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
I've ordered the HD58x--in part for its lower impedance but also because, at the time, I thought the HD6xx was never coming back (I was brand new to Massdrop and didn't realize drops come and go--at least for popular ones). I also ordered the HD6xx when they became available again, but mostly to play around with some tube amplification (dipped my toe into tubes with the Bravo V2 from here as well).
If they prove indistinguishable to my (aging) ears, then I'll likely sell one of them and get something clearly different. But if I enjoy the tube experience and decide to go further along that path, I'll probably keep them both, as the higher impedance of the HD6xx, in theory, should be a better match for tubed gear.
Plus it's good to have options.
Sennheiser makes the HDVA 600 and the HDV 820 desktop amps, but you'd probably want something more portable to go with your iPhone. Fortunately, some great options (and opinions) are often on Massdrop (and more recommendations on other sites).
Hope you have a great experience!
At the price, I figured I’d try it out and see if I’m interested in pursuing it further. If so, I know there are many options to consider.
iPhones do NOT support aptX unfortunately, but Bluetooth devices I’ve tried in the past few years have sounded pretty great. Especially ones that can transmit AAC without re-encoding.
Everybody’s experience is different, but I had an easier time saving up money in high school than I did in college, and right after college was leaner times as well while I took what jobs I could find until my career actually got started. Then, I got married and lost the ability to save again 😅 Combined, we make more money than ever before, but we’re more ambitious about our living conditions and quality of life, so we save less. I’m still trying to pay my dues towards retirement, we’ll see if I started soon enough!