Ah sorry to not include that info: I’d be will to go up to $1000 or above for something that made a significant improvement.
Sorry I probably should of stated that it was for a Windows PC. Also I don’t much care if I hear the background noise, I just don’t want my clients to hear the background noise. Hope that better explains it.
Hi,
I’m listening to vinyl records and CDs (I have a TEAC CD player with a USB/mp3 port).
For the vinyl, there is no other option than to do an ADC at some point. For the CD, does it have optical out by any chance?
If it does, there is the FiiO BTA30 that transmits LDAC.
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In that case, you can use whatever headphones you want, it’s the mic you need to fix.
Sorry but I don’t have any experience with noise cancelling mics, I know they exist but have never used them.
When using a mic in loud environments I use a Shure SM58 but that involves audio interfaces etc., so it’s not just a simple case of plugging in the mic.
I hope someone else may be able to help.
You’re welcome. To my ears the sound quality of the Mojo is superior to the one of the Cobalt and same goes for power. In comparison to the previous Black and Red anyway the Cobalt is way more powerful and the sound is more refined. Mojo and Dragonfly Cobalt are two totally different products even if function is the same. That said on the go I don’t use anymore my Mojo (no more mobility joy) since I bought the Cobalt: it’s small, has enough power to my needs and is so small you can put it in a pocket. Consider also that Audioquest implemented the Cobalt integrating their power filter technology (Jitterbug) so with the Cobalt you have a silent DAC/amp even if you connect it to your smartphone: no disturb, no hiss, nothing. This makes to my ears a great plus. I like the sound quality and sound signature of the Cobalt, much more than the one of the Mojo. And not caring about battery is a plus when I stay out in library at University for 8/10 hours a day.
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Is there a thread you suggest I ask in regards to this?
Thanks!
- James
I’m not sure. Maybe try the gaming thread, someone who uses mics for gaming may be able to help out.
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How are you powering the HD-6XX?
With a Topping DX3 pro.
I’ve not used any Topping stuff yet, and I don’t know the DX3 Pro, but looking at the reviews and specs, I think it might be minimal for the Sennheiser HD-6xx. Topping stops showing power ratings at 300 Ohms, and the HD-6xx is 600 Ohms AND power hungry. It scales well with more power. @Torq or some others could discuss more about the match of the DX3 to the 6xx.
From your description of the sound of the 6xx, I strongly suspect it could use a more powerful amp.
HD 6XX luckily is 300 ohm so you can rely on the Topping specs.
Unluckily it is anyway an headphone that really changes in sound according to how much power you can feed.
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Thanks for the correction - I was going by memory. When I look up the HD-650 in testing, I see that although it is rated 300 ohms, it actually tests at an average 344 ohms.
In any case, these headphones are notorious for scaling, and sounds best with considerably more power than the spec would suggest. I usually listen to them powered by my Lyr 3.
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I think the average for hd600 is around 350 ohms, but goes much higher than that in certain areas. Depends on who’s measurements you trust.
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I wish the mojo had a longer battery life too. But I’m confused: do you prefer the SQ of the mojo or Cobalt more? (You start by saying the Mojo an end by saying the Cobalt)
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What I wrote is actually what I think. I started with Mojo and ended with the DF Cobalt both for SQ and for reliability. On paper and for specs the Mojo is far superior in comparison to the DF Cobalt but I really love the SQ of the latter more than the one of the Mojo. I find the Cobalt gives you more nuances and a little more staging while the Mojo sound to my ears a little harsh and sometimes congested. Also for noise floor I find the Cobalt very silent (for example if I use it with my phone I hear no kind of disturb at all) while the Mojo isn’t as clean in this regard. As much as I loved the Mojo I find myself using always more and more the Cobalt for sound and for the lack of a battery to be recharged. The problem with the battery in Mojo is great. When you have to change it you have to pay a lot of money for the service. My original battery died in March. Luckily I’ve found a guy who was selling compatible batteries and I did the job in 5 minutes, bringing it back to life. If you have any doubts drop me a line please.
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Enlighten me: Why would, all else being equal, 100mW from a 250mW amp sound different than 100mW from a 2.5W amp?
I never max out the volume on my current amp and the amp doesn’t clip at 0dB attenuation. With the HD6XX I use it between 40dB and 30dB attenduation. So plenty of headroom left.
That’s what many of us thought, including me. The HD-6xx/650 is not unique, but it is a headphone that clearly sounds better with substantially more power than one would expect. I’ve posited that it may be because the drivers move with more precision, but frankly, I don’t have an explanation. It just is.
There is considerable discussion of this on the forum, if you search for it. @Torq was the person who pointed it out to me when I was driving my 6xx with a Dragonfly Black. Like you, I was not listening at excessive volume or clipping. Now, I sometimes will listen to the Sennheiser HD 6xx with my iFi xDSD, but there is no question that it benefits from the Lyr 3. None of my other headphones exhibit such a marked difference. Unfortunately, I don’t have the setup to hold DAC the same and swap out only amp sections, so in my case, you might claim it is not amp power that is making the difference. But difference among DACs is more subtle.
Many others have noted this, and I too would like a scientific explanation. @ProfFalkin ? do you have a specific explanation? We all know that it is instantly hearable. Anyone else?
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Again: Why would 100mW from a 250mW amp sound different from 100mW from a 2.5W amp?
It is NOT more power. It is exactly the SAME power and far from what the amp can deliver.
It just is? Honestly? No, it really isn’t.
There are much more factors at play than power. And power is certainly not the driving factor for perceived differences in sound reproduction. Power is W. And 1W is 1W no matter if it is delivered by 5W or a 500W amp. (other factors being equal)
Now I can imagine, for instance, output impedance can play a role. But less so with high-impedance HPs. The impedance peak in the HD6XX can be an issue with high output impedance amps.