NFB-11 Upgrade for HD800S

[Clintosity]

Hi guys, I recently acquired a pair of HD800s and wondering if there's much merit in upgrading from my NFB-11. I've read from here that the audio gd doesn't measure well and it's also not a good combo due to the nfb being bright. Wondering if that means the dac or amp portion of the unit. If it was the amp section then would running nfb-11 to a SP200/Schiit Vali 2 be a good option or should i get a new dac + amp. Budget is around 500-600 USD but any bang for buck option would be preferred.

Cheers

 

[Noodles]

If you got no issue with the treble on your system, don't change anything.
Generally Schiit stuff does not sound good with the HD800, i'm talking comparatively to other options.
Tubes are where it's at with the HD800, but you don't really have to. A90/A50s is also a good pairing with them.

Again - if they sound good to you on your system, don't bother.

 

[Clintosity]

Thanks for the reply, just wondering if with the NFB-11 i'm getting the full resolution out of them. Comparatively price wise i see the magius/mobius are pretty price competitive and also allows me to run balanced albeit would be bright like my nfb-11.

 

[Mashcky]

Audio-GD measure poorly and so do most tube amps. I would avoid both and choose any solid state amp that meaures well. Be sure to EQ your HD800 as well for the best sound.

If you do these things you can’t go wrong. Don’t overthink it!

 

[Noodles]

The most immediate tell for amplifiers that cannot properly drive a headphone is if the bass is muddy and/or bloated.
Then you move onto instrument separation and amplification at higher volume ( to see if bass goes away and you get mostly highs).
I don’t believe either of these to be the case for the nfb 11... I just think it would be bright all the way.

 

[3125b]

Often times people asking here expect night and day differences between audio electronics, just to be met with the realization, that the transducers are the most noticable part of the chain.

That being said, the NFB-11 hasn't been measured here, but since it has "No FeedBack" (at least I assume that's what "NFB" means) in the name, I'd assume is performs just like all the other Audio-gd products. Of course you can't trust the manufacturers specs since they are known to just make things up, and the build quality has been shown to be questionable to dangerous.

If it gives you a SINAD in the mid 50's like some of their products, there would be an audible difference to something >96dB even if the output impedance is low and output power is sufficient.
As far as power goes, the manufacturer specifies 300mW/300R, so if it, in a manner similar to the R2R11 tested here, reaches half that in reality, it would be sufficient. Output impedance is specified at 2R, wich is probably more or less correct, safe to say it's fairly low, doesn't matter too much with the HD800.

As you might be able to tell, I don't like Audio-gd very much, in fact I think it's one of those scummy companies that gives Chinese products a bad name.
Anyway, upgrading the DAC/Amp will probably make a very noticable difference in this case.
A Shiit Modius/Magnius stack is a pretty good option at 400$ for the both. If possible, you should use a balanced cable then.
If you don't want balanced but save some money, you could of course buy a JDS Labs Atom stack, a Schiit Magni Heresy and Modi 3+ or something that is not a stack at all and just mix it up like you want, I use an Atom amp and a Topping E30 for example. Have a look at the feature lists and decide what you need. You could of course also buy a good interface (Motu M4 for example) and combine that with an amp for desktop use. If you want something attractive, the JDS Labs Element II would fit that bill at a budget.
There are many good options at reasonable prices these days. Here is a link to the ASR measurement index for an overview (some of the lastest revies aren't listed there yet): Audio Electronics Review and Measurements Index | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

 

[Matias]

I would choose Schiit Modius + Magnius and use the HD800 balanced. And if using a computer as source, software parametric EQ.

 

[Berwhale]

The HD800 S comes with a balanced cable with a 4.4mm pentacon jack. You'll need another cable or an adapter to plus it into the Schiit Magnius.

You could also consider the Topping D50s/A50s stack. The A50s has a 4.4mm balanced output.

 

[Clintosity]

Thanks for the replies guys, my HD800S luckily actually came with an XLR and not the 4.4mm balanced. I've read that that magnius/modius can be a bit bright/analytical kind of like my NFB-11 though. Have heard the asgard 3 is a bit warmer than the magnius and can pair well however i'd lose the ability to run balanced and would need to go single ended.
Would that be the dac or the amp that would be the contributing factor for the brightness? Last question locally i have a JDS atom stack for sale 2nd hand for not too expensive, would this be a decent step up from the nfb or more of a side grade.

Cheers