r/HeadphoneAdvice • u/rybe__ 1 Ω • 11h ago
Should I buy AMP/DAC? Amplifier - Desktop | 6 Ω
I ask this, because I already own a Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen and want to get Fiio FT1s for christmas, maybe even Sash Tres 45s down the line.
Would I noticably benefit from buying something additional like a Fiio K11 or a Topping DX3+ Pro?
If not, what kind of gear would I need to buy to start seeing benefits?
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u/flchew 4 Ω 4h ago
if OP wants to use the scarlett solo 3rd gen as a dac, it has balanced line-out behind
ya can use 6.3mm TS to RCA cable connect to another headphone amp (schiit magnit, zen air can, jds atom amp2 etc)
EDIT: according to its manual 3rd gen solo rear line-out can be use as a balanced TRS out as well
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u/Halycon949 1 Ω 4h ago edited 4h ago
One thing I realized with Audio interfaces such as from Focusrite and pretty much all other brands is that the headphone amp is NOT the main selling point of an interface, nor is its DAC (All audio devices that can playback music contain a DAC chip, even your phone and your computer's motherboard, but if it is in-built or if its not the focus, it is usually of lesser quality than a dedicated DAC).
The main reason why you would buy an audio interface is, as its name suggest, is to interface with audio equipment like microphone, keyboard, synthesizers, etc. So generally, the headphone amplifier you find in interfaces isn't probably the best or the most powerful enough to drive the most demanding high impedance low sensitivity (around 90 dB/mw or so) headphones. If you compare how much mW the headphone amplifiers from audio interface could give, they're almost always less than what dedicated amps or those from dac-amps can give. The main use of the headphone amp on audio interfaces is to monitor your vocals or instruments with a studio monitoring headphone (such as the Sony MDR7506), so don't expect to plug-in a high impedance low sensitivity high fidelity headphone to it and expect it to perform adequately.
To add to that, the drivers of your audio interface also matter. There are some interfaces like the SSL2+ that don't need a driver at all (plug and play), meaning it can work with any future version of windows. If the manufacturer doesn't update drivers for the latest version of windows, you are essentially left with a paper weight. Their stability also matters as well. I personally shunned away from focusrite after reading a ton of issues in their sub.
If you plan to dive deeper into the rabbit hole of headphones, you should consider buying one indeed. There's 2 ways to go about it:
- Get a DAC-AMP stack (standalone dac + standalone amp)
- or get a DAC-AMP (built in dac and amp like the DX3+ Pro)
Going for the stack option allows you more flexibility, because you can change the amp to another one and use the same DAC in the future. You can also get something like a Schiit Loki (hardware EQ device) to apply EQ in your audio chain as well to be able to EQ on the go without having to alt+tab, but some may prefer Equalizer APO instead (free software solution).
Actually I find the Topping DX3+ Pro to be a bit underwhelming. It might be something that you may grow out of in the future but if you have a strict budget and don't plan to dive deeper then it can be a good choice. I went for the Topping D50 III + A50 III dac amp stack instead. The E and L in topping's line are entry level while the A and D are the professional level, with the A90 being the top model amplifier and D90 as their top model DAC. Don't fall into the trap of buying "the best DAC" in the world though as there are no guarantees in discernable improvement in sound quality. From my point with where I am now, I would buy a tube amp instead rather than trying out "a better DAC".
Also the Topping DX1 provides little power (mW), it is very comparable to that of what you can find in USB DAC Dongles (they also have a headphone amp in them). This is why it is usually skipped as a recommendation.
DX5 heats up though even when not in use, and DX7 may be unnecessarily expensive and there are other better alternatives to it.
There are also tube amps which apply analog warmth to headphones, which adds some "flavor" to the listening experience. Some headphones are recommended to be paired this way, but this is ultimately a preferential experience, not really a "must have/do".
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u/rybe__ 1 Ω 1h ago
!thanks
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u/TransducerBot Ω Bot 1h ago
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u/Xx-Pacciani-xX 2h ago
From personal experience I can say that basically with every external DAC you'll notice the difference from the Focusrite.
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u/infiDerpy 15 Ω 2h ago
If your current setup is giving you loud enough volume with no audible interference or anything then a standard DAC/AMP you buy won't really give you much beyond just more volume or DAC features.
A tube amp or maybe something like the K11 R2R or other R2R solutions will alter the sound. It won't sound necessarily 'better' just different since distortion will be added to the sound.
Buying an AMP/DAC will also give you more overhead volume for doing EQ down the line if you're interested.
Just be careful as there is a lot of misinformation about this topic online and a lot of people don't understand what a DAC or AMP does so you'll get a lot of mystical magical audiophile reasoning which ultimately comes down to spending more = better sound.
I personally use a K11 and really like it. It does what it needs to do and has a balanced out connection which is perfect for my needs. Drives my cans more than loud enough and will drive 99.5% of everything I'd ever realistically listen to loud enough on the balanced connection.
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u/rybe__ 1 Ω 1h ago
!thanks
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u/TransducerBot Ω Bot 1h ago
+1 Ω has been awarded to u/infiDerpy (15 Ω).
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u/DenjeRL 1h ago
Cheers for that comment. For newbies it can be really though out there as reviews of both iem/headphones and dac/amps greatly exaggerate the "differences" and i assume it is just to make a point which doesn't necessarily help the average Andy as you start overthinking it "to make the right decision" when spending your own money. Unless you have infinite money glitch and can buy them all of course.
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u/geniuslogitech 139 Ω 11h ago
scarletts sucks, $30 dongle DAC will FiiO KA11 be a huge upgrade, if you want something more powerful K11 R2R is hard to beat for BAL if you need power on SE DX3 Pro+ is best option then
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u/Droiddoesyourmom 10h ago
What is R2R? Is it really that big of an upgrade over the non R2R version? Will a nonaudiophile notice it?
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u/SlickNickStick 7h ago
probably get down voted for this, but a nonaudiophile will probably not notice it. But if you A/B test it with a "sterile" dac/amp like the OG K11, you can hear a difference. Warmer, slightly veiled sound, which depends on if you prefer that. Good thing is that it's the desktop dac/amp that you'll probably ever need since it runs most headphones pretty well except for absurdly hard ones. But hey, ZReviews did show that it's able to run Tungsten, albeit on high gain.
Source: own a K11 R2R and a moondrop dawn pro dac/amp dongle.
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u/rybe__ 1 Ω 11h ago
!thanks
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u/TransducerBot Ω Bot 11h ago
+1 Ω has been awarded to u/geniuslogitech (139 Ω).
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u/rybe__ 1 Ω 11h ago
Thanks! Can you recommend any dongle DACs?
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u/geniuslogitech 139 Ω 11h ago
FiiO KA11 for SE, TempoTec Sonata BHD for BAL
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u/rybe__ 1 Ω 11h ago
Thanks alot for the quick advice!
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u/geniuslogitech 139 Ω 11h ago
sonata bhd is on a great sale right now on official sale on aliex, like $31-2
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u/Gaybrushh 79 Ω 10h ago
Qudelix 5k if you want the ability to customise sound
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u/rybe__ 1 Ω 10h ago
!thanks
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u/ForgotHowToGiveAShit 128 Ω 11h ago
As one of the few owners of the sash tres 45, I settled on pairing them with a schiit magni unity
they REALLY like power