HeaDphone Discussions. (Audiophile and Gaming)

[Montezuma]

my current amp can push my AKG 55ohm loud( they sound perfect) , but it cannot push the DT990 to the same loudness as my AKG on high gain.

What's your current amp (you may have answered this before, can't remember)?

 

[dash09]

Holy fuck could that be any longer.....

Takes even longer than Zeos to finish.




In other news I rewatched the first Avengers movie yesterday evening (5.1 upmixed to 7.1 with reverb on level one and audio from the front) . Wow. I mean holy fuck wow. Much more visceral experience. Was fantastic.
And right after felt sad I didn't already own the X2 and GSX1200 long ago.

You using the virtual surround from the senny amp?

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[SCHUMI4EVER]

You using the virtual surround from the senny amp?

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Yeah. Can't get enough of it. Think I've found my happy place with settings on the GSX1200 now.

7.1 on, reverb at level 1 (half), and sound more forward generated.

That last one is even more controversial than the others I know but left at neutral the rear seems way too loud. Tested 2-3 open-world RPGs and theyd talk normal volume if in front of me and then suddenly twice as loud behind me, even if much further away. Setting the audio to front directed seems to fix that even though it should be adding more bias.

 

[Ninja_Theory]

Late to the party I see (busy day with deadlines). About the objective vs. subjective review thing, there's merit to both - as has been acknowledged. I've watched and read great reviews on both sides of the spectrum.

Read this objective review on the R2R11 (link below). If you don’t have audiophile buddies, you would most likely not consider it as a viable DAC/amp option. BUT listen to it in real life with your own ears and nothing can prepare you for the warmth and musicality that envelopes you.

When i asked my audiophile buddies about this review, they urged me to listen to the R2R11 and let my ears tell me the truth (for me). I took their advice. Needless to say, it was spot on the money.

This review affirmed my outlook on life.. hear what people have to say (or write), thank them, then make up my own mind. Thank goodness this review did not manage to hold the R2R11 from its loving new home. My ears told me a different story.

Link to review: Review and Measurements of Audio-gd R2R11 DAC & Amp

 

[Ac!DLeAk]

Late to the party I see (busy day with deadlines). About the objective vs. subjective review thing, there's merit to both - as has been acknowledged. I've watched and read great reviews on both sides of the spectrum.

Read this objective review on the R2R11 (link below). If you don’t have audiophile buddies, you would most likely not consider it as a viable DAC/amp option. BUT listen to it in real life with your own ears and nothing can prepare you for the warmth and musicality that envelopes you.

When i asked my audiophile buddies about this review, they urged me to listen to the R2R11 and let my ears tell me the truth (for me). I took their advice. Needless to say, it was spot on the money.

This review affirmed my outlook on life.. hear what people have to say (or write), thank them, then make up my own mind. Thank goodness this review did not manage to hold the R2R11 from its loving new home. My ears told me a different story.

Link to review: Review and Measurements of Audio-gd R2R11 DAC & Amp

I think I might get one and try it out actually... Worst case I don't like it and sell it.

 

[naughty]

I think I might get one and try it out actually... Worst case I don't like it and sell it.

i think that its a bit expensive to just try it out ..... to me its the type of purchase i would only make if i listened to it beforehand and decided that i love it more than any other alternative ..... but this is more because of the negative reviews it has received which may be right or may be totally and wildly incorrect, depending on how you like your sound quality (subjectively)

personally though i dont like really rich, ultra warm and syrupy sound - and i prefer it to be detailed and closer to actually how unplugged instruments sound to me ..... (going to stress though once again that i don't use my headphones for gaming but just for music playback) - and i used to be DJ for 15 years so i have actually tuned club systems to play for many a live band and learned from their engineers as to the type of sound they strive to achieve so while an ultra warm sound is desirable to many people i think that it depends on the other ancillary equipment that is strapped to the amp in question .... i really think that i would hate a warm amp with a warm set of headphones

so it also depends on what you connect up to it IMHO ..... realistically i had the choice between this amp and the Ifi iDSD Micro Black Label and reading a few reviews of both convinced me to rather go for the ifi instead (to be honest i hadn't heard either so it was a bit of a stab i the dark) now i have to get myself a matching pair of headphones to that ifi when i have the cash to spare (which i should have enough of once my home theatre speakers get sold)

 

[Ac!DLeAk]

i think that its a bit expensive to just try it out ..... to me its the type of purchase i would only make if i listened to it beforehand and decided that i love it more than any other alternative ..... but this is more because of the negative reviews it has received which may be right or may be totally and wildly incorrect, depending on how you like your sound quality (subjectively)

personally though i dont like really rich, ultra warm and syrupy sound - and i prefer it to be detailed and closer to actually how unplugged instruments sound to me ..... (going to stress though once again that i don't use my headphones for gaming but just for music playback) - and i used to be DJ for 15 years so i have actually tuned club systems to play for many a live band and learned from their engineers as to the type of sound they strive to achieve so while an ultra warm sound is desirable to many people i think that it depends on the other ancillary equipment that is strapped to the amp in question .... i really think that i would hate a warm amp with a warm set of headphones

so it also depends on what you connect up to it IMHO ..... realistically i had the choice between this amp and the Ifi iDSD Micro Black Label and reading a few reviews of both convinced me to rather go for the ifi instead (to be honest i hadn't heard either so it was a bit of a stab i the dark) now i have to get myself a matching pair of headphones to that ifi when i have the cash to spare (which i should have enough of once my home theatre speakers get sold)

I was the same but I think what changed my mind was couple of hundred messages ago when I decided I want different sounding headphones with different amps so I can play around and experience different sounds. To have a collection of sorts.

Still don't know what my next purchase will be though. Actually I lie. Its overly expensive because of a brand name rear speakers for my soundbar. Then a new pair of headphones.

But I think I will go out to an audio shop and listen to what they have because currently I am only limiting myself to Senns and Grado.

 

[Ninja_Theory]

i think that its a bit expensive to just try it out ..... to me its the type of purchase i would only make if i listened to it beforehand and decided that i love it more than any other alternative ..... but this is more because of the negative reviews it has received which may be right or may be totally and wildly incorrect, depending on how you like your sound quality (subjectively)

personally though i dont like really rich, ultra warm and syrupy sound - and i prefer it to be detailed and closer to actually how unplugged instruments sound to me ..... (going to stress though once again that i don't use my headphones for gaming but just for music playback) - and i used to be DJ for 15 years so i have actually tuned club systems to play for many a live band and learned from their engineers as to the type of sound they strive to achieve so while an ultra warm sound is desirable to many people i think that it depends on the other ancillary equipment that is strapped to the amp in question .... i really think that i would hate a warm amp with a warm set of headphones

so it also depends on what you connect up to it IMHO ..... realistically i had the choice between this amp and the Ifi iDSD Micro Black Label and reading a few reviews of both convinced me to rather go for the ifi instead (to be honest i hadn't heard either so it was a bit of a stab i the dark) now i have to get myself a matching pair of headphones to that ifi when i have the cash to spare (which i should have enough of once my home theatre speakers get sold)

I bought the R2R11 without listening to it. Reading that review and listening to it was crazy, it's like that review meant absolutely jack shit. I listened to people I trust. I know what type of sound signature I like - so it's easier to get guidance (from people I trust). I'm fortunate in that I have some audiophile buddies that know their shit and I trust their advice over any review. Not sure if your reference about ultra rich and syrupy etc. is about the R2R11 or your general personal preference, its certainly not an accurate description of the R2R. I do agree all these things are subjective and personal to the user, so as much as I may advocate the R2R11 based on my experience, YMMV applies as always. Btw I'm also pretty keen on that ifi at some point, I've heard good things about it.


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[naughty]

I bought the R2R11 without listening to it. Reading that review and listening to it was crazy, it's like that review meant absolutely jack shit. I listened to people I trust. I know what type of sound signature I like - so it's easier to get guidance (from people I trust). I'm fortunate in that I have some audiophile buddies that know their shit and I trust their advice over any review. Not sure if your reference about ultra rich and syrupy etc. is about the R2R11 or your general personal preference, its certainly not an accurate description of the R2R. I do agree all these things are subjective and personal to the user, so as much as I may advocate the R2R11 based on my experience, YMMV applies as always. Btw I'm also pretty keen on that ifi at some point, I've heard good things about it.


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my comments in that post were about my general preferences - not specifically about the R2R-11 - i havent heard it yet so it would be unfair of me to comment about it and i also havent heard the Ifi yet either which is why i asked about it somewhere up above in this thread .... the main reason i went for the ifi over the R2R-11 was because of the measure of transportibility it offered as well as the reviews i read

 

[Ninja_Theory]

my comments in that post were about my general preferences - not about the R2R-11 - i havent heard it yet so it would be unfair of me to comment about it and i also havent heard the Ifi yet either which is why i asked about it somewhere up above in this thread .... the main reason i went for the ifi over the R2R-11 was because of the measure of transportibility it offered as well as the reviews i read

Yeah the mobility is useful. I think the decision for me, when I look into a mobile solution again, will be between the iFi and the Fiio Q5

 

[Ninja_Theory]

@naughty I just read some reviews on that iFi Black Label. Seems like a DAC/amp I would thoroughly enjoy.

 

[naughty]

@naughty I just read some reviews on that iFi Black Label. Seems like a DAC/amp I would thoroughly enjoy.

i'm hoping that it is good and it isnt one of the type that i dont like ..... will only know when i get it

 

[Ninja_Theory]

i'm hoping that it is good and it isnt one of the type that i dont like ..... will only know when i get it

I've heard first hand it's really decent. Let us know when you get it.

 

[alanlesley]

What's your current amp (you may have answered this before, can't remember)?

i have the C&C BH2 Portable Headphone Amplifier
Parameters:
Maximum output power: 300mW +300 mW
headphone adapter Impedance: 8-300ohm
THD + N: <0.001%; Long life time: about 80 hours
Pocket size, Size: 76 * 57 * 13mm (aluminum housing)
signal noise ratio :110dB
Weight (including batteries): 100g
Charging Power Interface: 5V0.5A DC, Universal miniUSB interface

C&C BH2 Portable Headphone Amplifier battery Amplifier - Shenzhenaudio.com

shenzhenaudio.com: Only US$99.98 Buy C&C BH2 Portable Headphone Amplifier battery Amplifier

www.shenzhenaudio.com

 

[Montezuma]

i have the C&C BH2 Portable Headphone Amplifier

Can't speak for quality but from an output power perspective I think you'll struggle to beat that at R1000 price point. As you already meantioned you're probably better of saving up for a heartier upgrade.

 

[Ageless_ZA]

Pardon my interjection... but @naughty thats a name I haven't seen since PCF days.

LONG TIME no see.... Fuck me

 

[naughty]

Pardon my interjection... but @naughty thats a name I haven't seen since PCF days.

LONG TIME no see.... Fuck me

you can interject whenever you like - after all you are one of the site owners

i have been lurking here for a long time and only replying on topics that i have an affinity to ..... i did have a small run-in with your co-owner so i slowed down on replying here, but i realized that it was mostly my fault so i decided to stop being a stubborn old git

but yep i havent been really active on PC related forums lately because i have dropped the CUD habit

 

[alanlesley]

Can't speak for quality but from an output power perspective I think you'll struggle to beat that at R1000 price point. As you already meantioned you're probably better of saving up for a heartier upgrade.

this the C&C amp is battery operated so i don't think it will be able input enough power, to power to the DT990.

 

[Montezuma]

this the C&C amp is battery operated so i don't think it will be able input enough power, to power to the DT990.

Hmmm, my E3 is battery powered and it is plenty of power for my DT990s, I don't think the battery is necessarily a limiting factor though I have heard that some portable amplifiers give more "punch" when plugged in (as opposed to running on battery power). Why not give it a try first? I mean a 5V 0.5A battery is capable of 2.5 Watts. That's plenty!

 

[alanlesley]

Hmmm, my E3 is battery powered and it is plenty of power for my DT990s, I don't think the battery is necessarily a limiting factor though I have heard that some portable amplifiers give more "punch" when plugged in (as opposed to running on battery power). Why not give it a try first? I mean a 5V 0.5A battery is capable of 2.5 Watts. That's plenty!

guess i like really loud sound because my AKG 240 mkii sound a lot more louder than the DT990, that is why i feel like the amp is not outputting enough power.

 

[Montezuma]

guess i like really loud sound because my AKG 240 mkii sound a lot more louder than the DT990, that is why i feel like the amp is not outputting enough power.

Fair enough, the DT990s are not very sensitive headphones, so they do need more juice than the next guy. Does running them off the portable amp while it is physically plugged in to power make a difference?

 

[alanlesley]

Fair enough, the DT990s are not very sensitive headphones, so they do need more juice than the next guy. Does running them off the portable amp while it is physically plugged in to power make a difference?

no cause it only charges the battery, one thing i got to say about the C&C is that the battery life is amazing, i have only charged the battery like 15 to 20 times, since i got it 3 years ago, it has 80hour play time.

 

[SCHUMI4EVER]

guess i like really loud sound because my AKG 240 mkii sound a lot more louder than the DT990, that is why i feel like the amp is not outputting enough power.

I don't think you're going to find new something better for a grand though (especially from overseas with the way the exchange rate is going). Your only hope is that something pops up here or on another local forum at some point.

And probably also not portable.

 

[alanlesley]

I don't think you're going to find new something better for a grand though (especially from overseas with the way the exchange rate is going). Your only hope is that something pops up here or on another local forum at some point.

And probably also not portable.

yeah kinda sad that i cant get the full potential from the DT990 but atleast i did have my AKG.

this looks okay price is decent :

Robot Check

 

[SCHUMI4EVER]

yeah kinda sad that i cant get the full potential from the DT990 but atleast i did have my AKG.

this looks okay price is decent :

Robot Check

Doesn't look too bad no, but I don't think any of us know it and with shipping it will still come to over a grand.

I was gonna suggest you try the below do I don't actually know how it compares in power. Maybe weaker?

Amazon.com: Syba Sonic USB 24 Bit 96 KHz DAC Digital to Analog Headphone Amplifier 2 Stage EQ Digital / Coaxial Output and RCA Output: Home Audio & Theater

Amazon.com: Syba Sonic USB 24 Bit 96 KHz DAC Digital to Analog Headphone Amplifier 2 Stage EQ Digital / Coaxial Output and RCA Output: Home Audio & Theater

www.amazon.com

 

[naughty]

no cause it only charges the battery, one thing i got to say about the C&C is that the battery life is amazing, i have only charged the battery like 15 to 20 times, since i got it 3 years ago, it has 80hour play time.

wow - 80 hours battery life before a recharge - that is massive

on a side note - my iDSD just arrived today - busy charging it at the moment and then i want to download the windows drivers and try it out with my PC - just tried it out with the phone and it seems to work pretty well but i will be testing it out thoroughly over the next few days

 

[naughty]

I've heard first hand it's really decent. Let us know when you get it.

just from first listening impressions - the iDSD BL is an easy DAC/Amp to like ..... i still have to tinker a lot with it but for now my phone is actually sounding better with it as opposed to my PC but i suppose that this is because i used it with my phone for a bit longer than i did on the PC and the phone has Dirac tuning so the amp and headphones combo really likes that Dirac tuning and i really went through the phone settings with a fine tooth comb

whereas with the PC all i did was install the driver and get it working in Foobar but i suppose i need to now play around with the EQ settings a bit ..... but as it stands it is slightly bright on the PC while using it with my Sennheiser HD555 (with HD595 mod) but im sure i will be able to tame that a bit

the xbass and 3D+ functions are pretty interesting and while i usually prefer my sound to be kind of unplugged (to the extent of no/limited DSP) you can get some pretty interesting and pleasing results using these functions

i have only tried it in ECO and Standard mode and i haven't actually tried it in Turbo mode yet BUT damn this thing can go loud when it wants to

one final observation - it definitely sounds better in battery mode as opposed to USB power mode and i'm pretty happy with it - the guy who told you about this thing being really decent wasn't wrong at all - and its only the first day but after around three hours of playback so the unit was properly warmed up i really wound up the volume with some electronic and trance tracks and damn this thing does stereo effects like its nobodies business

t suspect though that the DIRAC tuning on the phone is assisting a lot in the final sound quality on the phone because its nowhere near as good on the PC yet - so still some setting up to do there, but im a tinkerer so im going to plug away till i get it right

right now too im pretty curious as to how that Audio GD sounds and i will definitely go out of my way to try and listen to one and who knows in the future i may invest in one of those too but for now the DAC/AMP part of it is sorted and i need to save up a bit and sell some stuff and get myself a nice new set of headphones (or a second hand set higher up the food chain) and i should be ready for that around may

so now my list of potential headphone related purchases is growing - i want that one good set of wired headphones then i potentially want that Sony WH-1000XM3 for the wireless LDAC functionality to replace my AKG Y-50BT and i'm also now really curious about that R2R11

 

[Ninja_Theory]

just from first listening impressions - the iDSD BL is an easy DAC/Amp to like ..... i still have to tinker a lot with it but for now my phone is actually sounding better with it as opposed to my PC but i suppose that this is because i used it with my phone for a bit longer than i did on the PC and the phone has Dirac tuning so the amp and headphones combo really likes that Dirac tuning and i really went through the phone settings with a fine tooth comb

whereas with the PC all i did was install the driver and get it working in Foobar but i suppose i need to now play around with the EQ settings a bit ..... but as it stands it is slightly bright on the PC while using it with my Sennheiser HD555 (with HD595 mod) but im sure i will be able to tame that a bit

the xbass and 3D+ functions are pretty interesting and while i usually prefer my sound to be kind of unplugged (to the extent of no/limited DSP) you can get some pretty interesting and pleasing results using these functions

i have only tried it in ECO and Standard mode and i haven't actually tried it in Turbo mode yet BUT damn this thing can go loud when it wants to

one final observation - it definitely sounds better in battery mode as opposed to USB power mode and i'm pretty happy with it - the guy who told you about this thing being really decent wasn't wrong at all - and its only the first day but after around three hours of playback so the unit was properly warmed up i really wound up the volume with some electronic and trance tracks and damn this thing does stereo effects like its nobodies business

t suspect though that the DIRAC tuning on the phone is assisting a lot in the final sound quality on the phone because its nowhere near as good on the PC yet - so still some setting up to do there, but im a tinkerer so im going to plug away till i get it right

right now too im pretty curious as to how that Audio GD sounds and i will definitely go out of my way to try and listen to one and who knows in the future i may invest in one of those too but for now the DAC/AMP part of it is sorted and i need to save up a bit and sell some stuff and get myself a nice new set of headphones (or a second hand set higher up the food chain) and i should be ready for that around may

so now my list of potential headphone related purchases is growing - i want that one good set of wired headphones then i potentially want that Sony WH-1000XM3 for the wireless LDAC functionality to replace my AKG Y-50BT and i'm also now really curious about that R2R11

Nice write up man. If you were in Jhb, we could have easily swapped DAC/amps for a week or two, when your honeymoon phase is over.

 

[dash09]

Nice write up man. If you were in Jhb, we could have easily swapped DAC/amps for a week or two, when your honeymoon phase is over.

Where about in jhb are you? I'm considering getting a r2r11, want to check if theres a difference compared to my stack

 

[alanlesley]

wow - 80 hours battery life before a recharge - that is massive

on a side note - my iDSD just arrived today - busy charging it at the moment and then i want to download the windows drivers and try it out with my PC - just tried it out with the phone and it seems to work pretty well but i will be testing it out thoroughly over the next few days

think it outputs less power that is why it cannot power my DT990s