Portable Amplifier for 300ohm Headphones?

[Curvature]

What are the best options for portably powering a Sennheiser HD800S?

To be clear, this is to walk around the house, not the street.

 

[staticV3]

A Qudelix 5K, clipped to a pocket or your shirt, with a short, 2.5mm balanced headphone cable, with oratory's HD800S EQ preset loaded onto the Qudelix and your source device connected via Bluetooth.

 

[Curvature]

A Qudelix 5K, clipped to a pocket or your shirt, with a short, 2.5mm balanced headphone cable, with oratory's HD800S EQ preset loaded onto the Qudelix and your source device connected via Bluetooth.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...qudelix-5k-bluetooth-dac-headphone-amp.17386/ for anyone else looking in.

Are there higher power options?

 

[staticV3]

Are there higher power options?

The Qudelix 5K can drive the HD800S to 118dB SPL Peak.
That is 14 times as loud as my usual listening volume of 80dB SPL Peak.

Are you sure that you need even more power than that?

 

[Curvature]

The Qudelix 5K can drive the HD800S to 118dB SPL Peak.
That is 14 times as loud as my usual listening volume of 80dB SPL Peak.

Are you sure that you need even more power than that?

Why assume ignorance?

I asked if there were other options because I want to understand what's on offer at the market and what I'd trading in terms of price, size and features if I opted for a different, higher-powered model with more headroom.

 

[DVDdoug]

with more headroom.

You don't need headroom if you don't use it, and if you use it it's no longer headroom!

 

[IAtaman]

DSP and software features wise 5K is as good as it gets at the moment. You can get other mobile devices that comes with a 4.4mm socket instead of 2.5mm if that is of interest. My observation is that power wise portable DAC/AMPs come in two groups - more portable ones that either have some small battery or gets its power from your mobile device; and power monsters that have a large battery, a lot of power but are consequently less portable. If you go for the portable option, 5K is more or less tops the range there with 4V output. If you are OK to go less portable, you can go for something like Fiio Q7 which claims to have 3W max power, or Topping G5 which claims 1.2W per channel. But, as others said, there is nothing to be gained as longs as you are listening to HD800S with it and probably the best feature to get is a DSP.

 

[Deleted member 21219]

Why assume ignorance?

I asked if there were other options because I want to understand what's on offer at the market and what I'd trading in terms of price, size and features if I opted for a different, higher-powered model with more headroom.

I asked if there were other options because I want to understand what's on offer at the market and what I'd trading in terms of price, size and features if I opted for a different, higher-powered model with more headroom.

See any difference between the two posts?

Jim

 

[Blorg]

Just to echo @staticV3, I use the Qudelix with the HD800S and it's really more than enough. 300Ω headphones aren't necessarily particularly hard to drive, it's actually the lower impedance lower sensitivity stuff that is harder and that I might want something more, as lower impedance = higher current. The PEQ is also invaluable as the HD800S benefits from this. I don't typically do full Harman EQ but I do add a moderate bass shelf and knock down the 6kHz peak just a touch. You could get this cable in a shorter version but the HD800S doesn't swap cables easily so I use a cable on it I can just leave on whether using the Qudelix or my desktop amp (Topping A90).

 

[Curvature]

I ended up getting the THX Onyx for the size. EQ happens through my phone.

Headroom isn't just for the my current headphone. If I switch down the line to something else, like low impedance planars, then I'd the amp to be capable of supporting that. But in this case purpose-specific is enough. Aiming for better specs and capabilities than I need has served me well over the years.

 

[Blorg]

@Curvature fair enough, although the Onyx is only 1/4 of the power of the Qudelix so peculiar choice if you thought at the start you need even more power than the Qudelix. The 2V of the Onyx should still get you in the region of 108dB (spec: 102dB/V 300Ω) - 111dB (DIY Audio Heaven: 101dB/mW 370Ω). My feeling, certainly without EQ and very possibly with, this is still enough, I don't go over 2V on the Qudelix. Qudelix 5K would get you pretty much exactly 2x the voltage, 4x the power and +6dB louder though.

Onyx (2V SE): 14mW @300Ω
Qudelix (4V balanced): 53mW @300Ω

 

[Curvature]

@Curvature fair enough, although the Onyx is only 1/4 of the power of the Qudelix so peculiar choice if you thought at the start you need even more power than the Qudelix. The 2V of the Onyx should still get you in the region of 108dB (spec: 102dB/V 300Ω) - 111dB (DIY Audio Heaven: 101dB/mW 370Ω). My feeling, certainly without EQ and very possibly with, this is still enough, I don't go over 2V on the Qudelix. Qudelix 5K would get you pretty much exactly 2x the voltage, 4x the power and +6dB louder though.

Onyx (2V SE): 14mW @300Ω
Qudelix (4V balanced): 53mW @300Ω

Maybe I am wrong for assuming that this should have been clear: I was asking a market question. What is out there? What products? For some reason most people who joined this thread assumed that I did not understand impedance/sensitivity/output figures and did not know about the relevant calculators, like Sengpiel's, and that my goal was either to blast my brain from both sides or that I was running with the more power=more better thesis.

 

[Bob from Florida]

The iFi Micro Signature will drive anything. The only caveat is the source has to feed its internal DAC via optical, coaxial, or USB digital inputs - no line in. I have one and it drives my Meze Classic 99's with ease. Battery life is around 13 hours. Amazon has them on sale for $585 at this time.

Amazon.com

 

[bodhi]

I seemed to have misplaced my Qudelix so I just got the iFi Go Blu. It's said to offer 245mW @ 32Ω and can run HD600 unnecessary loud, at least balanced.

Biggest upside is the volume knob, I'd pick the Blu just for that and a nicer design. Wavelet for Android makes the PEQ useless to me.

 

[Phorize]

I seemed to have misplaced my Qudelix so I just got the iFi Go Blu. It's said to offer 245mW @ 32Ω and can run HD600 unnecessary loud, at least balanced.

Biggest upside is the volume knob, I'd pick the Blu just for that and a nicer design. Wavelet for Android makes the PEQ useless to me.

Take the point but to split hairs wavelet peq is less capable than the qudelix.

 

[asrUser]

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...qudelix-5k-bluetooth-dac-headphone-amp.17386/ for anyone else looking in.

Are there higher power options?

iFi Gryphon, Xduoo XD05 Pro or Qudelix T71.

 

[bodhi]

Take the point but to split hairs wavelet peq is less capable than the qudelix.

Yes, I forgot that it only has fixed bands and AutoEQ integration. Probably because I gave up on fine tuning EQs a while ago. Not only because I really couldn't manage any meaningful (couldn't tell if I liked some minor changes more or less) fine tuning myself but also because I have too many headhphones to bother with one.

 

[bodhi]

I switched from Wavelet to Poweramp equalizer which has completely customizable EQ along with a lot more useful features. Also has AutoEQ import.

 

[Curvature]

I would strongly suggest to everyone EQing, that, if you are already spending money on expensive headphones and amps, to spend on in-ear microphones, like those by Sound Professionals. Generic EQ to a target simply did not work for me.