I just recently purchased a set of Sennheiser HD600 headphones. This is my first venture into audiophile quality headphones, and I was hoping to get some recommendations on well made DAC/AMP combos that output enough power to run a set of 300 ohm headphones.
Schiit Stack (Schiit Modi+Magni)
O2+ODAC from Mayflower, Head 'n' Hifi, JDS Labs, or Epiphany Acoustics
FiiO E12
With O2+ODAC better than the Schiit Stack and the Schiit Stack better than the FiiO E12 in my opinion.
Fiio or JDS labs, although I would have bought the Senn 598s instead, they all sound the same
Gotta give a price range. What's best for $100 is different from what's best for $500.
I'm using the Emotiva XDA-2
https://emotiva.com/products/dacs/xda-2-gen2
I have several of their amps as well.
Sorry, not looking to spend more than about $250, I have been looking at the mayflower O2+ODAC since they mention them here on Tek, but wanted to see what other peoples opinions were.
The O2 is a good amp. The ODAC is overpriced though imo. If you are ok with a bit less in regards to looks, take a look at the UD120 from Stoner Acoustics. It is a great value. Also, the Audio-gd NFB-11 is VERY well regarded and considered to be one of the best dac+amp units for even twice its price. If you could somehow swing it, I would recommend going that route. You wouldn't be upgrading it any time soon if you did. As for a tube amp option, if you are handy with a soldering iron, you could look towards the Bottlehead Crack. That is also very expensive, but again, worth much more than it costs. IT is up to you, honestly.
P.s. The Magni and O2 sound the same unless you are using a low impedance headphone. The O2 has a lower output impedance so it is better for things that are under ~60 ohm iirc.
They most certainly do NOT sound the same. Similar? Maybe. The same? Definitely not. The HD600 is very highly regarded in the world of audiophilia and not a headphone which should be taken lightly.
If you want internal get a Asus Xonar Essence STX/STXII
if you want external get either Schiit Magni/Modi combo or Mayflower O2
And dont think of these as the ONLY ones worth looking at - there is plenty of good stuff out there
Senn's all sound the exact same to me, and most people seem to agree. I would avoid the O2 unless your just buying the AMP, the ODAC is way too expensive for what your getting. I have HD600s and I can't tell the difference from my 598s.
Thanks for all the input and advice, after doing a little research and pricing, and I decided to go with the Schitt Stack. Since the DAC and AMP aren't really going to be moving much I don't mind that it's 2 units, and it's a bit cheaper than the O2+ODAC. 1920.1080.1280.720p, I looked at the Audio-gd NFB-11 and it looks like a good unit but at just over $300 new it's a bit out of my price range.
I expected as much. The Magni/Modi combo is definitely a good choice.