4K headphone + headphone amp/dac system recommendations please
I have 4K to spend on a better headphone system and have no expertise in the headphone zone.
Currently using old Grado SR 225 cans with Schiit Jotunheim 2 amp (single ended connection). Source is Jay's CDT2 transport and I'm using the internal DAC in my Hegel H390.
While the Hegel's onboard DAC is pretty good, it is a bit thin in the mids. I'd prefer something a bit more fleshed out in that frequency range.
I'm not finding many headphone amp/DAC combos. I am not interested in Chord or import brands that cannot be serviced in US.
The Teac UD 507 looks like a possibility. Moon Audio sells it and recommends HiFiMan HE100 V4 Stealth Magnet currently on sale for $949 to pair with the Teac.
Please Note: This budget will also need to accomodate a power cable and an AES/EBU cable to connect to transport.
In terms of sonics, I favor musicality over detail. I'm very sensitive to fatiguing highs. At the same time, I prize tight bass.
I listen to 3 types of music: acoustic Jazz, non-classical acoustic (NewGrass, Singer-Songwriter, Folk, etc) and some Classic Rock.
Thanks. I can definitely see the usefulness of such an expedition but as an introvert who abhors crowds, I’m not a likely candidate. I guess another option would be to keep the Jotunheim 2 and buy a 2K DAC but I don’t know that such a DAC would better the Hegel’s onboard DAC. Anyone else have any suggestions? |
If you’re sensitive to fatiguing highs / fatigue in general, Grados are about the worst choice out there. I listen loud and most Grados are just outright painful after ~30 minutes. They can be a lot of fun at first, but the fun wears off fast. Pad swaps, yada yada. Been down that road a few times. The (somewhat) exception to this is the ancient HP1000 series "Joe Grado" headphones (with flat pads). Those are GREAT and look beautiful too - but made in the 1990s and ageing more every day. Since you want musicality with lush mids, the classic combo of Sennheiser HD580 / HD600 / HD650 coupled to an OTL tube amp is hard to beat. I loved that sound and had to jump to electrostatics to find my "next level". I hate their newer HD800 and derivatives. Such unnatural sound. Electrostatic headphones can be truly magical; the detail and clarity is the best in the headphone world AND the fatigue factor is lowest because it also has the lowest distortion. But driving them properly is hard, and they can ONLY be powered by specialized devices. I’d recommend Stax Lambda L700 or ES Lab ES2a / ES1a with the best electrostatic amp you can get (e.g. KGSS, KGSShv, KGST). The new Stax SR-009D and 007S also get good ratings, but 007 is very hard to drive. L700 is easiest to drive, then 009D, then ES1 / 2, then 007. Probably, L700 is the best choice to start out. |
please go to CANJAM. I am an introvert to and go to CANJAM almost as a religious event lol. @stuartk reason why to go to CANJAM is in these two videos: 1 - https://youtu.be/W9gWIu3EP84?si=aaoC5SFmfj5cnG0x |
That's a bit tougher. SS can never be as lush as tubes without becoming a dark mess overall. There are definitely SS amps that "lean" warm, and that can be a pretty nice mix with the Sennheisers I mentioned too. Certainly avoid the Gilmore Dynalo / GS designs - those are GREAT amps but they do not lean warm at all. I'm not sure what modern SS dynamic amps are good for that, these days (I moved on to e-stats). Some of the older Headroom Max amplifiers were pretty nice and leaned warm and particularly sounded amazing with the Sennheisers in balanced drive mode (for the models that had it). Attending a local head-fi meet or Canjam is an excellent suggestion. Like with all things audio the choice of cans and amp is very personal. Just a warning the e-stat headphones struggle more in an environment like that because they're SO open to the ambient noise, and their amps don't have reserves to just crank the volume with endless headroom like on most dynamics. |
