Budget Amp for Hifiman HE400SE

[Majesthion]

Hi guys. I just bought a used Hifiman HE400SE (My first planars) for 115$. New ones sold for 70$. I live in Turkey. Sadly everything is expensive here. My computer's audio power is almost okay for using it without EQ. But as soon as I apply -9 db preamp. It's getting far below my usual listening levels.

We don't have many options here. So far the options are

Douk Audio U3 = 52.50$
Douk Audio U5 = 54.50$ (Surprisingly almost same price as U3)
Used Fiio E10K Olympus 2 = 62$ (110$ for new ones)
Fosi Audio K5 Pro = 54$

Apple dongle = 10$

I'm new to this stuff. Used headphone power calculator to check required power. The calculator says I need 708mw/4.21v/168.3mA power to drive HE400SE after applying -9.5db preamp.

Is U5 better than U3? It doesn't have many reviews on the internet like U3. Also on Douk's website, they say "input over 5V will result in damage." is that mean u5 is pickier than the u3 when it comes to adapters?

 

[solderdude]

U5 is balanced U3 is not.
You will need different cables and balanced DAC for U5.

U3 will be fine for for HE400SE when fed with a power supply between 12 and 20VDC.

The U5 can ONLY be fed with a 5V DC power supply.

Fosi Audio K5 Pro is handy when you also need a mic and only have USB connection.

 

[Majesthion]

Thanks for the info. One more thing tho. If I choose the Apple dongle as DAC. My motherboard doesn't have a Type-C port. Is it okay to use USB 3 to Type-C adapter?

 

[FreakyKiwi]

What volume level did you set in the calculator? I think using 700mW would deafen you even with the negative gain. I'm using a 500mW KGuss DAC K3 Pro (Same as Fosi Q5 or Aiyima A5 Pro I think ) with my pair and am happy with it. I had a 1500mW Fiio K5 pro originally and couldn't hear any difference to the cheaper KGuss.

 

[solderdude]

Thanks for the info. One more thing tho. If I choose the Apple dongle as DAC. My motherboard doesn't have a Type-C port. Is it okay to use USB 3 to Type-C adapter?

You can use it as a DAC but the output level of such a dongle is lower than most DACs so you may have to crank up the volume a bit more.
You can connect a USB-C DAC to a USB-A port using the right cable. Note that some cheap USB-A to USB-C cables only have the power wires connected and not data.

The gain of the mentioned amp is not known but should be at least +15dB in your case.

 

[Majesthion]

What volume level did you set in the calculator? I think using 700mW would deafen you even with the negative gain. I'm using a 500mW KGuss DAC K3 Pro (Same as Fosi Q5 or Aiyima A5 Pro I think ) with my pair and am happy with it. I had a 1500mW Fiio K5 pro originally and couldn't hear any difference to the cheaper KGuss.

My bad. Calculator probably set it automatically to 110db with some space in mind. Even e10k is enough probably. Im also checking KGuss right now.

 

[Majesthion]

You can use it as a DAC but the output level of such a dongle is lower than most DACs so you may have to crank up the volume a bit more.
You can connect a USB-C DAC to a USB-A port using the right cable. Note that some cheap USB-A to USB-C cables only have the power wires connected and not data.

The gain of the mentioned amp is not known but should be at least +15dB in your case.

Thanks for the info. Im going for Aiyima DAC A5 Pro. It also has Dac and enough power to drive and has an adapter in the package.

 

[solderdude]

The downside of the such integrated designs is that it is designed to be used to have max. output voltage at 0dBFS.
This usually means that when using negative pre-amp (say -10dB) the max output level also is lower and cannot reach the values one sees in specs other than at frequencies that are having the boost.

Separates can have a higher gain (not all do either) so you have some headroom in amplification when applying digital EQ.

 

[Boltman92124]

Hi guys. I just bought a used Hifiman HE400SE (My first planars) for 115$. New ones sold for 70$. I live in Turkey. Sadly everything is expensive here. My computer's audio power is almost okay for using it without EQ. But as soon as I apply -9 db preamp. It's getting far below my usual listening levels.

We don't have many options here. So far the options are

Douk Audio U3 = 52.50$
Douk Audio U5 = 54.50$ (Surprisingly almost same price as U3)
Used Fiio E10K Olympus 2 = 62$ (110$ for new ones)
Fosi Audio K5 Pro = 54$

Apple dongle = 10$

I'm new to this stuff. Used headphone power calculator to check required power. The calculator says I need 708mw/4.21v/168.3mA power to drive HE400SE after applying -9.5db preamp.

Is U5 better than U3? It doesn't have many reviews on the internet like U3. Also on Douk's website, they say "input over 5V will result in damage." is that mean u5 is pickier than the u3 when it comes to adapters?

I browsed the Fosi K5. Looks like a good option at that price point. Can be used for gaming too with a Mic input. Decent amount of power and tone controls. Built in DAC too.

 

[djtetei]

Personally, I would suggest to look at Topping L30II or Topping L50 dedicated headphone amplifiers and you won't be disappointed by their performance and added functionality.
Furthermore, I also suggest you to build your system with separate components.

 

[areskz]

Thanks for the info. Im going for Aiyima DAC A5 Pro. It also has Dac and enough power to drive and has an adapter in the package.

Did you end up getting Aiyima A5 Pro? How is it with HE400SE? Thanks.