DAC & Amp

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vindal

Forerunner
Hey TE!
I bought the HD560s (still waiting for them to arrive) and am looking for a DAC/Amp to complement them.
(I have a HyperX Cloud Alpha and a HiFiMan HE-4XX, sadly, no external DAC/Amp apart from my trusty iBasso DC03 dongle DAC)
My usage is as follows-
  • PC gaming
  • Movies (high audio/video bitrate preferably)
  • Music (either high bitrate on windows or Apple Music but mostly Apple Music on my Android phone)
My layman guess is something like the Topping DX3 Pro+ or the Fiio K7
IDK about portable DAC/Amps though (read rave reviews about the Chord Mojo2 but it's pretty expensive!)

My budget is approx 20k INR (and I want to buy it from HPZ as I have a good coupon with me)

(I am a new entrant to the world of audiophilia)
 
vindal said:
Hey TE!
I bought the HD560s (still waiting for them to arrive) and am looking for a DAC/Amp to complement them.

My layman guess is something like the Topping DX3 Pro+ or the Fiio K7
IDK about portable DAC/Amps though (read rave reviews about the Chord Mojo2 but it's pretty expensive!)

My budget is approx 20k INR (and I want to buy it from HPZ as I have a good coupon with me)

(I am a new entrant to the world of audiophilia)
Click to expand...
Also consider the iFi Zen Dac V2
 
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iBasso DC03 dongle DAC is enough for the DAC setup. All DACs sounds pretty much the same.
Get an AMP or settle for the budget combo like Fiio E10K, can easily drive 560S.
 
vindal said:
My layman guess is something like the Topping DX3 Pro+ or the Fiio K7
Click to expand...

Your Layman guess is absolutely OK and Go Ahead.

Points to consider - If you are pretty sure you are going to use the DAC by sitting down in front of your gadgets then buy a Desktop DAC / AMP which lacks battery. Here in India, you can't easily replace a battery of an audio device after completing of 4+ years when the internal battery start bulging.

Go for the Fiio K7 BT version - Initially, it looks unnecessary at first but these days you may need it before you know it.

Topping DX3 also offers you much more value with Remote + Screen but remember you can't Turn OFF the Screen when it is in use - I got one with a Dual AKM chip the very old one...before buying check the manual if the newer version allows screen turn off...This is another point of failure.

Choosing DX3 will lose Balance Output Option completely over K7 but offers other benefits such as remote.
 
Darth Vader said:
iBasso DC03 dongle DAC is enough for the DAC setup. All DACs sounds pretty much the same.
Get an AMP or settle for the budget combo like Fiio E10K, can easily drive 560S.
Click to expand...
My main point of concern is not the power output but the sound output. I don't know how much of a difference a DAC makes and since it is an integral part of the whole pipeline (music file, conversion, output) it should matter (I think).
I want my games and movies to sound open and airy and not tinny. I will probably have to learn how to EQ as well.
dissel said:
Your Layman guess is absolutely OK and Go Ahead.

Points to consider - If you are pretty sure you are going to use the DAC by sitting down in front of your gadgets then buy a Desktop DAC / AMP which lacks battery. Here in India, you can't easily replace a battery of an audio device after completing of 4+ years when the internal battery start bulging.

Go for the Fiio K7 BT version - Initially, it looks unnecessary at first but these days you may need it before you know it.

Topping DX3 also offers you much more value with Remote + Screen but remember you can't Turn OFF the Screen when it is in use - I got one with a Dual AKM chip the very old one...before buying check the manual if the newer version allows screen turn off...This is another point of failure.

Choosing DX3 will lose Balance Output Option completely over K7 but offers other benefits such as remote.
Click to expand...
Good point.
If the device (mojo2) is so expensive, it's repairs are going to be hella expensive.
Yeah I think I'll go with a desktop setup as that's where most of my usage will be (gaming, movies, and now music as well).

Afaik, the newer version of DX3 turns the screen off with only the output mode showing (dimmed) in auto power mode.

I read that the point of diminishing returns comes pretty soon with DACs, just don't know when.
 
vindal said:
My main point of concern is not the power output but the sound output. I don't know how much of a difference a DAC makes and since it is an integral part of the whole pipeline (music file, conversion, output) it should matter (I think).
I want my games and movies to sound open and airy and not tinny. I will probably have to learn how to EQ as well.
Click to expand...
A good DAC should always be transparent. It should not change anything in the Digital to Analog conversion. Unless you have an issue with what you hear today, it is not really needed.
Coloring of the sound will be down to how you equalize.
 
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ibose said:
A good DAC should always be transparent. It should not change anything in the Digital to Analog conversion. Unless you have an issue with what you hear today, it is not really needed.
Coloring of the sound will be down to how you equalize.
Click to expand...
Any good neutral DACs that you would suggest?
 
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