DCA Noire X: DAC/Amp suggestions

[A.H.I.]

Hello,
This is my first post on ASR, but I've been a long time reader.
I'm planning to buy the DCA Noire X planars soon and I'm looking for a DAC/amp that will be able to handle these low-impedance phones.
I'm a newbie when it comes to headphones as I work with monitors most of the time. I looked through some reviews of classics (Topping, Schiit, Hifiman, etc.) but I was wondering if someone could provide a suggestion that is based on personal experience. I don't necessarily want to spend a lot of money, but if the best combo requires some investment, well, so be it
Thank you very much in advance!

 

[Chagall]

Hi, welcome to ASR!

Mind if I ask a few quick questions? What’s your budget for the DAC and amp, and are there any specific features you're looking for?

The Noire X has a sensitivity of 103 dB/V and an impedance of 13 ohms. You can use an online headphone power calculator to estimate how much power you’ll need to hit your desired SPL — for most cases, around 105 dB peak is more than enough.

Also, are you set on getting a closed-back? I ask because the Noire XO is a similarly priced open-back alternative that may avoid some of the seal and coupling issues typical with closed headphones.

 

[A.H.I.]

Thank you for the reply!
For the budget, I guess that I would like to stay below 500$USD if possible.
I would like to connect it to a Win11 PC through USB. Perhaps having balanced outputs and an EQ would be nice.
I've just read about the new Topping DX5II and it seems like a good option, but I'm not familiar enough with the brand reliability to pull the plug. If not, my second option was the Grace Design m900, because I know their build quality/support from first hand experience.
I'm looking for closed-backs, because I will use them often on an open-floor type office and I would like minimize the in and out leaks.
And thank you for pointing out the online power calculators! According to one them, I only need 122mW, which seems suspiciously low...

 

[Chagall]

Yep, closed-back then make sense.
DX5 II in theory would be a no-brainer, but I encourage you to read up on both threads. DX5 II is a new product with some software quirks - it's reliability is yet to be proven. You can go that route, just be aware of some eary adopters bugs.

Yes, Noire X only needs 123mW to handle 105dB peaks - that's 85 dB average SPL and 20 dB crest. So you don't need a crazy amp.

Reliable amps in that budget would be JDS labs Element only single ended, Schiit Midgard or Topping L70. DACs are usually more reliable than amps.

 

[Rayman30]

The Noire X runs perfectly fine on my FiiO K11, which is 540mW @32Ω Single Ended. Honestly the various dongle DAC/Amps I have don't really do it justice, so I think anything over that will do nicely. My JDS Labs Element II at the office at 1.4W drives them with ease. The only thing, is if you EQ and - preamp, the K11 starts to lose some volume. I can vouch for the Element as being a great product, the new one support PEQ and has a digital potentiometer so perfect channel matching, also automatic gain switching

Hope that helps.

 

[TechLvr2]

For what it's worth, I do not have the Noire X, but I've been listening to my Aeon 2 Noire s for the last couple of days on a/the new Fiio QX13 and it seems to work fabulously, especially in "desktop mode". It has only been a couple of days but I'm very happy so far.

 

[A.H.I.]

Thank you all for the replies!
I stumbled across a great deal on DCA E3 with a JDS Labs Element IV and couldn't resist And couldn't be happier: as a first incursion into middle-end headphones, it is perfect to my ears!

 

[Grouse]

If I understand correctly, the DCA Noire X are rated at 13 Ohm.
So what happens if you use for example, a xDuoo TA-66, which indicates 60-600ohms?
Is an impedance adapter a relevant option? (https://www.veclan.com/engappliance_sel_one?eng_ApplianceVo.eac_id=85)

 

[VMAT4]

Yep, closed-back then make sense.
DX5 II in theory would be a no-brainer, but I encourage you to read up on both threads. DX5 II is a new product with some software quirks - it's reliability is yet to be proven. You can go that route, just be aware of some eary adopters bugs.

Yes, Noire X only needs 123mW to handle 105dB peaks - that's 85 dB average SPL and 20 dB crest. So you don't need a crazy amp.

Reliable amps in that budget would be JDS labs Element only single ended, Schiit Midgard or Topping L70. DACs are usually more reliable than amps.

Hard for me to read JDS Labs and not immediately think of their EXCELLENT customer service! And the Element IV, or whatever version it's up to, is a fun piece with the giant volume knob.

 

[Rayman30]

Hard for me to read JDS Labs and not immediately think of their EXCELLENT customer service! And the Element IV, or whatever version it's up to, is a fun piece with the giant volume knob.

Yep I use a JDS Labs Element II at work with the Noire X, it has plenty of power to drive them to ear bleed levels.

 

[Grouse]

If I understand correctly, the DCA Noire X are rated at 13 Ohm.
So what happens if you use for example, a xDuoo TA-66, which indicates 60-600ohms?
Is an impedance adapter a relevant option? (https://www.veclan.com/engappliance_sel_one?eng_ApplianceVo.eac_id=85)

@Dan Clark can you comment on the use of a tube amp (see above) will function with low impedance planar magnetic ss (specifically the noire x).

 

[Dan Clark]

@Dan Clark can you comment on the use of a tube amp (see above) will function with low impedance planar magnetic ss (specifically the noire x).

A sever impedance mismatch will result in very low power available to the headphone, and distortion at low volumes.

For these reasons having an output transformer tap in the 8-32 ohm range is highly recommended, and in most cases don't bother with OTL designs.

 

[BMGelb]

Hi, I'm a newbie here. I have DCA Noire X headphones for about 6 months and I am very happy with them. I replaced an old AVR with a Parasound P6/P21 preamp/power amp, but the P6 headphone amp (TI TPA6120A) is not putting out enough to drive the Noire X, so I am researching headphone amps.

I would appreciate some recommendations. In my research, I like the Topping A70 Pro-it seems like a good match and has more than enough power to drive the DCAs at,13 ohms, but is this overkill? Is there something out there comparable that anyone likes that would sound as good for less $? I need just an amp and not a dac as the preamp and my streamer have a dac.

Thanks for any suggestions or comments.

Barry