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How do you listen to music?

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davidebond

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Yes. It Is true. Probably It Is a psychological matter, but the Psyche drives man's behaviour.
 
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davidebond

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Excuse me another annotation. I purchased a hi res dac (given my financial possibilities), a hi res headphone (thank to @Marc v E) and a hi res headphone amp. I would listen to my cds with more definition; i.e. hearing what it was not audible before like the end of Tchaikowsky 6, or the beginning of Debussy's La Mer. Unfortunately, the sound is better but the definition is like before. What can I do?
 
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davidebond

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For example, in an orchestra, the inner parts as the violas. I think to the beginning of the first movement of Bruckner 5. The pizzicato of celli and double basses is more clear, but difficult to hear. I tested with an old recording, Mahler 9 conducted by Sinopoli. Timpani and double basses are not clear. The sound is better, but what I hear, more or less, I am able to hear with a walkman. I must purchase a 24bit/96khz to hear something clear and present. I have difficulty in hearing many things. Why? The headphone has an impedence too great?
 

fordiebianco

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Hi. CD aside, how do you listen to hi res music? Do you buy bd audio? If yes, how do you manage It? Or do you download hi res FLAC or dsd files?

For 5.1 music, I listen to HD-Audio and Audio Blu-Ray or SACD, but that's not daily. Otherwise CDs or tracks from my own, ripped library (on various devices, such as mobiles or laptops) or streaming from Apple Music for albums I don't (yet) own. I prefer to own my music in hard copy, as I don't trust the long term availability of albums bought online (and CDs from ebay are chaeper).
 
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davidebond

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For example, if I use a Sennheiser hd2.30l and I insert it directly in the dac, the sound is not so nice, but I am able to grasp many things, inaudible otherwise.
 

Killingbeans

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The headphone has an impedence too great?

Possibly. I don't know what "hi res headphone" you are using, but most headphones on the market will not have a neutral frequency response.

Or maybe it's the other way around. The headphone setup actually is more "flat" and persents the mastering of the recording as it should be, but your brain is accustomed to gear with exaggerations of certain frequencies that normally give you the impressions you define as "definition".

What can I do?

I'd give my head/hearing some time to "burn-in". And if the sound still bothers you after that, play around with some EQ.
 
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davidebond

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I use usually Sennheiser hd 650 with Topping dx3 pro and a jds lab atom amp.
 
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davidebond

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I made a try. I got the desired definition setting the amp with gain at 50%. Is there not a budget amp with nice resolution which is more powerfull?
 

Killingbeans

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I don't understand. You got the result you wanted by turning up the volume on the Atom. Why do you want more power?
 

Steve Dallas

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For example, in an orchestra, the inner parts as the violas. I think to the beginning of the first movement of Bruckner 5. The pizzicato of celli and double basses is more clear, but difficult to hear. I tested with an old recording, Mahler 9 conducted by Sinopoli. Timpani and double basses are not clear. The sound is better, but what I hear, more or less, I am able to hear with a walkman. I must purchase a 24bit/96khz to hear something clear and present. I have difficulty in hearing many things. Why? The headphone has an impedence too great?
You are chasing a red herring with hi-res audio. The bit depth impacts dynamic range, which is a function of the noise floor and loudness. Sixteen bits is 97dB, which is more than enough for the human ear. The increase in sample rate affects frequencies above 22KHz, which is ultrasonic. Even if there is any information up there, it is usually just noise. Neither of these things affect clarity nor definition.
 

Jimbob54

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And if the sound still bothers you after that, play around with some EQ.

Im not sure but I think that cat remains unflayed
 
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davidebond

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To @Killingbeans: right. But I cannot augment the amp After a limit. Then, It Is insopportable for its loudness. To @Steve Dallas: you can have right, but If I download a file from Presto, I hear anything. If I use the CD, the contrary Is the rule. Where Is the ground?
 
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davidebond

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The sound of hd 650 has no comparison, but it need 125 ohm to be driven. I can adjust the volume, but when it is too loud it is not the best... With headphones with less impedence (>= 16 ohm) any part is definite and clear. What can I do?
 

Open Mind Audio

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Me, 58-year-old audio addict:
  1. Roon playing purchased downloads and a library of ripped CDs, SACDs, DVD and Bluray Audio. (Will switch now and then to JRiver, esp for multi-channel.)
  2. Qobuz streaming via Roon. Qobuz is a fantastic option offering transparency around versions, high-res files and remasters, and the ability to easily purchase downloads to obtain my own files and support artists.
  3. Occasional physical media -- mainly CDs and SACDs, sometimes an LP.
  4. I play these options on all 3 audio systems around the house: 1) the dedicated audio/HT room, 2) bedroom, and 3) desktop.
My wife, 54-year-old music lover who prizes convenience:
  1. Unless I put music on one of our good systems, she is 100% Spotify streaming from her phone to a JBL portable speaker. Drives me crazy but go figure.
 

Martin

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I have 2,730 CD's ripped to FLAC and 360 SACD's ripped to DSD on my NAS server. I also have over 500 LP's.

There are six ways I listen to music:
  1. FLAC, DSD or LP on my stereo through speakers.
  2. FLAC, DSD or LP on my stereo through headphones.
  3. FLAC on my home theater setup through those speakers.
  4. FLAC or DSD on my computer through speakers.
  5. MP3 on my phone through headphones.
  6. MP3 on my phone through car stereo speakers.
I very rarely stream music but when I do it is normally using YouTUBE.

Martin
 

Steve Dallas

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To @Killingbeans: right. But I cannot augment the amp After a limit. Then, It Is insopportable for its loudness. To @Steve Dallas: you can have right, but If I download a file from Presto, I hear anything. If I use the CD, the contrary Is the rule. Where Is the ground?
You are hearing the difference between different masters; you are not hearing the difference between resolutions.
 

sejarzo

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The sound of hd 650 has no comparison, but it need 125 ohm to be driven. I can adjust the volume, but when it is too loud it is not the best... With headphones with less impedence (>= 16 ohm) any part is definite and clear. What can I do?


Something seems amiss with the settings on your DX3 Pro or your playback software configuration.

I have used various Topping DACs with my Atom headamp and HD6XX headphones for several years, and never have had any problems running that using the high gain setting on the Atom. If there is no digital attenuation in the playback software, I have no need to run the volume higher than 11 to 12 o'clock even with classical music recorded at a low level.

That's not normally the case, though. My DSP chain includes a 6 dB attenuation before resampling to 44.1 kHz to match the convolution .wavs I use to EQ my various headphones, and that convolution step also adds some attenuation.

What operating system and software do you use to listen to your files? Are those configured so your digital output stream is not attenuated? For instance, in my Foobar player on Windows 10, I use WASAPI exclusive in event mode...

1676387509953.png


...and then ensure that the Windows mixer output is set to 100%:

1676387637638.png



EDIT: I just saw your post from December 2022 and see that you are using Foobar on Win11. What I show above should be how Foobar and Win11 are set for output level. What is your MathAudio Headphone EQ gain setting, and what other components are in your DSP stack?

1676388322819.png


Next, I don't own a DX3 Pro, and the online manual I found is a bit confusing. But here is what I believe the display should show when it is set up properly for use as a DAC only with the line output connected to the Atom:
1676387300568.png


Finally, the gain button next to the volume knob on the Atom should be pushed in for high gain if you are using the HD650.

Hope that helps! If you need more info please start a private conversation.
 
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sejarzo

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You are hearing the difference between different masters; you are not hearing the difference between resolutions.

When I listen to relatively recent remasters of pop/rock from the 80s that didn't even use the full dynamic range of CD at the time, I often wonder if the 24 bit remaster is actually compressed to sound more "modern" and thus increased the relative volume of what was originally very low level detail...and that is why I am hearing things that I never heard on the original CD of that era. In other words, the remaster has become exactly the opposite of what hi-res should be. :facepalm:
 
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