Budget: Under $1000 (All together) (currenty leaning towards Sen HD660 with Mayflower O2)
Use: Music/Gaming/Movies (Genre: Hip-Hop, Alternative/Indie, Rap, Rock, Jazz, R&B)
Current Prospects:
Head Phones: Massdrop HD6XX, Sennheiser HD600/HD650
DACs+Amps: Mayflower O2, Sabja d5, Audioengine D1,
MASSDROP O2 + SDAC DAC/AM, DROP + THX AAA™ 789 LINEAR AMPLIFIER, Emotiva BasX TA-100
I’d also like to have two speakers Connected.
Any Suggestions,Changes or advice would be greatly appreciated.
What type of speakers do you have? Are they powered or passive speakers with an amp? Also that’s kinda alot for a first time setup tbh.
Currently don’t have any Speakers, More for the future. But something like Fluance sx6 or klipsch Rp-600m’s
For a dac and amp setup, you could get a smsl su-8 v2 with a sp200 amp, which has good bang for the buck imo. If you want a good all in one, the monolith thx desktop is a good choice. These are higher end options, but a killer more wallet friendly setup is the jds labs atom and a topping d10, which I think is a better deal for the sound you get
Regarding the headphone, what sonic aspects do you enjoy?
first setup for a $1000 If it were up to me we listen to very similar genres not into jazz that much though
sources: topping d10, monoprice liquid spark or jds labs atom , and a toping PA3 for sdpeakers, or smsl 888 if you want a THX amp.
Headphones: he 4xx, meze 99 noir, modhouse argons , or dt 177x go , maybe sendy aiva or the cheaper clones
and whatever speakers your into: maybe the sony sscs5 , or micca rb42 .
if I had $1000, I’d put as much as I could into the headphone I’m buying and not worry about the accessories. I’d buy the JDS Labs Atom for an amp and either the Khadas Tone Board or Topping D10 for a DAC and put the rest into the headphone. you have better sound return on a higher quality headphone than you do with a lower quality and accessories.
id say i love mids and lows for music, but for gaming/others i love highs/mids
I think something like the dt1990 might be something you would enjoy imo, as they are fun, excellent for gaming, and work well with a wide variety of music. Also very comfortable. The hd660s is also good for this as well. I would say that if you wanted a warmer and a bit more relaxed and intimate sound the 660s might be up your alley. If you wanted a more aggressive sound that is very clean and clear with great spatial recreation and also good bass, the 1990 might be worth a look. Perhaps something else to consider might be two headphones, with one being the lcd1 and the other being the dt880 600 ohm. The lcd1 would be for more music with great mids and lows, a smooth yet clear sound. The 8800 600 ohm would be more bright and mid focused, and is also great for gaming
You could get a topping d10 dac and a liquid spark amp, and chain it inline with a speaker amplifier, and it would power the headphones really well.
how easy does the 1990 take to eq’ng? because a schiit loki might be worth looking at
I don’t really think the 1990 needs eq, and if they did want to eq it I would suggest using software eq instead.
or would 2 pairs of headphones be beneficial explore tastes a bit especially for a first setup, 880 for gaming, 58x, fidelio x2, or just a warm headphone for music
Also Beyer where the fuck is the 1880?
I edited my previous post for the option of two pairs, which imo might be the way to go imo. I think the lcd1 and the 880 600 ohm are great for the applications
Was thinking that myself lol, would love to find out
actually I have heard the 880 being dubbed the cheaper 1990 is it possible that due to the tuning of the 1990 they didnt feel the need to make a 1880? I wonder what a 1990 would sound like if the current 1990 was a 1880. would it be a trebbly mess like the t90 or a fixed better 990?
TBH I actually prefer the tuning of the 880 600 ohm for studio work lol, but the technicalities of the 1990 are better. I think with a more even tuning and some adjustments you could mod a 1990 into sounding closer to the 880. I think the 1990 is not tuned to be like the 990, and actually more like the 880 already, but I guess didn’t go the extra step imo
Alright i think i’m going to go with the beyer 1990 with the topping d10 and SMSL SP200 THX AAA-888. Then think about SMSL SU-8/4XX/BD DT-880/HD660 For the future. or Would it be wiser to just get the topping d10 and Jds lab atom then once i want to upgrade, bypass the SMSL SP200 THX AAA-888 and SMSL SU-8 and get the Monolith Desktop?
I think the atom is pretty good imo, and you wouldn’t have any problem with the 1990. I would suggest just getting the atom, and then you have some left over budget for the speakers, as the sp200 might be more powerful and a bit better sounding, but tbh most people would have a hard time hearing the difference with the 1990. Also I think if you have the 1990 I think the 880 isn’t worthwhile considering anymore
For a speaker passive amp, I think the topping pa3 is pretty great and very desk friendly.
don’t lknow about the monolith desktop but I think spending less money on your source gear and investing more in your drivers are a better route.
I agree with this, you will get better quality for less money. The headphones/speakers will make the larger difference for sure. The atom is really good and tbh all most headphones would realistically need