Remember that different headphones and IEMs may need a lower noise floor or different power characteristics. It’s also worth noting that it’s relatively common for amps to perform worse when the current draw increases.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqlcJnoIcGo
I have not seen exhaustive measurements of this amp, but it seems to be good for many, but not necessarily all, headphones.
If you haven’t read Crins post on this, you should.
https://crinacle.com/2020/04/19/the-big-breakdown-ranking-list-update/
As already demonstrated in this comment section, these kinds of audiophile terms really annoy some people because they aren’t super easy to define. While it is possible to find and pinpoint many subjective things in objective data, it’s bloody difficult and confusing. Plus, we all have different ear canals, taste, and levels of ear training. This isn’t to say that there’s a lot of confirmation bias going around. There definitely is. But these subjective terms are still useful tools for describing the subjective experience. The fact of the matter is that objectively captured data is also liable to being misinterpreted. So in my opinion, you need to learn how to evaluate both subjective and objective data points.
If you think of a drum kit, the tom-tom could be said to have more note weight than the snare. A fat smash on the tom will give a big bong! sound coming all the way from the bass and saturating the upper harmonics with vibrato. That’s heavy note weight. Listen to Pet Sounds and you’ll get the idea. On the other hand, the dink! of the rightmost keys on a piano could be considered a light note weight.
The Headphone Show on YT has done some videos about these audiophile terms. It’s worth a watch.
https://www.youtube.com/@TheHEADPHONEShow/search?query=terms
Yes and no. The DAC X6 has roll-off in the bass and treble, altering the frequency response. It might also not have the power headroom to fully reproduce the total dynamic range of the music. The performance might also decrease as current output goes up. That’s not uncommon.
DACs today are pretty much all “perfect” so that’s a non issue unless we get into R2R stuff. But amps can have deficiencies. Some present problems or traits that are more or less apparent depending on the characteristics of the headphone or IEM you plug into them.
Also, it’s very hard to properly compare source gear, because not having a perfect volume match will significantly skew your impressions. And confirmation bias is always a factor in our perceptions.
Just FYI, you’re likely to get a slight latency when using wireless headphones. That could potentially cause problems when playing.
Assuming you’re looking for more or less transparent amps and no funky synergies, there’s not much to consider.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqlcJnoIcGo
Your Magni has enough power for both your headphones. If you want something that’s potentially a bit nicer, then the new Midgard looks interesting.
No need to replace the DAC.
The perception of audio will vary from person to person. Transparent source equipment and neutral-ish headphones like the HD600 are still great, don’t get me wrong. The point is that I think it’s a fool’s errand to obsess over objective perfection, or adherence to the artist’s intent.
You don’t need to spend a ton of money on DACs and amps. All modern transparency-focused stuff is nearly identical. The JDS Atom DAC and amp is a great choice if you want something with all the bells, whistles, belts, and braces you’ll need for almost any eventuality. But in many cases, you might not need more than a phone dongle DAC and amp, or the soundcard built into your computer or phone.
This video does a good job at explaining amp power requirements and considerations.
DACs and amps that do not try to be totally transparent are not per definition broken and only enjoyed by suckers. But they are not inherently better than the transparent stuff either. R2R DACs, tube amps and class-A stuff aren’t what I think you should start with, but they can be cool to experiment with.
Also, learn to EQ, and remember that confirmation bias is a thing.
Firstly, read the rules before posting. It’s just good manners.
Secondly, the Heddphones are open-back designs. This means that they leak like crazy and do not isolate. You cannot use them in public. Are you okay with that?
It depends on what amps you’re talking about. In the ASR world, tube amps, R2R DACs, and Class-A amps is all broken garbage only enjoyed by suckers. More or less. So all “real” amps sound the same, because the rest doesn’t count.
Most modern hifi gear that targets transparent reproduction do achieve it. These are your Schiit Magnis, JDS Atom amps, and anything from Topping. Their distortion figures are so far below the limits of human hearing that SINAD is mostly a marketing gimmick. I’m not going to say it’s impossible to hear some differences between ostensibly transparent amps with enough ear training, but the reports are unreliable and the results, true or not, are irrelevant for the vast majority of users.
But you can stil find modern amps that have clear deficiencies. Many of the cheap DACs and amps from brands like Fosi do suffer from stuff like treble and bass roll-off. High output impedance can also be a problem when paired with low impedance dynamic driver head or earphones. I know one of the Focusrite interface models has significantly bad distortion when driving low impedance loads. And some well regarded amps might still have too much noise for very sensitive IEMs, or not enough power for very demanding headphones.
In short, if you’re on a tight budget, take care in picking an amp that will fit the headphones you want to use. If you want something that’s pretty much universal, then I recommend the JDS Atom amp.
Fancy materials and weave patterns can definitely have measurable effects. Everyone who’s done some physics or electrical theory training knows that. It’s just that the differences aren’t significant in the context of a headphone listening situation. But many manufacturers like to blur the lines on that.
As other commenters have mentioned, all cables aren’t perfect just because there is an upper limit of useful performance. You can definitely still find cables that will perform more or less sub-optimally depending on the application. Back in the olden days, rubbish cables may have been more proliferated.
Placebo is an important factor when dealing with subjective or intangible things. Add on some cultural prestige (being in the right in-crowd), and it gets messy. The fact of the matter is that if we listen to two cables that are identical, or create a tiny difference through impedance or wherever, then we will hear the difference that we expect or want to hear.
But there is also the feel-good factor. If getting a cable that is made of exotic materials and is designed and made well makes you enjoy listening more, then it has arguably done its job. Just like a comfy chair makes the music sound better, without actually changing the sound. As long as you don’t tip over into delusion and total financial irresponsibility, then I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with it.
In summary, it’s not as simple as many people would like to believe, and there are cores of reason to all delusions. You mentioned burn-in and it might very well have mattered on older transducer designs. It’s certainly something you might need to deal with on vacuum tubes.
The fundamental problem is that there is no such thing as perfect reproduction in headphones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tBKhg-brBc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3wr8VuJGyI
From a tuning standpoint, the Clears are pretty much within the margins of being called neutral, or accurate. What they bring to the table is a better representation of dynamics. We might call it the punch factor. This does not make them more or less “accurate”. It’s just different.
If spending the the 20 dollars extra for the RED just means eating bean salads instead of McDonalds burgers for a wee or two, then it might be worth it. For movies, it would give you more distinct sub-bass.
For gaming, you might want to consider the 7hz Salnotes Zero instead of the Wan’er. The Salnotes Zero has a touch less bass, but a little bit more energy in the upper mid range and treble, which could make it easier to hear footsteps and other details in games.
The driver is basically moving so much that it hits the end stops. It’s only a problem at ear-destroying volumes, so unless you want to cause yourself permanent harm, it’s pretty much a non-issue.
If you value the features highly, sure. From an audio and longevity standpoint, it’s not worth the money. As always, it’s complicated.
Some will put up with unreliable and shitty sounding headphones because they fit their aesthetic taste. Frankly, I think that’s pushing the decadence a bit too far, but that’s what they prioritise nonetheless.
If your top priority with the purchase is getting a wireless ANC headphone and the bling factor of having the latest and (supposedly) greatest, then the XM5 makes sense.
If you don’t care about the features and gimmick and just want good sound quality, you could get a set of IEMs for a tenth of the cost that are arguably better sounding.
If you just want a decent wireless headphone, then the Anker Soundcore Q35 isn’t a helluva lot worse than the XM5, and costs a lot less.
If you have an addictive personality and are prone to FoMo, you should handle that first. That’s just good life advice. If it’s bad, talk to a therapist.
To be very pragmatic, I think that if you slap a set of ZMF suede upgrade pads on your 6XX, and maybe lift the bass and treble a little bit with EQ, you have yourself covered pretty well. You could try the Anandas, but I recommend sending them back when you’ve tried them and enjoy what you already have. Save the money for something substantially different. Hifiman headphones break more often than they should, so those are a dodgy thing to spend money on regardless.
I thin the next step in your “journey” should be to learn to EQ and read and interpret data. This is the way to get a better audio experience and make more educated purchases in the future.
6.3 and 3.5 mm (or the inch equivalent) connections are electrically identical. Adaptors are very common and should be easy to find.
Classic tube amps like this usually have a high output impedance, which affects dynamic driver headphones but not planars, and relatively low current output, making them unsuitable for low efficiency headphones. Although that varies.
In short, they are most suited to high impedance dynamic driver headphones like the HD800. The Elegia might be a poor match.
I would personally take a JDS Atom amp over the Magnis due to it having slightly better components, and JDS’ support being stellar.
Remember that all these are only amps, while your TA-03s has a built-in DAC.
Third party pads are often a lottery since pads are absolutely integral to the tuning of the headphone and need to be more or less a perfect match to sound good.
Why do some car nerds have more than one car? A sports car or vintage classic doesn’t take you to work any faster than a VW Golf.
Why would anyone get a fancy camera with nice lenses when it’s so much more convenient to use a phone to post to Instagram?
Why does anyone pay money to go to a nice restaurant, or take the time to make an intricate dinner when you can get most of your needed nutrients from a basic bean salad?
Audio and music is like wine or whiskey. You don’t need any prerequisite knowledge or experience to get wasted on a bottle of Jack Daniels. But when you start to notice the finer details, you might end up with new appreciations for it, and maybe the desire to learn more and try new and different experiences.
In addition to what’s already been mentioned, I’d like to point out that amps like the JDS Atom and Schiit Magni and Asgard will turn on the RCA pre-amp outputs when you unplug the headphones.
Maybe, but probably not. If you have the option to grab a Schiit Fulla, Fiio K5 Pro, or KA1, and return it without many questions, then you could find out.
Pads are a consumable part, like the tires of a car. They can’t last forever.
The catch is that this particular headphone draws a fair amount of current. Potentially more than a regular receiver will put up with without the distortion going up. It’s hard to know for sure with receivers since the relevant specs are almost never published.
If you’re in north America, Schiit Audio currently has a closeout sale on their Magni+ amp for 80 dollars. That could be a good choice.
The potential crux of hooking up an amp to the headphone or line-out port of a PC is that if the internal soundcard is picking up electrical noise, an amp won’t get rid of it. You’d need an external DAC to fix that problem if it happens.