$500 budget for headphone and amp. What would you do?

[Cahudson42]

Can you actually get hold of a pair?

You might try a WTB here. A number were sold for $299. Possibly, an ASR member will part with it..

 

[Jimbob54]

You might try a WTB here. A number were sold for $299. Possibly, an ASR member will part with it..

Yeah, I think I looked when (was it ?) you posted about that some months back. IIRC they were out of stock in the UK/ EU portal and wouldnt ship from elsewhere. For that money I would have taken a punt.

 

[thunderchicken]

A DX3 Pro and the AKG K371 are right up your alley. Killer combo, both measure and perform as SOTA with no extras needed. Not even EQ!

 

[Joe Smith]

AKG K361, about $90.
Either current Schiit Magni/Modi stack or JDS Atom+ stack, each around $230.
Enjoy.

 

[Godataloss]

I like these cheaper suggestions! I'm blowing my budget on a pair of Silverline Audio Sonatas tonight because I have a weakness for speakers.

 

[Kevbaz]

If you can wait I would get the Drop Dan Clark Aeon closed x and an Atom Amp+

 

[Firefly00]

I like these cheaper suggestions! I'm blowing my budget on a pair of Silverline Audio Sonatas tonight because I have a weakness for speakers.

Those look really nice!

 

[Ron Texas]

Drop HD6xx, Topping DX3 Pro+ send me the $100 that's leftover.

 

[Godataloss]

Those look really nice!

They're minty and in storage for 15 years in their original boxes. For less than $1k how do I pass them up? You are talking 5 figures for a speaker made to that quality today.

 

[Robin L]

I've got the Drop 6XX 'phones, Topping E30 DAC, Topping L30 headphone amp. About $500 for all three. Probably the best audio investment I've made [exclusive of such flukes as finding Infinity Primus 360s [pair] 250s [pair] and C12 center channel for $80 at a thrift store]. Detail without etch, better with EQ but still very fine without, more volume than I can use, very low distortion in the upper registers, not so much in the bass as to prevent boosting via eq.

 

[thunderchicken]

Drop HD6xx, Topping DX3 Pro+ send me the $100 that's leftover.

I found the K371 cheaper than the HD6xx, dibs on that $100

 

[blackmetalbox]

Drop HD6xx, Topping DX3 Pro+ send me the $100 that's leftover.

That's affirming!

I'm new to the headphone world and I tend to research excessively. I have spent the past few weeks falling through the rabbit hole of information on ASR and the rest of the internet looking for the best cost to value for cans, amp, and dac. After all of these hours of research, this is the exact combination I just went with, after having contemplated both the Aeon X open and closed. I have appreciated all of you posters chatting about audio, gear, and your experiences. Cheers!

 

[Godataloss]

Drop HD6xx, Topping DX3 Pro+ send me the $100 that's leftover.

Those are open back though...

 

[Graph Feppar]

I would buy HD560S, a set of Dekoni vegan leather pads for bass boost to lower THD, Umik 1 measuring microphone to help EQ and you have 150 to 200$ to buy dac amp combo.

From chi fi like Fiio K3 and Topping DX3 pro+ to Bluetooth like Qudelix 5K or iFi Go Blu. I tried lesser known brand called Pro Ject and their small S2 dac amp had very pleasant high quality feel but its from Europe and it cost 300€, it measured very good on the russian pro analyzer website. Or you could say fuck it and go with 10$ Apple 3.5mm adapter.

Analog volume controls wear down and have imperfect performance as opposed to digital volume control but digital volume control noise floor rises at lower volume. Best solution is digital volume control with high SNR so you have perfect channel balance, reliability and no noise.

 

[Godataloss]

I would buy HD560S, a set of Dekoni vegan leather pads for bass boost to lower THD, Umik 1 measuring microphone to help EQ and you have 150 to 200$ to buy dac amp combo.

From chi fi like Fiio K3 and Topping DX3 pro+ to Bluetooth like Qudelix 5K or iFi Go Blu. I tried lesser known brand called Pro Ject and their small S2 dac amp had very pleasant high quality feel but its from Europe and it cost 300€, it measured very good on the russian pro analyzer website. Or you could say fuck it and go with 10$ Apple 3.5mm adapter.

Analog volume controls wear down and have imperfect performance as opposed to digital volume control but digital volume control noise floor rises at lower volume. Best solution is digital volume control with high SNR so you have perfect channel balance, reliability and no noise.

I have the minidsp mic. I was not aware you could use it to eq headphones.