueBass” feature and activating it again by pressing the button on the DAC+AMP solves this problem.
I suppose that this might be caused because the AMP does not get enough power since I have not connected it with an extra power cable but only with the OEM USB 3.0 cable for power. But I might try switching that out in the future for a separate power cable because the OEM USB 3.0 cable is extremely short anyway (roughly 50cm / 20 inches).

[Falenkor]

@Bongo

As far as the ifi Zen DAC+AMP goes, it’s a bit sad that I have no option to connect my speakers to it and I had to connect the speakers to the back of my computer again. But that’s only a very small price to pay.

Odd I would think you would be able to hook your speakers up to the ifi zen as it has the variable and fixed slider on it’s back for that reasoning.

@Bongo

Mids are now exactly as Falenkor stated, slightly recessed but not muddy.

Good to hear. If the recession is a bit of an issue a slight adjustment through an equalizer can help this.

@Bongo

“TrueBass” feature is active most of the time.

This causes a lot of distortion with a great many headphones so be wary that any strange sound issues that suddenly show up are potentially due to this button being turned on. Even in the case of the dt 1990 and T1 and can distort and sound garbled from my own personal experience though granted not as bad as the tygr as those are very fussy headphones to any form of equalization.

@Bongo

I suppose that this might be caused because the AMP does not get enough power since I have not connected it with an extra power cable but only with the OEM USB 3.0 cable for power

so the power supply can offer another slight change in the sound and will cost you at max $100 for the supply and is one of the drawbacks in my opinion to ifi zen. It can definitely clear up the issues you mention however, in terms of sneezing? I haven’t had that issue with my own so I am relatively concerned if yours may be a defective unit at that point so I would take caution and look a bit more into that even so much as reaching out to the company for insight on that issue.