Looking at getting a nicer setup. I have the Sennheiser 58x/HD280 Pros running off a 8 year old Creative Soundblaster Z that has served me well. Seeing the good and of course the usual cons of the Hifiman Sundara. Overall mostly positive especially at $350 price point. I’m leaning towards the Schiit Modi3/Magni 3+ but prefer the JDS atom stacks front controls more. I have horrible option paralysis and buyers remorse. Anyone with the Sundara/Schiit combo or Sundara/JDS combo chime in? Am I excluding a better dac/amp combo that may serve me better? Would like to stay under $700 if possible.
Hello and welcome. I’d highly suggest an asgard 3 with the sundara if you can swing it. The extra power is beneficial for the sundara. Synergy is fantastic with these two.
350 sundara 200 asgard 3 leaves 150 for a dac of which there are many good option.
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I too am in the same boat…in need of new gear to pair with my Sundara’s. I am currently comparing the Zen Can with a Topping L30 connected to a Topping E30 Dac to my PC which ironically has a Soundblaster Z card as well. I have A/B’d these 2 amps to death and they are the same to me except for the fact that the Zen has more power. To match my personal max volume I use software (EQ APO) and set the Preamp to +6db to enable the Topping to catch up…this is probably not a good idea, but I detect no distortion.
So both are great SE solutions. I even had the opportunity to compare these to the Monolith 788 and detected no difference. Actually, I feel that the E30 is a little better as a Dac than the Monolith, plus it has a remote :grinning
I just can’t decide which to keep as they both have their plusses and minuses. Besides this dilemma, I now have thoughts of grandeur. I may be inclined to just grab a Topping A90 as it is going on sale and just pair that with my Z card for now. It will serve as a desktop preamp and should be able to handle any headphone made now or in the future. It is clean and you can add dacs/tubes in the future to alter the sound. I just don’t know if that is an overreach as I do not have XLR nor do I plan on it…but then again who knows. At least I believe that I will have the amp part of the equation out of the way for some time…perhaps an end game unit.
I tried the oratory1990 Eq with EQ APO it definitely helps clean up mids on 58x the Soundblaster Z. I ended up ordering the JDS Atom stack. I almost pulled the trigger on the L30/E30 stack but wanted to support a US company. The Modi 3/Heresy seemed appealing but read a few glowing reviews of the Sundara on the JDS which sold me. I haven’t ordered my Sundara yet, but my wife knows it’s going to happen soon 
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Let me know how that pairing goes. I truly enjoy the Sundara’s.
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