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
A lot of people prefer to pair these with really neutral sounding IEM's. I think all of the Shure IEM's tend to sound amazing with the DX90.
Note: I don't currently have either of these players so this is just what I've read.
In the end, it's all about your own preference. One terrible inconvenience that I have is that there are no audio stores in Arizona that carry either of these great DAPs for me to audition first. Also, I cannot really order both to try them out then return one because I don't have that kind of money to throw around, I'm a student.
While a lot of people like to pair up the DX90 with some good neutral sounding monitors, I would probably pair it up with something on the warmer side of neutral, if that makes any sense. Like a GR07 MKII, or GR07 MKIIBE is a little bit on the warm side of completely neutral. I have also heard some people say that the DX90 is slightly bright.
Shure makes some good IEMs, but IMHO there are some way better IEMs out there for the price. For example, the Shure SE425 is not worth the money at all, really. The Shure SE315 is also not that good for the amount of money you pay. I think that the only Shure IEMs that have a good price-to-value ratio are the beginner SE215, intermediate SE535, and the SE846 for those advanced listeners. Also, most of Shure's IEMs are dark and warm, not cold or neutral.
The IEM I am currently using a GR07 MKIIBE and the circumaural monitors I am using are the HiFiMAN HE-400. I also have a Mad Dog from Mr. Speakers on the way. I listen to a wide variety of music so, instead of listing all the things that I like to listen to, here's what I don't like: most Country, and all of techno/trance, though I do like EDM, which is different.
Lastly, can anyone direct me to a good source of downloading good quality recordings in FLAC or AAC format for free or a relatively low price? HD Tracks is eating all my money lol :)