I have a PC based system now with an empirical audio modified Benchmark Dac-1 (full mods) and have compared it to many setups. Empirical Audio does a headphone mod to the DAC-1 that you may want to look into. It is excellent.
However, even without that headphone mod the empirical audio modified DAC-1 w/ sen 650s sounded excellent. A melos sha-1 headphone amp beat it a bit but it didn't beat the dac 1 with the headphone mod. I tried a cary 300sei with great NOS tubes with the AKG 1000 and the 650 and still the DAC-1 (EA modified with also the EA headphone mod) and the 650 was close.
The rig that really beat it was a Stax Omega 007TII amp and cans and then that amp with a pair of Sennheiser HE60 beat that by a small margin but you are talking about a $3000-4000 rig to get only a bit more resolution and depth. It may be worth it depending on your financial situation. It was worth it for me.
I think i would first do the empirical audio dac 1 headphone mod and try it with the 650 and maybe the ultrasone 9 which i haven't heard but have read that others are abandoning big rigs for that dynamic can.
Also, i got the stephan audioart 650 headphone cable and it was a small but certain improvement. I think this is the replacement cable of choice right now.
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However, even without that headphone mod the empirical audio modified DAC-1 w/ sen 650s sounded excellent. A melos sha-1 headphone amp beat it a bit but it didn't beat the dac 1 with the headphone mod. I tried a cary 300sei with great NOS tubes with the AKG 1000 and the 650 and still the DAC-1 (EA modified with also the EA headphone mod) and the 650 was close.
The rig that really beat it was a Stax Omega 007TII amp and cans and then that amp with a pair of Sennheiser HE60 beat that by a small margin but you are talking about a $3000-4000 rig to get only a bit more resolution and depth. It may be worth it depending on your financial situation. It was worth it for me.
I think i would first do the empirical audio dac 1 headphone mod and try it with the 650 and maybe the ultrasone 9 which i haven't heard but have read that others are abandoning big rigs for that dynamic can.
Also, i got the stephan audioart 650 headphone cable and it was a small but certain improvement. I think this is the replacement cable of choice right now.
Ask this question at headfi.org