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
Something to note regarding the sound: There is significant shrillness (harsh treble) in the first few plays on these cans. In fact, your first impression is that either the bass is too recessed or the mid-treble range is overpowering; with this I somehow agree. However, if you give it time, you can adjust to it. I only got used to it after a few days, and eventually you'd find they balance out. I cannot explain this well, and this is long before I swapped the pads out. I figure I just adjusted to the sound signature. They're quite well balanced, and the bass does eventually make itself present; it's probably not going to do excellent in bassy songs but it's definitely there. You'll never call this a bassy headphone, and you're never going to be impressed with the bass, but I am satisfied. Perhaps they needed more burning-in time, or I damaged my ear's treble range on these. I would like to think it's the former because if I damaged my ears, I can't survive much longer (bad jokes aside, I think it's the former. I can still differentiate between the terribly shrill headphones from *HD6XX ahem come back soon pls* ... others) Oh, & also there isn't much warmth in these, take note!
If you're a gamer, don't count on these for positional audio. It has a generously wide soundstage, which while great for music, it's hard to pinpoint sources when playing CS:GO and Overwatch. I almost never get to accurately hear where McCree is "ITSHIGHNOON"in' from...and I'm not a terribly player, I promise ^^
At the price of $99, I wouldn't complain too much about the build. It's plastic all around, sparing the top of the headband. It's rather lightweight though, so not many complaints there. I think the grills are made of plastic too? I'm not particularly sure. Feels like metal but...perhaps a lower grade one. While a majority is plastic and it does feel fragile at times, I find it can sustain some damage. Well, don't go run it over with your bicycle after reading this, but they're flexible enough to be twisted cup-upon-cup into a backpack (without a case) and still retain it's original shape (It was an accident!).
I think it's a good entry-level pair of cans. If you're somewhere with the ATH-M50x or better, you probably won't be too impressed with this. It is great for an early open-back experience or your first step into the headphone gig though, so good luck! [Disclaimer: My ears are mine, as are my thoughts. Feel free to differ, but I claim no responsibility in making your choices]