It should.
The Modi 3 performs well enough that you can safely explore headphones (and amplification) way up the ladder without it becoming the bottleneck.
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@Torq just gave probably the best advice, for you here… I concur with upgrading your DAC and amp next, then you can upgrade to higher price point headphones knowing you have gear to power them properly. Also a fan of the Atom, but also think Sennheiser pair very well with tubes!
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Agree with Torq about the Modi3/Vali2 being a bit above “starter” gear but to me the Vali2 while good didn’t seem to respond much with tube rolling compared to other tube amps that I’ve tried. One thing you might want to consider is an amp from Garage 1217 since you can change the output resistance/impedance which to me can have / has a larger effect on how an amp pairs with various headphones and one reason I love my Ember, a bit costly compared to the Vali2 but so much more versatile than many amps in its price range and can even better amps costing double.
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Consider the Schiit Lyr3…Single box with DAC module option. The HA is excellent. Single tube. I wasn’t thrilled with the MB module and traded it back for a Mlojnir2, but it might be a good fit.
I personally try to limit my number upgrades, and work to find a good middle ground within budget. Sometimes I overspend, but I don’t upgrade nearly as much as I used to. Think it saves cash in the long run. Also consider moving up the ladder by purchasing used equipment. You can often get back all of the investment, of a vast majority of it when you sell. Just use due diligence when buying used.
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With tube-hybrid amps, like the Vali 2, their responsiveness to different tubes is largely dependent on the implementation topology. Most of the inexpensive ones use the tube as part of the input or as a buffer, and those will exhibit smaller changes than if the tube is part of the power stage.
Even pure-tube amplifiers will typically exhibit much more audible changes when swapping their power-tubes vs. the signal tubes.
Just don’t fall into the trap of buying rare/expensive tubes for inexpensive hybrid amplifiers expecting major changes or upgrades to the sound. You’re much better off saving that money and putting it towards a better overall amplifier or a pure-tube implementation (if rolling tubes is what you really want to do).
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Is the Topping D3 a good buy for a DAC/headphone amp for driving mid-level headphones?
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I’ve never heard one, so I can’t tell you anything about it’s sound. Beyond that it is going to depend greatly on what you consider “mid-level” headphones.
I can tell you it has a fairly anemic power output of just 165mW @ 32 Ω. And that’s voltage biased so is going to be a better fit for high-impedance high-sensitivity headphones (and even then, it’s going to run out of current capacity pretty quickly).
Worryingly they don’t quote the output impedance, which usually means its higher than desirable - given all the other specs they quote.
And it looks to be a UAC 1.0 device, which means while you don’t need drivers on Windows, it’ll a) top out at 24/96 replay and b) will be using synchronous USB … which is a recipe for dropouts if your machine has higher USB latency or is tasked heavily.
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Thanks, @Torq! It’s a little old anyway. Just curious. I would like to jump on the Cavelli amps for sale but I won’t have funds for a couple of months. Still planning on the Schiit stack unless something else pops up (squirrel!)
BTW, by mid-range, I’m thinking headphones like the Jubilee 58X.
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I could not agree more on the tube swapping, particularly with hybrids. I received my Russian tubes from the Ukraine this week and plugged them into my Loxjie P20. I noticed no difference at all.
They (2) cost me $20.00, plus $15.00 shipping. Not much money and I am not upset. However, I am dissapointed.
I think I have reached the end of my tube exploration. Luckily it has been a pretty “low budget” exploration.
Shane D
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Well, again, DAC-wise, Modi 3 and SDAC are both easy-to-match and well-performing (subjectively and objectively) DACs. Amps like the JDS Labs Atom, Liquid Spark, Magni 3 and Vali 2 will all do proper job with most headphones in terms of drive-ability.
I don’t think there’s a bad combination possible with those components.
I still like the SDAC + Liquid Spark + HD58X as a setup, as well as the Modi 3 + Magni 3 + HD58X, and personally I’d lean to the latter here as I like the matching stack and prefer the Modi 3’s performance over the SDAC, but in real terms, again, any combination of those components will be good:
Now, the SDAC + Liquid Spark will be a bit warmer sounding than, say, Modi 3 + Atom. But the Modi 3 + Atom is the technically most proficient pairing out of these units … at least per measurements. For me, probably not enough for me not to just go for matching components and if doing the Modi 3 it’d be a Magni 3 or Vali 2 I’d pair with it … but if aesthetics aren’t a big concern the Atom is a better amp.
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Modi 3 - Vali 2 is my studio set up and I love them with the HD800. Magni 3 is great, I just find myself connected to Vali 80% of the time. Schiit has a “B stock” department and you can save a few. I got Modi and Vali for $190 plus shipping . The downside of B stock is you lose the 15 days return policy .
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Your photography skills are exceptional. You make all the gear look so beautiful. Respect.
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