Empyrean Headphones/Sennheiser HDVD 800 + 'what DAC'?


I have a great setup in my sound room w/ tube amp, DAC and speakers but looking to set something up in another room that is a bit more portable.  I already have the headphones & headphone amp listed above but looking for the right DAC.  Would a Dragonfly Red or Cobalt be a good fit, or some other compact DAC?  Opinions/Advice??

labelman

I'm thinking I need to get a DAC/headphone amp that better matches the Empyrean headphones.

Again I must ask the key question, what improvements are you looking for and what sound characteristics are most important to you?  Without this critical info it’s impossible to make a meaningful recommendation. 

The Empy is a warm headphone and mates well with a neutral headphone amp.

I had the following unit and it was good with the Empy.

Matrix Audio Mini i-3 Pro Streamer, DAC & Headphone Amp (headphones.com)

This unit is one of the most versatile pieces of gear I have used. You can stream from Ethernet (best), Wifi, Bluetooth. The unit is almost like a portable headphone amp.

 

I also tried the Topping A90 with the Meze, but you need the DAC and streamer to go with that.

Topping A90 Headphone Amp for Desktop (headphones.com)

It is also a good match.

The best match was the Benchmark HPA4. It is super clean and so quiet. The Meze love the HPA4 the most but the other 2 were very good for the price.

Benchmark HPA4, silver For Sale - US Audio Mart

 

Thank you YYZ~.  I'd love to get the Benchmark but that plus the DAC adds a lot of cost.  I think i'll try the Matrix.  Anyone want to buy a Sennheiser HDVD 800??

 

The Matrix has the weakest headphone section but the most versatile everything else.

Yesterdday, I bought for the second time the Topping D90LE ($799). That with the A90 headphone amp will get you close to the Benchmark level. I had the A90 before. You would need a streamer though.

 

What I did back then was buy the Matrix and the Topping A90. That was very good.