That’s a very attractive price, definitely worth imo
Also @K2u3 did you have a dac/amp already?
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No I’m in the market for a Dap or a dac/amp
Also worth mentioning is that I’m from Europe so looking at the moon deal that was just posted I would have to look how much the Aeon2 closed would be here in Europe because The import tax could easily be more than the money I’m saving
Ah ok then that changes things. Yeah I think the aeon 2 closed should be available in Europe. You could grab an xduoo xd05 plus and it would power then very well
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Could someone point out the differences between the Focal Elegia and the Aeon 2 closed?
Should I make an other thread looking for DAP recommendations?
I’m one of those people that uses a phone just for phone calls and texting and I’m still using an old iPhone SE so all this considering maybe picking up a player would be better in my case then a amp/dac that relays on my phone
Haven’t heard either so can’t help. I expect not many people have. When I was shopping for a headphone I watched lots of YouTube reviews of models I was considering and learned to read frequency response and other graphs. But that second option is only for a chosen few, grin.
You might want to do some reading of the many existing threads first:
DAPs - HifiGuides Forums.
From what I’ve seen, people who’ve done both generally seem to feel there isn’t a clear-cut advantage to either option.
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Imo I would only buy a dap if you want it to be separate from your phone. Otherwise imo a dac/amp combo is more futueproof imo
For a good powerful dap, check out the hiby r5, plenty of power on tap
When I get back I will add a comparison of the aeon 2 closed and elegia since I own both
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Wow ! I’m blown away with the help and responsiveness of this community! You are awesome!!
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We don’t want you to get stuck with beats or other overpriced stuff, that’s all. 
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Coincidentally I’m rec’ing the Kennerton Magni once again. Seems to fit all the criteria. Not sure about import taxes though.
Good luck with your search!
William Murdoch @ The Headphone Experience Reviews
First Impressions
Full Review
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I actually when I first got the aeon 2 closed I sold off my ether c flow 1.1 as the 2 closed was the better product imo, but I was also considering selling the elegia. I ended up not but I do generally prefer the aeon 2 closed as a package overall. The sound depends more on preference
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My honest to god #1 suggestion would be for you to get cheap pair of cans first. You mentioned this is your first foray into the hobby. The fun of this hobby is getting new gear and “upgrading”, learning to appreciate new detail from the music. So if you want to enjoy the hobby that way, I would suggest getting a cheaper setup in the beginning, figure out what you like and go from there.
Though to answer your original question, with a budget you are looking at the ether CX from drop would be a pretty solid choice.
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Hi guys! A busy week is almost over ! I spent a lot of my free time reading up, thinking and comparing the recommended headphones !
The last post made me rethinking this a few times and I think @Atomic_coco is right I can’t appreciate 1000$ Headphones and I’ll be able to appreciate them a lot more if I “work” my way up to them.
That’s why I think a smart move right now is to pick up a really good future proof dap ( that I can pair with better and better headphones over time) and then get good but not 1000$ good headphones.
Thoughts?
Dap or Dac/Amp combo? Also I misread your initial post as I thought you already owned a m11 so I assumed you already had some nice headphones lol, I agree with @Atomic_coco, starting towards something more reasonable is a smarter idea (I should have noticed lol)
Dap is a player right? And dac/amp is a digital to analog converter and amplifier correct?
Well I don’t really know what to get I’m just afraid to have too many things if I go the dac/amp+ Phone route
Right now I’m looking for a office setup wich means I’m trying to avoid a lot of bulky boxes coupled too each other if that makes sense
So the dap is a player correct, like a fiio m11. A dac/amp combo that’s portable would be like a fiio q5s (just using fiio since apples to apples). I would say the more futureproof choice would be the dac/amp combo attached to a phone, unless you really want to keep your music separate from your phone or hate the concept of having something extra to connect on the back of your phone
Also something to look at now would be the massdrop x beyerdynamic dt177x now back on drop, at 380, it would check most of the boxes you want in sound and usability
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I get the impression that most DAPs are really intended for use with in-ear monitors rather than over-ear headphones. This is because the power output of most DAPs is miserly to conserve battery run time. That said, there are increasing numbers of over-ears that are low power draw. But historically quality over-ear headphones required relatively high power.
So if you do buy a DAP and want this to be your main electronics this will restrict your headphone options, unless you buy one of the extra-power DAPs like the Hiby R6 M0N recommended or the Astell & Kern Kann or Kann Cube.
The m11 or r5 can get headphones going fairly well, the thing is that most daps only output ample power in balanced now so you have to go balanced for some headphones. But you are correct that most daps and dac/amp combos are made for iems in mind
I saw Z speak very highly off the BTR5 if I understand it correctly the phone sends the music to it over Bluetooth and the BTR amplifies and converts the signal and drives the headphones that are plugged into it correct?
That is correct. It is a nice unit. You can use it with bluetooth or plugged in via usb. I would just suggest going balanced with what you get if you can to use full size headphones with it