Mush's Odyssey: A Record of a Dude Finding His Perfect "Affordable" Mid-HiFi Audio Toybox

Equipment / Electronics / Gear / Accessories Headphone Amps
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Prologue: Hello to any new readers finding this thread! I originally posted this as a thread looking for advice on finding a complete audio setup that would remain in the realm of %85-95 of what the flagship hifi setups can provide. Essentially looking for a Toybox of audio equipment of which I could hear my music lots of ways without needing the best of the best. A word of warning Adventurer! this is gonna be long winded. Hopefully you have brought a potion of speed reading and or TLDR-o-Vision. Any input or suggestions are more than encouraged! If there is a story of how you went about finding your perfect setup, I would love to hear about it!

… And so it begins.

Hello all!

Recently I have been floundering when it comes to deciding on a audio setup and am seeking a little direction in my future purchases. My current audio set up is as follows:

Headphones: Kph30i w/ Grado pads, HD6xx, HE4xx w/ grill mod and new head band.
Speakers: Edifier 1280T, a couple generic home theater floor speakers( no name)
Amps: Denon avr-s750h, Darkvoice 336se w/stock tubes, Drop O2 amp
DACs: Grace designs SDAC
Sources: Windows PC, Laptop, Cellphone, Google chromecast ultra.

I currently use Tidal and Youtube Music mainly, but i will sometimes browse bandcamp.

My main inquires are as follows:

1.) What setup combo of Amp/DAC/source would yield the best dollar to performance in terms of usability, synergy, and quality?

2.) Headphones and speakers are subjective but given the top price to performance in each catagory ie. plannar, closed back, openback… etc. What ensemble would yield a good balance of each and give me a wide enough selection to have distinct listening experiences?

3.) As far as sources go what is a good selection of sources (Vinyl, PC streaming, HDD lossless archives)?

4.) I enjoy music of all types and really only care if it sounds good. bad mixes and recordings suck no matter what band it is (Im looking at you early beatles albums). I prefer to hear more detail without being sibilant.

5.) Budget wise I’m all for having expensive goals and if someone said that in order to get the most variety out of your set up a set of Hifiman Arya and lets say some stax are top of their respective classes, But will ultimately come out around $3000 I would say looks like I have to save. Conversely though. If i were to buy a set of Sundara and a set of Koss ESP/95x could get you to at least %85-95 of the overall experience at a fraction of the price, Id look to get those insetead.

6.) This is all strictly for music and audio enjoyment. gaming and movies are secondary as my current setup is fine for those.

TLDR: I want a complete setup that can give me the most options when listening to music. Overall value and fun factor > $$$$-%1 gains because its the best and most expensive. I dont want to chase that dragon but if i could trail behind just enough to smell its farts i would be happy.

Sorry for all the run along sentences and scatterbrain points. Its my first post and I’m not sure how to structure this question. Thanks Guys and Gals!

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You’ve told us that you have things, and that you want things. You’ve not explained much about what you think of the things you have. Unlike a real newbie, you already have a broad variety of gear.

What do you want to hear differently, and also “where” as you’re providing your whole audio world here. We need to pick a couple “lanes” to drive down.

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As far as what I enjoy about my current set up here is what I like and dont:

HD6xx- very comfortable, sounds plesant and not as harsh as my HE4xx. I dislike that it lacks the fine details I can hear in the HE4xx. Bass is fine but not totally accurate I feel.

HE4xx- The details I can hear in songs like Spanish Caravan by The Doors or Lift Off by Tom Misch are more clear on these than my HD6xx. Not as comfortable for long sessions, some Tidal masters sound more harsh in the higher frequencies, Bass is good but not really as full as I would like.

KPH30i- Love the sound, super comfy with the Grado pads, price to performance is amazing. Find that it has its limits as far as range and tone replication at both ends of the spectrum, I get crackle some times on normal levels.

Edifier 1280T - Decent sound but not really impressive. I have very little experience in this area. Ive heard some nice Klipsch but that’s about it.

Darkvoice 336se- I like the sound and the tube effect of smoothing things out. would be nice to have an assortment of different tubes to play with. Not great for when I want detail.

O2 amp- It drives all my headphones but I feel its lack of inputs and options could limit its usefulness in more complex setups. When compared side by side with my Denon, I feel there are portions of the notes that dont last as long or fall flat faster on the O2. I guess it could be described as lacking body.

Denon AVR-S750H- The sound just feels more rich. Like cream compared to milk, but probably more like %1 vs %2 milk. The performance sounds more natural and less sterile. I’m hoping that an upgrade could give more body to my music and give better instrument separation. The headphone jack had a buzzing noise at higher volumes due to internal interference or poor signal isolation, But its not bad at 70-77Db which is my normal listening levels.

Grace Designs SDAC- Honestly I feel it sounds fine but with limited inputs/outputs I feel it wont scale well in a “better” setup. I am sort of in the camp of DACS are for functionality and ultimately a good DAC should be invisible in the chain. Id be looking for something that could scale to accommodate a headphone that requires balanced inputs. XLR is also cool looking and feels nice and sturdy to use. I could also be super wrong and am willing to accept that.

I enjoy hearing the details and being able to see the instruments. To be able to sit through a song multiple times and being able to “watch” each members performance. Im a huge fan of drums and hearing picks and feet shuffling or hearing the singer move their head to the side to breathe in. Mind you there are other times I want to turn on the tube amp and just melt into my seat with a nice warm cup of Pink Floyds The Wall. Id love to sit down and listen to whole album while feeling I’m at an intimate live stage performance. To be honest I say I’m a newbie because I still have trouble putting what my likes are into words. I just want to get home say “hey lets throw on some electro stats and then swap to some planar just to play around” If i could hear my music 4 different ways and get the best out of each style of driver without having to go for the absolute best of each I think Id be satisfied. Id be fine with a %90 headphone and speaker setup. Example could be getting the Arya instead of the HE1000 for just a minute improvement. Id love a McIntosh amp and some Ohm Walsh 2000’s, but If i can get a set of Klipsch and a Crown amp to perform almost as well I would be happy.

TLDR: Details, Instrument separation, Accurate drums, and no sibilants. Id also like to find a set of speakers that can do all those things and put the bass in my chest. Plus an amp DAC combo that can accommodate without too much compromise.

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Well, if you like the sound of the 6XX then the Focal open-backs are probably the best “upgrades” sound-wise. They have more bass, are more resolving, and are at least as good or better at instrument separation. The Elex is available pretty much year-round on drop and is currently $700, but the better deal might be the OG Clear for $990 on Headphones.com, but it’s on pre-order.

For planars, I know the newest version of the Sundara got a good review from Resolve, and there’s always the Ananda at a step above that. Since you are looking for a full set-up, I probably wouldn’t look to spend more than that immediately though.

For amps, I can personally rec the Jotunheim 2, as long as you are somewhere Schiit is readily available. It pairs beautifully with my Clear Mg and I think you’d be happy with it. But you might be even happier with the Rupert Neve RNHP from the research that I’ve done. As for a DAC, again, if you can get Schiit products then the Bifrost 2 is one of the best, if not the best, sub-$1000 DACs on the market. If not, then I’ll have to defer to more experienced minds than my own.

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Thanks for these suggestions Michael!

From what I’ve gathered Focal are just a straight up upgrade to the Senheiser. As for planar I think either the sundara or Ananda would be great. I’m not sure if going up to the Arya will yield an experience that is worth the extra $700 USD. I’m in Canada and really there are only a few shops I could visit to audition setups. I hear a local shop called The Headphone Bar is good and they carry Focal and Hifiman, so I may give the owner a call to arrange a listening.

As for amps and DAC’s I was considering going with an RME ADI-2 FS, Jotunheim 2 /w phono add-on, and Bifrost 2. That would give me the best all round setup in addition to the Darkvoice 336se w/ tube selection. I’ll have to look into all of your suggestions though.

My end goal here is to set a destination for my stopping point. I love the hobby and so I feel that over the course of the next 5-10 years I can attain this goal. Given that things change and do get upgraded I could swap things on with their successors, but it’s a nice bullseye to aim for.

As far as speakers go I figure I could stick with the Denon amp I have and get a set of Klipsch RP600-M and call it a day. Maybe throw in some subs if I need more bass.

This all started with my almost buying the HD8xx sight unseen. Considering the price I felt it expensive, but if it could cover a lot of bases sound wise I was okay with it.

This is what I would have as a tentative goal as of today. This is also going off second hand advise.

RME ADI 2 - FS: I hear the Topping D90 can provide a higher quality sound. Though I have heard this is a great DAC with tons of options and a HW parametric EQ. I’ve also heard it’s great for IEM’s if and when I go down that rabbit hole.

Jottunheim 2 w/phono add-on: For headphones I’ve heard this amp is amazing for the price and should work with most of the headphones I select sans Electrostats. The phono add on is strictly for covering my bases on Vinyl. The Denon I have now includes a phono input so I could just be wasting money here.

Bifrost 2: Less analytical than the RME, but really good sounding. This and the RME should cover both ends of musicality and analytical DAC’s.

Headphones and Speakers that I am interested in are as follows.

Senheiser +DROP HD8xx: Early reviews peg it as “THE” headphone to get in the 800 range. Wide soundstage, great detail, good imaging, good mids. Lacking in a punchy low end, but great at most other things. Pre purchasing now would net me $200 usd to put towards an RME when Drop brings it back out.

Hifiman Arya/Ananda: I love the planar sound. Arya are like the HD800s but with better bass and less pain from what I have gathered. Good detail retrieval but a smaller soundstage. If Ananda can get me close to the Arya with the low end and at least %95 the detail I think I’d be happy. Luckily the local shop I mentioned earlier has both of these to try out. I’m not a huge bass head and having the option of a good set of speakers for when I wanna run the jewels should scratch that itch.

Sundara: Lower cost. Better than my HE4xx in all departments. Haven’t been able to hear the difference in sound quality between this and something like the Ananda.

Focal Clear/Elex : Everything the 6xx does but x2 with better bass. Elex could also fall into this spot if they sound almost as good as the clears.

ESP/95x w/ Stax exciter: A good entry point into electrostats. From what I gather the stock exciter is a bit lifeless and should be replaced. I have no idea what this style of driver sounds like and this seems like all I’d need to play with.

As far as speakers go I basically only know of the RP600-M. I’m in a condo so I can’t really pump up the volume. It would be for afternoon listening and sitting down to feel the music. Subs also could be added here.

I’m not yet on that Vinyl train yet, but it would be nice to get a good player for that too.

Given what I currently own I feel that stuff like gaming and movies are a wash as they all sound great as is.

Thank you again for the suggestions. I’ve been looking at all these forum posts but none have really given me a solid all round ecosystem.

PS: For clarification. I’m looking at this post to serve as a roadmap to a final plateau to rest my hifi head at. I am aware that this hobby can suck you dry if you let it and there are always going to be better things out there. As a 5 year plan I think this is a workable setup. I’m not really looking to drop $8000 USD to get it all at once. I mean I’m not rich but I’m a single dude with some disposeable imcome. Rather then but a PS5 I’d probably treat myself to some cans, or a year of TIDAL.

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@Mush Re speakers, you may want to ck out Ron from New Record Day regarding his 2 reviews of the Elac UB 2.0 (52) One is a standard review and the other is sound clips…Yeah, I know YT and all that, but it’s a similar price range to the 600 m. and they sound pretty amazing.

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I’ll have to check his reviews out! thanks @timptim44!. I know he and Randy from Cheapaudioman have a couple talking episodes out. I’m really only considering the RP600-M because they seem to be regarded as a solid set of speakers. I also considered the RF5000 too but I dont know a whole lot about speakers.

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@Mush I’m no speaker expert either. Still using my Klipsch KG 4’s from the 1980’s. However I am moving to a smaller apt soon so was also looking at a lot of reviews and the 600M interests me because i like an “alive, energetic” sound and that one is, even at lower volumes. There are so many now that are good that it’s hard to decide, but Elac seems to consistently get good reviews as well, also Triangle.

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I think I can wait until Christmas to see what the price on the RP600-M drops to. If its sub $600 CAD then I’ll pull the trigger. Plus the bonus of speaker shopping is that most places like Best buy will have demo units to try.

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Okay so I have started trajectory towards the aforementioned build. Ive just ordered a Bifrost 2 and Jotunheim 2 from Schiit. I’ll check back once I have the units set up. I also picked up some Hart audio cables so I fear my wallet might try to choke me in my sleep. Luckily its so light now; I doubt it can finish the job. Wallet abuse is real folks.

On a more serious note I will be looking to accelerate my inevitable catapult into poverty with a Headphone as the next purchase.

What headphone should I buy next?
  • Hifiman Arya
  • Hifiman Ananda
  • Hifiman Sundara
  • Focal Clear
  • Focal Elex
  • Senheiser HD8XX

0 voters

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Forgive me @MON for I have sinned. It has been 4 days since my last major purchase… up until I saw that Hifiman has a clearance sale on right now. I have just purchased an open box set of Ananda for aprox. $800 CAD. Ive gone in to debt for the next little bit and my bank account has already filed papers for emancipation; Plus I think im under investigation for killing my wallet. Just tell me it will be all right please… just tell me i can stop now… IM LOOKING AT FOCAL SHAPE 65!!! FUUUUUUU…

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hello there check out joshua valour on youtube he has a few build videos at different price points he also reviews all kinds of dacs amps and headphones. very informative person

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Thanks for the recommendation @AppleofMyDroid! I am familiar with Josh and really enjoy his opinions. In fact he is someone I watched to help with my recent purchase of the Ananda.Still going to look for other Headphones to pick up the slack there but I hope they can do a majority of what im looking for. Still considering adding the Focal MG and HD8xx in there for the trifecta. Once i get those I think I will be set… but maybe a set of focal shape twins or shape 65 can top the proverbial hifi cupcake :slight_smile:

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sounds great man and i used him with help of my purchase of my sundara i just received my focal elex today waiting on my schiit stack which is still on back order then i think my setup will be complete

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Oooh I’d definitely be interested to hear what you think of both of those headphones.

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Im finding @hawaiibadboy to be my favorite these days mainly due to how he structures his tests and how he describes what hes hearing. When it comes to drool worthy B-roll and a more traditional approach I like guys like @DMS and Josh Valour. @ZeosPantera Is just a mad man, but in a good way. I guess what im saying is Im a town bike when it comes to gear reviewers :slight_smile:

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@Mush Give iiwi reviews a try. He is very concise and different.

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Thought I would write a quick follow up on my recent additions and decisions.

So long story short; Schiit is out and I have been looking at other options. Had a real bad time dealing with their customer service to the point I decided to cancel my order of the Jotunheim 2 and Bifrost 2. I went more into detail HERE.

I wound up getting a set of Ananda for around $850 CAD through an open box promo recently. Short review is I like them, but will need to listen for longer to get the full experience. Right out of the box though I am disliking how the headband feels like its leaving a bruise on my head after a while. Heavier than my previous sets.

I also went forward with the purchase of a Massdrop+THX AAA 789 from amazon for $450 CAD through Amazon warehouse openbox. Its been okay so far, but like the Ananda; I will have to take more time to contrast and compare.

Overall I haven’t noticed the leaps and bounds in quality that I was expecting, but I am still happy that I went and bought these things. The 789 can pair with the RME ADI 2 DAC that Ive been eying and I am also looking at a couple of the Topping devices too.

Outside of new additions. I also went and purchased a HE400i headband for my HE4xx. Now having only realized after that this was an incompatable pairing, I have managed to drill some holes and force the two together, like a freak arranged marriage of sorts. Ill post some pics and anyone wants more info i can detail what i did.

Also bought and subsequently returned a set of Neuman NDH-20’s. Just had an awful time for $600 CAD. I went more in depth HERE.

Still gonna look at getting some ARGON MK.3 in May.

PS: All prices include taxes and fees for import.

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Here are some pics of my HE4xx with the HE400i bands. Things to note:

Disclaimer I don’t recommend anyone attempt this. It can destroy your device easily if you are not careful!

  • Tape up your holes good! Pad side not so much but for sure the outer grill.

  • This was easy to do but had major potential for device failure. I basically just eyeballed where the holes should go and blind drilled. There is metal and other (driver material?) very close to the backside of the hole. If you were were to attempt this at your own risk. My advice would be to go low and slow. You just want to remove the material from the outter plastic shell.

  • to get my rough marks, I slid the headband on to roughly the area it would rest. Close to but avoiding the metal inserts of the old yoke screws. I used a drill bit slightly smaller than the tip of the plastic pins on the new headband. I’ll have to go back down to storage to get the actual size I used.

  • those marks are from previous attempts with a hack saw and pliers to remove the old seized screws. Don’t recommend this.

  • 2/4 screws seized in place and had to be snapped off the yokes. I was left with the remaining stubs of screw poking out. I taped up the driver in the end and used a file to take them down as close to the plastic as possible. This part generated lots of metal filings and could have destroyed my driver FYI.

  • After the holes were done I aligned and pressed the new headband on.

Simple as that… :sunglasses::joy:

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A review of the Hifiman Ananda’s so far…

I have had these headphones for a couple of weeks now. giving them the occasional AB comparison between my other headphones. Short and sweet answer is that I like them. They aren’t leagues better than my other sets, but the main thing I notice is how the bass seems to act independent of the other instruments. For example my HE4xx have a hard time keeping the bass-line off of the other details. By comparison; The ananda have an ability to take the bass aside and lets the detail come through. Hard to describe. I like them so far and there is a noticeable difference in quality when compared to my sub $400 headphones. My only gripe so far has been the weight. the headband puts all the weight across a 2 inch patch on your scalp. It can be uncomfortable at times.

I’ll give more info once I have more time with them.