Hello everyone!
I've read a few of amir's reviews for DACs and amps but this will be the first time I'm participating in the forums.
So basically I've been hanging around the periphery of the whole audio hobby for a few years but never tried to delve too deep. I'm currently a college student still so money's always tight. My first foray into the audio world proper was when I picked up the AKG K553 Pro's when they were first released on massdrop. They were...uncomfortable to say the least. Anyway fast forward to today I have several headphones and IEMs but have decided to sell of all them, leaving me with just a HD6XX and a Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk.
In terms of DAC/amps, I was using an ancient Schiit Modi and Vali (Gen 1) stack that I got for cheap used. However, recently I've had to get an Apple dongle for my new phone as it doesn't have a jack, and wow, its not even a competition. A USD9 dongle blows that old schiit stack out the water, especially with my IEM. HD6XX didn't have enough power but still sounded better somehow.
Anyway, I'm looking for opinions on what I should get in terms of amp that will suit both my 300ohm cans and 22ohm IEM. Usage will be for a desktop PC. I was considering using the Apple dongle as the DAC and hooking it up via RCA adaptor to something like a Heresy, but I am unsure if double amping is detrimental. I was also looking at the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro as a DAC into an amp, or using it straight up as the DAC/amp and call it a day. Or if I should consider a proper DAC/amp combo.
The most budget-friendly option would be simply use the Sonata HD Pro's as a DAC/amp combo, but I really liked having a volume knob to turn as well as the aesthetic of a rectangle box in front of my monitor.
I am aware that the Heresy, Atom, and L30 are common recommendations at my budget (around USD100 or less).
Apologies for my messy formatting.
I've read a few of amir's reviews for DACs and amps but this will be the first time I'm participating in the forums.
So basically I've been hanging around the periphery of the whole audio hobby for a few years but never tried to delve too deep. I'm currently a college student still so money's always tight. My first foray into the audio world proper was when I picked up the AKG K553 Pro's when they were first released on massdrop. They were...uncomfortable to say the least. Anyway fast forward to today I have several headphones and IEMs but have decided to sell of all them, leaving me with just a HD6XX and a Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk.
In terms of DAC/amps, I was using an ancient Schiit Modi and Vali (Gen 1) stack that I got for cheap used. However, recently I've had to get an Apple dongle for my new phone as it doesn't have a jack, and wow, its not even a competition. A USD9 dongle blows that old schiit stack out the water, especially with my IEM. HD6XX didn't have enough power but still sounded better somehow.
Anyway, I'm looking for opinions on what I should get in terms of amp that will suit both my 300ohm cans and 22ohm IEM. Usage will be for a desktop PC. I was considering using the Apple dongle as the DAC and hooking it up via RCA adaptor to something like a Heresy, but I am unsure if double amping is detrimental. I was also looking at the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro as a DAC into an amp, or using it straight up as the DAC/amp and call it a day. Or if I should consider a proper DAC/amp combo.
The most budget-friendly option would be simply use the Sonata HD Pro's as a DAC/amp combo, but I really liked having a volume knob to turn as well as the aesthetic of a rectangle box in front of my monitor.
I am aware that the Heresy, Atom, and L30 are common recommendations at my budget (around USD100 or less).
Apologies for my messy formatting.