Headphones at OcUK - An Update
- Thread starter rjk
- Start date
Well I've submitted the request for approval on the Epiphany Acoustics I will be talking to them about pricing and this new revision don't want to do myself over on the first hurdle.
With having to pay upfront for the items and not knowing their sort of stock levels or production times I would epect to have them live by the end of June to be safe. Maybe sooner.
I'm looking into FiiO seems my colleagues in Germany may be better suited for hammering out a better deal as it appears the main disti has it locked down tight I will enquire but a Disti that imports the goods and sells direct is usually hard to deal with, and very hard to compete with.
We also have the Silverstone ones in stock I'm trying to get a sample from Silverstone one which I hope to get reviewed As all the details I can find on it come from pre 2010 and I would like to think that the item has been updated a bit since then. Or confirm that it hasn't.
With having to pay upfront for the items and not knowing their sort of stock levels or production times I would epect to have them live by the end of June to be safe. Maybe sooner.
I'm looking into FiiO seems my colleagues in Germany may be better suited for hammering out a better deal as it appears the main disti has it locked down tight I will enquire but a Disti that imports the goods and sells direct is usually hard to deal with, and very hard to compete with.
We also have the Silverstone ones in stock I'm trying to get a sample from Silverstone one which I hope to get reviewed As all the details I can find on it come from pre 2010 and I would like to think that the item has been updated a bit since then. Or confirm that it hasn't.
Could also try Schiit Audio, a relatively new company from the States. Very reasonably priced, similar marketing model to Epiphany Acoustics. They're entry and mid level amps/DACs are excellent value.
Some history on the company can be seen here (an entertaining, but long read, in case you ever get bored of RJK making you clear out the back of the warehouse again
)
Some history on the company can be seen here (an entertaining, but long read, in case you ever get bored of RJK making you clear out the back of the warehouse again
)DAC/Amps and separates:
Schiit make a big thing of selling their Magni (amp) and Modi (DAC) for $99 each while the main seller in the UK (electromod) sell them for £99 each. When buying from the Schiit website (US only) you get a 2 year warranty while the UK reseller only provides one. If you could improve on that deal they would probably sell well (once news got around) as they are very popular.
The Aune T1 tube DAC/amp sells for £119 as a sell through on Amazon but I'm sure they would sell well with a reputable UK retailer behind them. Reviewed as having a very good DAC with added valve flavourings and a decent solid state amp to provide the power.
A limited range of FiiO products would be good as they are well regarded in the audio world as being a good quality entry level product. Something like the E07K & E09K which can work together as a DAC/AMP or separately as a mobile DAC/amp and desktop headphone amp. The E012K is a very good mobile amp and the E17 is a good mobile amp/DAC.
You're already considering the Epiphany Acoustics O2D Desktop DAC/amp but what about the O2 mobile amp and EDAC separates? They are planning to release the updated O2D in early June, so it could tie up quite well.
A couple of other far eastern gems would be the Yulong U100 DAC/amp and the lower end Little Dot tube amps.
Headphones are a real minefield so you're probably best off taking baby steps and just stocking a couple of the cheaper models to start with and then see how it goes.
Schiit make a big thing of selling their Magni (amp) and Modi (DAC) for $99 each while the main seller in the UK (electromod) sell them for £99 each. When buying from the Schiit website (US only) you get a 2 year warranty while the UK reseller only provides one. If you could improve on that deal they would probably sell well (once news got around) as they are very popular.
The Aune T1 tube DAC/amp sells for £119 as a sell through on Amazon but I'm sure they would sell well with a reputable UK retailer behind them. Reviewed as having a very good DAC with added valve flavourings and a decent solid state amp to provide the power.
A limited range of FiiO products would be good as they are well regarded in the audio world as being a good quality entry level product. Something like the E07K & E09K which can work together as a DAC/AMP or separately as a mobile DAC/amp and desktop headphone amp. The E012K is a very good mobile amp and the E17 is a good mobile amp/DAC.
You're already considering the Epiphany Acoustics O2D Desktop DAC/amp but what about the O2 mobile amp and EDAC separates? They are planning to release the updated O2D in early June, so it could tie up quite well.
A couple of other far eastern gems would be the Yulong U100 DAC/amp and the lower end Little Dot tube amps.
Headphones are a real minefield so you're probably best off taking baby steps and just stocking a couple of the cheaper models to start with and then see how it goes.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 21 Jun 2006
- Posts
- 38,367
it's been noted on head fi that other dac/amps are a lot better for less money
That is indeed the case. It's 'ok' as far as DACs go, but it does have one thing in its favour - ultra-portability. Soundwise, its far from great (but as you say, better can be had for the money), it is is size and convenience that makes it worthwhile - good for LANs etc and so may serve a purpose on OcUK.
quite probably true , but it's a good thing to have on this site imo. my dacs £400 and i'm happy with it
Lets not get too far ahead of ourselves eh, we aren't suddenly going to be investing £1000's in niche products.
You have a £400 DAC so you're not in the market for another In all honesty we are looking at entry level stuff and a bit better. The sort of stuff you guys recommend on a regular basis If someone is in the market for a £400+ DAC they will know their stuff being doing their own research etc not the sort of weekly thread that pops up in this subsection.
You have a £400 DAC so you're not in the market for another In all honesty we are looking at entry level stuff and a bit better. The sort of stuff you guys recommend on a regular basis If someone is in the market for a £400+ DAC they will know their stuff being doing their own research etc not the sort of weekly thread that pops up in this subsection.
Good thread and appreciate the updates.
I hope you make progress with Beyer, I had the mx300 a couple of years back but it just wasn't worth £300 to me, it was still outstanding though and having since tried a few more of the products (and now keeping the dt770) they just blow gaming headsets away.
I hope you make progress with Beyer, I had the mx300 a couple of years back but it just wasn't worth £300 to me, it was still outstanding though and having since tried a few more of the products (and now keeping the dt770) they just blow gaming headsets away.
You could keep trying to stock the DT770 and DT990, probably will be difficult as they've got their established channels. With Sennheiser, stock a few up to the HD598 as higher models are rather expensive.
As mentioned above, Schiit get good reviews on their AMP's and DAC's.
As mentioned above, Schiit get good reviews on their AMP's and DAC's.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 21 Jun 2006
- Posts
- 38,367
the on ears? if you can get them for a slight increase in price over hd25-1 II's then they are worth it otherwise just buy hd25's. they are basically a better looking HD25-1 II, far more stylish, some people may think that's worth paying the extra for.
the overhead version? i think there are better options out there for the money.
as for DAC's if you get the epiphany acoustics one, I don't think there is any point in you stocking anything else under £200 unless it offers different functionality like a fiio e17 (portability and multiple inputs).
all DAC's under £200 are pretty much on the same level as the O2 and Schiit Modi, the differences are negligible.
amps on the other hand you could stock a range to go with the O2, because different headphones require different amps and impedance matters more here over power. You have to get the correct impedance for your headphones.
I think you divide the impedance of the headphone by 8 and that is roughly the number the impedance of the amp should be. Take the Fidelio X1 (very low impedance at 30 ohm) requires and amp with around 4 ohm or less anything greater is unsuitable.
Whereas the Beyerdynamic DT770 250 ohm version requires an amp with around 31 ohm or less.
So i recommend you only stock 1 or 2 home use DAC's under £200 and then 1 or 2 portable use DAC's under £200 (fiio e17 and fiio e18 are well regarded as are others I bet).
When it comes to amps you will need a bigger range to accommodate all types of headphones or to accomodate the headphones you are looking to stock.
Take a look at this post here:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=26248873&postcount=588
Momentum is a waste of time. It's just a more 'stylish' HD25-1 II with metal covers (some claims this affects the timbre of the headphone, but thats absolute crap) with a higher price tag.
HD25-1 II isn't ideal for gaming either, it's a portable headphone through and through and doesn't have the widest of soundstages.
With regards to DT770 vs DT990 for gaming, the latter will be better as it is open, allowing for a greater soundstage and to a lesser extent greater clarity - key factors in gaming headphones.
HD25-1 II isn't ideal for gaming either, it's a portable headphone through and through and doesn't have the widest of soundstages.
With regards to DT770 vs DT990 for gaming, the latter will be better as it is open, allowing for a greater soundstage and to a lesser extent greater clarity - key factors in gaming headphones.
Get a vote for Schiit Audio products from me.
I have a bifrost and it is superb.
Magni/Modi/Loki/Vali look superb if on a tight budget. At between £100-£150
One thing they have going for them is the build quality. They are built extremely well with sold aluminium chasis.
No nonsense does what it says on the tin and does it well.
Also have a DSD offering for those interested.
I have a bifrost and it is superb.
Magni/Modi/Loki/Vali look superb if on a tight budget. At between £100-£150
One thing they have going for them is the build quality. They are built extremely well with sold aluminium chasis.
No nonsense does what it says on the tin and does it well.
Also have a DSD offering for those interested.
The Momentum is pretty good, it's great for those who like a less aggressive signature. Highly sensitive so works well on anything! Lose out to the cheaper Yamah Pro 500 though but to be fair the Pro 500 is easily comparable to some serious stuff.
Over ear momentum is similar to the HD25 or Amperior. A bit better IMO but the removable parts on the HD25 is handy.
DT770 vs DT990
770 wins on positional accuracy but most headphones do. Only headphones I've tried that out do it are the HD800 at £999 and maybe the W1000x at £570. The bass can distract from from the God like positional accuracy but I don't have issues but others may. 990 is more airy, a bit grainy to my ears. Soundstage goes to the 990 in Dolby headphone mode but both are close.
770 has amazing bass, 990 has good bass. Both equally as comfy and finally 770 has more of a syrupy sound.
Over ear momentum is similar to the HD25 or Amperior. A bit better IMO but the removable parts on the HD25 is handy.
DT770 vs DT990
770 wins on positional accuracy but most headphones do. Only headphones I've tried that out do it are the HD800 at £999 and maybe the W1000x at £570. The bass can distract from from the God like positional accuracy but I don't have issues but others may. 990 is more airy, a bit grainy to my ears. Soundstage goes to the 990 in Dolby headphone mode but both are close.
770 has amazing bass, 990 has good bass. Both equally as comfy and finally 770 has more of a syrupy sound.
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Hi,
It's great to see Overclockers supply decent headphones. I understand that you want to keep the number pretty small at the start, but, don't limit your range too much as there are a lot of people who like open and other people who like closed and there are some decent semi open phones out there are well. I would try to supply 3 or 4 of each type.
Here are some models that I think would sell really well.
Superlux 668B,
JVC HA RX900,
JVC HA RX700,
Beyerdynamic DT990 pro,
Beyerdynamic DT 770,
Sennheiser HD 558,
Creative Aurvana live (both versions, 1 and 2)
Audio Technica AD700,
Philips Fidelio X1
There are other great phones out there, but I think these models would cover most of the bases.
It's great to see Overclockers supply decent headphones. I understand that you want to keep the number pretty small at the start, but, don't limit your range too much as there are a lot of people who like open and other people who like closed and there are some decent semi open phones out there are well. I would try to supply 3 or 4 of each type.
Here are some models that I think would sell really well.
Superlux 668B,
JVC HA RX900,
JVC HA RX700,
Beyerdynamic DT990 pro,
Beyerdynamic DT 770,
Sennheiser HD 558,
Creative Aurvana live (both versions, 1 and 2)
Audio Technica AD700,
Philips Fidelio X1
There are other great phones out there, but I think these models would cover most of the bases.