I wonder if @elliot still reads this forum? He was here a couple years back and went from 0 to 100 on headphones in no time flat. I don’t think you’ll be happy with xDuoo class more than a little while.
“Buy nice or buy twice.”
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Indeed! And frankly, between those cans and the sound system I put together, I just haven’t felt any desire for “more.” I understand it may not be financially possible for some and completely respect that, but I do firmly believe in just getting what will make you not second guess and then enjoying. I will concede that this is probably more than 50% psychological, as I am sure my ears are nowhere near as in tune with what I am hearing as many of the more experienced cats. But hey, we’re psychological animals.
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Have you thought up jumping into the kilobuck tier of headphones first? You’ll gain more improvement by doing that than you will sticking with what you have and adding a hybrid or OTL tube amp IMO.
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If I remember my audiophile journey correctly
M50x in 2020
DT770 80ohm with FiiO BTR5 in 2021
DT700 Pro X in 2021 aswell
AKG 712 in 2021
7Hz Dioko and FiiO BTR7 in 2022
Then Shiit Magni Heresy, Loki, Modi 3+ Stack in early 2023
Shortly followed by Hifiman Edition XS
Shortly followed by a Vinyl player and Shiit Mani+Vali 2++
Then 2 months ago, the Bifrost 2 + Asgard Combo and S12 Pro and an iFi dongle DAC
4 weeks ago, the FiiO SP3 speakers
And now I am considering to save for the HEDD V2 or getting a different Tube Amp
I am beyond saving, am I (Ｔ▽Ｔ)
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I concur with this wisdom.
More wisdom as well.
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If you do decide on increasing your budget on an amp that has tubes, look to the Quicksilver Headphone amplifier $1,200. The Quicksilver should drive most all of your future planar dynamic headphones and all other low impedance headphones to satisfaction. I have read often where many regarded the Quicksilver as their favorite amp, endgame amp, or if they had to keep only one amp.
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If you decide to maintain your current budget, and are firm on the idea of hybrid amplification, perhaps look for a used Schiit Lyr 3 for a quick fix taste of hybrid amplification slightly above your Vali 2++. You could recoup your money from resale should you determine that hybrid amplification is not your jam.
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After a restless night thinking about my future audiophile plans, I think I decided I rather invest in expanding my collection of headphones first, before dabbling into tubes harder.
Especially since I already have a clear list of headphones I am drooling over and my tube journey is still very I don’t know esque.
I think I need to check out more audiophile stores and go to hifi shows to know what I really want out of the tube sound.
I thank you peeps for your lovely advice and helping me to get a more clear plan in my head on what I wanna do.
So, time to save for a HEDD Two!
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Have you considered Little Dot tube amps? They work well with low impedance headphones and don’t cost a lot. I started off with the Little Dot MKIII. I then moved up to the Little Dot MK9. It is VERY tubey and a nice offset to the Valhalla 2 which I also own.
Little Dot amps will give you a better tube sound than most cheap hybrids.
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Spot on. The Quicksilver is USA made in Stockton California and their marketing is exclusively word of mouth.
I bought one on a bit of a lark and now won’t let go with a white knuckle grip. Sampling a wide range of tube amps at CanJam SoCal 2023, it would have taken 2x the investment to get subtly better tube amp. The 12AX7 small signal tubes paired with EL84/6BQ5 power tubes are a terrific combination.
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Hi everyone,
I produce a bit of music and have had some ok monitor headphones before… I first got a pair of Sennheiser HD-25 which had a lot of good raw sound, then I had a pair of Beats Pro which has some great audio dynamics to them.
But now that I have thought about it, and what I really would love in a great pair of Cans, is audio Clarity and Transparency mostly. I would also love to listen to music (as well as make music with them) and they will never beat a good pair of monitor speakers anyway, for production.
I am actually really adamant about this concept though. Good headphones should put sound nicely into your head mostly right? Who agrees with me here? (I do)
It should be like a waterfall. All translucent and perfect and a “real listening experience”
Who wants bass falling off your head? Or a drum in your ear or a sound in your ear? The best thing is audio transparency, it’s very lucrative and nice and there has to be a pair of Cans that arnt even so super impressive or what not just pure audio, strait into the brain I say.
I unfortunately have a budget of about $400 too. If that helps.
So what brand does or specialities in this that any of you Audiofreaks know about because I’m going a couple of serious head jacks this time AWHAHA!
Anybody had ears on the Kii Three or new Daniel Hertz stuff?
Thinking about mid-life crisis (OK, POST-mid-life crisis 
) alternatives to a pre-malaise-era C3 Vette, and, yes, the audio stuff is (mostly) cheaper.
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Alternative to C3 – E Type Jag even though it’s a cliche. Or maybe a modern Lucid Air GT trim.
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Appreciate the thought. Not sure anything is more cliche than a C3, but the Jag comes close. Anyway, from what I’ve seen, an E-Type with a Jag inline 6 costs about double the C3. The Lucid Air GT is about triple, and I’m not a fan of EVs anyway (but that is a nice one as those things go).
How about a different question? Thinking about a front end for my Drop/Senn 6XX, would like to get some tubes involved.
- Schiit Vali ($150)
- Schiit Vali + Loki Mini ($300)
- Schiit Valhalla ($400)
Is the Valhalla worth the $250 additional over the Vali, or $100 over Vali + Loki?
I do like the idea of an OTL amp with the 6XX, but this also isn’t for critical listening. And even $100 will roll a few tubes in the Vali. Where do you all see the best value here?
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I don’t have any of those, but I usually use my Lyr3. You can pick one of them up very reasonably now, and at least have one tube to play with. Yes, it’s a hybrid.
I find that I actually like Schiit’s LSSST, their FET tube substitute. You will get some tube effect with the Lyr3, I’ve used NOS RCA Red Base, but usually use the Treasure Globe with it.
I find it pairs very well with the 6XX.
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I’ve had both Valhalla 2 and Lyr 3 in my lineup, and between the 2 for high impedance dynamics I think the Valhalla 2 is pretty great, it works some real magic with the 6xx series (650 in my case), and with ZMF too! I used Valhalla 2 with Verite Open and Atrium Open, I prefer it to the Lyr 3 with these specific headphones.
Don’t get me wrong, Lyr 3 is a great amp, and it’s more powerful/flexible in terms of what headphones it likes. It will drive most any planar with ease, and it’s fun rolling tubes with it.
I realize it’s a second setup, but I think the mid-size Schiits are a major step up from Vali in every way. I had a Vali 2 as well, it is what started me down this rabbit hole! 
As an aside, if you are interested in Lyr 3 or Valhalla 2 used, I am looking to sell each of mine. I recently graduated up to a DSHA-3FN amp and am looking to clear out my other gear.
PM me if you’re interested Lou, I’ll send you pics. I bought both new, and they are in perfect shape (9/10 on USAM scale, “Excellent - Perfect physical condition, light use.”)
Lyr 3 is silver, Valhalla 2 is black. I’ll include additional tubes if interested!
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This forum is confusing, first of all. I’d think it best to start my own thread vs just adding to the myriad of questions but can’t seem to find a way to do so.
Anyways, my question is about an amp/DAC suggestion for an upgrade. I’m new to this audiophile journey and started with a Zen iFi 2 DAC/AMP and HD560 open back dynamic headphones. I then got some Audeze LCD-2 headphones to try the Planar and preferred this. I next bought the Zen Amp to run balanced between the iFi so I could make that my computer’s soundcard and plug speakers. I’m also able to run two headphones at the same time since the iFi outputs to all ports simultaneously and I thought the amp would help future proof my setup. My latest edition is the new Hifiman Arya Stealth and really appreciating the added bass over the LCD-2. I run all this through my desktop and use lossless music sources.
I’m wondering if there are any gains to be made with my DAC/Amp setup for these specific headphones. I’ve read that tube amps generally don’t play well with planar so went solid state, but I’m curious if anybody has ideas for the ideal amp for my config. I’m not displeased at all with my Zen stuff, I just wonder what is out there that could be a significant upgrade. I am enjoying the journey and don’t mind spending money if it is a noticeable benefit, within reason, but would go as high as 1500 if it’s a real bump in quality from what I am using currently.
Thanks in advance if anybody has ideas to share.
First, welcome. Second, after you’ve posted a bit, you will reach the trust level (it’s automatic) that will let you start your own thread. Yes, the forum can be a bit confusing at first. You’ve probably put your question in a good place. When we have general threads for questions, it’s sure to have someone see it and respond. There are Hifiman topics, including Arya/Arya Stealth, so if you want a more focused response you could try there.
How to find this stuff? Try using the search to find the topic.
It’ll help us on response if you let us know a bit more about what your goal is and what kind of music you listen to and so forth. Yes, there are noticible differences when you start to spend real money. The question you might have is should it go to a DAC/AMP, or separates? Are the HD-560, LCD-2, and Arya Stealth the only headphones you have? Are you planning on any specific others?
You’ll probably find that you buy and sell several times on your journey. The used market can be your friend.
I almost bought the Arya Stealth about a year ago, but was unable to resist the Rosson RAD-0 when it came down to it. I have older Hifiman HD-560s that were my introduction to Planars. There are a lot of choices in upgrade of DAC/AMP if you like the combination. I like the FIIO K9 PRO ESS very much with both the Hifiman I have and the RAD-0, but it’s hardly the only choice. About a grand. Weighs a lot, it’s for the desktop, not portable. Nice for an all in one unit. It’s not at all typical of THX output stage. Yes it’s detailed, but no it’s not harsh at all.
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Goal is hard to define as I’m still really learning what I like. I listen to a fairly eclectic variety of music but currently most enjoy listening to copious amounts of NIN, Floyd, Alt-J, Alice in Chains, Dire Straits, as well as a good amount of classical (Prague, Boston Orchestra, etc). When I listen to NIN - Closer, my jaw drops every time with the combination of soundstage and detail and separation on my current setup.
And I mistyped in my original post, I have the Arya Organic that I just VERY recently got that I love the bass over the LCD-2. That might change a lot. I don’t have a lot of desire to spend further in the headphone dept in the near future unless I get the itch to experience a higher end Dynamic headphone. I think regarding DAC/AMP, I’m completely open to what people would suggest. Based on that music and the Arya Organic being my favorites to listen with right now, would there be a significant improvement to start exploring AMP options?
I’ve never heard the Organic, but the info on it says that it’s easy to drive.
That leads me to think that IF you have money burning a hole in your pocket, you might want to consider flexibility in DAC and AMP upgrades, probably separates.
Let’s have some other folks chime in here for flexibility in the $1500 and under for DAC/AMP range. @PaisleyUnderground, @hottyson, @generic, @antdroid and the rest of you? Just some random callouts, guys, if I left you out, it’s not for any reason.
I most often use a Bifrost 2/64 DAC with a Schiit Lokius EQ to feed a variety of solid-state and tube amps. The cost of the amp and DAC can be $1,500. I also have a ZenDAC V1 as my home office/COVID office source – when I’m working I don’t notice that much. Still, the upgrade is very audible and worth the money. The Zen products are solid and good value, but flatter, less defined, and more one-dimensional versus higher end products.
Upon upgrading to the BF2 and later the BF2/64, I converted to being a “start from the source” audio hobbyist. If your music format is inferior everything downstream will be harmed. If your DAC is inferior everything downstream will be harmed. If your amp is inferior, your headphones will be hamstrung.
“Noticeable benefit” follows from personal hearing, whether you care, and whether your upstream equipment is good enough for it to matter. If you are playing from a trashy record player or CD player, MP3s, or Youtube, then change that first. I’d personally look at a DAC in the $500 to $1,000 class next, as the BF2 transforms even $100 amps in a good way (vs. internal PC or $100 DACs). After the DAC I’d shop for amps in the $500 class and/or visit a store or audio show to demo $500, $1,000, $5,000 to $10,000 setups. That helps calibrate the return on investment and opens your ears.
Some are happy with $50 setups, or $500, or $1,500, or $5,000, or never seem to stop err…@Torq.
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@Aenema, I also use the BF2/64 as my best DAC, not portable. I use the Lokius for EQ on my office speaker setup - it’s easy and has knobs. I used to use the Loki in my home setup, but found I didn’t use it that much.
On my main setup, after the Bifrost DAC, I go into either a Schiit Lyr 3 hybrid amp or a modified STAX hybrid amp (for electrostatic headphones).
Pay attention to @generic he knows what he’s talking about, and has more wallet-sense than most here.
For portable, I now use the Luxury and Precision W4 DAC/AMP which is very nice and exceptional in its price range. It would be a step up from your iFi stuff if you have that use case.
Some others will also be adding their thoughts, I’m sure.
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