AKG702 AMP+DAC

[ket]

Like topic says- I'm looking something for 702.

Previous choice was FiiO's e10k. Bought around 2017 worked for like 7 years, and then the front jack+potentiometer died. Beyond repair supposedly.
Anyhow... I'm looking now for something in headphones' budget. Last time I was here, the rule was not to buy amp/dac for price higher than headphones' price. That leaves me around 100-130$ these days.

Purpose:
- games 10% max.
- movie 40% max.
- music 50%*

* All types besides rap/hip hop & some extreme types such as trash metal etc.

Did some testing without E10K onboard. Results (personal):
- Volume can be acceptable, it depends from source yet a little amp would be nice, the headphones powered by motherboard (Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite) almost delivers the amount needed for the max/painful for my ears. I'd say 30-35% and then it would be too much.
- Missing bass.

Thought of fiio k5 pro but kind of missing the point of buying more expensive gear than headphones.
Maybe Fosi Audio SK02?
Or something else?

Best regards

 

[SuicideSquid]

I've been using the JCALLY JM20 MAX Headphone Dongle to power my AKG 702s from my laptop and it works great. My laptop's built-in headphone out does not have enough juice to properly drive the 702 but the JM20 Max does no problem with lots of power to spare and noise and distortion way below the threshold of audibility.

Works with phones as well as laptops.

 

[ket]

I've been using the JCALLY JM20 MAX Headphone Dongle to power my AKG 702s from my laptop and it works great. My laptop's built-in headphone out does not have enough juice to properly drive the 702 but the JM20 Max does no problem with lots of power to spare and noise and distortion way below the threshold of audibility.

Works with phones as well as laptops.

Forgot to say that I don't need it to be mobile (portable) or have anything fancy like bluetooth.

 

[SuicideSquid]

Forgot to say that I don't need it to be mobile (portable) or have anything fancy like bluetooth.

Doesn't matter whether you need it to be mobile or not. It's got the power you need and it measures audibly perfect, noise and distortion way below audibility thresholds, and it's inexpensive.

I'd only recommend something else if you need analog inputs or you want to do tone controls/eq in the headphone amp instead of from the source. Otherwise no need for anything else. If you're just using it with a desktop PC to power 702s it's perfect.

 

[ket]

It's little too low in terms of power. Yet it depends from source material also.
Anyhow you got me thinking about another aproach. How about recommended amp (for instance Topping L30/Sabaj A10h or 20) + dongle (either yours of even simple apple's just to check if I "need" it)?

 

[Michou]

I use an SMSL DL200 with my 702s and B&O Beoplay H6 and it’s been rock-solid. The price is very reasonable and, for convenience, I occasionally stream over Bluetooth (LDAC) from my Android phone or tablet using Tidal plus Wavelet or USB Audio Player Pro with the Morphit headphones profile. If you want something simpler, JDS has some solid options that could work for you.

 

[Ufasas]

i used k5 ess for k702 until i got K7. then i got Nu Audio PCIE with AKM chip, i liked all 3 options, but now staying with AKM chips only, i think k5 ess was really good choice for k702, but i am just impulsive upgrader, if i didn't have k5 ess, and opted for k7 first, would have praised k7 only, as it's really good like k5, just more features

 

[robertul]

Hi,

I think the DX5 II would be a good choice if you ever desire planars in the future, even thought it might sound a bit overkill for K702. If you are still spending $250-$300, you might as well get that.

Edit: Sorry, I misread that you want something in the headphones budget. Well, if you can stretch to $200, FiiO QX13 has PEQ and it's endgame pocket-sized dac and headphone amp right now. It might be worth it.

 

[staticV3]

Or something else?

https://www.l7audiolab.com/f/topping-dx1/

 

[ket]

I use an SMSL DL200 with my 702s and B&O Beoplay H6 and it’s been rock-solid. The price is very reasonable and, for convenience, I occasionally stream over Bluetooth (LDAC) from my Android phone or tablet using Tidal plus Wavelet or USB Audio Player Pro with the Morphit headphones profile. If you want something simpler, JDS has some solid options that could work for you.

I'd go straight for JDS if they'd have distribution in EU. Sadly paying extra 100$-ish for transport and taxes to 100-150$ product is not the brightest idea.

https://www.l7audiolab.com/f/topping-dx1/

Hi,

I think the DX5 II would be a good choice if you ever desire planars in the future, even thought it might sound a bit overkill for K702. If you are still spending $250-$300, you might as well get that.

Edit: Sorry, I misread that you want something in the headphones budget. Well, if you can stretch to $200, FiiO QX13 has PEQ and it's endgame pocket-sized dac and headphone amp right now. It might be worth it.

i used k5 ess for k702 until i got K7. then i got Nu Audio PCIE with AKM chip, i liked all 3 options, but now staying with AKM chips only, i think k5 ess was really good choice for k702, but i am just impulsive upgrader, if i didn't have k5 ess, and opted for k7 first, would have praised k7 only, as it's really good like k5, just more features

I'd skip FiiO this interration. Would like to see & check other other brands.


Sabaj's products are out*. That leaves me with possibilities of:
* Amp + Dac (JCALLY JM20 MAX or Apple)
- Topping L30 (125$)/DX 1 (107$)/DX5II**

* Amp/Dac
- SMSL DL200 (219$ + 75-85$ / 255$ / 161$ + 57-82$)

* Couldn't find A10h /20h somewhat in EU.
** Above budget
***
The first is from UK. Google's AI number for taxes/customs.
Second is local or Amazon's price.
Third is from smsl.shop. Google's AI number for taxes/customs.

 

[Michou]

I’m not sure where you’re located, but the prices you listed for the DL200 look much higher than what most people are paying.

Advertised prices are usually far lower and they generally include taxes and duties.

For reference, I paid 178 USD for mine on Amazon, and I’ve seen it go for even less at times. Here are a few examples of typical pricing:

SMSL DL200 DAC ES9039Q2M Headphone Amplifier XMOS XU316 Bluetooth 5.1 LDAC 32bit 768kHz DSD512 MQA-CD - Audiophonics

The SMSL DL200 is a high-performance DAC featuring an ES9039Q2M chip, an XMOS XU316 USB interface and a Qualcomm Bluetooth receiver chip. The DL200 can decode up to PCM 32bit 768kHz, DSD512 and DoP64.

www.audiophonics.fr

SMSL DL200 ES9039Q2M Audio DAC and HiFi Headphone Amplifier,6.35mm Headphone/4.4m Headphone/TRS Balanced Line/RCA Single end Line Output,Dualmode USB2.0/1.1,TND+N -123dB,with Remote Control: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

‎

www.amazon.co.uk

SMSL DL200 - Desktop DAC and Headphone Amplifier with Blueto

The SMSL DL200 is a high performance balanced DAC (digital-to-analogue converter) with high quality components. ES9039Q2M chip, XMOS XU316 USB interface and Blu

www.muzix.eu

SMSL DL200 ES9039Q2M DAC and HiFi Audio Amplifier for 6.35mm Headphone/4.4m Headphone/TRS Balanced Line/Single End RCA Line Output, Dual Mode USB 2.0/1.1, TND+N-123dB, Including : Amazon.com.be: Electronics

SMSL DL200 ES9039Q2M DAC and HiFi Audio Amplifier for 6.35mm Headphone/4.4m Headphone/TRS Balanced Line/Single End RCA Line Output, Dual Mode USB 2.0/1.1, TND+N-123dB, Including : Amazon.com.be: Electronics

www.amazon.com.be

If the DL200 is on your shortlist, it might be worth double checking these sources, because the pricing you mentioned looks inflated compared to the usual market range.

 

[ket]

I’m not sure where you’re located, but the prices you listed for the DL200 look much higher than what most people are paying.

Advertised prices are usually far lower and they generally include taxes and duties.

For reference, I paid 178 USD for mine on Amazon, and I’ve seen it go for even less at times. Here are a few examples of typical pricing:

SMSL DL200 DAC ES9039Q2M Headphone Amplifier XMOS XU316 Bluetooth 5.1 LDAC 32bit 768kHz DSD512 MQA-CD - Audiophonics

The SMSL DL200 is a high-performance DAC featuring an ES9039Q2M chip, an XMOS XU316 USB interface and a Qualcomm Bluetooth receiver chip. The DL200 can decode up to PCM 32bit 768kHz, DSD512 and DoP64.

www.audiophonics.fr

SMSL DL200 ES9039Q2M Audio DAC and HiFi Headphone Amplifier,6.35mm Headphone/4.4m Headphone/TRS Balanced Line/RCA Single end Line Output,Dualmode USB2.0/1.1,TND+N -123dB,with Remote Control: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

‎

www.amazon.co.uk

SMSL DL200 - Desktop DAC and Headphone Amplifier with Blueto

The SMSL DL200 is a high performance balanced DAC (digital-to-analogue converter) with high quality components. ES9039Q2M chip, XMOS XU316 USB interface and Blu

www.muzix.eu

SMSL DL200 ES9039Q2M DAC and HiFi Audio Amplifier for 6.35mm Headphone/4.4m Headphone/TRS Balanced Line/Single End RCA Line Output, Dual Mode USB 2.0/1.1, TND+N-123dB, Including : Amazon.com.be: Electronics

SMSL DL200 ES9039Q2M DAC and HiFi Audio Amplifier for 6.35mm Headphone/4.4m Headphone/TRS Balanced Line/Single End RCA Line Output, Dual Mode USB 2.0/1.1, TND+N-123dB, Including : Amazon.com.be: Electronics

www.amazon.com.be

If the DL200 is on your shortlist, it might be worth double checking these sources, because the pricing you mentioned looks inflated compared to the usual market range.

Yes, you're technically correct but those are tax inc/excluded.

I live in EU so anything from outside goes into "customs lottery". The prices which I've written up are with tax & transport fee included. The DL200's price numbers as of "75-85$ / 57-82$" mean that if customs would "catch" it then it's an extra to pay (by google's AI).

The part where you're correct is that for instance ~162$ buying cost of DL200. Shipping is free due black friday thing yet customs. For EU insider the UK and China have that kind of possibility.

The customs requiring you to pay an item has to be valued at:
- 135p from UK
- 150e from China

I've tried to put every price into single common denominator, the dollar. After some more digging in EU's Amazons, I've got something like this:
- Topping L30 II / E30 II (126$ + 126$)
- SMSL DL200 (161$)
+ tax, shipping, and customs prolly.

From my point on view:
- Topping combo: pc > usb > RCA (dac) > amp + jack (output)
- SMSL: pc > usb > 2 x jacks, rcs, balanced (outputs) & bluetooth is useless for me (kind of)

So with Topping combo I'm kind of limited in future to any headphones with only jack on. With SMSL I'm not.
Yet the difference is when something dies. With Topping you'd be at -126$ and with smsl -161$ in that case.

Anyhow I'd like to know if anyone of you guys had expenrience with buying outside EU & warranty policy? Meaning that:
- amazon.com for 161$
- EU amazons for 178e

The difference is that things sold in EU by EU companies (amazon's branches) have 2 year warranty where US amazon provides manufacturer's warranty 1 year. At least that how I've understood it. Am I wrong in that matter?

 

[ChenHui]

I would recommend the SMSL M300SE，It has all the features you need right now, and the XLR connector on the back allows you to prepare for future upgrades.

 

[Roland68]

Yes, you're technically correct but those are tax inc/excluded.

I live in EU so anything from outside goes into "customs lottery". The prices which I've written up are with tax & transport fee included. The DL200's price numbers as of "75-85$ / 57-82$" mean that if customs would "catch" it then it's an extra to pay (by google's AI).

The part where you're correct is that for instance ~162$ buying cost of DL200. Shipping is free due black friday thing yet customs. For EU insider the UK and China have that kind of possibility.

The customs requiring you to pay an item has to be valued at:
- 135p from UK
- 150e from China

I've tried to put every price into single common denominator, the dollar. After some more digging in EU's Amazons, I've got something like this:
- Topping L30 II / E30 II (126$ + 126$)
- SMSL DL200 (161$)
+ tax, shipping, and customs prolly.

From my point on view:
- Topping combo: pc > usb > RCA (dac) > amp + jack (output)
- SMSL: pc > usb > 2 x jacks, rcs, balanced (outputs) & bluetooth is useless for me (kind of)

So with Topping combo I'm kind of limited in future to any headphones with only jack on. With SMSL I'm not.
Yet the difference is when something dies. With Topping you'd be at -126$ and with smsl -161$ in that case.

Anyhow I'd like to know if anyone of you guys had expenrience with buying outside EU & warranty policy? Meaning that:
- amazon.com for 161$
- EU amazons for 178e

The difference is that things sold in EU by EU companies (amazon's branches) have 2 year warranty where US amazon provides manufacturer's warranty 1 year. At least that how I've understood it. Am I wrong in that matter?

I wouldn't recommend the DL200 due to its very basic HPA (High Performance Amplifier), its inferior test results compared to the L30 II, and its significantly lower power output.
The SMSL M300SE, as an HPA, doesn't offer any more power than the better dongles.

The L30 II is certainly a good and proven choice with plenty of power. Combined with the SMSL D1 DAC, it's an unbeatable combination in my opinion. It should currently cost around €198 on Amazon.
Alternatively, the DX5 II offers even more power for about €100 more.

Regarding warranty, you're best off with Amazon.de, .fr, etc., or a retailer based in the EU.
If buying from outside the EU, you'll at least have to pay the shipping costs in case of a warranty claim, which isn't worthwhile, especially with cheaper devices, even if you saved some money beforehand.

An exception is devices like the Fosi V3 stereo, which is currently on sale at AliExpress for half price. In that case, you simply buy a second one if the warranty issue arises. But that's just one example.

 

[Michou]

Yes, you're technically correct but those are tax inc/excluded.

I live in EU so anything from outside goes into "customs lottery". The prices which I've written up are with tax & transport fee included. The DL200's price numbers as of "75-85$ / 57-82$" mean that if customs would "catch" it then it's an extra to pay (by google's AI).

The part where you're correct is that for instance ~162$ buying cost of DL200. Shipping is free due black friday thing yet customs. For EU insider the UK and China have that kind of possibility.

The customs requiring you to pay an item has to be valued at:
- 135p from UK
- 150e from China

I've tried to put every price into single common denominator, the dollar. After some more digging in EU's Amazons, I've got something like this:
- Topping L30 II / E30 II (126$ + 126$)
- SMSL DL200 (161$)
+ tax, shipping, and customs prolly.

From my point on view:
- Topping combo: pc > usb > RCA (dac) > amp + jack (output)
- SMSL: pc > usb > 2 x jacks, rcs, balanced (outputs) & bluetooth is useless for me (kind of)

So with Topping combo I'm kind of limited in future to any headphones with only jack on. With SMSL I'm not.
Yet the difference is when something dies. With Topping you'd be at -126$ and with smsl -161$ in that case.

Anyhow I'd like to know if anyone of you guys had expenrience with buying outside EU & warranty policy? Meaning that:
- amazon.com for 161$
- EU amazons for 178e

The difference is that things sold in EU by EU companies (amazon's branches) have 2 year warranty where US amazon provides manufacturer's warranty 1 year. At least that how I've understood it. Am I wrong in that matter?

Yes, you're technically correct but those are tax inc/excluded.

I live in EU so anything from outside goes into "customs lottery". The prices which I've written up are with tax & transport fee included. The DL200's price numbers as of "75-85$ / 57-82$" mean that if customs would "catch" it then it's an extra to pay (by google's AI).

The part where you're correct is that for instance ~162$ buying cost of DL200. Shipping is free due black friday thing yet customs. For EU insider the UK and China have that kind of possibility.

The customs requiring you to pay an item has to be valued at:
- 135p from UK
- 150e from China

I've tried to put every price into single common denominator, the dollar. After some more digging in EU's Amazons, I've got something like this:
- Topping L30 II / E30 II (126$ + 126$)
- SMSL DL200 (161$)
+ tax, shipping, and customs prolly.

From my point on view:
- Topping combo: pc > usb > RCA (dac) > amp + jack (output)
- SMSL: pc > usb > 2 x jacks, rcs, balanced (outputs) & bluetooth is useless for me (kind of)

So with Topping combo I'm kind of limited in future to any headphones with only jack on. With SMSL I'm not.
Yet the difference is when something dies. With Topping you'd be at -126$ and with smsl -161$ in that case.

Anyhow I'd like to know if anyone of you guys had expenrience with buying outside EU & warranty policy? Meaning that:
- amazon.com for 161$
- EU amazons for 178e

The difference is that things sold in EU by EU companies (amazon's branches) have 2 year warranty where US amazon provides manufacturer's warranty 1 year. At least that how I've understood it. Am I wrong in that matter?

Yes, you're technically correct but those are tax inc/excluded.

I live in EU so anything from outside goes into "customs lottery". The prices which I've written up are with tax & transport fee included. The DL200's price numbers as of "75-85$ / 57-82$" mean that if customs would "catch" it then it's an extra to pay (by google's AI).

The part where you're correct is that for instance ~162$ buying cost of DL200. Shipping is free due black friday thing yet customs. For EU insider the UK and China have that kind of possibility.

The customs requiring you to pay an item has to be valued at:
- 135p from UK
- 150e from China

I've tried to put every price into single common denominator, the dollar. After some more digging in EU's Amazons, I've got something like this:
- Topping L30 II / E30 II (126$ + 126$)
- SMSL DL200 (161$)
+ tax, shipping, and customs prolly.

From my point on view:
- Topping combo: pc > usb > RCA (dac) > amp + jack (output)
- SMSL: pc > usb > 2 x jacks, rcs, balanced (outputs) & bluetooth is useless for me (kind of)

So with Topping combo I'm kind of limited in future to any headphones with only jack on. With SMSL I'm not.
Yet the difference is when something dies. With Topping you'd be at -126$ and with smsl -161$ in that case.

Anyhow I'd like to know if anyone of you guys had expenrience with buying outside EU & warranty policy? Meaning that:
- amazon.com for 161$
- EU amazons for 178e

The difference is that things sold in EU by EU companies (amazon's branches) have 2 year warranty where US amazon provides manufacturer's warranty 1 year. At least that how I've understood it. Am I wrong in that matter?

I disagree. The prices I listed already include taxes, customs, and usually shipping when buying within the EU. That is not the case with AliExpress or other Asian sellers, where the final cost is unpredictable. It all depends on the shipping origin. Amazon UK includes all taxes for UK buyers, and Audiophonics or Musix do the same inside the EU.

Within the EU the price you see is the price you pay. Outside the EU you deal with the customs lottery, which is why a DL200 listed at 75 to 85 dollars can climb once duties are added. Comparing that to a steady 160 dollar price from an EU based seller is not a like for like comparison. With a bit of careful shopping you can expect to pay well under 180 euros, pounds, or dollars for the DL200.

Your point about the Topping stack versus the SMSL is fair, but the difference in replacement cost is small. The real issue is how warranty works depending on where you buy.

 

[ket]

I disagree. The prices I listed already include taxes, customs, and usually shipping when buying within the EU. That is not the case with AliExpress or other Asian sellers, where the final cost is unpredictable. It all depends on the shipping origin. Amazon UK includes all taxes for UK buyers, and Audiophonics or Musix do the same inside the EU.

Within the EU the price you see is the price you pay. Outside the EU you deal with the customs lottery, which is why a DL200 listed at 75 to 85 dollars can climb once duties are added. Comparing that to a steady 160 dollar price from an EU based seller is not a like for like comparison. With a bit of careful shopping you can expect to pay well under 180 euros, pounds, or dollars for the DL200.

Your point about the Topping stack versus the SMSL is fair, but the difference in replacement cost is small. The real issue is how warranty works depending on where you buy.

Ok. That clarifies something yet one question remains. For this particular instance, I've got prices of 161$ (amazon.com) & 180e (european amazons) yet their "product" source is smsl shop / some other shop in China. No matter which amazon, always two of them are there (had to do it xD!).
The shipping source as you said is the key so that begs a question. If everyone's source is China (more or less) does it mean the warranty is treated like buying from outside EU?

In tl;dr version:
amazon <optional EU seller/broker> China manufacturer/smsl shop
Where in this scenario does the warranty lay?

 

[Roland68]

Ok. That clarifies something yet one question remains. For this particular instance, I've got prices of 161$ (amazon.com) & 180e (european amazons) yet their "product" source is smsl shop / some other shop in China. No matter which amazon, always two of them are there (had to do it xD!).
The shipping source as you said is the key so that begs a question. If everyone's source is China (more or less) does it mean the warranty is treated like buying from outside EU?

In tl;dr version:
amazon <optional EU seller/broker> China manufacturer/smsl shop
Where in this scenario does the warranty lay?

The warranty always applies where you buy it.
Within the EU, the now largely standardized EU warranty applies. If you buy in your country of residence (within the EU), the warranty in your country takes precedence.
If you live in the EU and buy outside the EU, good luck. You are dependent on the retailer/manufacturer. And even if there is legal protection, do you really want to pursue legal action in a country outside the EU? Having a legal right and getting your rights enforced are two very different things.

If you are so unsure about this and don't know the details, please buy from a retailer based in the EU, or from Amazon in the EU with fulfillment by Amazon.

 

[Michou]

Ok. That clarifies something yet one question remains. For this particular instance, I've got prices of 161$ (amazon.com) & 180e (european amazons) yet their "product" source is smsl shop / some other shop in China. No matter which amazon, always two of them are there (had to do it xD!).
The shipping source as you said is the key so that begs a question. If everyone's source is China (more or less) does it mean the warranty is treated like buying from outside EU?

In tl;dr version:
amazon <optional EU seller/broker> China manufacturer/smsl shop
Where in this scenario does the warranty lay?

Ok. That clarifies something yet one question remains. For this particular instance, I've got prices of 161$ (amazon.com) & 180e (european amazons) yet their "product" source is smsl shop / some other shop in China. No matter which amazon, always two of them are there (had to do it xD!).
The shipping source as you said is the key so that begs a question. If everyone's source is China (more or less) does it mean the warranty is treated like buying from outside EU?

In tl;dr version:
amazon <optional EU seller/broker> China manufacturer/smsl shop
Where in this scenario does the warranty lay?

If it shows as shipped by Amazon, the price you see at checkout is the real, final amount. As for warranty, it is one year in the US and often longer within the EU.