Hey, folks. New here and just getting started in this. Obviously have listened to music for many years, but only recently got more into the finer parts you esteemed folks have enjoyed for some time...After some research, I set out to test the following:
- Sources Used
- Apple MacBook Pro (M1 flavor)
- Apple iTunes (Max audio quality available...Hi-Res ALAC 24-bit/192kHz and Dolby Atmos)
- Tidal Hi-Fi and MQA
- DAC/AMP
- iFi Zen DAC V2 paired with iFi ZEN CAN (fed via USB)
- RME ADI-2 DAC (fed via USB)
- Headphones
- Apple AirPods Max (already had and didn't realize what I was missing!)
- Sony MDRZ1R
- Sennheiser HD800S
I wound up going with the
- Apple iTunes
- RME ADI-2 DAC
- Sennheiser HD800S
There were a number of resources here and other places that led me to these options. For MY listening preference, the above hit it out of the park. I didn't necessarily want to pay for another music streaming subscription and I couldn't tell much difference in MQA on the iFi equipment--in fact, I much preferred the RME's sound in all cases. One thing I had to setup in MacOS was the Audio MIDI Setup settings. I set those to 384,000Hz and that allowed me to use the Treble/Bass on the RME and achieve the best sound from iTunes--at least that was my experience.
Out of the box, the RME DAC/amplifier sounds great. After setting up the PEQ, it's pretty much turn it on and listen. I make occasional adjustments to the Treble and Bass--another feature I really like. The display is awesome and hypnotic. Just a superb unit and I'm quite pleased with the unit. At this point, I don't feel I need anything additional here (yet...).
As for headphones, I really liked both--the Sony's had some great punch, but after several days of listening, I kept coming back to the Sennheiser's. Compared to the closed-back Sony's (and AirPods Max) the Sennheiser's just give me a much more spacious feeling, very meticulous sound across all the music types I listen--essentially anything. I couldn't be more happy with these headphones and never knew music could sound so good with this setup. I don't find a need to purchase an external amplifier at all--the headphones get plenty loud (note: I have Hi-Power enabled).
Anyway, just wanted to share my experience for anyone who might benefit from it. I appreciate everyone's thoughts and info here--really helped me land something I truly enjoy.