I think you did great. Sounds like I need to investigate Roon. While I could technically afford an A&K at the moment (the A&K Kann Alpha has especially caught my eye) I’m not sure I have the guts to pull the trigger for a four-figure player. Thanks.
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Yeah, it’s a big ticket. But whatever DAP you get, I think you’ll enjoy the mobility even if you don’t go too far. Enjoy!
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You can get your feet wet with a Shanling M3X
Welcome to the forum!
What amp and dac are you using? There’s a risk that a $5K headphone could sound worse than a cheaper one if it needs a better amp than the one you have. Depending on what you already have, dividing your budget between a new amp, dac and headphones might be the best way to give you the sound you’re looking for.
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Yeah, I got a problem with that. You’re picking the wrong earpads for Grados.
https://www.beautifulaudio.biz/grado-earpads-headbands
If you search the forum, you’ll find I’ve commented extensively on these, as have others who like Grados. I personally think the hybrid ones are exactly right for my RS1e.
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Nice, but overkill (read: expensive) for my lowly 1st gen. 125s
The 125s been modded with a large baffle/adapter so I can pretty much use any earpad on them - price is really the biggest consideration (actually if I could figure a way to mount them I’d use Fidelio X2 earpads - if I could also find somewhere that sells them)
If your baffle/adapter is large enough I’d say find the mounting rings for Hifiman ear pads and attach them to the 125. I did this for an old Stax SR-34 that had small, flat, hard and expensive replacements, made them really comfortable, easy to find replacements and even improved the bass level a touch.
With that said, I’d actually stick with generic “G” pads (about $5-7) from China for most Grado headphones. I usually buy 4-5 pairs from different vendors since the QC is not great and shapes and foam varies so I try each and just use the ones that sound good to me.
I’ve also tried the Beautiful Audio ear pads, very comfortable but changes the sound too much for my tastes on the RS2e, Ypsilon G1, Ypsilon R1 and a few others that I tried them on.
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I’ve been using Hifiman Sundaras (using EQ to add a bit of bass and recess the treble by a few decibels) with a JDS Atom AMP+ and an SMSL SU-6 DAC for a while. I’ve tried HD 6XX’s in the past but didn’t like the veil attached to it and its sub-par dynamics. I listen to a mix of music (some pop, slight bit of classical, a bit of rap, etc.).
I’m currently looking for something a bit more engaging with a wider soundstage in the $1k range, used or new (I’m willing to upgrade my amp and DAC later down the line as well). What recommendations do you have?
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I think the Sundara’s staging capability is considerably beyond its price; in fact if forced to characterize it in those terms, I probably would have pegged it at about $1k, which makes it hard. The hd8xx or a used hd800 would qualify, but “engaging” is pretty subjective and amorphous to try to define for another. I find the 800 to be the opposite of engaging. Many disagree I am sure. If you reduce the treble on the Sundara via eq, I’m not sure the 800 would be your cup of tea tonally anyway. In fact, while it isn’t a 1:1 correlation, I have found headphones that stage well are also more likely to have a fr that is more neutral or slightly tilted upward than tilted downward. Maybe my experience is not representative though. I don’t know what I don’t know, you know?
It would be helpful if we knew more specifically what is “engaging” to you. Are you willing to buy used?
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I’m not picking a fight. Nor do I doubt that in some cases, some aspect of headphone X sounds better or as good as headphone Y which sell for considerably more.
Other people say “Punching above it’s Weight”
As a Financial Advisor, I say it’s price is it’s price. It’s not doing anything beyond it’s price, because anyone can buy it from the manufacturer or outlet for said price. It now defines what is possible or perhaps expected at that price, and other manufacturers should take note.
There is only one possible exception known to members of this forum.
The elusive Headphones.com — Shop the best headphones and home audio
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Thus, “if forced.” I didn’t pick the terms of the discussion, the question itself did. And it seems to me that “picking a fight” is exactly what you are attempting to do, and it is not the first time you have turned a simple comment that I have made into something contentious. I was merely attempting to assist the gentleman in answering his question, a mistake I will not make again.
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I apologize for being so unclear, and therefore causing irritation.
I am merely pointing out a matter of perspective, as in the joke about Einstein on the Amtrak from Philly to New York. He asked “Does Princeton Station stop on this train?”
I don’t disagree with your value judgement on the headphones. I’m just saying that they set a new standard at the price because they sell at the price. Nor do I disagree with the fact that it may be difficult to find something qualitatively better at a similar or even higher price. I hope that clarifies what I’m saying.
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I’d direct you to my answer to a similar question just a few messages up. The HD 800 S on the right amp and/or with EQ presents a wide, defined, and comfortable soundstage. To my ears the HD 600 and 800 S have no veil, but I concur with you about the 6XX.
The bass of the 800 S is weak without tubes or EQ – and as @senorx12562 notes it may not be ‘engaging’ – but it sings with the right match. As I noted above, you really must try for yourself.
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I’m willing to have EQ as part of my chain for listening to music, as long as the base tuning is agreeable to me and doesn’t make me want to take my headphones off my head. I lower the Sundara’s treble by 2 dB (after EQing to Harman flat-bass) to do some slight sibilance fixes and am used to having to add a dB or two to bass to get the amount to where I like it.
I want better technicalities out of my gear; better bass slam, soundstage, and resolution is appealing to me and another big reason I sold my 6XX for Sundaras. I want something a bit better in those regards, as long as it keeps a fairly neutral sound sig that I could tolerate on its own without EQ in the cases where I’m not at my Roon setup.
also, I’m willing to buy used for cheaper prices
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Hi all, long time lurker and first time poster here. Really appreciate all the advice and guidance that is shared through this community so wanted to reach out to see if anyone can help steer me in a good direction.
Am looking to replace/upgrade my Sundara to have a great complement to my Atticus. I like the warm, lush boom of the Atticus, but am looking for something with greater clarity and detail, sparkle in the treble and more forward/ energetic sound signature (forgive my lack of audiophile terminology).
I listen to most music types bar hip-hop and classical, with a range of rock, indie, folk, acoustic, blues, soul, Daft Punk like music, and soundtracks like The Social Network, Spderman etc.
Listening will be at home where I have the IFI Zen Stack and Project Ember II hybrid tube amp - so pretty solid power available.
Realistically, closed back is strongly preferred given home situation so I have been looking at the LCD-XC. Was looking at the Dan Clark Aeon X closed or Flow 2/ Noire but the lack of macrodynamics was a concern: I do like to rock out with Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Pantera and similar at times, so concerned it might be a bit flat for that. Focal sound intriguing as well, but price of pads replacement, and major hassles it would be to get them repaired where I live leave me concerned about them.
I can’t audition where I live so relying on the guidance of helpful and knowledgeable souls on here!
Budget is up to $1,200 at the top end, but lower would be much easier to achieve.
Thanks in advance!
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I have the tiniest desk known to mankind. I need to stack my TT2 on top of my Sparkos Labs Aries amp. I believe there are such things as acoustic isolating feet that will provide air between the dac and amp. Can anyone make a recommendation for either feet or a shelf that will allow me to stack the above. Many thanks.
I’m going to buy the Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Noire headphones and my online research suggests that either the Asgard or the Jotunheim would be a good match for these phones. I have read some online reviews including this one and this one as well as a number of YouTube reviews. Before I decide which one to buy I want to put it out there to our forum members for your advice.
The price difference is significant: $250 for the Asgard and $400 for the Jotunheim. I don’t mind allocating the extra funds for the presumably better model, but one drawback is there’s a 6-8 week wait for the Jot given current production and shipping delays, while the Asgard is available to ship immediately.
I had my mind set on the Jot, which has a balanced headphone output. But now I wonder if that is worth an extra $150. What will a balanced out give me that a 1/4" unbalanced jack won’t, besides increased power? And is there still a benefit in having a balanced headphone connection when the rest of my signal chain is unbalanced (headphone amp to Rega Brio tape out jacks, DAC and disc player, phono connections all being unbalanced RCA)?
Why would I want to buy the Jot instead of saving money and getting the Asgard? What do I want to consider in terms of the added benefits the Jot may offer?
For the record, I have no need to add a phone pre or DAC module to the modular Schiit headphone amp (I could also go for the Magnius but I’m told the Asgard is better). I will be buying a custom cable for needed length once I have the cans and amp. And I’m set on the Aeon 2 Noires but need to buy the amp first before I can properly test drive them. Thanks for your input.
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If you use the search function of the forum, you’ll find a lot of discussion on the relative merits of these amps, and even more on the balanced/unbalanced question.
My take on all of this is that unless you are buying a particularly inefficient headphone that permits a balanced input, then it doesn’t make much difference. And if your amp is powerful enough (I use the Lyr3) it doesn’t make much difference. And if you’re not moving into the higher end of the hobby, it doesn’t make much difference.
Do you see a pattern?
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It is most definitely worth the extra $150! I own both the Schiit Asgard 3 and the Schiit Jotunheim 2. I actually use the rca inputs more often than the balanced XLR inputs. However, the reason I suggest and recommend the Jotunheim 2 is because when paired with any headphone I have ALWAYS preferred the performance of the Jotunheim 2 over the Asgard 3. Schiit amplifiers in general are power-houses, but the Jotunheim 2 can power pretty much anything and it does it very well, particularly compared to the Asgard 3. I have never thought to myself, I think that I would like to listen to X headphone with the Asgard 3. I have often though to myself, I bet X headphone would sound good with the Jotunheim 2, and then proceed to hook it up. The biggest drawback might be the requirement to have an XLR headphone cable to get the most amplification out of the amplifier. However, I find the XLR connection much superior to the antiquated 1/4 inch TRS plug since it does not short each time I plug and unplug my headphones.
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Most all headphone amplifiers are all going to see a price hike this year. The Asgard 3 already has seen a price increase by $50. The RebelAmp has seen a $160 increase. I suggest anyone looking at the Jotunheim 2, to place an order right now and place themselves on the wait list while it is still priced at the bargain of $400. This is a phenomenal deal on a great amplifier. While you are at it you might also want to get a Bifrost 2 before they also see a price increase.
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I’m currently looking to upgrade my current headphone setup (Sundaras with a JDS Atom AMP+ and SMSL SU-6). I’ve currently EQ’d my Sundaras to add a slight bit more bass to them, and while I like the technicalities of planars and definitely want to stay in this region, I want something with a larger soundstage, better imaging, and better resolving capabilities.
Looking at reviews, I’ve currently narrowed down my choice between Anandas and Edition XS’s, but due to the small amount of reviews for the XS’s, I don’t have much to go off of for this choice. Which of these two would you recommend for my use case?
(Keep in mind that I’m willing to buy used and, if necessary, upgrade my stack down the line)