Would you guys say that the JDS Labs OL Dac + Atom Amp is better than the combo unit Topping MX3 Dac/Amp? Because after i watched Zeos review on the MX3 i thought i would be covering all my bases with that unit. And it’s cheaper thank the JDS stack. So i’m trying to understand if the JDS stack is better and is it worth buying over the MX3 despite being more expensive?
The best closed back value is typically IEMs, have you considered wide sounding IEMs as an option? They will most likely be great for portable and gaming use as IEMs are notorious for great imaging. If we are talking about over ear then dt770 is great and with pads the M&O Beryllium are pretty good sound quality although they had a bit of bite to the treble that I personally had an issue with.
I can’t say enough that the JDS Labs Atom is the best value in audio, by a mile. If you get it and a Topping D10 you’re not too far off the cost of the DX3, and you end up with the best headphone amp under $1200(save the THX 789). No joke.
Add to that a DT770 and and Modmike and you’ve got a quality gaming setup. This is what I choose after my research.
That leaves you room in your budget for an opened back setup for pure music listening. 
A Massdrop HD6xx is best bang for your buck there. That’s a super high performance and well rounded setup for less than your budget.
unfortunately OP wants a closed back
The DT770 is a closed back. I was just throwing in the 6xx because there was room in his budget. 
I’m not sure of the final price, but the pre-orders were under $400. Might be worth checking out.
oh didnt noticed the dt 770 sorry
So i’m sold on the Atom. Still not sure about which Dac is the best. I am in between JDS OL or Topping D10. I just noticed that the D10 has 100 Ohms of output impedance, is that an issue?
As for headphones, i can’t decide between getting the 32 Ohm DT770s Pro so i can use it with my phone. OR wait a bit and get the Argons. I realize that they might sound like shit on my phone, but they will sound AWESOME on my PC hooked up to the amp.
nope the d10 has a nice and powerful output. the d10 is better than the oldac.
100 ohm load is normal for a line level output, not to be confused with the output impedance from an amplifier.
Not a big closed back fan but I do sometimes miss my old DT 770 250’s 
I might be moving soon, and in this new location, I might be able to make myself a dedicated gaming room where I won’t have to worry about people hearing my sound leak.
Sooo… on the topic of open backs, what are your recommendations? something that has a good sound stage (not too narrow, not too big), good imaging (or virtual surround sound), and something that has good punchy bass.
I saw above Andrew suggesting the HD6XX, but I also saw someone say that they prefer the HD58X for music and gaming.
Thoughts?
Here is what I am thinking of getting so far:
- JDS Atom Amp = $130 CAD
- Topping D10 Dac = $110 CAD
- Antlion ModMic Wireless = $150 CAD
- Beyerdynamic DT770pro 32 Ohm = $230 CAD (Closed Back for outdoor use playing of my phone)
- HD58X Jubilee = $210 CAD (Open Back for music and gaming at home)
All that comes out to be $830 CAD + Taxes and stuff, still within my budget. Haven’ts considered the cost of pads swapping and any other minor customization.
And then in the future i might also get a pair of Argons. But we’ll see.
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That looks like a good start!
I wouldn’t recommend swapping pads right away unless there is a comfort concern out-of-the-box that most reviewers or an audition revealed. Changing the sound by pad rolling is something that is recommended to do overtime at your leisure.
Aright!
So i finally got all the parts come in the mail. The box with the 58X was so light i thought it was empty!
Brought it all home, connect everything, only to discover that i dont have RCA cables to connect the D10 to the Atom amp. I had so many before, but now that i need them i can’t find a single one!
Quick trip to Walmart fixed that.
First impressions on the 58X:
- Verify light
- Look good
- Clamp force a bit strong. i hope it eases up a bit as it gets worn in. On a positive note, the headphones don’t move around on my head at all. I thought that after a few hours of wearing them maybe i won’t notice it anymore. Nope, still notice it, it’s quite strong. I hope it doesn’t cause headaches during long play sessions.
- Headphones connected directly to my phone: Music was good/acceptable. I can see what people are saying about “it’s ok but u want to use an amp to get the most out of them”
- Headphones plugged into my Dac + Amp: Amazing! On my phone the volume was at 100% and i wanted more. Hooked up to the Amp, i’m at 60% volume and it’s already getting too loud. Also much richer bass.
- Only con for me is it’s not enough bass. Anyone can suggest a good free EQ so i can boost my bass up a bit so i can be 100% satisfied with this purchase?
Edit: also the ear cushions could be more comfortable as well as the head band padding. Has anyone modded the 58X with aftermarket pads and head rest? any suggestions on what i should get to increase comfort and bass?
Also i was wondering about the Sound settings… I’m guessing that while listening to music i should set it at the highest setting possible (32bit @ i dont know how many Mhz) and then when i’m gaming or watching a movie i should enable the Windows Sonic 7.1 surround sound (which is only 24 bit)?
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I would not suggest using Windows 7.1 if you care about quality. Something like EqApo if you want a systemwide eq. Regarding clamp, here is a link to a PDF by DIY-Audio-Heaven that shows how to reduce the clamping force easily.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/8dr7hp34vq11aag/HD58X_evaluation.pdf/file
I found that the headband and earpads get more comfortable with less clamp. You could look into something like a zmf pilot pad for the top if you require headband comfort changes. I personally wouldn’t recommend changing the pads if you want to preserve the Sennheiser sound, but dekoni makes a nice hybrid pad
Regarding windows sound, I would suggest keeping it below 24/192 unless you have higher quality files. Personally I find that 32 bit can cause issues with some legacy applications, and the higher the sample rate (khz), the more processing power it takes, and tends to compensate by having higher latency. While this isn’t a huge issue, it’s something to take note of.
The clamp definitely eases a nice amount . Took about a 2 weeks for them to really get comfy for me but I was not using it exclusively I have other headphones I was using when I first got them
You can refer to this post I made in the 58x thread about modding them. Might be worth looking into if you want more bass and more comfort.
Buy a T50RP from zmf and get a choice of pads. Get a as new T60RP on ebay for $240. Send T50 to modhouse for an Argon conversion. Use ZMF pads on T60 while you wait for Argon.
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I agree with @Towa. I personally used toilet paper instead of k240 foam/felt but the end result is similar. The dekoni pads boost the bass but make it too boomy. The k240 foam brings the bass down but will still keep some boost (no more boomy-ness) the toilet paper will make it sound like stock with dekoni elite velour pads.
I think someone mentioned this but I thought I would link it. All the HD58X modding info you could ever need.