Will my Sennheiser HD600 sound better with the Topping D10+JDS Atom than with the RME Babyface Pro?
I ask specifically about my headphones, not about some super-hard-to-drive planar-magnetic ones.
And while I am already asking - will they sound even better with the THX 789+some dac?
Story:
I am looking for a good amp (and a dac) to get the best out of my Sennheiser HD600.
I currently use the Yamaha AG03 (USB) sound interface which gives me enough volume, but I suspect the sound quality could be improved as the Yamaha specs are quite low.
After reading quite a lot and watching ZeosPantera, my choice is currently Topping D10+JDS Atom, or the THX789 AAA+some dac (Topping D10 as well?).
However, as I am doing recordings sometimes, I had an idea - perhaps I could get a good Sound Interface that could also serve me as a VERY-GOOD amp for my headphones.
While the RME Babyface Pro costs much more than the Atom+D10 combined, I was considering getting it.
So, as I wrote at the top, my questions are:
Will my Sennheiser HD600 sound better with the Topping D10+JDS Atom than with the Babyface Pro?
Perhaps even better with the THX 789 AAA + some dac?
FYI, I did a quick test on the RME Babyface Pro, just got it a few days ago:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...able-for-measurements.7536/page-3#post-233867
This is my take on it after a few days of playing with it:
Incredibly accurate meters, love the TotalMix control / mixer panel, Basically we can trust and rely the numbers on the specification of the input-output interface given by RME. They are accurate. So it is a great audio interface.
If you expect a good headphone amplifier, the 3.5mm headphone output is very good in if you're looking for a headphone with:
Very low THD and very low noise. It has 2 ohm output impedance, while the 6.35mm output has 10 ohm output impedance.
But it is on the low power category at only around 70 mW (3.5mm output). So not very powerful for headphone, but sufficient for easy to drive headphones.
My impression after a few hours of listening using the headphone output: It sounds fantastic on IEMs!!!
Mostly, like 95% of headphone outputs I tried, be it headphone output from an audio interface (I have a few, Tascam, Steinber, Zoom, etc.), or good quality DAC (portable and desktop), always hiss with my 1964 Ears V3 In-Ear monitor. It has 119 dB/mW sensitivity. And it has been my hiss detector for years. Very useful for reviewing DACs and Amps
. There are so far only 2 headphone outputs that are quiet on 1964 Ears V3, my Onkyo DP-X1 DAP, and the 3.5mm output from the RME Babyface Pro. With sensitive IEMs, the Babyface Pro headphone output sounds really good! Very clean and an amazing perceived dynamic, detail and clarity. It will really helps us in recording and mixing. And it has pretty good perceived dynamic power on IEMs, so it sounds powerful on IEMs (I tried a few IEMs so far). So, for IEMs it is fantastic! For headphones, depends on the required power.
Here are some screenshot on 1 kHz tone at 50mV output level (output level for sensitive IEM), in comparison of Chord Mojo, Fiio Q5, and RME Babyface Pro using Quantasylum QA401. All measured on 33 ohm load.
Fiio Q5:
Chord Mojo:
RME Babyface Pro (3.5mm output):