I own a Sennheiser 6XX that I run on a JDS LABS ATOM and a Topping D30. And that made me satisfied for years now, and in the near future I’m looking to expand my headphone collection slowly. Starting with the HIFIMAN Arya Organic (which I know doesn’t need the most powerful amp in the world) and after sometime to others that might need more juice, and I wanted to learn in your opinion, is upgrading my DAC/AMP worth it? Basically, I want to purchase and forget a type of DAC/AMP that I can own for years and no matter what I throw at it, it can handle…
If you think upgrading is preferable, what is in your opinion is the value for money “end game” DAC & AMP selections out there?
I don’t see a lot of value in dacs/amps but it is important for some headphones for sure. I think your set up is awesome and if you want a better knob or screen for certain visual data there could be some value to upgrade Maybe 1% if that. But not major sonic quality improvement. D30 is very nice, JDS is a nice amp.
For most I’d think something by iFi would suffice. The Gryphon and iDSD Signature spring instantly to mind. I can’t see these disappointing virtually anyone.
the rule of thumb is that your sound chain should be of equivalent or better quality as your headphones. a $100 amp is not likely going to do justice to higher end cans. a DAC is more nuanced than an amp, but if you cheap out it will be the weakest link or bottleneck to the audio oblivion you seek.
I dealt with that decision prior to getting my Arya Stealth. I started out with a Asgard 3 paired with several DACs over time I used it. That was, and still is a good Amp, but it is a bit lacking in sound quality when compared to higher end amps powering the Arya. The Arya is a headphone that scales well with your signal chain, and will reveal the shortcomings of lower end equipment.
In my case I settled on the following chain:
Wiim Pro>Bifrost 2/64>Soloist 3XP /w Supercharger
The Soloist is a class A amplifier (always on vs power saving), and it gives the Arya “better” bass + clarity (in my opinion).
There are quite a few headphone amplifiers on the market today that are in the same ballpark quality and power wise. The main point being quality of the power the amp provides vs the overall quantity. It has been said by quite a few people already, but not all watts are created equal. 10 watts per channel from a sub $500 class D Amp might not sound as good nor hit as hard as a $1,000+ class A amp with half the watts. The quality of the parts used within the Amp, and layout/path on the board have a lot to do with the difference in sound quality.
There are some good sub $1,000 options as well, but it all depends on your budget, audio preferences, and the synergy of the DAC + Amp + headphones you plan to use. Every part of the signal chain counts towards the end result. Finding the best pairing for you is the key.
Sorry for the lengthy response without giving an exact answer to your question, but sound is very subjective. Good luck with your decision, and let me know if you have any questions.
Don’t apologise about the length, I enjoyed and learned a lot. yesterday I was watching reviews on both the DX3 Pro+ and the THX AAA 887. What do you think about both? Personally I’m leaning towards the 887 paired with my D30. Mainly because of the balanced port and it having more power.
We have a DX3Pro+ on the HD6xx and never leave low gain, plenty of power for most anything. It sounds great and you don’t have to spend on balanced cables too. The Drop THX 789 I’ve had a few times and the D30 will work well with it. It can only handle 2.1v from a DAC or it clips internally in high gain mode. Much less power on the SE side though, so you’re roped into buying balanced cables for everything to use it’s full power to stay in low or medium gain for best sound quality.
I use a Topping E50 and A30Pro since I get equipment to test all the time and wouldn’t change a thing. Limitless power and low gain for even 10ohm IEM’s since at the 50mv test it scores with the best amplifiers out there. Also the same output on all three plugs, so no buying balanced cables. I’d just get the DX3 Pro+ and call it a day.
The THX 887 is not my preference, but there are fans of the unit. If you are absolutely sure you are looking for an amp with 8+ watts on tap for below $500, then if you want to save up a bit more then this would be an option as well: Topping A70 Pro Desktop Headphone Amplifier 17000mW x 17000mw Power Output 6.35mm/4.4mm/XLP/RCA Output Fully Balanced Amplifiers for Earphones/Headphones/IEMs (Black) https://a.co/d/b4vrSSm
I haven’t heard the A70 pro myself, but reviews have been positive. The Topping L70 comes in at $350 and has a max of 7.5 watts @ 32 ohms. For reference the monolith THX 887 is rated at 6 watts @ 32 ohms. I have used the L70 with my Arya and it did a decent job, but it is in the same vein as the THX stuff so not my preference. It was able to get decent results even with my SJY Audio Starry Night v1 which will work on most amps, but they sound their best when you feed them more power. Currently running those powered by a pair of mono block speaker amps (just for reference). I also hooked up my HD 660s to the L70 and it was a fairly good pairing (like I said earlier the whole chain matters, lol). Personally I would stay away from lower priced DAC+Amp all-in-one units as they normally sacrifice quality for the sake of convenience. Granted that I have not heard the DX3 pro+, but it would seem like more of a side grade than an upgrade compared to the other options. The point made regarding the purchase of a new cable is correct, but if you are planning on eventually getting a $1,000+ headphone then getting a decent cable to pair with it would be a must.
There are plenty of other choices out there, but be sure to buy from a store with a good return policy just in case you don’t like the first amp you choose. You should eventually upgrade your DAC to get the most out of the Arya, but one step at a time.
From what I understood from your reply, am I right in assuming in the comparisons of the different amps you mentioned, you don’t like them or like them because of how they affect the sound, correct? Not the power output to “power hungry headphones”? Because if that’s correct, I kinda don’t care about the 1% gain here and 1% gain there. Again, I really just want a buy and forget type amp that will power what ever I throw at it, and it will make me happy for a while. Once I go around trying different headphones and learning what kind of sound signature in a headphone I like, I might start hunting down for the AMP that gives what I’m after. So for now, does the 887 make sense? Or go for higher end offerings?
Yes, due to the effects on the sound of the headphones I use. I prefer the sound of class A and class A/B amps. If this Amp purchase is not going to be your final one (what I thought you were getting at), then the 887 will do fine. It will power most things shy of the HE6 and the like. Like I said earlier, be sure that the store that you purchase it from has a good return policy on the off chance it is not to your liking.
You’ll see the same level of performance and quality between different brands. With that being said, the features, customer support, and clean power will probably be the biggest differences. There are plenty of flagships to choose from, so if you feel the need to go end-game, feel free! Is it super necessary for the average headphone enthusiast? Probably not.
I have tried several DAC/AMP and i only notice (by some margin) the quality increase when using Mojo2 + BitPerfect (UAPP) this is my go to set for fullsize headphones (Audeze’s) and slowly moving to iem’s also…
Playing with qudelix 5k is also alot of fun for EQ, also very portable.