Switch to external DAC/Amp

jinxpad

jinxpad

jinxpad

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12 Nov 2009
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Hey guys,

I currently have my DT1990's connected to my PC's Xonar essence STX. I was wondering if it's worth changing things up to something like a Schitt Magni/Modi stack?

thanks all :)
 
Unless there's some arficial planned inaccuracies/distortions scientifically profable differences are unlikely.

Also what's the usage?
Gaming with stereo sound sucks with headphones, because our hearing isn't stereo, but binaural.
Though not that Dolby Headphone of those Xonars is that good HRTF algorithm for gaming.
Can well understand why some people prefer not using it.
 
External DAC/AMP can be more removed from sources of interference inside the PC and often more optimised for music listening so can be of benefit there on the other hand they can lack features for gaming and/or performance/latency with gaming might not be as good as an internal interface (depending on a number of factors).
 
As mentioned above by Rroff; moving DAC/amp outside PC case aside to be further removed from any possible EMI, then it's difficult to know whether any sound quality gains are worth the cost outlay. This is from the stance that you have no interest in DSP effects.

Might be worth asking @rids57. See what his thoughts are.

He has had a Xonar Essence STX, moved to a Schiit stack and uses DT1990 headphones.
 
Only use the STX for speakers these days as I rarely play any games - it still sounds good and nicely detailed but I'd take any of my various Schiit combos over it any day.

My DAC is a Schiit Modi Multibit, which sounds a little more real and musical than the Modi 3, with better bass and imaging but that's just how multibit is compared with Delta Sigma. As to whether it's worth your while to pay the extra is up to you as the Modi 3 is a decent enough DAC in it's own right.

I had a Magni 3 amp for quite a while and loved the sound but wanted to try something different and got the Schiit Vali 2 tube hybrid amp. The Vali was instantly different to the Magni and I initially didn't like it as it sounded thinner than the Magni but after a few minutes my brain accepted the big changes and the tonal differences were just a different presentation. The Magni soundstage has width while the Vali has both width and depth making it easy to visualise instruments due to the sharp imaging of the DT1990.

My next move was to my current amp, the Schiit Asgard 3 and although it's more expensive it's proved to be a very real upgrade in every sense. With the Asgard 3, the music seems to have more body and the bass is amazing, it really makes the DT1990's sing. The soundstage is wider than the Magni and Vali but not quite as deep as the Vali. I think I will be using the Asgard 3 for years to come, it has oodles of power, great bass and a lovely, sweet tone throughout the frequency range and will eventually be paired with a matching Schiit Bifrost 2 when I manage to save enough pennies.

A nice feature of the Asgard 3 is that you can add DAC cards, so for an extra £100 for the AK4490 DAC card you can have an all in one unit with a very beefy built in power supply and a beautifully smooth ALPS RK27 volume pot.
I got my Asgard 3 for £170 as a graded stock item from Schiit UK - there isn't a mark on it, it was pristine :)

So, from STX to where I am now has been very incremental (with a Fiio E10k and an Aune T1 in there too before any of the Schiit landed) but each step has been a positive one.
 
thanks all for the feedback, and rids for all the detail. I think I'll go the same route with incremental upgrades and seed how I fair. I might also go for the multibit modi given the info you've given.
 
Since you got the DT1990 you may want something more powerful as an AMP than the Magni to get more out of it. Perhaps the JDS Labs Atom (there's one on the members market that seems a steal). If not you can look to SMSL SP200, drop thx or monoprice thx amps.
 
I was looking at the monoprice DAC/AMP combo as it had some good reviews, but I can't find anywhere in the UK stocking it :(

The drop THX 789 I would love, but shipping + duties etc make it a no go for my wallet.
 
jinxpad said:
I was looking at the monoprice DAC/AMP combo as it had some good reviews, but I can't find anywhere in the UK stocking it :(

The drop THX 789 I would love, but shipping + duties etc make it a no go for my wallet.
Click to expand...

I found the same issue which is why I bought the SP200 THX 888 (easily purchasable on amazon UK). If you're using your headphones on a single ended 1/4" jack rather than XLR the SP200 is more powerful I think. I'm actually currently using it with the Focal Utopia and it's driving it quite well.
 
Firstly, the Magni can drive the DT1990 with ease, they are not a difficult load.

XeNoNF50 said:
Since you got the DT1990 you may want something more powerful as an AMP than the Magni to get more out of it. Perhaps the JDS Labs Atom (there's one on the members market that seems a steal). If not you can look to SMSL SP200, drop thx or monoprice thx amps.
Click to expand...
The Atom (1W @ 32ohms) is less than half as powerful as the Magni (2.4W @ 32ohms)

The SMSL SP200 is a powerful amp that is gimped by a low cost volume pot that has caused quite a few units to suffer from channel imbalance. It is also less than ideal for low impedance headphones or IEMs as it's gain settings are too high.

I did consider a THX amp but decided to go with the slight warmth the Asgard 3 brings to the table rather than the clean but sterile and characterless presentation of the THX amps.
 
After doing this myself, didn’t noticed a huge difference, but after using my external DAC/amp for a few months, definitely couldn’t switch back now.

Main things are EMI and overall quality.

Only spent £70 on a second hand V90 HPA.
 
rids57 said:
Firstly, the Magni can drive the DT1990 with ease, they are not a difficult load.


The Atom (1W @ 32ohms) is less than half as powerful as the Magni (2.4W @ 32ohms)

The SMSL SP200 is a powerful amp that is gimped by a low cost volume pot that has caused quite a few units to suffer from channel imbalance. It is also less than ideal for low impedance headphones or IEMs as it's gain settings are too high.

I did consider a THX amp but decided to go with the slight warmth the Asgard 3 brings to the table rather than the clean but sterile and characterless presentation of the THX amps.
Click to expand...

My bad sorry was going firmly off memory re magni
 
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