Advice taken . I did run across an Xduoo MT-602 , but don’t think I will . I have 3 amps actually (A Bravo Audio Ocean that’s in semi-retirement) . Leaning on the he-560 . Loudest I turn up my SP200 is half , with any cans I have .
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So freaking nice, @hottyson. Love those Sylvania’s. I use them as well. )
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@hottyson, I know you had an issue - as I recall a destructive one - with one Topping product years ago. I had one with possibly a bad custom cable from Amplifier Surgery, or perhaps it was a bad build in a limited edition model of a Headroom amp - I never was able to determine.
I don’t have any Topping products myself, but from all I’ve heard they addressed their known issue and have produced good products for years. I recently came very close to buying something from Topping, and ordered a FiiO product instead - not because of quality, but because the FiiO fit my needs slightly better. Or at least I hope it will when it arrives.
This general purchase advice area gets a lot of new users and a lot of traffic. My opinion, but I don’t think it’s the place to disparage an entire product line in a general comment. I mean, for all I know, there may actually be good sounding Hello Kitty 
headphones, but I will criticize each model based on FQ, difficulty driving, and pink/white color balance (and possibly how high the ears stick up).
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Very cool. The SP200 is a pretty powerful amp. I can’t wait to hear what headphones you end up getting. I hope to hear your experience with whatever you end up with.
The Sylvania’s really are nice. Super clean and articulate. I do love them.
If all goes correctly, I’ll be able to purchase in the next 2-3 weeks . A new possible competitor has crept into my considerations, the DT880 600 ohm .
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Since you already have a Darkvoice to run them from, and your targeted budget, I can understand your interest in possibly acquiring Beyerdynamic DT880 600ohm.
I have the 250 ohm version right in front of me . Haven’t put them on for quite a while . If the differences are akin to the differences between the 250 & 600 ohm DT990’s , The 880 600’s may just be worth the pickup . Budget is indeed a concern . I have family concerns to take care of as well .
Family comes first @Dragonborn. What’s the importance of a slight increase in audio satisfaction? If you want the 880 600, then sell some of your old stuff, or make sure you have TAKEN CARE OF the family concerns so you can reward yourself with the headphone. The headphone will be there forever. It’ll be on the used market. It’ll be forgotten in history.
Hey that’s my GENERAL PURCHASE ADVICE for all of you when you think about audio vs family concerns.
Yeah. I’m an old fart, and a legitimate financial advisor. The latter is my day job.
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Family is ALWAYS first . If I’m not able to pirchase in the next week or three, I’m not going to lose any sleep whatsoever . Always another day .
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Good for you. WAF however, is an entirely different matter. 
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I own both Beyerdynamic DT880 600 ohm and DT880 250 ohm (2003 worn pads). I grabbed them off the shelf and wiped the dust off of them to give a quick comparative listen on my Darkvoice 336SE amps since that is the amp you run. My preference is the DT880 600 ohm between the two. The DT880 250 ohm just seemed comparatively harsh and perhaps glaring in contrast to the smoothed out relaxed presentation of the DT880 600 ohm.
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However, the DT880 600 ohm is a continuation of that Beyerdynamic flavor that you already have. Wouldn’t you rather explore new experiences in something different? Then again, maybe your love for DT880 runs very deep creating a legitimate need to obtain the 600 ohm version. You might have to figure out to what degree your satisfaction is with DT880. I know in my early headphone years, I certainly put countless hours listening to my DT880 250ohm and I absolutely did love them to death. This was my justification for my case that I also needed the DT880 600 ohm added to my collection. But, in my case I was not limited to one headphone as you seem to be. If that were the case then, I might have passed on the DT880 600 ohm to explore a new different experience.
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When will manufacturers make things easier for us husbands? Design the cans to look like shoes already! 
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I don’t hold a particular fondness for the 880’s . I think , if anything , it’s a curiosity to see if the 880 600’s are any different . I’m not stuck on one set of cans , but more limited to what I am able to afford . I’ve been eyeballing the K712’s for quite a while , but , as stated previously , the HE-560 V4’s are proving tempting . If money wasn’t a concern , the Edition XS would be top of my wish list .
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I own the DT880 600 ohm but have never heard the 250 ohm version. The 600 ohm model has a fantastically detailed and smooth midrange. It’s great for vocals and competes with my Sennheiser HD 800 S (currently $1,800 retail) in the midrange. However, the DT880 suffers from harsh and piercing treble so I use (1) replacement Dekoni pads, (2) an equalizer, and (3) tube amps all at once to keep the treble under control. The DT880 600 ohm is a niche product and good product, but understand what you are getting into.
If you don’t own them already, consider the Sennheiser HD 600 or Drop Sennheiser HD 6XX. They are benchmark standards for basic headphone quality. With the right amp they compete well against anything in the price class, and are solid all-around products.
I used to own the HE-560 and it died after about a year (purchased new). I no longer recommend any HiFiMan per build quality and reliability concerns.
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I really think you’re onto something here. I read your reply to Barbara, and she said, “Do they come in a size 4 please”? She has small feet and has trouble finding headphones shoes she likes that fit.
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I’m not sure exactly what you’re looking for but I was just looking at an email from HiFiman for the closed back Sundara…. They have b-stock/open box Sundara for $249 and they’re on sale new for $299.
Not to muddy the waters further for you but I thought 249 for a Sundara is pretty good deal. 
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They’ll never fit on @resolve head, so don’t count on a review
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I eq everything . Want to sound good to me . High praise indeed ,comapring the 880 600’s to the HD 800S . In a way, I have the same opiniin of my DT990 600’s . Cpared to the 990 Pros I have (250 ohm), it’s a night & day difference . The 250 ohm flavor, bottom of the barrell basically .
I have the HD 6XX . Like the way it sounds, but the narrow soundstage is rather off-putting (I like a wider soundstage, especially for games) Got it paired with a 7ft cable from Periapt, same as on my Hifiman HE-4XX . Sundaras for $250 @Audiophool , good price ! . I rarely see anyone speak of the Monolith M1070’s . Wonder why that is . I woukd ask of someone who may know, is there a huge difference betweek the K7XX & the K712’s ?
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Thinking about an upgrade but not sure if it’s worth it or makes any sense.
Main headphones: HD6XX, HD560S, ETA Mini Closed plus a handful of IEMs
Current chain: MacBook → Schiit Eitr → Schiit Modi Multibit → RebelAmp
So this stack sounds great, and definitely has more than enough power for my headphones.
I like the Multibit/R2R sound, and I don’t really want to deal with the hassle of tube amps with tube rolling and replacing old tubes and the space and heat and so on. I also have a Cayin RU6 for on-the-go and that sounds shockingly great for the price, but not quite as good as the stack. I’m not a fan of the numbers-chasing, stark Topping-style sound, I like something a bit more full-bodied (I know, I know, I’d probably like tubes. Not right now.)
It’s entirely possible an upgrade would not be remotely worth it given these cans.
Things I’m considering:
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Hifiman EF400
– Has the advantage of being an all-in-one for space. Would actually save me money given what I could get selling off the current stack, has been getting great reviews, and has considerably more power especially through balanced. Granted I don’t need extra power, but the 6XX is supposed to scale with equipment so it might like it. -
Denafrips Ares ii or Schiit Bifrost + Burson Soloist 3X
– This would be significantly more than my current stack, and on paper would be a major upgrade. I’m just not sure how much difference I would actually hear and whether it would be worth paying basically twice as much money for? -
Schiit Bifrost + Schiit Jotenheim
– The Schiity upgrade, their top level solid-state and their next-level multibit DAC. Could be nice? The Jotenheim is cheaper than the RebelAmp though, if that means anything. (Could also JUST upgrade from the Mimby to the Bifrost or Ares II if that would make a big difference on its own.) -
Something else? Something in between? The iFi Zen Signature 6XX is “made for the 6XX” though I’m not sure that means much beyond having a built-in EQ switch (I have software EQ, I don’t think I need it but it could be fun, plus it’s got that “X-Space” feature for whatever that’s worth). The Monolith Liquid Gold seems nice–not R2R but the AKM chip is supposed to sound good. Singxer SA-1 amp gets good reviews but might not be much different than the RebelAmp. Those all might be side-grades, and I’m not sure there’s anything in between those two ranges that would appeal to me.
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I also do really like that the RebelAmp has a headphone/preamp switch so I don’t have to unplug my headphones to use my speakers. Not all of these other options have that, but I suppose I could deal without it if I had to.
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I also prefer Pentacon to XLR because I already have the Pentacon cables for the RU6, but that’s another thing I could deal with.
Thoughts? I suppose I could just buy stuff off Amazon and return it if it’s not a meaningful upgrade, but I’d rather not plonk down the money and deal with the hassle of all that with a bunch of devices if I don’t have to.
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