Hey All

Im currently looking into Dac amps for some higher spec headphones then the ones I currently have beyerdynamics DT 770 pro and looking at some Hickman options, does anyone have any experience on here with them? I hear a lot about headroom advantages and less distortion which sounds great but im not sure how that will translate for me, im using my headphones with the dac amp on the m1 mbp which does well but surely must be worlds apart from a topping dac amp? ect, shine a light please bretherin!

 

you should include which impedance DT770s you have. 32 ohm, 80ohm, or 250 ohm? Otherwise people may recommend the wrong schiit.

 

Last edited: Feb 28, 2025

250ohm, the dream is to get a dac amp and some Hifiman Ananda nanos

 

If you are in the US, a Schiit is a good choice. I'm still using my Schiit Magni 2 with 350 ohm headphones, with too much power to spare.

If you already have an audio interface, getting a separate dac is a bad idea. This is a pro audio forums, so I immediately assume you're recording or playing. In that case, look for an amp (like an used Schiit Magni 2 or higher, or a desktop FiiO) and forget the DAC. Magical audio quality gains from a DAC are not real and it gets in the way of ASIO.

Edit: not sure if you edited the post or I'm tripping because I'm sick with the fucking norovirus, but if I understood what you said, going from the M1 audio to an external set will improve the quality. Not as dramatically as you might believe, but the extra power makes a difference in low to low mids especially in power hungry headphones. The DAC should be as flat as it goes, so you won't get any magical improvements there. What you might perceive is just extra volume bringing out hidden details.

Furthermore, if you are doing music in any shape or form and ASIO is a must, a DAC Amp combo is NOT a good idea. Get a cheap interface + a separate amp.

 

Last edited: Feb 28, 2025

Macs do not use ASIO in almost all scenarios; but a little external audio interface would be the best option for the money. Just make sure it can support the 250 ohms headphones or you will still need an amp to really drive them properly.

 

Somehow that also went straight over my head, because I actually knew that lmao

But in that case, a DAC Amp combo does not have any drivers (it doesn't need since it's protocol), so it is completely useless as a professional tool. Unless Apple has also that figured out some way, but afaik Macs also have buffer sizes.

But anyway, yes, Julian Krause's YouTube channel has a comically large table with headphone impedances and performance (mW) for almost every price range you can imagine. IIRC, a Topping wasn't really cheap, and at that price point I think there's a shot at an Audient or SSL.

 

RME Adi2Pro for the win
other options: SPL, Topping

 

did this original post get hit with autocorrect ending up with Hickman, instead of Hifiman? lol.

Hifiman are one of the only vendors that have a serious open-box sales program for RMA's on their website. The amps do not seem as deeply discounted as their headphones, but still "ok" discounts. Their headphones on the other hand, you can find open box deals that are 50% or better discounts on even expensive models. Better prices than ebay or reverb, and they are basically brand new or they would not qualify for RMA in the first place.

https://www.head-fi.org can be a great site to check before you buy anything headphones related. just beware the "audiophiles".

 

I have a scarlet 18i6, yeah this old beauty, but my space at the moment doesnt allow me space to use my speakers so im just using my headphones and dac amp on my Mbp which is powerful for what it is but I do intent to up grade my headphones as mentioned... which seem to out live these options since looking at the dx7 ive seen the dx9 and instantly fallen in love so please feel free to bitch slap me back to reality as id rather not part with 1200 if can help it and thats before the ananda nanos, I just want the best sound stage for this upgrade

 

Yup, and will have a look!

 

A DAC/AMP like the FiiO K-7 is available for a paltry 219 € and will improve your headphones far beyond any level you've heard before.
https://fiio-shop.de/EN/Desktop-Audio/DAC-AMP/1412/FiiO-K7

 

this was another one I was looking at, it is niiiiice

 

I did consider this but the eq functions of the rme/topping kind of killed this idea for me unless there is something you can do on some of their software?

 

For listening to music I have a Shanling M3 Ultra which satisfies my need for fidelity.

 

I may have been swayed into the adi2pro 2/4 how's your experience been with yours?

I dont have any outboard gear and purely ITB but I feel I can warrant this if it gives me the sound I require for both head phones and monitors

 

The RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE currently costs €2,085.

- RME ADI-2 Pro FS R Black Edition - 1.549 €
High-End USB AD/DA converter and headphone amplifier https://rme-audio.de/adi-2-pro-fs-be.html

For years I also worked with a Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (250 Ohm) without a preamplifier but with a great PCI sound card. So theoretically you don't need an extra preamplifier for 250 Ohm headphones, but a powerful Audio Interface with very good headphone amplifiers, like this one:

- Audient iD44MKII - €533.00 https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id44/overview/

The two powerful headphone amplifiers each offer a 6.3mm jack output for high-impedance headphones.

 

I now have ADI-2 DAC FS, is this the one you have? if so how do you tackle the unbalanced outputs, im mainly using this for my Headphones but it is something im looking at

 

An option is to use the optical digital out [TOS] from your mother-board, as a source, to feed the input of a DAC headphone amp.

 

Hey, I’ve got the ADI-2 Pro FS (black edition) with balanced I/O on the back. I believe yours is the same, just without the analog inputs and digital AES input. It’s a great piece of equipment! From the pictures, it looks like yours has both balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) outputs on the back, so you can choose what to use. Enjoy!

 

Before you splurge on a mastering grade headphone amp, give the $660 Grace Design m900 a spin.

• SOS
• Mix Mag
• Tape Op
• Future Audiophile

Worth every penny - and then some - and portable.

 

Last edited: Apr 21, 2025 at 7:19 AM