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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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[–] facts_guy2020@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

as long as your headphones are loud enough and the amp has low distortion at loud volumes and doesn't colour the sound, that's all you need. the cheaper you can get that with the features inputs/outputs you want, the better. people chase synergy between amps and headphones, but unless one amp is colouring the sound, it's just a placebo.

People like fancy expensive things, and so they convince themselves its worth it. But if they did a blind test between an expensive and a cheap one, I doubt they would hear a difference or guess the more expensive one correctly and consistently.

Now, let's say you can guess correctly consistently, I'd have to argue the difference you are hearing would be hard to notice without trying so is the 1000 or more amp really worth the premium over a 200 one, in this scenario where you struggle to hear a difference?

And if you are someone who has magical ears and finds it super quick and easy to notice the difference between the cheap and expensive amp then I kinda feel bad for you, as you will probably have to waste more money, chasing sound.