Help finding DAC/AMP for Sennheiser HD800S with MacBook Pro 2021

[st.nsw]

My pardon if my question is already answered. I would like advice. First, am I going to get significantly better sound with a DAC/AMP plugged into the MacBook Pro 2021? They sound okay, just not quite interesting enough. I don't need more volume. I play mostly classical, a lot of high res.

And then advice as to what you could suggest. I have a good system with speakers, but it is on the opposite wall from where I usually sit. It is running with Roon. I have set myself up recently with these headphones to plug into my MacBook with Audirvana (from Roon it was not as good). They do sound a lot better plugged into the PSAudio pre-amp, but then I am tethered to it. I thought about it and don't really want an item next to me that needs to be plugged in to a wall socket. So I want portable, with its own battery. BT is not necessary. I am not going to use a phone, just the laptop.

A further question is--there is a bit on these pages about EQ with these headphones. Pardon, but I don't know how to add EQ.

 

[staticV3]

Hi @st.nsw! Welcome to ASR.

First, am I going to get significantly better sound with a DAC/AMP plugged into the MacBook Pro 2021?

Significantly? Definitely not.
Slightly better? Also unlikely TBH.

I thought about it and don't really want an item next to me that needs to be plugged in to a wall socket. So I want portable, with its own battery. BT is not necessary.

I'd give the Topping DX1 a try, that's about as much as makes sense to invest in your case.

A further question is--there is a bit on these pages about EQ with these headphones. Pardon, but I don't know how to add EQ.

Best way to EQ on macOS is to install SoundSource.

You can then import oratory1990's EQ preset for the HD800S (attached below) like this.

Lastly, you can follow the instructions in the bottom right corner of oratory's PDF (where this preset comes from), to adjust the EQ to preference:

 

[binaryblaze]

Measurements of Apple MacBook Pro M1 Max (2021) - L7Audiolab

台式设备 在2021年MacBookPro发布的时候，专门说了一下新款MBP的耳机插孔。当然，本站很有兴趣测量一下苹果“到底提供了怎样的耳机插孔”……可惜本站很穷……买不起…… T__T但是！穷人也能交到有钱朋友的对不对！于是一个网友直接定了一台给我……

www.l7audiolab.com

Measurements of the MacBook Pro 2021 headphone jack by @WolfX-700 show room for improvement (borderline audible) in the THD department but otherwise the MacBook Pro headphone out has excellent performance (noise, dynamic range). 3V RMS could be a little low for tracks with very high dynamic range though. The lack of native 192kHz+ decoding support might be an issue if you have a large HiRes library but shouldn't be audible.

 

[st.nsw]

Hi @st.nsw! Welcome to ASR.


Significantly? Definitely not.
Slightly better? Also unlikely TBH.


I'd give the Topping DX1 a try, that's about as much as makes sense to invest in your case.


Best way to EQ on macOS is to install SoundSource.

You can then import oratory1990's EQ preset for the HD800S (attached below) like this.

Lastly, you can follow the instructions in the bottom right corner of oratory's PDF (where this preset comes from), to adjust the EQ to preference:
View attachment 393998

Thank you very much!
The headphones sound a lot better plugged into the PS Auto pre-amp, but of course there is a lot behind that that is not there with my MacBook.

 

[AnalogSteph]

They sound okay, just not quite interesting enough.

What exactly constitutes "interesting" sound?

My hunch says that the PS Audio pre (BHK?) might have highish output impedance. If so, one should be able to recreate that using either an impedance adapter (75 ohms is quite common) or with EQ, dialing in a bit more bass.

HD800S

back to Sennheiser back to measurements home Published: Oct-25-2017, updated Dec-14-2020 NO SMOOTHING is applied to the shown plots. Most measurement sites have some smoothing applied which ‘irons …

diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com

As can be seen the tonal balance changes just slightly on a very high resistance (120Ω) amplifier. when connected to a higher output resistance amplifier. You get about 1dB more lows. This can make the headphone sound slightly ‘fuller’. Lower bass is not boosted.
Output resistances below 33 Ohm have no effect at all.