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Do your headphones REALLY perform much better with more expensive DAC/AMP? (alien.top)

submitted 1 year ago by FrankieWilde11@alien.top to c/headphones@hi-fi.community

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I have the Sennheiser HD600, Neumann NDH-30, Audeze LCD-X.

I use these with my SSL2 hp out, and with Qudelix 5K.

I spoke to someone about my impressions and his first question was: which dac/amp? and when I told, he just winked.

So my question is: is the difference this obvious with a more expensive dac/amp combo? Should I spend another 6-800 euro to get one? Do your headphones open up/perform that much better?

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[–] Bingturong@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It's really dependent. Amps have more diminishing returns than headphones so jumping from a $50 to a $500 amp is going to be much less of an improvement than a headphone equivalent. On the other hand, with a good enough amp, there can be significant improvement.

Good enough being already in the 100-200 USD range

[–] heywaj10@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Agree completely - it depends on the variables in play.

My experience, for example. I have LCD-X (2021). I can play them on an iPhone dongle, the Qudelix-5K, or my Schiit Bifrost 2/64 + Lyr 3 stack. Does the sound from the Qudelix-5K suffice? In more passive/fun mode listening, for sure!

However, there is a resounding difference (read: improvement) in ALL parameters of sound quality when stepping up to the Schiit stack. The entire listening experience is taken up several notches.

Now, is that to say that the $1,200 price difference is completely justified? Yes and no - it's in the eye of the beholder, folks. For me personally, I get a massive uptick in overall enjoyment, so it's worth it (and I'm admittedly fortunate enough to afford it). For others, the 5K would be more than sufficient.

[–] FrankieWilde11@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

thinking about a Schiit Jotunheim 2 for my LCD-X, but can't go any further

[–] Regular-Cheetah-8095@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Can you please describe to me the mechanisms within the amp and DAC that resulted in in the resounding quality, and how they do it, maybe where I could see it measured, how an amp impacts the quality of the audio and then how a DAC does in terms of what they do to the audio and not like “makes it sound like glitter”

I am trying to learn about how sound works and how amps and DACs work and you sound like you really know like how they work inside and what they do and don’t do

I want to resound, please help

[–] Educational_Clue935@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

For measurements, you're asking in the wrong place. If I understood you correctly, you're asking for a differentiation between what amps do versus what dacs do?

[–] beleidigtewurst@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

The point I've heard was that while with full blown headphones it makes a different, it's nowhere that big or at all noticeable with IEMs.

[–] Pity_Pooty@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

But if amp make any your headphone better, you basically improve anything in your collection. And you also don't change headphone. You end up with, let's say HD600, but better than other HD600.

After all, Audiophilia is about small changes meaning much for a person