Yeah. After reading into that I’ll probably go with QOBUZ. I definitely will need to read it again, as I’m a bit tired but I’m not with tidal service idea anymore. I’ll use something better that won’t require a special dac.
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Thank all you guys so much!!! I wouldn’t have been able to get too far without you all. I’ll be asking more questions about dacs probably but thanks again so much.
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One more question before I crash. Which model is the entry-level schiit?
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Should be the Schiit Modi or Fulla, at least for the DAC…
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Mick,
I own a pair of the Sennheiser HD6XX and I absolutely do not like them one bit. As you can see, so many people disagree with me.
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The Hifiman Sundara however is magical. My recommendation is to go with the Sundara.
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If you are going with a $100 amp, the best all around-er is the Schiit Magni 3 Plus. Schiit actually made it sound too good that it almost sounds as good as their $200 amplifier.
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Schiit’s DACs are great. You can’t go wrong with any of them and they look nice stacked with the matching amps.
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Entry level DAC = Modi, Entry level amp = Magni 3/+
I own both HD6XX and HD650 but these would not be my recommendations since I feel they need a decent OTL amp (tubes) IMO such as a BH Crack with proper selected tubes which can be $$$ in the long run. I’d have to agree with @hottyson that a Sundara or older HE400i would be a better choice if you want a planar but to me the HD58X is a better all around headphone that will sound quite good even out of your computer headphone jack, phone or low end DAP or if you can swing for a bit of higher price the HD660s would be my recommendation since its more like the HD6XX but without the amp requirements.
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For amps Magni 3+, for DACs Modi.
Great combo for the money, small footprint on your desk, nice stack.
It’s a no brainer as a starting point.
I wish I had something like them when I started.
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Never mind.
That’s the purpose of this forum: we’re a family and family helps.
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Happy Cake Day @SenyorC. As ever great advice too.
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Hi Mick. I use Spotify Premium and find this perfectly acceptable unless you’re going to be doing critical listening. Qobuz does sound better but we’re talking very small margins here and I feel that the UI and Catalogue of Songs is superior on Spotify.
So unless your unhappy with Spotify or listening on a real high end system is it worth the move? For me it wasn’t but of course we are all different. Best of luck in your Audio journey, oh and you’ve made some great choices with your gear.
** I have used Spotify Premium for around 4 or 5 years and also subscribed to Qobuz for 12 months too. I dropped Qobuz for financial reasons. Reason beingvI didn’t need to have 2 Streaming services on the go. **
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Apart from my personal believes on streaming services (I really don’t like they way the “pay artists” and I use Bandcamp instead of streaming platforms) as a starting point the greatest impact on sound quality will not come from the service you choose and its resolution but from DAC, amp and headphones.
Spotify is a good point for starting as you can find nearly everything published and the user interface is one of its key point.
We worry too much about Hi Res and such things. I’n not saying it isn’t important and that doesn’t improve listening experience.
When starting it is IMO the last aspect to consider.
User interface and integration are far more important when starting a journey.
@prfallon69 always gives the best hints on the key feature to “keep it simple”.
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I agree within limits. Compressed sources often have artifacts and jagged treble, but these go away with CD Redbook 16/44.1 sources. In general, everything “HD” above that may not be relevant and shouldn’t be a priority.
I used to think I couldn’t hear the difference between MP3/compressed versus Redbook. I actually preferred compressed samples with some blind A/B tests, as the details were more defined and audible on my lower-end equipment of the time. With better hardware I can now certainly pick up on compression flaws, as compressed sources often cause tinnitus within minutes.
With the HD6XX or HD600 one may need a balanced amp to hear the differences between compressed and Redbook, as the Sennheiser drivers generate a lot of treble noise. If this doesn’t bother you, then forget balanced.There’s a chance that @hottyson would like the HD6XX better with a balanced setup – I heard my HD600 as too bright and scratchy until I switched.
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For sure Redbook files sound better to my ears, meaning that in blind test I can tell you if the file is compressed or not, based on artefacts absence most of the times.
At a starting point I believe the real difference can come first from a good pair of headphones with a decent amplification.
For Sennheisers they are probably the most influenced by the amp.
The better the amp, the better the sound.
Great difference from single ended to balanced and even more form solid state to tubes.
But again as a starting point and taking account of the budget limits of the original post I believe that a 6XX with a decent amp+DAC can make a huge difference from present situation.
Thank you for your reflections and indications, precious sources for new comers.
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Some people don’t care for it. Quite a few think it’s OK, but prefer the HD-600 or HD-580. It is however a standard, and its worthwhile knowing what they sound like. Plus, if you don’t like it, it’s easy to sell on the used market and get something else.
It would be useful to explain why you do not like them. I think the clamping force is a bit high. There is a slight veil in the upper mids/lower treble compared to some better headphones. But they are highly competent when adequately powered.
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I perceive the ‘veil’ as flattened dynamics and the limited performance envelope of the plastic drivers. Sound delivery is akin to a 2D photo rather than a 3D object. Sometimes one wants more and sometimes that’s great, as it’s less distracting than the punchy Focal products.
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I’ve seen you mention this a couple of times and I agree completely. After a few days with my new HD 6XX, I was able to put my head through the arm holes of my t-shirt.
On the off-chance you haven’t tried it, this worked for me:
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Yes - thanks for the @,
We have a stack just for the 6xx @Mick
It’s called the iFi Zen DAC Signature + Zen CAN Signature 6xx Edition.
Take a peek around some research and let me know if you have any specific questions on this pairing.
Maybe that Zen DAC Signature would pair well with the Schiit Amp. And it probably uses the Burr Brown chips that I like in my xDSD
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I don’t see that working. The Zen DAC has an internal bass boost function but one must use the front panel headphone jacks. The rear line-out is unaffected. The Zen CAN is key for realizing iFI’s 6XX tuning. Furthermore, the Zen DAC Signature has no front panel ports at all.
I’m liking the ZenDAC’s raw Burr-Brown output with neutral to bright amps currently.
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Not quite: on the ZEN DAC you can switch the rear out between variable and fixed. When set to variable, then all the front inputs (volume, bass, power match) will affect the rear out.
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