So my second post here, I had some nice input on what headphone and amp/DAC I should get.
But after some thought, I might want to have speakers instead because it just hits different when the bass hits and I feel it’s more comfortable for me.
I’m currently looking at the Edifier s360 dB with a topping d10 or FX audio DAC x3 (but I heard reliability isn’t good, depends on luck), I picked the s360db because it has a wireless sub which helps with less cable clutter and I can place the sub in the sweet spot and I wanted a DAC because some of my devices don’t have optical out.
I wanted a non all in one setup at first but I found out it’s really off my budget as I need a sub. Also many of the cheaper speakers like micca RB are not available in my country.
So any thoughts? Would a headphone be better for a beginner to learn what is all about the audiophile experience? Will a lower end speaker like this have less detail than like maybe a ~$200 headphone? Also which is more worth it in your opinion?
With speakers, you’re room matter a lot. Also, the position of speakers changes the soundstage. Plus, as you said, headphones have more details than speakers at the same price.
I don’t recommend speakers for beginners.
1 Like
@Hamed_Shahrzad
Oh yes the room. Yeah my room is hard to correct. It’s tiny with a big ass built in cabinet. Sucks.
1 Like
As someone who’s been into audio for a little more than a year, I will chime in my opinion. Ideally, I would say get both. I feel like part of this journey is experiencing all the possibilities, and find with the cheap stuff what is it that you like before spending more money on better gear. Get a pair or 2 of sub $50 IEMs, one or 2 sub $200 headphones and a decent speaker and see what better fits you.
That said, I don’t live in US or Europe so I know how difficult it is to get things to your door. This makes the speaker option more costly, as they’re heavier and therefore shipping is usually higher. Also, as @Hamed_Shahrzad said, room matters a lot for speakers, even though nearfield helps mitigate this by some degree.
Don’t know bout the Dac-X3, but I have the X6 and it is a good performer for the money. There is the MKII version of it with Bluetooth, so I encourage you to look at it as a form of having more options in your hand.
@fabiokelm
Oo ok, thanks for then info. Then I will probably get headphones first as my budget is very limited.
Also I will have to be creative and spend quite alot of money on room correction as I will probably run into bass problems.
Thanks for suggesting the fx audio DAC x6 mkii version too. I missed that out as I didn’t research that much for options but for a dirt cheap good one instead. I’ll keep that in mind when getting speakers but I’ll probably spend alot more as the time when I get speakers will the the time I actually have a proper stable income. (Dreaming of RP 600m + nad 3020v2 with an emotiva airmotiv s8)
No problem. I mentioned the Dac X6 because is as cheap DAC/Amp combo, with three digital options input (usb, coax and toslink), a line out for future speaker amps/monitors and a headphone out that should drive most headphones just fine. I think it’s a good starting point for those in a budget. The DAX-X6 (MkI, i guess?) is abou $65, the mkII is $80, both can be found easily though Aliexpress or Shenzen Audio (or similar retails) shipping worldwide. MkII adds bluetooth and have a better DAC, so i think its worth the extra $15 if you can get it.
That said, maybe figure out and IEM/headphone first, them get a source to match it. It’s the usual recommended path, and it worked quite well for me. I hope you enjoy your journey in audio. It’s a vortex for money, but it’s a lot of fun.
1 Like