Audio dac/amp suggestions.. need for desktop as well as portable

edge111hussain

edge111hussain

Adept
my trusted xifi-gamer just blew out on me.. was thinking of purchasing a dac/amp and was thinking of the ibasso d4 mamba. Then i came across the udac review by Faheem.

The thing is, i need a amp/dac to run my 5021 as well as headphones where in the udac fits in perfectly, but i need something to run my s9 too. My understanding is that, since the uDac only runs on usb, it cant be used as a portable for the s9 right? In that case what are my options for a desktop + portable dac?
I believe the icon mobile audio quality is lesser than the udac.. The desktop audio just cant drive the senn 485/555 which is my main source for movies and my bros shure 840 toa just cant do anything with on-board sound...

So , what other options do i have on a budget?? Also if i have to go at the 200$ range, then in that case what are my options and in that case they should be good enough to drive a senn hd-650 or beyer dt 880@600 ohms which is on my next buy list.. I'd prefer the el cheapo way first after reading the uDac review :)

Any suggestions here are highly appreciated//// Regards..........
 
:O:O you suggested him D4 Mamba :p

OP D4 is one of its kind if you are looking at portability else its not worth it .I am planning to upgrade to a better amp +DAC combo but there is nothing i can think of,wish i had a desktop :(.Damn i hate upgrading when there are no options .
 
^You have a laptop right? Why can't go with a deskrop dac+amp like audio gd fun which has got usb input? You might even have a digital out on your laptop.
 
Yup i have only lappy :(.For me the usage is portability as well as i use the D4 with Sansa.Audio GD i doubt i can use it.I guess i have to keep the upgrade aside until i return back to India and pick up a desktop.
 
@ Faheem... The D4 was on top of my mind but i had heard mix reviews so wasnt sure.

@ Metalspree Seems you own a mamba. If it aint worth it, then in a similar price range, what stands out? What do people use out there tp connect smaller mp3 players to their hd-650's?. I have seen pics of the clip+ connected to similar smaller dac/amps but never quiet paid attention to which amp it is.

D situation here is that, personally i have never liked the Asus xonar DX. I think its not worth the 4+k. I didnt want to spend on the asus essence st since it will cost me close to 9k without any portability.

Does anyone have any idea as to how superior is the Essence ST to the uDac???

I know that the uDac is not a real headphone upgrade since it wont be able to run any of my future planned upgrades(aka hd 650 or beyer 880), whilst the essence ST will, but still i am hoping for a bit of portability here.
 
Usually HP like hd650 which are hard to drive require a much better amp to shine

by much better i mean something like Darkvoice 332/337

if u cant pair ths to gud amp i feel its not worth buying

rest is upto u
 
if u wanna drive 650 n bayers ... i suggest u look on the lines of the alo rx / rsa or arrow amps, d10/d4 might be able to drive them,.. but they wont be able to drive em as good for sure. ur better off with desktop amps if u dont mind non portable's.
 
@OP its not that i don't like the D4 Mamba ,its a brilliant piece of hardware with respect to me as i use it with my Laptop and Sansa .For portability its the best out and i don't think so there is any other product which can beat it . Mamba with the Topkit is simply brilliant :D.I have no regrets in spending $250USD on it.

The reason i looking for upgrade is that ears are asking some thing better :p.

Zoheb can't the D4 drive the 650 and the Beyers to their fullest ??
 
First of all, if you are considering HD650 or DT880 600ohm then forget about portable setup. No portable amp can drive these.

Xonar ST/X are probably your best bet under 10k. They are pretty decent for the price.

However, the best I have heard these headphones was through a rig consisting of NAD cd player & Lyrita tube pre-amp. They were significantly better than the Xonar STX.

I have owned the DT880 600ohm for about one year & honestly, listening through that rig totally changed my opinion of beyers.

It was on that day that I realized that all that talk about these headphones needing high-end source/amps to truly show their worth is no marketing gimmick.

BTW, I much preferred the beyers to HD650 through that rig.
 
Haven't been lucky enough to try the Beyers but I find the AKG 702s to be lot more detailed than 650s .They are by far one of the finest I have been able to audition ,along with BF1983's YH-100 orthos ! :D 650s are more laidback with beautiful mids whereas the AKGs are bang-on neutral. Its like RE1 vs RE0 but on a much higher level :D
 
Metalspree said:
Zoheb can't the D4 drive the 650 and the Beyers to their fullest ??
Click to expand...
nah bro.. they require alot more power. portable's dont have enough juice and titana's probably bang on coz he owns them and has tried em with different amp/source combo's. like i said he's better off with desktop amps.
 
So titana, in your view since the hd-650 can be driven by the essence st, is it the best deal for me right now???
I think its time to head to head-fi and try to find a good second deal for a dac/amp :)

@toxicdrift, are the amps that u mentioned usb powered or they are like regular amps to be placed @ 1 source??? The thought here is that, if the amps that you mentioned aint portable, and since i need a sound source for the pc anyways, int the essence st a better option at this point of time?

@titana or anyone else-- will i notice a huge difference when it comes to the udac v/s the essence st/stx vis a vis the AL 5021? If the 5021 is gonna limit the sound, am i better off with a uDac at the moment for the desktop and later go for a proper dac/amp which will support my future upgrade.
Since there is no high end headphones and suitable amps available for an audition anywhere in India, i am kinda relying on the views and suggestions of people who have tried/owned audio gear.

I kinda like the sound off my S9, especially on bbe mach3bass. D idea of sitting on my pc chair and listening to Music is not too appealing to me. Hence i really wanted something that can substitute my soundcard as well as run with the S9 supporting future upgrades too...
ps:- I was hoping to keep the amp/dac cost to below 300-350$ cause i wanted to upgrade my onkyo ht-230's to paradigm towers and a Q acoustic Sub. A bit tight on the budget this time ard.
 
The HD650 can be driven adequately by STX . I owned the HD580 & STX was able to satisfy the needs of this entry level audiophile. ;)

These cans, however, do scale with better gear.

I haven't tried the uDAC so can't compare it to STX but I doubt that the uDAC would be close to it. The thing is that STX is an excellent source & a versatile headphone amp while with uDAC you only get a DAC.

So, you should probably be better off wit ST/X.
 
bro for a portable setup, id suggest u to go the balanced route and either get a iBasso PB1 Toucan or even better RSA Protector for the HD650. they have good synergy together. this will work with a external usb dac connected to your pc or the xonar if ur buyin for the pc.

here is a review link for the same

The RSA Protector balanced portable: Images and impressions 1st page, Please post your impressions . . - Head-Fi.org Community

here's what he goes onto say about the combo :)

At least where the HD600 and HD650 are concerned, this amp may dispel the commonly held (and generally true) notion that a portable headphone amp cannot drive these headphones like a good desktop amp. To my ears, with these headphones, that bridge has been crossed, and you're going to be reading similar comments from others a lot about this amp, as more and more people get their ears on it. Macro- and microdynamically, the Protector is desktop-sounding with the HD600/650--highly resolving, effortless, powerful, nuanced. \
Click to expand...
 
titana said:
First of all, if you are considering HD650 or DT880 600ohm then forget about portable setup. No portable amp can drive these.

Xonar ST/X are probably your best bet under 10k. They are pretty decent for the price.

However, the best I have heard these headphones was through a rig consisting of NAD cd player & Lyrita tube pre-amp. They were significantly better than the Xonar STX.

I have owned the DT880 600ohm for about one year & honestly, listening through that rig totally changed my opinion of beyers.

It was on that day that I realized that all that talk about these headphones needing high-end source/amps to truly show their worth is no marketing gimmick.

BTW, I much preferred the beyers to HD650 through that rig.
Click to expand...
Actually, I know of only three portable amps that can really drive the high end cans ; RSA Protector, RSA SR71B, Lisa III, but all three are beyond his price range. Not to mention he will have to recable his DT880.

If you really want to spend around $200 for powering up the HD650/DT880, look at good solid desktop setups which can be carried around (not too big and heavy), they are your best bet. I ended up selling my DT880 cause I got spoiled by the amazing synergy it had with my also sold Woo Audio 6. The Protector drove it brilliantly for its price and size, but it just wasn't the same as the WA6.

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---
FaH33m said:
Haven't been lucky enough to try the Beyers but I find the AKG 702s to be lot more detailed than 650s .They are by far one of the finest I have been able to audition ,along with BF1983's YH-100 orthos ! :D 650s are more laidback with beautiful mids whereas the AKGs are bang-on neutral. Its like RE1 vs RE0 but on a much higher level :D
Click to expand...
IMO, the DT880's have the details of the K702, with more warmth and better timbre/more natural sounding. Its soundstage is less wide, but more deep, overall its better as its the perfect balance. Also the bass is better in terms of quantity, quality is more or less the same.

The only problem with the K701 is the amount of time they need to burn in, and how horrible they sound out of the box. Also, they are less forgiving in comparison with the DT880 when it comes to average recordings/mp3's.
 
That's my point really. Even if a couple of high-end portable amps can adequately drive these cans, these portables would be no match for a desktop amp of the same price range.
 
Looks like the essence st is a good bet for now.

Considering a under 15k price range or 9k in case of the ST for a desktop setup, is this the best vfm i can get with good sound? I am more or less bought sold on the St considering 2 factors
1) multi tasking, aka awesome sound for music, movies and gaming for both headphones as well as speakers.
2) Local availability with 3 yr warranty
@-Titana---purely going by your word as you own the stx as well as the dt880's. Googled a bit too and everyone has a similar say...
Guys just to trouble you a tad bit more. Just incase i still want a portable amp/dac to run with the S9 along with my 485's and 555's then whats the best bet i got?
Just a few pointers----
the 485, which i love for its sheer bass and versatility, sounds horrible straight out of the s9 or onboard sound. The xifi used to run it well and it sounds awesome on my marantz and yamaha amps.
The amp/dac needs to be capable of running without usb, either usb charged or battery.

Im hoping for something not too expensive here cause if i go with the ST then i need this amp to run headsets or iems on the S9. wont be the hd-650 or dt 800 cause the Essence st will do the job for them.
 
I too wanted to do the same thing. Get Essence ST for higher impedance cans and have a portable for IEMs and relatively easily driven cans. I realized that a decent portable amp might cost something around 200$ and that would end up, me spending 400$. I sacrificed portability and got a desktop amp.
Anyway IBasso T3 around 100$ seems decent from what I have read, others should be able to suggest something better. :)
 
If you want a high end portable amp that wont cost the world, try the Ibasso Toucan. Its a balanced amp but has lots of power (for a portable) even without the balanced mode. :)

It will set you back by around 11k.

You will however need a DAC to go along with it though. Maybe a Hotaudio DAC ? - It sells for $69 shipped but if you PM him he will probably let it go for around $50 shipped.

DAC DESTROYER [DAC DESTROYER] - $69.99 : HOTAUDIO.COM, It's About the Experience!
 
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