What would be a good portable Dac/Amp to use with my HD6xx and Sony Xperia 1 V cell phone?
I am new to this hobby. I purchased a HD6XX and plan to use it with my Sony Xperia 1 V cell phone, that has a 3.5mm jack. I was wondering if I needed a portable dac/amp or just a portable amp and if so what would one recommend? Any assistance one could provide, would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards, Haz
Mar 7, 2024
if your happen to be outside the US or buy products from outside the US i wont be shocked if you need an amp for many/most devices....
btw, if you want a better amp cheaper the PA2v2 is worth a look, perhaps even suggesting it on massdrop if the guy who makes them is interested in making a large number for a drop.
the Fiio's are decent amps but, there are better amps out there you can get...or if you really wana go all out, build your own so you can roll opamps ;)
The K55x series have completely different drivers that are much more sensitive and can be driven very well straight from portable sources without additional external amping. I used to own the K612 and Q701, my close friend used to own the K702 and now owns the K712. I also used to own the K550 and currently own the K7xx massdrop first edition, so my claims are based "on reality", backed by data. The level of misinformation in these massdrop discussion threads are shocking and should be prevented from perpetuating.
What does living outside the US have to do with anything? I wouldn't think the fact that I live in an Igloo in the arctic climate of downtown Vancouver makes a difference.
Fiio was just an example, of course there are better amps. It's a decent portable option though. BTW, a better amp is sooooo subjective it's ridiculous. For anyone to suggest there is a better amp is purely subjective as well.
When I bought my 701s which I incorrectly noted as 32 ohms, I contacted AKG directly and talked to one of their specialist who advised that they would not require or benefit from an amp. He had no reason to misinform me. I also saw a variety of posts by seemingly knowledgeable people that stated the same thing. The reality is that they did benefit from an amp, end of story.
My point is that all of this is so subjective no matter how many specs are thrown out there. The dude should find a way to try out some amps, dacs or whatever, if he thinks they improve sound levels or quality for that matter, then there's the answer. For someone to tell you that you don't need an amp is really not good advice (not suggesting you are). Just tired of all the opinions based on specs and data. We are not identical machines. At the end of the day it's all trial and error and a fun hobby none the less.
Go link some more data to stop the perpetuation of opinions.
I have bought EU editions of products 2nd hand and flashed the US or Oceania firmware to gain back output volume/power.
also keep in mind, it depends on the device, the 701's are higher ohm and lower sensitivity, thus to really get them to shine you need am amp in most cases, though the 701's being open backed are far from ideal to run on the go anyway, and a decent soundcard like an xonar should have ZERO need for an amp if you use the front headphone out.
fiio makes decent low cost amps, i have a 2 e3's and 2 e5's that i use at times, depending on what headphones im using, i dont need them for any of my IEM's as they are all easily driven by all my players to their full potential.
and, you dont NEED one, they work without it, and calling the CS line to ask.....kinda a rookie move, the people you get on cs mostly just read scripts and faq tables.....its not like they are actually the ones who design the products....
also, the pa2v2 was just a suggestion, for the money its one of the bet portable amps you can get, if you dont need portible but just wana use it with your desktop computer or the like, the O2 amp/dac would be a good option, its got its flaws though to.....
the zen amp is kickass, and gets over 50hrs battery life on 1 rechargeable 9v battery...(i wana build myself one!!!)
anyway, these cans shouldnt need an amp, if people want one though, http://www.mp4nation.net/fiio-e06-portable-audio-headphone-amplifier
thats a good starter amp, that wont cost alot(anybody reading this).
Fiio make good products, just for the money on their higher end stuff...you can get the same quality or better for less or the same money........look at the x5...neat device but the battery lifes horrible....