The "Too good for the price" list

Calling the nighthawk cult guys, wondering if you guys think those should be on here at its current price?

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Yes. If you enjoy the signature it’s a crazy good value

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Oh yes, Nighthawk Carbon and OG for sure.

I concur
I will also add the LSiM 703 for $449 still, if I haven’t mentioned it before.

Apparety the SMSL idea is discontinued but now rebranded as Sabaj Da2.

Honestly, for something portable? I mean, you definitely don’t need 100dB SNR in the bus or outside. Too much noise. Just get one with good features, like the xDuoo Link that Zeos just reviewed maybe.

oh im not using a a portable DAC for using outside or on the bus… i am interested in finding a small amp/dac because i literally have no space in my room and am using it on a laptop on my bed and want to hear music better than my laptop audio (since i hear its often shitty even though i barely hear anything with an audioquest dragonfly 1.0 i bought but broke on me)

Well then you can’t go wrong with that. :slight_smile:

Here’s a review:

Huh what headphones do you have?

M50s…

as in i barely hear a difference

but since aparently they are bad i plan on getting 58x or beyerdynamics soon

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One item I didn’t see on here:
Cavalli Liquid Spark. I paid $80.00US for an open box model. The best deal I have ever gotten in audio.

It is not my favourite amp, but I really like it. Today I was enjoying the afternoon with my Grado GH2’s and the Liquid Spark. Great combo!

Even at the list price of $109.00, this amp is a Great value.

There’s also not-dongle-but-really-smol dac/amps like the smsl m3.

Edit: or fiio e10k, maybe?

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i was thinking about an E10 or a Q1 its just i know my headphones aparently aren’t really that good and i dont know if i’ll even hear a difference since i didn’t hear it before (though that could be mostly because i just listen to spotify and youtube and hear pop shit).

i dunno what i want i just noticed what is aparently a bottleneck and wanna end it

You most likely hear interferences when you move your mouse or when your hard drive does something or when you browse the web, or just hear some noise when the volume is high and nothing plays, and something external, even a dongle DAC, will fix that – just because it will be outside the computer.

If you don’t hear any interferences, and did not notice any difference with your Dragonfly, well, whatever, just get the HD58X (if you like bass) or the Beyerdynamics (if you like treble, lol). And then if you notice interferences and noise floor, consider an external DAC, maybe just the Sabaj D2 dongle.

Hmm, it’s a love/hate thing apparently. Scratches head. Added.

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By the way, guys, if there’s anything you don’t agree with in this list, feel free to tell me. That’s not “my” list. I don’t want it to be “my” list. I just want to help.

I don’t think a laptop can power 58Xs

But yeah I have an SSD not a hard drive in my laptop, I don’t hear anything when moving my mouse, and I keep my laptop at like 20% so not really that loud

I just need a DAC because they say you need a dac to really be an audiophile and stuff

I can run my 58Xs on my phone if I want… I don’t really like to do it, but it has enough power to be listenable and not sound too bad imo.

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My phone can power my 58Xs. :slight_smile: They really do not need an amp!

:laughing: it’s your ears, if you don’t hear a difference, chances are you’ll spend 100$ for nothing for an external DAC/amp. Because DACs are the things that makes the least of a difference. Start with headphones. 90% of the difference is headphones. 90% of being an audiophile is headphones (and speakers). :stuck_out_tongue:

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At there current price the Audioquest Nighthawk carbon is ridiculously cheap, however prices for liquidating remaining stock of an obsolete product (terrific as the Nighthawk is) isn’t quite the same as products originally priced below what you could easily accept for the performance and quality they provide. Once you get into clearance, open box, B stock, fire sales etc then it is a different ball game. For example my Denon D7200 was £330 as an open box deal, for that price I got a headphone with a wonderfully enjoyable and extremely well delivered sound signature and a headphone which tactile feel of quality shames most headphones regardless of price. Another great deal was my Audio Technical ATH MSR4, £140 brand new sealed from an Audio Technica dealer, for £140 I got a very well made headphone with a slightly bright but extremely accurate and revealing profile which I love.

I don’t know, they’ve been 200-to-250$ for a while.
Maybe they finally realized everything they sell is overpriced, lol.